March 7, 2016
From water challenges to community lunches, there are a plethora of ways to help make a difference for CAFOD during Lent. It is not every day, though, that someone decides to jump out of a plane. Here, we meet one volunteer who is planning on going the extra 15,000 feet for CAFOD.
March 6, 2016
CAFOD writer, Mark Chamberlain recently travelled to Uganda. This Mothering Sunday, he writes on some of the women he met and how they reminded him of his own family.
There was a point when I stood sheltering from those first welcome rains that everything seemed still. It was so strange. Teko Anna’s children running through that heavy roar – Daphne, her nine-year-old over there under the roof of her uncle’s house, jumping in the quickly forming puddles. The younger ones watching Daphne, following her, copying her actions with awkward limbs, splashing though the same puddles.
Proscovia now through the lines of water running with a box of ducklings, bringing them in from the rain.
March 4, 2016
Our series of Friday blogs focus on examples of living out works of mercy during Lent. In this blog, Susan Kambalu, who accompanied four Step into the Gap volunteers to visit CAFOD partners in Zimbabwe last month, talks about hope for the future in the HIV and AIDS projects she visited.
One of my favourite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11: ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future.”’ When I’ve faced challenges in my own life, this verse has given me hope and encouraged me to keep going. But there has been one area of life where it has been hard to find hope at times. Members of my extended family have lived with the impact of HIV and AIDS, and the story I have seen over the past 15 years or so has not been a positive one. So it was with some trepidation that I prepared to visit Zimbabwe, to see first-hand the work of CAFOD partners Mavambo, Mashambanzou and St Albert’s Mission Hospital in supporting people living with HIV.
Find out more about HIV and AIDS as a development issue
Putting children first
These three partners, situated in very different contexts, work together on the programme, Putting Children First. This is a complex programme, covering areas such as child protection, birth certificates, income generating projects, school fees, and health care. The staff members I met were all passionate about their work, and were full of compassion and tenderness.
March 4, 2016
Rachel McCarthy works in the CAFOD Theology Programme. She reflects on the struggles of our sisters and brothers living in poverty, and how our prayers can make a real difference.
Today is Women’s World Day of Prayer. I reflect on the experiences of the many women and girls around the world who struggle without access to water, like Nangiro Nadiim from Uganda.
Nadiim has seen how devastating the effects of drought can be. In the dry and dusty region of Karamoja, the lack of water affects families, animals and crops- but it is often women who suffer the most.
Nadiim says, “Life today is even worse than before. Before, we had lots of crops and cows, but now there is no rain. Our cows have starved because there is no grass. I don’t know if our children will survive.”
It’s hard to imagine what Nadiim is going through; to be forced into fear for your children’s future. I’m not sure I could bear it.
But our faith compels us not to turn away. Pope Francis encourages us to “open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity… let us recognise that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!” Misericordiae Vultus #15
March 3, 2016
Ffion works in our digital team. This Lent she’s challenging herself to live on just 10 litres of water a day for a week to raise awareness of the CAFOD Lent Appeal.
When I first heard that people like Proscovia, a young girl from rural Uganda, sometimes live on 10 litres of water a day I thought, “that’s not too bad”. I’ve heard we humans are supposed to drink about two litres of liquid a day to stay healthy, so that’s a whole eight litres to clean your teeth and wash yourself. And wash your dishes and do your laundry. Oh, and then there’s flushing the toilet as well which, I’ve since discovered, uses at least four litres of water!
Far from thinking that 10 litres of water is sufficient, I’m now quite worried about my Lent challenge. I’ve done some research, which taught me that 10 litres is less than 10% of what we normally use per person per day in the UK. Washing things – yourself, clothes and laundry – seems to be where we use (or waste) the most amount of water so that’s what I think will be most difficult.
Please donate to our Lent Appeal
I’m starting my challenge tomorrow (4 March) so I’ve set myself some ground rules and have been thinking about little ‘tricks’ I can use to stop myself from using water when I don’t need to. Continue reading “Lent 2016: 7 ways to survive a 10 litre water challenge”
March 3, 2016
To celebrate International Day of Literacy, children’s author and primary school teacher Russ Brown explains how CAFOD’s big book for children can excite the imagination and help children’s understanding of the wider world.
“A big book to promote big talk” Russ Brown
Today is International Day of Literacy, a day to celebrate the importance of literacy around the world.
CAFOD’s big book, A day with Musa, takes us on a journey through an ordinary day for an ordinary child in Bangladesh. It raises the simple question of how are we different, while cleverly showing children how fundamentally we are all the same, regardless of skin, language or belief.
Continue reading “International Day of Literacy: Spend a day with Musa”
February 29, 2016
Michel Roy, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, reflects on Pope Francis’ Lenten message. Please donate to the CAFOD Lent Appeal today to help communities who struggle to find clean and safe water.
If I had to go on a long journey through a desert alone I’d make sure I had water, food, clothes to protect me from the sun, medicines and a tent. But having a companion for the journey would also be important because on a tough journey, having someone by your side always makes things easier.
During Lent, you may go on your own “journey into the wilderness”. It is a time for self-exploration and understanding, it is a time for just packing the essentials in your life. It is also a time for transformation of our hearts and for preparation for the great moment of joy and rebirth which is Easter.
How are you marking Lent 2016? Share your stories on Facebook or Twitter and read about CAFOD staff’s Lenten water challenges.
Millions of people that Caritas agencies help around the world are in perpetual deserts. They flee wars or live in poverty, they are sick or they have been imprisoned. They’ve been made to focus on what’s essential in their lives as they have nothing else. Caritas provides not only for their material needs, but also love and companionship on their trip through the wilderness. Continue reading “Lent 2016: travelling through the wilderness”
February 27, 2016
Laura Ouseley works in CAFOD’s Media team. She shares with us her experience of walking more than 12 miles to work for her Lent Water Challenge.
Alongside some of my colleagues (many of whom are taking on much bigger challenges than I am), this Lent I volunteered to take on my own Water Challenge in solidarity with people who don’t have access to safe water. For my challenge I decided that, rather than take the tube, I would walk my 12 mile journey into work!
Support CAFOD’s Lent water appeal
This Lent, we’re telling the story of girls like 14-year-old Proscovia from Uganda, who had to walk every day to collect water for her family until CAFOD’s partner built a water pump near their home. Leaving at 6am, it would take her 4-5 hours to collect water and as a result, she would miss hours of school.
Continue reading “Lent 2016: Walking to Work for My Water Challenge”
February 26, 2016
Jo Kitterick is Head of Development Education at CAFOD. In this blog she describes meeting Fr Paul, Director of Caritas Lebanon and hearing a powerful story of mercy, love and hope.
‘How much I desire that the year to come will be steeped in mercy, so that we can go out to every man and woman, bringing the goodness and tenderness of God!’ (Misericordia Vultus April 2015)
Across schools, parishes and cathedrals, momentum has been gathering to mark the Year of Mercy. I hear talk of holy doors, children writing poems and prayers on mercy, people making time to reflect on how we really open our hearts to God and to others.
CAFOD partner, Fr Paul, Director of Caritas Lebanon, passed through the door of CAFOD’s London office just two weeks ago. I had the privilege of speaking with him before he left to return home to Beirut.
The civil war in Lebanon was a regular news item on the television when I was a child. Lebanon continues to be in the news because this small country of just over four million is hosting over a million refugees affected by the war in Syria. The door to these refugees’ homes are the flaps of tents, openings to disused buildings. Some are doors shared with local families. The bed for a family can be a towel or a cloth on a cold concrete floor.
Continue reading “Lenten works of mercy: Welcome the newcomer”
February 18, 2016
Leila Bousbaa was part of the the Step into the Gap programme in 2014/15 and travelled to Zimbabwe to meet CAFOD partners as part of the programme. This Lent Leila is remembering the water projects she visited.
I’ve been thinking a lot about water these past few days since hearing about CAFOD’s Lent water campaign. This time last year I witnessed first-hand the struggles that come with lack of water.
As part of the Step into the Gap programme I visited CAFOD partner projects in Zimbabwe. One visit that impacted me greatly was a water project in Lubu. Here I met a community at the top of a rocky crevasse and together we ventured down the slippery slopes. Going down was hard enough, little did I know about what hiking back up would entail. Before the water project was implemented, the women in the community would have to make this journey carrying 20 litres of water on their head, often with another five litres of water in each hand, and sometimes barefoot with a baby on their back. And all of this had to be done three times a day!
