CAFOD Archives - CAFOD Blog

Hands On Doutchi: Thanks to you they have hope

May 29, 2018

Thanks to incredible regular support from CAFOD supporters, life in Doutchi has changed for the better.

Despite the challenges of living on the edge of the Sahara, the Doutchi community have hope.

Hope in the knowledge that they can prepare for the future with confidence.

Knowing that the tools and skills they have gained over the past 3 years, will mean that they can provide for their family now, and well in to the future.

Niger is the world’s poorest country and is also one of the hottest. Getting enough food to eat is the biggest challenge for people living here.

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Hands On Bolivia: You’re helping dreams come true

May 29, 2018

At the start of your Hands On journey, you met Vladimir. He talked of his desire to provide for his family with good, healthy food.

Thanks to your regular support, and Vladimir’s hard work and determination, he has achieved his dreams.

“When I got involved with Fundacion Nuna, it was as if the door had opened, and I could reach my goals and dreams.”

Our next project is beginning soon – find out more and get involved.

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5 ways to have your own Royal Wedding

May 18, 2018

Harry and Meghan have been busy in the past few months planning their wedding – and so has Therese! She’s been enjoying some of the slightly different ways that weddings can be celebrated. If you’re planning your wedding, why not see if you can encompass some of these ideas.

Who doesn’t love a wedding?

Full of love, happiness, cheesy music and people dressed in their best. It’s a fantastic day of bringing families and friends together to have a great celebration.

My boyfriend Joe proposed to me last Valentines day and we were amazed with all the messages of love we received. We have (well, really, I have) been keeping a keen eye on the build up to the latest Royal Wedding. I have particularly been paying attention to some little breaks in tradition, like asking guests to donate to their chosen charities rather than gifts. If I were a guest at Harry and Meghan’s wedding I would be rather relieved by this request, I can’t even begin to imagine what you would buy a Prince and future Princess!

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Baking and fundraising – Anne’s recipe for success

May 7, 2018

Anne works in our fundraising team. Every year she looks forward to combining her two passions of fundraising and baking at the Great CAFOD Bake Off.

When I was growing up I knew that my parish’s annual pilgrimage to Lourdes was soon approaching. Not because of any announcements at my church, but due to the activity in my family kitchen.

My busy mum did not have the time to volunteer on these pilgrimages, which travelled overland from Edinburgh to Lourdes. She did, however, offer her wonderful talent to it, through baking. In the days leading up to the pilgrimage I would come home from school, or wake up to the smell of baking, which filled our house. The kitchen surfaces were covered in baked treats, including family favourites of tea loafs, empire biscuits and fairy cakes.

Have you held a cake sale or other fundraising event for CAFOD recently? Donate your money to the Family Fast Day Appeal by 12 May and it will be doubled by the UK Government.

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Coping without social media

March 28, 2018

Georgia, a student at De Montfort University in Leicester, has been on a digital detox for Lent, giving up all forms of social media. She told us how she’s got on with her Give It Up Challenge.

At the time of writing this blog I am 33 days into not using Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter. I can’t believe I have come this far- the end is near.

This Lenten challenge has definitely been one of the toughest ones that I have decided to take on. I have found that the most difficult part of the challenge so far is feeling disconnected. The dreaded ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) has always been in the back of my mind. I’ve found that I’ve missed Facebook the most- practically anyway. It is hard having to rely on people to relay information you need whether that be for events or notifications from my sports team. I wouldn’t say its my favourite social media app- but the most useful for my everyday life.

The reaction I have had to this challenge has been “are you crazy?”, “what do you do on your phone then?”. I have to admit these were my first thoughts when I began contemplating the idea. I think the most unexpected thing however is that I don’t miss it anywhere near as much as I thought I would. It has just caused minor inconveniences. I definitely haven’t felt like I have been missing out on anything socially like I did before with seeing people’s snapchat and Instagram stories. Because if its not there to see there is no FOMO. This realization has definitely emphasized how people’s online persona is so different from their reality.

See our favourite Easter prayers

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Get the most out of your Lent donation

March 22, 2018

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Lent Appeal. Your gifts will change lives around the world. And if you donated between 13 February and 12 May, the UK Government will double your donation, giving twice the number of children the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong. Match funding for the appeal has now ended but you can still donate

Runa Begum is a volunteer in CAFOD’s digital team. She tells us why she was so impressed by the opportunity to have your donation doubled this lent, and by CAFOD supporters who continue to donate generously.

For the last few years I have been thinking more about donating with maximum impact – giving so my money goes further to needy causes. I often research the projects charities fund to see how far my pound can go. I think a lot of other people are feeling similar – we want our charitable donations to go as far as possible and to do as much good as possible.

Money raised for CAFOD’s Family Fast Day appeal this Lent will definitely do as much good as possible. Donations will be match funded by the UK Government which means your donation will be doubled, at no extra cost to you. More importantly, it means your gift will have double the impact in communities in Zimbabwe, Eritrea and around the world.

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What Giving up ‘Bad language’ for Lent is teaching me

March 19, 2018

Blogger Amy has taken up the challenge of giving up ‘Bad words’ this Lent. She tells us how she is getting on and what this challenge is teaching her.

I have now done just over four weeks of my Lent challenge and I have been surprised and amazed each day by my journey so far. I am so humbled by how God has met me in this time. Each week I have learned something new and been pointed in a new direction. Even in the difficult moments it has still been a joy to experience. I love the fact that God is graciously taking the time to change me. Change is hard and discipline is even harder. However, I truly think that when God disciplines us this is an expression of love and affection.

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Lent 2018: When I found out about what match funding means.

March 16, 2018

Therese Wynn-Davies recently joined the Digital Fundraising team here at CAFOD. She tells us how she was amazed by the opportunity this Lent as all donations made to CAFOD will be doubled by the UK Government, and how she’s getting involved with a colourful way of fundraising with her ever-co-operative colleague, Jack.

I started here at CAFOD right at the beginning of Lent, which was a great time to start. The office has been brilliantly busy with all sorts of things from dealing with donations, to Family Fast Day. It was around Pancake Day when I found out about match funding. I was really amazed, both with the pancakes and what match funding means for the people that CAFOD helps.

A couple more weeks into the role and my ears pricked up at the suggestion of ‘Dress a dad day’ to be held on Monday 19 March, St Joseph’s day. My colleagues were talking about children dressing up their dads. I volunteered to bring in some of my stash of fancy dress outfits. Before he knew it, my colleague Jack had been nominated as a non-dad to demonstrate some of the costumes.
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Mother’s Day: why all mums deserve breastfeeding help

March 8, 2018

When Laura Storr from CAFOD’s communications team heard how new mum Unity from Zimbabwe was struggling to breastfeed – she knew only too well how difficult it could be. As we look forward to Mother’s Day, she shares her own breastfeeding story and explains how you can help more mums get the specialist support they need by donating this Lent.

It’s 10pm and I’ve been breastfeeding my daughter Rosa on and off for the last five hours. Rosa was born two weeks ago, and every time she tries to feed, which is about 10-12 times a day, my body tenses with pain. At times, its so painful, I cry out. And she rarely seems satisfied. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. And I’m worried that she isn’t putting on weight.

Later that night, I remember that I was given a bunch of leaflets, including information about a breastfeeding support group a short walk from my home in north London. Later that evening, I dig them out, and make an appointment for the next available session.

Donate to CAFOD’s Lent appeal so new mums living in poverty can be trained how to breastfeed

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Can £28 really stop a family going hungry?

February 28, 2018

Sally Kitchener, from CAFOD’s communications team, recently visited Zimbabwe. She tells us how hearing a mother’s story about hunger affected her. She also shares some good news about vegetable gardens and invites you to help tackle malnutrition by donating to the CAFOD Lent Appeal.

A few months ago, I met Marian Magumise in her home in rural Zimbabwe. After packing the children off to school just after dawn, Marian invited me to sit in her cooking hut. The embers from the fire were still warm and the smell of porridge hung in the air.

Marian told me that she hasn’t always been able to give her children a meal before school. In fact, there have been countless times – months on end – when she has had not an oat or a grain to feed them.

Donate to CAFOD’s Lent Appeal

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