birmingham newsletter · gift brings smiles to the faces of orphaned and vulnerable children who...
TRANSCRIPT
Birmingham newsletter
autumn 2011
Julia Hood visits Ethiopia to report back to supporters in our diocese how their money is helping those affected by
the East Africa crisis—see pages 4 & 5
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Autumn greetings from your
CAFOD diocesan office!
Welcome to our twice-yearly
newsletter. This time we welcome
Amy Fox, our new CAFOD
Diocesan Officer for Youth, who
replaces Ali Ahmad. Amy has
settled in well and would be
delighted to hear from you if you
are a parish youth leader, as
she has lots to offer you in the
way of support, resources and
help with global justice work.
Because of the emerging East
Africa crisis, August was busy
for CAFOD as parishes and
individuals quickly responded to
the appeal. In the three months
since the appeal was launched,
you’ve raised more than £4.5
million, helping CAFOD reach
250,000 people with emergency
food aid, improved water supplies,
vital medical supplies and feed for
animals. Thank you to everyone
who has given and encouraged
others to give, and please keep
praying for the millions of people
affected as this crisis is far from
over. Our director Chris Bain says,
―Every donation is having an
impact on the front line of the
crisis.‖ See page 4 for a report
from Julia on her recent visit to
affected communities in Ethiopia.
We will hold our third Romero
Mass on Friday March 16th
2012 at 7pm at St Chad’s
Cathedral, hosted jointly by
CAFOD and the Archdiocese. The
first two, attended by 200 people,
were a wonderful opportunity to
join together to celebrate the life
and legacy of Archbishop Romero
and the continuing inspiration he
gives us in our work for global
justice. There will be a reception
afterwards in the Grimshaw Room
with a short talk by Sarah Smith-
Pearse of CAFOD’s Latin America
team. Do put the date in your
diary and join us if you are able.
As always, we remind you that
this newsletter is also available
via email. Or, if you don’t have
internet access but would like
materials mentioned in this
newsletter from our website, we
can send you a printed copy.
Thank you for your support of
CAFOD’s work.
Best wishes,
Julia, Abigail, Helen and Amy (Left to right)
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Our World Gifts catalogue,
offering alternative gifts for your loved ones that change
someone’s life in a community overseas, has new gifts each year.
Perhaps you would consider choosing one of these for a loved one,
instead of or as well as a personal item?
£22 Make a child smile
More than just a fun day out, this amazing
gift brings smiles to the faces of orphaned
and vulnerable children who have lost
parents and loved ones because of AIDS. A
day of games, dancing and music gives
them the chance to laugh, make new
friends and just enjoy being children again.
£10 Teach someone to read
Reading can open up so many doors –
education, work, pleasure, and self
improvement – and it’s never too late to
learn. This life-changing gift can pay to
train literacy teachers and provide books.
£23 Shrimp pond
Shrimp ponds make an ideal gift for
families living in areas prone to flooding.
Flood water leaves soil, rivers and ponds
too salty to keep fresh water fish but
shrimps thrive in salt water – giving
families a source of food and income.
Call 0808 140 0014 or see
cafod.org.uk/worldgifts. We can
also send you a supply of gifts
to sell in your parish.
Holy Trinity primary school in Bilston, West
Midlands raised an incredible £1430 for
CAFOD in the summer, using it to buy
chickens from our World Gifts scheme. It
bought an awful lot of chickens! CAFOD
volunteer Trevor Stockton is shown accepting the cheque from two pupils.
0808 140 0014 or cafod.org.uk/worldgifts
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In September I took part in a CAFOD trip to Ethiopia to visit communities in the south of the country who are suffering the effects of one of the worst droughts in sixty years. CAFOD supporters in the Birmingham Archdiocese have so far donated over £336,000 for the East Africa Appeal and on this trip I was able to see the difference this money is making to the lives of those I met. The region we visited is called Borana, about 500 kms from the capital Addis Ababa. It was a long drive to get there and we had ample opportunity to watch as the landscape and scenery started to change. As we left the bustling city and the busy towns behind we drove up into the green and fertile mountains where the famous Ethiopian coffee beans grow. Gradually as we drove further south towards our destination it got hotter
and drier. The soil was red and dusty and the only things that seemed to grow and thrive were thorny bushes and termites.
This is Borana where there has been little or no rain for 18 months. Droughts have always happened here but everyone we met told us that they are now happening much more frequently and intensely. There is no time for recovery. The people who live here are Pastoralists. They depend on their livestock for their income and food. One woman I met, Elema Wario, told me that “Without livestock there is no Borana.” Most of the people we met were reluctant to tell us exactly how many livestock they owned (apparently it is the equivalent of revealing your salary!), but what they did tell us is that most of them have lost over half of their herds. 300,000 cattle have died since this drought began.
Qarchero (above), a father of four in the Borana region, told us: ―For me, it is not this most recent drought that has been the hardest, it is one before. It is that one that killed my livestock. I used to have 20 cattle, now I have 5. I used to have 30 sheep and goats. Now I have just 6.
ETHIOPIA—COPING WITH DROUGHT
NOW & IN THE FUTURE
Julia Hood, CAFOD Diocesan Officer
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I have been forced to sell cattle at a low price so I can buy grain for the family to eat. There isn’t enough to
eat. The droughts are coming more often and the strength of the droughts is more. Now they seem to be coming every year. We are afraid that the drought will get worse. We are afraid of the future.”
Qarchero with over 100 members of his community took part in a CAFOD supported project to clear and improve their local watering hole (seen above). They cleared it of silt, made it bigger and created a separate pond for animals. Qarchero
told us that after this work was completed they did get a small amount of rain, enough to save his remaining livestock, ―If I had not gained money clearing this pond, I don’t know what would have happened. And if we hadn’t cleared the ponds we wouldn’t have water for us and our livestock. There are
few water holes near here. Some people walk all morning to collect water or bring their animals to drink it.” The projects we visited are all about helping the people of Borana adapt and cope with increasingly severe droughts, now and in the future.
CAFOD are supporting communities to improve water collection and storage and to clear grassland of
invasive bush so that their livestock have pasture to graze on. We are also helping and training communities to set up co-operatives, e.g. to make and sell aloe vera soap, or produce honey, providing alternative sources of income. These may seem like very simple,
basic things but in terms of the impact they are having they are huge and they really can mean the difference between a community being able to cope, or tipping over the edge into famine. In the words of Dejene Fikre, one of CAFOD’s partners, “To the people
who have given to CAFOD, thank you for giving attention to Borana. You must remember that drought is known to these people, it is part of their lives, so they can cope if given help to be prepared. Please remember this and help us continue this good work.” To support CAFOD’s East Africa
Appeal or to find out more about our work go to: cafod.org.uk
If you would like me to come and give a talk about my trip to Ethiopia you can contact me on
01922 722944 or e-mail [email protected]
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An ancient Greek truce gave athletes 100 days of peace to
travel to and from the Olympic Games in safety. CAFOD
has launched a new website in the run up to the 2012
Olympic Games, encouraging young people to upload a
film of themselves and add a message, then pass it on to
people who won't be in peace in 2012. There’s a toolkit of ideas of how to use the Olympics and sports to get young people
involved in global justice: cafod.org.uk/passiton
The first Lichfield deanery
CAFOD mass took place on
27th September at Barton-
under-Needwood ahead of
Harvest Fast Day. Inspired by
the Wolverhampton CAFOD masses which have been
happening for several years,
the Mass was attended by 120
people from all over the
deanery and celebrated by
The livesimply award gives national recognition to Catholic parishes
making a difference to their community – and the world! From making
your church buildings more environmentally friendly to supporting
Fairtrade, there are many ways that you can work towards an award, and be recognised for what you are already doing. Put your faith into
action, strengthen the bonds of community, and nourish your spiritual
life. Find out how your parish can get involved by going to
livesimplyaward.org.uk or calling David Hughes on 0114 263 6421.
An 8 year old called Erin from
Birmingham completed a bike ride for
CAFOD recently, raising a total of
£85, which she is very proud of! Erin
says, "I was off school not feeling
very well when my school did a collection for CAFOD, so I decided to
raise money myself to help poor
people who don't have water or food.‖
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50 years, 50 faces: Sexual violence in DRC
At the end of September, CAFOD
presented a photographic
exhibition entitled 50 Years, 50
Faces at St Peter’s Collegiate
Church in
Wolverhampton City centre. The
exhibition was launched by the
Mayor of Wolverhampton, Cllr
Bert Turner; the Rector of St
Peter’s, Rev David Wright and
Abigail McMillan of CAFOD.
Abigail told the emotional stories
of some of the women featured in
the exhibition. All 50 women
have survived sexual violence in
the east of Democratic Republic
of Congo and the exhibition is a way of letting their voices be
heard, and their faces seen, so that we in the UK remain aware of
the ongoing sexual violence in DRC. For more information on
CAFOD’s work in DRC see cafod.org.uk/news/uk-news/drc
From Wolverhampton to Rwanda Simon and Odette took time out from their Connect2 visits (see
page 8) to visit Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Sports College.
Following the visit, students took time to write to the Rwandan
visitors. These are some of the things they wrote:
―Your visit helped me understand genocide. When sitting in the
comfort of your classroom it is difficult to comprehend these
stories but you brought them to life.‖
―I learnt that in bad times, very bad things can happen such as
neighbours killing each other.‖
―I was moved by your strength and perseverance through this
traumatic time.‖
― Forgiveness can get you far once the differences are put to one
side.‖
―I think we should follow your example and be glad for the small
things in life we hardly notice. You have shown me that one person
can really make an impact.‖
L-R: The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Cllr Bert Turner;
The Mayoress, Kath Turner & Abigail McMillan
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Connect2
Our Lady & St Hubert’s parish in Warley are
connected to Puentecitos in El Salvador and held
an event on Saturday 24th September, at which
Sarah Smith-Pearse from CAFOD’s Latin America
team spoke. Sarah, who has travelled to
Puentecitos many times, explained the difficulties people face in the village, and what a difference
CAFOD support makes, through our partner the
Jesuit Development Service. Our Lady and
Mount Carmel parish in Redditch organised an
El Salvador evening on Oct 14th at St Augustine’s
High School, with Archbishop Bernard speaking
about his visit to Puentecitos in March 2010, and
Bron Soan explaining the work of ACES (Aid for
Children of El Salvador).
L-R: Helen Moseley
from the local CAFOD office and Sarah-Smith
-Pearse from CAFOD’s Latin America team
Simon Nsambiyese and Odette Kayirere from Rwanda visited the
parish of St Peter & St Paul
in Wolverhampton, which is
connected to the Rwandan
village of Musha. Odette
explained the work of
CAFOD partner AVEGA,
which she founded along
with other widows of the
1994 genocide, to support
widows and orphans.
Odette told the parish,
which has been
communicating with Musha
over the past year, ―I
survived because of the will
of God, I survived because
he has a purpose for me. This is why I continue to work with
widows, it is my purpose‖. Simon explained how CAFOD’s money is
helping people through counselling and livelihoods support.
Simon, top left and Odette, bottom right with
parishioners from St Peter & St Paul
If your parish would like a closer connection to a community where
CAFOD works, please get in touch. You can be connected to one of
six communities in Brazil, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Ethiopia or one of
the two mentioned here, Rwanda and El Salvador.
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Great Birmingham Run, Sunday Oct 23rd 2011
CAFOD had 10 runners in the 2011 BUPA Great Birmingham Run,
and we’d love to have even more in 2012! Thank you very much to
all of those who ran the arduous 13.1 miles for CAFOD. If you
could give this a try, see cafod.org.uk/events for details of other
events, or mark 21st October 2012 in your diary for Birmingham!
Clockwise from top left: Andrew Wilkinson with Helen and Abigail from the office; Keith Burness,
Jackie Kinsella, Phil Williams, Tracey Rayner, Jill Dale, John Floyd, and Gaspard Nzamurambaho.
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Around the Archdiocese
The annual David
Barratt Memorial
Sponsored Walk took
place on Saturday 17th
September. Parishioners
and family and friends
from St Mary of the Angels
parish in Aldridge walked
the 8 miles to Lichfield
Cathedral after receiving a
blessing from parish priest
Father Leadbeater. The
total raised for CAFOD’s
East Africa Appeal is
£1,632. Many thanks to
those who took part and
those who generously
supported them.
L-R: Brenda Dwyer, Pete & Julia Hood,
Father Michael Leadbeater, Beryl
Meehan, Gary & Emma Reynolds, John
Terry and Tony Meehan.
Cardinal Griffin
Catholic High
School in Cannock
celebrated their 50th
anniversary in
October 2011 and at
their Awards Evening
on 22nd September,
CAFOD’s Director
Chris Bain thanked
the school for the
incredible £20,000
they have raised for
CAFOD’s work in
recent years. The
event was attended
by Governors,
parents and pupils of
the school.
L-R: Michael Burrowes, headteacher,
Alice Sheppard (Head Girl), Chris Bain,
and Chris Allen (Head Boy).
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―On Monday 17th October
I gave a whole school
presentation to pupils and
staff at Blessed George
Napier Catholic
Secondary School in
Banbury focusing on
CAFOD's latest "Don't Drop
the Ball on Climate
Change" campaign. The
assembly was a great
success with pupils eager
to sign 600 action cards
and take part in a school
photograph to
promote the
campaign—
outside in the
cold drizzle!‖
CAFOD volunteer
Denise Dane
We are always looking for
new people to become
CAFOD Schools
Volunteers like Denise,
above and Peter, left. We
offer training, plenty of
ideas and resources,
support from the office
and a chance to meet and
share regularly with other
volunteers. We ask that
you commit to undertake 5
schools visits a year. If you
are interested, please
contact us (details on back
page).
Above: CAFOD Schools Volunteer Peter Bailes accepts a cheque from Mike Painter, head teacher at St George's primary school, Worcester following their recent Harvest Sale.
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CAFOD Birmingham, 23 Glebe Street, Walsall, West Midlands, WS1 3NX 01922 722 944 [email protected] www.cafod.org.uk picture credits:
Registered Charity No. 285776
Diary dates
Friday 2nd March 2012 Lent Fast Day Do let us know if your parish
would like someone to give short talks at masses.
Friday 16th March 2012, 7pm: Annual Romero Mass at St Chad’s Cathedral Followed by CAFOD reception
with short talk by Sarah Smith-Pearse about Romero’s legacy, El Salvador today and working for justice. All welcome.
If your parish doesn’t already keep a supply of CAFOD Gift Aid
envelopes in stock, why not request some from us? That way,
when it is time to hold an emergency appeal, the envelopes will be
ready to use, and CAFOD will be able to claim Gift Aid—an extra
25p in every £1. CAFOD receives about £3m per year in Gift Aid!
An Advent people
God of light, shine forth, show us how to bring hope to others.
God of mercy, help us to comfort your people and
share in their joy.
God of hope, make us an
Advent people, preparing the way for life in all its fullness.
Amen. Catherine Gorman/CAFOD
Children’s Liturgy resources and ideas are available for all Sundays
from Advent until Easter of Year B on the CAFOD website. Please
encourage your children’s liturgy team to have a look at these brilliant
resources: cafod.org.uk/worship/childrensliturgy
See cafod.org.uk/schools for our interactive Advent Calendar
which combines a daily reflection with stories from CAFOD’s work
around the world. We have a primary and secondary version
available, either of which can also be used by adults! We also have
an Advent Service new for 2011, with the theme of hope, and
with notes for the service leader: cafod.org.uk/worship