4 minute read
BETTER WORLD BRIEFINGS
BETTER WORLD BRIEFINGS 2,000
PEOPLE IN CAMBODIA
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participated in an Anti-Child-Trafficking community awareness program in 2021.*
NEPAL
A RIPPLE OF HOPE
When Radha* (pictured above far right) tells her story today, it’s clear she’s a long way from the quiet recluse who joined our Christian Partner’s disability program four years ago.
Born into the Madhesi minority in Nepal, Radha has always lived on the margins. When she married a man with a disability and their son was born deaf, the challenge became greater. Stigmatised and excluded from community, Radha carried the weight of caring for her family. With over half a million people in Nepal living with a disability, families like Radha’s are often excluded from education, health care and job opportunities. As part of our Christian Partner’s program, Radha received training in women’s rights, literacy, and income generation. ‘I thought my life will end like this but doing something and being something has added a ripple of hope,’ Radha said. ‘I was a woman who couldn’t speak a word among people—now I’m chairperson of the disability committee. I was never invited to social occasions but now I’m treasurer of the school management committee and people [listen to] me.’ Before, Radha rarely left her house. Now, she travels outside her community advocating for people with disabilities and women. She’s also opened a shop that’s funding her children’s schooling and enabling her to save for the future. No longer living in silence, Radha has found her voice.
*name changed
THE REFUGEE CRISIS SHOWING HOSPITALITY
At least 82.4 million people* are displaced because of conflict, natural disaster and threats of persecution across our world. Twenty-six million are refugees— half of whom are children—who’ve found relative safety in a foreign country. Our Christian Partners care for groups of displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh, South Sudanese families in Uganda and Syrians in Lebanon. Read more on page 10.
UKRAINE STANDING WITH UKRAINE
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, local churches were prepared with resources ready to provide for fleeing families. As of late March, over three and a half million people have been displaced. Our Christian Partners are providing food, hygiene items, medicine, generators, gasoline, blankets, pillows, and shelter for displaced people.
Image: Medair/DaleMacMillan
BANGLADESH SERVING ON THE MARGINS
Having fled genocidal violence in Myanmar, approximately 1.2 million Rohingya refugees now live in camps in Bangladesh. Overcrowding, frequent threats of fire and COVID-19 increase the vulnerability of these families. Our Christian Partners are providing agricultural training and support to refugee families so they can grow vegetables to eat and sell.
MYANMAR PRAYING TOGETHER
As conflict rages in Myanmar and over 800,000 people are displaced, our Church Team is fostering relationships with the diaspora here in Australia, asking how best to pray, advocate and draw attention to this crisis.
The infant mortality rate in Nepal has
IMPROVED BY NEARLY 30%
in the past ten years.* 16,500
PLACES FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES
were secured in the Federal Budget with the help of Christians United for Afghanistan.
LEBANON SAFE HAVEN
Almost 11 years since violence escalated in Syria, around 1.5 million refugees remain displaced in Lebanon. Around 250,000 Syrian children aren’t attending school. The media has largely moved on, but our Christian Partners in Lebanon continue to serve Syrian families—providing critical healthcare, education, and livelihood support while Lebanon fights for its economic survival.
AFGHANISTAN HOLDING ONTO HOPE
More than nine million people have been displaced in Afghanistan since last August. COVID, earthquakes and a harsh winter exacerbated the crisis. Our Christian Partners support mobile health clinics in southern Afghanistan providing healthcare, maternity support, mental health services, screening and treatment for malnutrition, and health and hygiene training. Families on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have received food and winter essentials.
TONGA RISING FROM THE ASHES
The eruption of Hunga-TongaHunga-Ha’apai in January devastated the Pacific Island of Tonga. The tsunami and volcanic ash left businesses and homes damaged or destroyed, leaving over 2,400 people displaced. Our Christian Partner responded to immediate needs, providing food, repair and reconstruction of damaged property, COVID prevention education and installation of community water tanks.
CAMBODIA SAFEGUARDING FAMILIES
COVID has strained families in Cambodia. The pressure of income loss, lockdowns and school closures has left children vulnerable to violence, child trafficking and psychosocial damage. Our Christian Partner is working with families to safeguard children and support parents—raising awareness about child trafficking, family violence, COVID prevention, and supporting children to learn remotely.
GLOBAL IMPACT
PHILIPPINES REBUILD AND RECOVER
In December 2021, Typhoon Odette (Typhoon Rai) swept through 11 provinces in the Southern Philippines, damaging 1.7 million homes, displacing over 144,000 people, and leaving many vulnerable to disease and homelessness. Our Christian Partner responded with basic shelter kits for families rebuilding homes and recovering livelihoods. And a program designed to foster their resilience is supporting children.
BANGLADESH RANA PLAZA
On 24 April 2013, the collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh killed 1,132 workers. The tragedy catalysed long-overdue conversations about working conditions millions of garment workers endure. COVID interrupted progress and proved catastrophic for garment workers. Our Christian Partners in Bangladesh are supporting families of garment workers during the pandemic, while our Advocacy Team lobbies for change in the fashion industry.
