Issuu

Christian Aid magazine 2026

Walking together

Find out how you’re making a world of difference with people like Belinda.

Together, let’s put hope into action

Cycle The Chandler’s Ford Party raised funds for 2026. Christian Aid Week

Dear friend, Welcome to the latest issue of Christian Aid Magazine. In these pages, you’ll meet people who refuse to give up in the face of conflict, poverty and injustice – from Belinda in Kenya, who is growing food and hope for her family, to Laila in Lebanon who is rebuilding her life after displacement, and Precious in Zambia who is campaigning for debt and climate justice. Their stories remind us that behind every headline are individuals, families and communities whose resilience and leadership inspire us all. I hope these stories encourage and inspire you, and are a reminder that lasting change happens when we walk together in faith, hope and love with people the world over. With gratitude,

Kathyrn Irwin Head of Communications Christian Aid

Contents 4 Meet our new Chair Read Archbishop Thabo Makgoba’s remarkable journey.

8 Celebrating you! See how our amazing supporters have gone the extra mile to fundraise.

10 Where hope blooms Thanks to gifts like yours this Christian Aid Week, Belinda is protecting her children from hunger.

12 Far from home Laila* fled with her young sons to escape war in Lebanon. Don’t miss her powerful story.

16 Restore justice Senior Editors: Seb Lander and Harriet Paterson Senior Art Editors: Sofia Lloyd and Kim Kemp Project Manager: Annie Stewart Published by Christian Aid 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL 020 7620 4444 hello@christian-aid.org caid.org.uk Cover story: Belinda stands outside her home in Dagoretti, Nairobi, Kenya, where she is growing food to help feed her family. Image above: Children learn and play with a Christian Aid partner in Gaza. /ChristianAid /ChristianAidUK /ChristianAid /ThisIsChristianAid

PN10863831

Photos: Cover and back cover Christian Aid/David Macharia; pg 2 Christian Aid/Debbie Pearce; pg 3 Christian Aid/Majdi Fathi; pg 4 Mandy Lewis; pg 5 ACSA; pg 6 Christian Aid/ Neil Turner; pg 8 Christian Aid/Adam Haggerty; pg 9 Weston Turville CAG, Roland Hughes; pgs 10-11 Christian Aid/ David Macharia; pgs 12-14 DEC/Carmen Yahchouchi; pg 15 Christian Aid/Omar Al-Qattaa/Diocese of Chelmsford; pg 16 Debt Justice; pg 17 Christian Aid/ Amy Sheppey; pg 18 Christian Aid/ Muturi Kanini; pg 19 Christian Aid/David Macharia; pgs 20-21 Christian Aid/ Ruthilla Digital, Mark Chilvers; pgs 22-23 Rev Bello Elbuluk, Christian Aid/David Macharia; pg 24 STR/AFP/Getty; pg 25 DEC/Arete/Phyo Maung Maung; pgs 26-27 Christian Aid/Sosina Mengistu; pg 28 Christian Aid/David Macharia; pg 29 CAFOD/Amit Rudro; pg 31 Christian Aid/ Amy Sheppey

Eng and Wales charity no. 1105851 Scot charity no. SC039150 Company no. 5171525 The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid. Printed exclusively on material sourced from responsibly managed forests. © Christian Aid July 2026 J553672

Precious, a campaigner from Zambia, shares why she’s so passionate about debt and climate justice.

20 Sudan’s forgotten war Sudan is the world’s worst – and most ignored – crisis. But together, we can make a difference.

24 Rebuilding from the rubble Thank you for your generous response to the earthquakes in Venezuela and Myanmar.

26 Christmas Appeal preview Meet Rendele, an incredibly resilient grandmother from Ethiopia.

28 Give shares, change lives Did you know you can donate your non-cash assets to Christian Aid?

29 An education in global justice How children and young people are becoming tomorrow’s global citizens.

30 Last word Christian Aid’s Carlos Mejía Solano shares why your support is so vital. *Laila’s name has been changed to protect her identity.

Interview

‘Christian Aid is the gospel with its sleeves rolled up.’

We’re overjoyed to welcome Archbishop Thabo Makgoba as our new Chair. From a childhood in poverty to Archbishop of Cape Town and head of the Anglican church in southern Africa, he shares his remarkable personal journey. An apartheid childhood ‘Growing up,’ the archbishop recalls, ‘we all knew we were going to die – we were going to be shot, we were never going to get past a certain age. So injustice was not an idea, it was the texture of my ordinary day.’ Young Thabo lived through the worst of apartheid in South Africa. ‘I grew up in Alexandra Township, the “Dark City”. The name says it all: no electricity, no sanitation, one house on top of the other. ‘You learn from a very young age that the world has been arranged against you; but you also learn that this arrangement can’t be the last word. So this is where my sense of justice was born.’

Police patrolled the townships, arresting or even shooting people at will. Thabo recalls it was not unusual to pass a corpse in the street on your way to school. While being hunted by police one day, Thabo made a deal with God. ‘I said, God, if I live, then I will work for you.’

Our new Chair welcomes the appointment of our last Chair, the Most Rev and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, as Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘What a moment in the history of the Anglican Church! There is great rejoicing.’

Faith kept me human Thabo’s mother gave him a deep faith and lessons that sustain him still: ‘From her I learned that when things are tough, it’s important to step back, to pray, to think things through.’ He found that God held a special place in their troubled reality: ‘Each time I heard that God has a preferential option for the poor and marginalised, I felt that God came to be with me in a real sense.

‘Faith held me when I had little else. It told me I was made in God’s image, when the law said otherwise. It kept me human.’ Those early experiences remain crucial to his ministry, rooting the archbishop in the gospel of justice, the gospel revealed to the poor. ‘I’m delighted and humbled to join Christian Aid,’ he declares, ‘because it is faith in action. It’s the gospel with its sleeves rolled up and ready to get its hands dirty. ‘Making a difference is not reserved for archbishops or the powerful. It asks only that you make yourself available to stand for the truth.’

Priest or liberation fighter? Standing for the truth as a student, Thabo was tear-gassed, detained, chased by police dogs. But then an inspiring mentor appeared – the wise and witty Desmond Tutu, later Archbishop of Cape Town. ‘He interviewed me to see if I had a vocation. I asked, “What if I felt called to join the liberation movement and bring about peace through the armed struggle?” He smiled and said: “You want peace, but you’re talking about arms. Have you thought deeply about that?”’

‘The gospel must be spoken plainly to power.’ So Thabo became a priest – but he is no meek soul. ‘What Archbishop Desmond gave me was courage, the conviction that the gospel must be spoken plainly to power. I say to Christian Aid supporters, the work of seeking the face of justice is very dangerous, very messy, and very draining. But it is my hope that we will not tire.’ He jokes that his homilies are so notorious that the press pack out his cathedral, eager for the latest rebuke to those in power. As Archbishop Tutu said approvingly, he ‘holds the government’s feet to the fire.’

Praying with Nelson Mandela Archbishop Thabo also grew close to the anti-apartheid leader, Nelson Mandela, learning deep lessons in leadership: ‘The spirituality and healing gift of forgiveness and reconciliation that oozed from him overwhelmed us.’ What if someone had told that boy from the township that one day he would be spiritual adviser to the President of South Africa? ‘That boy would have laughed so much,’ the archbishop chuckles. ‘It was unimaginable, yet sometimes I think, that is precisely the point. The gospel keeps choosing such unlikely human beings. And if God can call a boy like me, then no one reading this interview should believe themselves too small to be God’s partner in seeking the face of justice.’

Courage is contagious ‘My hope for Christian Aid is simple – that we will keep our eyes on those the world has displaced and that we’ll stand alongside them, not above them. ‘Keep the urgent questions alive. Hope is not a feeling you wait to arrive, it is a practice. And on the days that you do not feel hopeful, act anyway. Give, speak out, show up, because hope is built by doing. And to do it together is critical, because courage is contagious, and a voice joined to others becomes impossible to ignore.’

Fundraising

Hitting the heights of fundraising A massive thank you to our incredible supporters who raise thousands of pounds for Christian Aid.

Benjamin’s peak perfection Fundraising challenges are often personal. None more so than for young adventurer Benjamin, who’s climbed 10 of Scotland’s peaks with the word ‘Ben’ in their titles, to raise funds for Christian Aid. The 12-year-old, from Keith, in northeast Scotland, embarked on his epic hike with his grandmother Anne-Marie Simpson, 60. Together, they raised an impressive £2,500. Anne-Marie, Ordained Local Minister at Laich of Moray Parish Church, explains the inspiration behind the challenge: ‘Last year, Benjamin and I decided to have a trip away and we

Anne-Marie Simpson and grandson Benjamin put the fun in fundraising.

went to Skye where we did some hill walking. We thought we’d make it a habit and climb some hills closer to home.’ It proved to be a memorable experience supporting a cause close to Benjamin and Anne-Marie’s hearts. Benjamin says: ‘I enjoy it because I like spotting things you wouldn’t see in your garden, like red kites and other wild things. And I think it’s important to raise money for people who don’t have the opportunities we do and who find life harder in ways we can’t imagine.’

Gareth walks the walk in Wales Long-time supporter Gareth Hughes (below) set himself a challenge inspired by our 80th anniversary last year – to mark his own 80th birthday. Gareth, from Prestatyn in north-east Wales, completed a 24-hour walk along the coast in April, raising more than £2,400. Gareth, who is also a keen runner, began his journey in Saltney, near Chester, ending in Llandudno, some 43 miles away. He says: ‘The weather was brilliant, even in the darkness. I felt fine throughout and had great support from friends, family and fellow members of Prestatyn Running Club.’ Gareth, a Deacon at Rehoboth Welsh Presbyterian Church, has long been a Christian Aid supporter and believes our work is ‘more vital than ever.’

A souper effort for refugees The Weston Turville Christian Aid Group (above) hosted their annual fundraiser in January, serving homemade soup to attendees and raising over £1,000. The Buckinghamshire event shone a spotlight on South Sudan, where more than 1 million people have fled from neighbouring Sudan seeking safety since war broke out in April 2023. As David Blackmore (pictured above, centre), who organised the event, says: ‘The need there is urgent. Amidst a brutal conflict, millions of people across Sudan are displaced and facing the threat of famine.’ Read more about the crisis on pages 20-23.

Thank you to Benjamin, Anne-Marie, Gareth, the Weston Turville group and all our fundraisers. If you’ve been inspired to take on your own challenge, we’d love to hear from you. Find out more at caid.org.uk/Fundraising

Christian Aid Week

Belinda’s harvest of hope

Belinda and her children water her farm.

Thanks to your support for Christian Aid Week 2026, communities are planting the seeds for a brighter future.

s Belinda Kasudi carefully waters her urban farm with her children, her pride and joy are as abundant as the plants before her. That’s because, in this flourishing corner of Dagoretti, in Nairobi, Kenya, Belinda’s tackling the poverty and hunger around her by growing vegetables – with the support of global friends like you.

‘You are helping us a lot, because now the children can go to school and get food.’ Belinda Kasudi

During Christian Aid Week, you may have learnt about Belinda and Fridah, two Dagoretti residents working with our partner, Beacon of Hope, in one of Kenya’s biggest informal settlements. Here, secure jobs are hard to find, and most people earn less than $1 a day. That means buying food for the children – on top of paying bills – is a constant struggle. But your generous gifts, actions and prayers are supporting people like Belinda and Fridah to grow hope in the midst of hardship.

Where confidence grows strong Beacon of Hope offers Dagoretti’s community the opportunity to grow food to eat and sell – by offering small urban allotment plots, seeds, agricultural training and tools. As urban farmers nurture their plants, nutritious vegetables such as kale, tomatoes and cabbage are reaching their children’s dinner plates. As Belinda says: ‘I am a woman who is happy, because I know that my family eats the food that I love to grow.’ Belinda and husband David enjoying a meal with their family.

For Belinda, the project isn’t just about protecting her children from hunger. She’s renewed her confidence in her own abilities and gained an independence that’s improved the dynamic in her relationship with her husband David. ‘When I go home, I don’t have to beg for money. I can now assist [him] Belinda has put money in paying bills.’ from selling her vegetables towards daughter Abigail’s education.

Belinda, with Beacon of Hope’s Project Officer, James Omwanda.

David is full of pride, calling Belinda the ‘joy of my heart.’ Belinda’s a key part of a growing community who share knowledge and friendship. Her urban farm often acts as a demonstration plot to show just how productive a small space can be. Belinda also earns money supporting her fellow urban farmers and sees this as a step towards fulfilling her ambitions. ‘My hope is to be a great leader through Beacon of Hope. And for my children, God willing, to follow my footsteps.’ Thank you for supporting people like Belinda to push back against poverty and defend their families from hunger and malnutrition.

You raised more than £3m for Christian Aid Week 2026 and counting!

Middle East crisis

‘Leaving our home was painful.’

Laila stands with her sons outside the apartment they now rent after fleeing their home.

Since 2023, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes due to violent conflict across the Middle East. The US-Israel war with Iran has escalated this crisis, causing deep anxiety across the region. In Lebanon, Laila* was forced to flee with her young sons in 2024. She shares in her own words how the war has left its mark on her family, and describes the strength she receives from our partner, Mouvement Social. Her powerful story reflects the experiences of many families in this troubled region. *Laila’s name has been changed to protect her identity.

Laila’s story

Laila comforts her youngest son, Ali.

used to live with my husband and two sons in southern Lebanon, in a house with a garden where my children could play freely. My extended family lived nearby. I cherished the peaceful village life. Mornings were special in the village. We woke early, sat outside in the garden, drank coffee and listened to the birds singing. That is what I miss most. One day, the Israeli airstrikes intensified, so we had to leave the village and go to Beirut. It was a difficult day, not just for me but for all Lebanese people. We were on the road from noon until 2am. The children were afraid … they feared that we might die or that the war would last a long time. The children kept asking questions, but there were no answers we could give.

The pain of leaving our home We left the place we loved, where the children had grown up. The experience was very difficult for my sons. I am worried about them, especially my youngest son, Ali.

Even now, he is scared by the sound of a plane or fireworks. He becomes extremely afraid. I am taking Ali to Mouvement Social for psychological support, and the sessions there have helped both of us. We try to work on things that help us better face the difficulties we are experiencing. The social workers are supportive, and they help ease our pain. I’ve also really benefited from the cooking course at the centre. By learning new recipes, I can secure work from home and support my children’s future. The course also helped me feel better. I went along for two hours, and in that time they gave me joy and happiness. Laila volunteers with our partner, Mouvement Social, who supports displaced families in Beirut with daily meals, laundry services, hygiene kits, and training in skills such as cooking and sewing.

How Laila shared her story ‘We worked alongside Laila and other displaced women in Beirut to tell the stories they felt most important. They directed everything from photography to written materials.’

Amy Sheppey, Stories & Content Advisor at Christian Aid

We believe there is always hope The conflict across the Middle East has shattered lives. Sadly, Laila and her sons are still struggling with the trauma they’ve endured.

But we believe there is always hope, even in the hardest of times. You believe in hope too, which is why your support and solidarity means so much to families like Laila’s.

People walk past destroyed buildings in Gaza City.

Since 2023, you’ve helped raise more than £5 million to support families in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. Together with our local partners, you’ve helped people like Laila access food, psychological support, shelter, training and other essentials at the moments they needed them most. Thank you for your gifts, prayers and actions. We are inspired by Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, who was born in Iran and fled with her family to the UK. This year, she has spoken out about the gospel message

of hope and love, and how together, we can create a fairer, more peaceful world. ‘Hope lies not only in politicians changing course, but in people supporting charities like Christian Aid and praying for a just and lasting peace.’ Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford

Campaigning

A Precious chance to fight injustice Our Restore campaign is tackling the debt and climate crises in solidarity with activists like Precious Kalombwana.

rom a young age, Precious (top right) was driven to solve problems. On hearing about the climate crisis at school, she planted trees. After leaving secondary education, Precious moved to an informal settlement in Lusaka, Zambia. Faced with flooding, poor sanitation and air pollution, she resolved to do something about it. Working with other activists, Precious looked to the Zambian Government for support. But there were no funds. The group soon discovered why: the country’s debt burden. Zambia is one of 23 African countries that spend more on external

debt payments to private lenders than on healthcare and education combined. These corporate lenders charge governments sky-high interest rates, raking in profits that drain money away from essential services and protection from the climate crisis. To make the situation even more unjust, it’s a climate crisis caused by reckless polluters. Precious, whose family home was tragically swept away by floods, knows the painful reality of what this collision of the debt and climate crises means for communities. ‘We can’t afford to eat three times a day, and we can’t afford to address the devastating impacts of the climate crisis affecting us,’ she says. ‘Instead of supporting Zambian people, the global North is allowing companies to profiteer from our debt.’

Precious joins campaigners calling for debt justice.

Inspired to take action Precious is now a passionate climate and debt activist, dedicated to raising awareness of an injustice that’s trapping millions of our global neighbours in poverty. In April, Precious joined us in London to support our Restore campaign, bringing together supporters, churches and activists to call on the UK Government to take action. Most debts owed by low-income countries to private companies are governed by UK law. And so the government is well-placed to introduce laws that mean private creditors play their part in debt relief. To demonstrate the devastating impact of debt on communities in Zambia, Precious was part of a

protest action in the City of London, where campaigners gathered near investment company BlackRock, one of Zambia’s biggest private lenders. Precious swung a wrecking ball emblazoned with the word ‘DEBT’ into a model school and hospital saying: ‘This is what debt is doing to my country.’ She explained: ‘I have seen firsthand [how] we can’t access good quality education, we don’t have medicines in hospitals, we don’t have access to clean water.’ Precious encouraged everyone to act: ‘Join me in solidarity and call on the UK Government to stand up to greedy lenders, to prioritise the needs of my people … No one should miss out on medicine or schooling to protect the profits of private lenders.’

The goals of our Restore campaign

What we’ve achieved together… so far

Together we can push the UK Government to help repair the damage done by the polluters and lenders it has previously empowered – those who have plundered the planet and preyed on countries in vulnerable situations. The government is uniquely placed to make polluters pay and make lenders cancel debts. It can tax the profits of polluters like Shell and BP. It can introduce ‘debt justice’ legislation that forces private lenders like BlackRock to cancel or negotiate the debt of low-income countries. The funds released by these actions could support millions of people to leave poverty behind. The funds would provide governments with more resources to spend on health and education, support communities to recover from climate disasters, and build resilience against future shocks.

From Dunbartonshire to Wrexham and Bloxham to Manchester, Christian Aid supporters have been raising their voices for debt and climate justice.

A protester in Nairobi, Kenya, reacts to tax proposals to pay for debt servicing.

Growing support More than 15,700 people have signed our petition urging the UK Government to take action on the climate and debt crises.

Building understanding Hundreds of people have joined us at webinars, talks and workshops to find out more about the campaign.

Influencing decision makers Christian Aid supporters have lobbied Parliament, urging MPs to take action. They’ve also met with MPs in their constituencies.

Taking creative action for justice Up and down the UK, churches, youth groups and other keen supporters have harnessed their creativity to stand up for debt cancellation and climate justice. Their precious prayers and artworks will be collated and presented to decision makers later this year. The congregations of Wells Green and Shavington Methodist Churches, in Cheshire, made Japanese-inspired papier-mâché bowls, which they filled with messages, prayers and hopes for a restored world. They presented one to their local MP, Connor Naismith,

who met with the group. Congregation member Ruth Parrott said: ‘Connor stated that he too was concerned about the effect of climate change and that it was high on his agenda. He said the bowl, kept on his shelf, would be a constant reminder.’

Connor (centre, right) and Ruth (centre, left) hold the group’s bowls.

Mercy, whose home in Kenya was hit by devastating floods in 2024, is rebuilding her life and livelihood.

Join thousands of supporters in calling for climate and debt justice. Please write to your MP and ask them to keep up the pressure on the UK Government at caid.org.uk/RestoreMP

Sudan crisis

With support from Christian Aid, Rebecca is building a new home after fleeing the conflict in Sudan.

The worst humanitarian crisis of the century For far too long, the brutal war in Sudan and the crisis in South Sudan have gone largely unseen. We are determined to raise our voices for peace.

A human tragedy we can’t ignore Since the vicious war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, more than 12 million people have been displaced. Imagine if every child, woman, and man living in greater London were brutally forced from home by war – that is the

scale of this human tragedy. More than a million people have fled into South Sudan, a country perilously close to civil war itself. In both countries, communities are cut off from the food, water and medical care they need to survive. James Wani, our Programme & Partnership Lead based in Juba, says:

Campaigners gathered outside Parliament as part of the #KeepEyesOnSudan campaign.

#KeepEyesOnSudan As part of the #KeepEyesOnSudan coalition, we’ve called for humanitarian aid and strong international leadership for a sustainable peace. On 15 April 2026, we handed a 43,000-signature petition to 10 Downing Street, signed by many of you, urging leaders to bring about a ceasefire. At a Berlin peace conference that day, the UK Government, alongside other nations, pledged to double aid for Sudan. It was a sign of hope. Jamila Nasir with her children at a refugee settlement in South Sudan.

Your gifts are reaching people most in need You’ve raised an incredible £536,000 for our Sudan Crisis Appeal over the past year. Thanks to your generosity, our local partners are providing vital support including:

• food and water for families

• dignity kits for ‘I see the realities of this conflict daily. I meet families who have walked for weeks to escape violence; young women traumatised by abuse; men who have lost not only their livelihoods but their dignity and sense of future.’

women and girls

• communal shelters

Thank you for standing alongside the people of Sudan and South Sudan.

‘We must all keep working for peace.’

A reflection from former Christian Aid staff member and volunteer Robert Hayward OBE. For more than 30 years, Robert Hayward has been at the beating heart of our operations in Sudan and later South Sudan, despite ‘retiring’ many years ago. Now in his eighties, with an OBE for his work, he has never given up on the people of the region, and continues to visit partners, church leaders and communities regularly.

Robert meets Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo in Port Sudan.

A lifetime of service When I first worked in Sudan in the 1990s, it was mainly relief work. We were supporting communities who had no medical care, and we also worked to empower women and support schools. That was a tremendous thing because education is absolutely vital – especially for girls.

Then from 2004, Christian Aid led a Darfur Emergency Appeal. The world was looking on in horror at what was happening in Darfur. A lot of organisations were thrown out of Darfur, but we were very careful and Christian Aid was able to stay there. We had the advantage because we worked with local church partners. I was Sudan Country Manager and lived in Khartoum for four years, until I retired in 2011. After three months, I got tired of being retired and was fortunate to be able to be brought back on board by Christian Aid as a volunteer.

Robert with staff and visitors at the South Sudanese Development and Relief Agency in Juba, South Sudan.

‘Blessed with good health, and Her Majesty the late Queen having given me an OBE in Buckingham Palace, I felt that I couldn’t leave!’ Robert

Why I still believe in hope The conflicts and humanitarian crises in Sudan and South Sudan have long been among the world’s neglected emergencies despite the devastating impact on millions of lives. Wars elsewhere in the world garner more headlines here because they seem closer to home or directly affect the price of our fuel and our food. I’ve seen for myself the difference your support can make when we stand in solidarity with people in their moment of crisis. And by doing so we are answering Christ’s call to love our neighbour.

Church of Our Saviour, Omdurman, July 2025.

Amani fled Sudan and now runs a food stall at Wedweil Refugee Settlement with support from Christian Aid.

Community resilience

Myanmar: rebuilding after e k a u q h t r a e e h t ‘Suddenly we felt the shaking,’ exclaims farmer Nann Mya. ‘Right in front of us we saw our floating farm collapsing. Everyone lost something.’

n March 2025, a terrifying 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar, destroying homes, businesses and farmland. Thousands were killed, and tens of thousands made homeless. Local communities reacted immediately, helping neighbours and sharing precious supplies. As survivor Daw Thaung says: ‘If I say I am building a house, everyone comes. And I will do the same for them.’ In the UK, you responded with compassion and generosity, allowing our partners in Myanmar to support these community recovery efforts and equip survivors with vital resources.

Inhabitants of Mandalay survey the destruction caused by the 2025 earthquake in Myanmar.

Working as part of the Disasters Emergency Committee, our partners were able to deliver life-saving food, clean water and shelter to some of the worst-hit families. Cash grants have enabled people to make choices with dignity about which household and medical essentials they need. And for those injured in the disaster, mobility aids and specialist assistance are providing a pathway to independence. After decades of responding to emergencies, we know that lasting recovery happens when communities are in charge of decision making, backed up where needed by funding, resources and training from our partners.

The value of human kindness

Venezuela In June, two powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, affecting millions of people. Our supporters responded quickly and generously to our joint appeal with 14 other charities in the Disasters Emergency Committee. Our network of trusted local partners have been delivering urgently-needed food, water, medical supplies and shelter to the worst-hit communities.

find out Our appeal continues; Venezuela. more at caid.org.uk/ lives and Thank you for saving offering hope.

‘With support, we got a safe home,’ explains one couple who slept outside for a month in monsoon rains, terrified of poisonous snakes. But it wasn’t receiving the cash assistance to rebuild that mattered most, it was the generosity behind it: ‘The support meant more about kindness from human to human than just the money.’ A year after the earthquake in Myanmar, families are overcoming hardship with courage and resolve. Your solidarity with our global neighbours puts hope and faith into action.

A farmer restores a floating farm destroyed by the earthquake in Myanmar.

Christmas Appeal

y a t s o h w e l p o e p e ‘Th asleep will die.’   Devastating floods in Ethiopia have submerged Rendele’s farm and threatened lives. Now, day after day, her family fights a tide of hunger.

icture this: you’ve been visiting family for the night. You return home, only to find it under water, your possessions swept away by a sudden flood. The only consolation – that you and your loved ones weren’t there. ‘We don’t know when the floods are coming and by the time they come, it’s bad, they can kill people,’ says Rendele, an incredibly resilient grandmother we met in Ethiopia earlier this year. When we visited to talk to communities as part of this year’s Christmas Appeal, Rendele was trying to salvage what remained of her home. ‘The flood took my cooking utensils, my mattress and my goat and sheep.’ The cattle – afraid – had bolted. Tragically, Rendele’s story is far from unique. For the Indigenous Dasenech communities who live

and farm alongside the Omo River in southern Ethiopia, flooding is happening with alarming uncertainty, eroding a way of life tied to the water. Communities once worked with the seasonal flooding, planting crops in the silt deposited. But with the climate crisis, the river has become unpredictable, washing away farms, homes and livestock without warning. The results are shattering.

Rendele with her grandsons, Shume Baluwa (left) and Echo Baluwa (right).

Rendele rescues what she can from the flood to rebuild her family’s home.

Rendele – who lives with five grandsons – moved to her current location after her farm was hit. ‘We had cattle, we did farming, we got milk. The way we lived was good.’ Now, the family often go hungry. Though Rendele is determined to provide what food she can by selling firewood, it’s a challenge when you’re making sure the children are first in line. ‘If I sell and get a little money, I am not eating, I am just giving food to the kids. Myself, I take water to drink, and go and find more firewood.’ Rendele feels her strength ebbing away. ‘I am not strong enough to do hard work, because of my eyes, my legs, age and the food.’

Despite all this, Rendele remains optimistic. She will be among the next families offered support from a Christian Aid-funded project run by Agri Service Ethiopia. Our partner works with communities as they rebuild their farms and combat hunger through seeds, tools and agricultural training. It’s vital that programmes such as this continue and a donation from you could support parents and grandparents, like Rendele, to protect their children. For Christmas this year, we’ll be asking you to give, act and pray in support of families like Rendele’s. Find out more: caid.org.uk/Rendele

Your stocks and shares can fight poverty now Amani, in South Sudan, started a business with support from Christian Aid’s partner.

Did you know there’s another way to support Christian Aid alongside your existing giving? Stocks, shares and property can all be donated directly to us, in your lifetime.

‘I never imagined donating shares, but once I looked into it, it felt like the obvious thing to do,’ says supporter Susan. ‘It was easy, and knowing it would help Christian Aid’s work meant a great deal to me.’ Gifts like Susan’s don’t have to be big and could be used to support courageous women like Amani, who

fled conflict in Sudan. With cash support from Christian Aid and our partner, SAADO, Amani and her family have rebuilt their life in neighbouring South Sudan. Amani started a food stall, using the profits to rent land that she now farms: ‘If someone can do agriculture, they can stand on their own in the future.’

Find out more about giving non-cash assets at philanthropy@christian-aid.org or visit caid.org.uk/NonCashAssets

Young people speak up

An education in global justice Age is no barrier to activism. And when young people unite, their voices are powerful. These are the inspiring sentiments behind the six decades Christian Aid has spent helping to shape global citizenship education in the UK. ‘I have been able to [share] my hopes of changing people’s opinions on climate justice and climate change, a topic I am extremely passionate about,’ says Tomas, a pupil at a primary school in Wales. Tomas was able to directly influence decision makers when he contributed to our Creative for Climate Justice project, which resulted in exhibitions in the Welsh Senedd, the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament. Chris Law, MP for Dundee Central, was moved to take action by the exhibition: ‘I’m truly inspired by the knowledge, commitment and passion to defend our planet.’ Tomas’ school is working towards a silver award in our Global Neighbours scheme – launched in 2018 – which supports and accredits schools in England, Scotland and Wales as they develop an active culture of justice and courageous advocacy. More than 270 schools now hold bronze, silver or gold awards.

Campaigning for climate justice outside the Senedd in Cardiff.

Yorkshire Headteacher Laura Wallis captures the programme’s focus on education: ‘The pupils learn about global issues regularly, and gain an understanding of injustice in our world.’ Young learner Penelope, from a Find out gold-accredited school more at in Lancashire, sums up caid.org.uk/ the need to listen to Schools children’s views: ‘Just because they are small doesn’t mean they can’t make an impact.’

Pupils explore the Creative for Climate Justice exhibition.

Last word

Carlos Mejía Solano is our new Head of Impact for Latin America and the Caribbean. Here, he tells the poignant story that led him to Christian Aid. From growing up in Colombia to a career in global humanitarian work, Carlos has long been motivated by faith and what he calls ‘the emotion of indignation’ against injustice. It’s a conviction rooted in his work standing against the violence that has devastated his country. ‘In the 1990s I worked in the most horrendous conflict zones in Colombia, supporting families displaced by war,’ Carlos recalls. ‘It was brutal. From 1985 to the 2016 peace accord, the conflict impacted 10 million Colombians. It cost nearly half a million lives, displaced almost 8 million people and saw thousands of children and young people forcibly recruited into combat.’ Standing beside local communities was extremely risky. ‘Our commitment

was with the victims of war, and this was not welcomed by the armed groups.’ Despite Carlos’ courage, he was eventually forced to leave: ‘It became too dangerous and I had to move to the States. I needed time to heal from the terrible things I’d seen.’ But the trauma didn’t diminish Carlos’ deep commitment to peace – or persuade him to avoid danger. Roles with Oxfam, the Gates Foundation and Save the Children took him to some of the world’s most war-torn countries.

The power of humility Wherever Carlos worked, he championed the right of communities to shape their own future with dignity.

‘We can’t just parachute in as the international NGO and hold onto all the power. We’ve got to be humble, and have equal, open relationships.’ It was recognising that same core belief at Christian Aid that sparked Carlos’ excitement for the job. ‘I said to myself, “Eureka!” I want to be a part of this. Christian Aid is an inspiration for change.

‘I’d love to tell UK supporters that what they do is so important, and congratulate them.’

Hope that sustains us Living in Colombia again after 25 years away, Carlos finds his country still riven by violence. ‘Things are worse than ever: fuelled by illegal arms and powerful political groups closely linked to narcotics, gold, minerals and human trafficking,’ he explains. ‘We’re a divided country caught between extremes, without space for dialogue. This is the context of our region: Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras struggle with the same dynamics.’ Yet Carlos finds hope in the resilience of local communities against all odds, and in Christian Aid’s peacebuilding work.

‘We are gathering faith organisations to build a community of wisdom, to tackle the underlying causes of conflict. Peace lies in the way we listen to others and embrace difficulties together.’ Recently, Carlos had a burning question for our new Chair, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, who also grew up in a situation of conflict. ‘I asked: “What sustains you in times of darkness?” And Thabo gave me these powerful words: “Carlos, hope is an act of resistance.”’

We warmly welcome Carlos, who teaches us to never let go of hope and faith in the search for peace, justice and dignity.

In Guatemala, Amelia hopes to build a better future for her daughter Yakelin.

Make your lasting act of faith Write your Will with Will Aid and support families like Belinda’s to build a more secure future for themselves, free from poverty. Belinda and her daughter in Nairobi, Kenya. With support from our partner, Belinda grows healthy food for her family

Click here

and sells the surplus.

ppointm a id A l il W r u o y k Boo

e nt

Update or write your Will this November with Will Aid.

Pay no solicitor’s fees, just make a charitable donation. Book your appointment and add a gift in your Will to Christian Aid. Visit willaid.org.uk/ChristianAid or call 0300 0300 013