GLOBALLINK
New mothers learn how to weigh their babies at a SalvationArmy maternal health workshop in Pakistan.
DOES MY CHILD MEASURE UP?
By Marilyn Kershaw
Without a doubt, one of the scariest times in our lives is when we arrive home from the hospital with our newborn baby and consider the huge responsibility of caring for and raising this gift from God. Through every stage of development we measure progress against the norm. Are they eating enough and gaining the appropriate weight? Are they sleeping enough, sitting well without support, walking, talking? Amidst this stress, mostCanadians know that we can pick up the phone and arrange to visit our doctor whenever we want and, for the mostpart, do this without financial risk.If we feel that our concerns are urgent, we make our way straight to the hospital for immediate attention.
But consider families in rural Africa. Kenneth’s 10-month-old son died in his arms after becoming infected with malaria from a mosquito bite His child’s death came after Kenneth peddled 10 kilometres to the nearest medical clinic, and then another 10 kilometres to a hospital as the clinic didn’t have the necessary medicine Unfortunately, this is a frequent and devastating reality for many families living in rural communities in Africa and beyond Hearing this story, we are deeply saddened and long to do something so that parents never have to see their child die of preventable diseases.
As parents, we yearn for a sense of community as we raise our children and it is a privilege to provide community to one another. With global communications
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word “well-being” was first recorded in 1605 and refers to “ a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity.” When we consider wellbeing, we often think of life in all its fullness (John 10:10) where community, environment, economics and spiritual life intertwine Every individual, no matter where they live, desires to have the “good life” where food, water, shelter and employment are accessible.
In this issue of Global Link we explore how The Salvation Army is addressing Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG #3), Good Health and Well-being, through various programs that promote physical and spiritual health, security, education, belonging and nutrition. We see these pillars as foundational to well-being as evidenced in the ways that we are supporting men, women, boys and girlsaround the world
We hope you enjoy reading the articles and learning more about how your support is positively impacting the lives of individuals beyond our borders. Thank you for your ongoing partnership and for investing in the lives of others.
Together, we are making a world of difference!
bringing ever-increasing connectivity, we can do something. We can support the international work of The Salvation Army, particularly in the areas of family health, which include mother and child health initiatives and children’s programs that provide basic needs for those who would otherwise be forgotten Let’s work together to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable families and bring hope to communities around the world
Brighter Futures Children’s Sponsorship saworldmissions.ca are guaranteed to make a difference! For more information or to donate, please visit Gifts of Hope program: ‘Hope Through Health’ and Your donations to our
THE FACE OF POVERTY
By Major Donna Barthau
The face of poverty is similar around the world, but the reasons behind that gaunt, haunted face differ significantly from region to region. In Africa, the largest contributing factors to poverty are large families, HIV/AIDS, climate challenges and lack of arable land. Families are smaller in Asia, but India’s huge population and caste system severely limit employment opportunities. In Kenya, one father told me, “I have only a tiny plot of land, and cannot divide it among all of my sons as my ancestors did. They have to do what they can for their future with education.”
BrighterFuturesChildren’s
Sponsorshipsupports children’s homes, schools and after-school programs and provides for the basic needs of orphans and vulnerable children such as nutritious food, life-skills lessons, clothing, recreational equipment, and medicine Lifeskills lessons include instruction on hygiene, cooking, growing vegetables, caring for fishand chickens, computer literacy, crafts, resumewriting, and interview preparation.
At home in a village on the central eastern coastof India, Sony often went hungry. Many times shemissed classes as it was monsoon season, was too dangerous, or shewas simply too tired to walk eight kilometres to school. A Salvation Army officer from a nearby corps met Sony and suggested to her parents that sheapply to study at The Salvation Army Bapatla School where shecould live with other girls on the school compound. Her application was successful and Sony now lives and studies at Bapatla.
Sony is now thriving as sheregularly receives healthy meals, attendsschool, and has made new friends.She no longer goes hungry and doesn't need to travel dangerous roads alone justto get an education. Sony is performing well in school and hopes to go to junior college and train as an Englishteacher. Sony would love to come back to The Salvation Army Bapatla School to help teach other girls like her who have also found their way from impoverished villages to this place of safety, well-being and hope.
BUILDING BONDS IN COMMUNITIES
Our BrighterFuturesChildren’sSponsorshipprogram is not only focused on meeting children’s basic needs, but also on strengthening the bondsbetween families and communities. The Salvation Army’s after-school programs in South America East are a prime example of how we are working toward this objective Concordia is the second mostpoverty-stricken city in Argentina. Many families struggle to provide their children with proper nutrition and schools are so overworked and under-resourced that they cannot give children the individual attention they need After meeting with
By Yamuna Kanagalingam
teachers and families in the community, The Salvation Army set out to create a safe space where children and youth could gather after school and on weekends.Today, 30 children aged two to 17 attend the Nomeolvides (Forget Me Not) program, where trained teachers provide tutoring, as well as healthy meals and snacks.
Since Alexander, 10, started coming to the program to get help with his homework, his grades have improved He now attendsThe Salvation Army church, where he enjoys learning scripture verses in Bible class. Alexander likes the extra help and tasty meals at Nomeolvides, but according to him, “the desserts are the best.”
Once a month, each family is invited to participate in a family meeting with the program teachers and Salvation Army corps officer, where they can address their family dynamics and work to improve their relationships with one another. The parents are so grateful to our BrighterFutures sponsors who have helped to create a safe haven for their children.
Thank you for your generous donations which are helping to build strong relationships among vulnerable families and communities in Argentina and around the world.
A GIFTS OF HOPE FUNDRAISER!
WhileI’msureyou’veheardthephrase:“Nothing
likecountingsheeptoputonetosleep,”Ibetyou haven’theardofthisone:“Nothinglikecounting goatstosupportsustainablecommunitylifeinthedeveloping world.”Butthat’sexactlywhattheemployeesatAttrellToyota didtogivebackattheir2017Christmasevent.
JohnAttrell,PresidentofAttrellToyota,taskedhis marketingmanager,Daryl,toresearchthebestplaceto“give goats”topeopleinneedaroundtheworld.Daryldidhis researchandTheSalvationArmy’s Gifts of Hope program rosetothetopofthelistduetoourlowadministrativecosts. Withthatacclaim,the“GiveGoatsatChristmas”campaign waslaunched.
“Wehadsetupatableandhadavisualrepresentationof thegoatssothatourguestswereabletophysicallyseehowfar wewereawayfromourgoal.Wealsohadoneofourtalented employeesdesignamagnettogivetothosewhohaddonated. Ithonestlywassuchafuncampaigntoorganize,promoteand executeforourcompany.Everyoneabsolutelylovedit,”says Hazel,SeniorAppointmentCoordinatorandAdministrator atAttrellToyota.
JohnAttrellpledgedthatthecompanywouldmatchthe guests’donations,whichbroughtthecampaigntotal to $5,050,whichisequalto126goats.“AsaChristian,Ilove givingbacktohelpinKingdomwork,”saysJohn.“Wewillbe doingthisagainnextyear.”
By Marilyn Kershaw
NextChristmas,theteamhopestoraiseenough fundsfor200goats.
ThankyoutoourpartnersatAttrellToyotafor entrustingTheSalvationArmywiththeirChristmas giving.Thisexampleofgenerosityinthebusiness communityistrulyheartwarming.
MEDICINE FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTREACH
By Marilyn Kershaw
Recently, a Salvation Army project officer wrote to us from Paraguay. “We would like to request your help once again, this time to provide medicine to vulnerable people, most of them children, living in communities visited by our Tekokatu Medical Clinic team,” she said. The Canada and Bermuda Territory is privileged to be able to respond immediately to requests such as this one through donations given to our GiftsofHope program.
The medical team includes a doctor, a nurse, a social worker, and a Salvation Army officer Once a month, the mobile clinic sets up shop in a different rural community, bringing vital treatment to those unable to visit medical facilities. One of the main requests they receive is for children’s deworming medicine, as the sanitary conditions and quality of water in these communities are poor
In these communities and around the world, poverty creates unique health issues that can be life-threatening. Simple remedies provided by mobile clinics such as this one in Paraguay can make a real difference in the lives of families with little to no access to healthcare. The medicine provided to this program through donations given to GiftsofHope program has helped 200 people. Thank you for your support!
Recreation
