CAFOD’s Work Around The World

As you read this article, we are very likely to be well into the season of Advent which we traditionally see as the season where, as a people, we move from a period of darkness into the light shed by the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

At Mass on the Third Sunday of Advent, we are treated to a truly inspiring reading from the prophet Isaiah; ‘The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken; to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison; to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord’. Jesus read these very words himself in the synagogue in Nazareth as he took up his public ministry, adding: ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen’ (Luke 4:21). Jesus’ concern for the poor runs throughout the Gospels and through the letters of the Apostles. In fact, care and concern for the poor, the rejected, those whose lives do not fit easily into one of the boxes we and our society create for them are the real focal point of our faith. How we treat the poorest is really a litmus test for the general state of our world and our very selves. During October and November, CAFOD has faced many challenges in responding to the needs of our sisters and brothers in developing countries.

At the very time of writing this article, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are caught-up in a war between the government forces and rebels that has left 250,000 people in the region homeless. People are fleeing the provincial town of Goma as rebel forces encircle it. Many of the innocent people caught in the middle are already very poor with few, if any, reserves to draw upon. CAFOD launched a £1 million appeal in response to this crisis. The situation is changing almost by the hour.

Please visit www.cafod.org.uk/emergencies/congo-appeal-2008-10-29

In Honduras, hopes of an end to the devastating floods have been crushed as many parts of the country are on red alert again. A new cold weather front has moved in on Honduras, bringing more heavy downpours and strong winds to towns and villages already flooded following ten days of incessant rain in the region. CAFOD is talking to its partners Caritas Honduras, COMAL and ERIC to see how best to help the thousands of people sheltering in churches, schools and makeshift housing. ‘The immediate needs are to provide medicines, food, water and blankets to more than 270,000 people in need of help’ said Pedro Landa from Caritas Honduras. ‘However, damage to roads and bridges is making this very difficult. We have not yet been able to reach 800 families cut off in the Siria Valley alone, because the roads are inaccessible. One of our main concerns for the coming months will be ensuring that people have enough food. The floods have wiped out almost 40,000 acres of newly harvested crops which will further aggravate the country’s food crisis. There are fresh fears for the safety of those living near the gold mine in the Siria Valley during the emergency’. Campaigners have been highlighting the health risks that the mine causes in CAFOD’s Unearth Justice campaign. Now Caritas Honduras is concerned that the floods will carry cyanide-infected waters from the mine to the surrounding residential area. ‘CAFOD has been working in Honduras for many years and is monitoring the situation closely’ said Maria Marshall from CAFOD’s Latin America team. ‘We are in daily contact with our partners as the situation develops and expect to make funds available very soon.’

In the Balochistan region of Pakistan, an earthquake measuring 6.4 struck the eastern region on 29th October. At least 160 people lost their lives and it is expected that this will increase as the real picture of what happened emerges. CAFOD is working through its partner Caritas Pakistan carrying out rapid needs assessments so that we can get the right kind of response to where it is most needed. Collette Fearon, CAFOD’s Regional Manager for Asia and Middle East, said: ‘Access is difficult because of mountainous terrain, poor roads and poor communications. The challenges in getting supplies through are enormous. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Pakistan at this time’.

Thanks to your prayers and generosity, CAFOD is able to respond to the needs of people living in some of the poorest and most dangerous parts of the world. As we move towards celebrating the birth of our Lord, we at CAFOD give thanks to you, your loved ones and all those in parish communities throughout the Diocese of Middlesbrough who so generously support our work. Your support is good news to the poor. It is through your support that CAFOD is able to shine a light in the lives of many people living through, what may well be, their darkest hour. Isaiah (58:5-12) goes on to promise that if we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, do away with oppression;

‘Your light will shine like the dawn – Your integrity will go before you – Your light will rise in the darkness – He will give strength to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden – You will be called the breach-mender, restorer of the ruined houses’.

What a promise! How can we resist the call to help our needy sisters and brothers when God speaks to us so beautifully and passionately through the prophets?

As we approach Christmas, many of you will be looking for that extra special gift for your loved ones. One of CAFOD’s World Gifts make such a difference to the lives of the people receiving them. There’s a gift to suit every pocket. Here’s a few examples:

• £10.00 can provide a vegetable garden
• £30.00 will provide safe and clean water for a family, £750.00 will pay for a water supply for a whole community
• £7.00 can provide a child with a school starter pack
• £1,000 will pay for a teacher to be trained
• £1,500 can provide a community shop. There are many more World Gifts.

Why not make it a parish or community project to raise the money for one or more of these World Gifts. Those above are just some examples, there are many others. You can view these on our website. Visit www.cafod.org.uk or telephone the CAFOD Diocesan Office on (01904) 671767 and we’ll be able to help you.

Also visit the CAFOD website to take our new Unearth Justice Campaign Action – Shine a light in the darkness.

May we take this opportunity to thank you and to wish you and all those you love the joy of peace and all the blessings of the Christmas Season.

David and Carol Cross

(CAFOD Middlesbrough)