Page 33 - Presbyterian Connection

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FALL 2021
India COVID-19 Response
Community awareness sessions teach COVID-19 pre- vention and address vaccine hesitancy. PHOTO CREDIT: ACT ALLIANCE.
cases per day.
In response to
PWS&D’s urgent appeal for funds, Presbyterians from across Canada gave generously. To date, we have received over $110,000 to ad- dress immediate needs related to access to health care and supplies, as well as training to pre- vent community spread
sponse of hospitals provid- ing care to Covid patients, by supplying personal protective equipment, online sharing plat- forms and community helplines.
• Support the marginalized and vulnerable through data collec- tion, providing vaccines and training doctors, nurses, admin- istrators and chaplains.
• Partner with churches to sup- port hospitals and communities with training for bereavement counselling.
With partners at the ACT Alliance, support is being provided to:
• Work with community-based organizations that include local church leaders and community members to address risk pre- vention, mitigation and vaccine uptake.
• Help Covid patients or at-risk people meet immediate needs, including medical expenses.
• Strengthen hospital capacity by contributing necessary sup- plies.
• Raise awareness of the in- creased risk of gender-based violence in a pandemic.
Through Canadian Foodgrains Bank, we supported 3,620 families in three districts of northeastern India with three monthly cash transfers of $33 to purchase food and other es- sential items, such as medicine and sanitary items. The project prioritized women and girls and supported gov- ernment vaccination efforts. This project was implemented by EFI- COR (Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief), a partner of Tearfund Canada (a Foodgrains Bank member).
Mrs. Lalduktaki, with her eight-month- old baby, received food assistance through a PWS&D-supported project. PHOTO CREDIT: EFICOR.
Mrs. Lalduktaki, a 42-year-old mother of three, lives with HIV. Her husband was out of work because of the pandemic and the family was un- sure how they would afford food. On receiving the cash transfer, she said, “We have been able to buy rice, veg- etables and milk for the baby. I am so grateful that we have received sup- port when we needed it the most.”
By Karen Bokma, PWS&D Communications
In early May 2021, India’s population experienced a devastating surge in COVID-19 cases. Creating threats to the health-care system and already vulnerable families, the need was enormous. Within a month, COV- ID-19 cases had reached unprece- dented levels with over 400,000 new
and encourage vaccination.
Those funds have been allocated
to our local partners, the ACT Alli- ance and Canadian Foodgrains Bank, in order to achieve the greatest im- pact.
With our partner, the Christian Medical Association of India, we are assisting 20 medical hospitals to:
•Improve and expand the re-
Get Moving for Food Security
Connection
PRESBYTERIAN
33
PRESBYTERIAN WORLD SERVICE & DEVELOPMENT
By Stephanie Chunoo, PWS&D Communications
In a world filled with need, we have a chance to create positive change— and it’s as easy as taking a hike, dancing or going for a bike ride.
On Saturday, Oct. 2, you are in- vited to join PWS&D in the Ride for Refuge—a Covid-safe, family-
friendly fundraising event. This year, we’ll once again be raising funds for PWS&D’s food security programs around the world. With food insecu- rity on the rise due to COVID-19, the need is greater than ever.
This year’s Ride for Refuge will look very similar to last year’s. Along with the classic cycling and walk- ing options, participants can also
choose from various activities that can be done at home and virtually. Choose from volunteering, garden- ing, making music, baking and much more to raise funds and awareness this year. Be creative!
Your participation will help deliver seeds, tools and training to farmers to help increase crop yields, improve nutrition and address the impacts of
climate change. Farmers and their families will also learn how to mar- ket and sell their products, which will provide an income that can be used to access health care, purchase nu- tritious food and send their children to school.
Register today at WeRespond.ca/ RideforRefuge.
Team Lightning Bolt from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Markham, Ont.
Whether churches have discussed climate change weekly for years, are just starting to grapple with the seriousness of the climate crisis and are looking for ways to respond or haven’t ever thought about what it takes to diligently care for the earth, the time is ripe to gather with this re- source in hand.
“By engaging in faithful climate conversations, we intend to provide a space for members of the Knox con- gregation to talk about our thoughts and feelings. We hope to create a community of listening and support as we discern what steps we can take to bring about change,” said Femmy.
The Bible says that the “earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (1 Corinthians 10:26, NIV). The God who has saved us in love is “the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas” (Psalm 65:5). When we talk about, pray for or more faithfully moderate our actions on and towards this earth, we are living into that hope.
Champions’ Corner
By Emma Clarke, PWS&D Communications
Families whose homes or latrines were washed away by unseasonal heavy rains... Farmers whose maize or vegetables struggle to grow be- cause the land is too dry... Environ- mental refugees facing an uncertain future...
Many of the needs PWS&D re- sponds to are connected to climate change, the effects of which are often experienced most severely by people living in low-income countries.
The plants, wildlife and oceans around us are not only gifts from God, but they represent a great re- sponsibility for us to steward. Out of love for creation and those who share
it, many churches across Canada are taking action.
A Day in the Life of a Champion: Femmy Birks “What is a place in creation that makes you feel close to God?” This is one question Femmy Birks and the Global Par tners Committee at Knox Presbyterian Church in Waterloo, Ont., have been asking their community.
“As has been said by many these days,” Femmy, a PWS&D Champion, said, “we are in the midst of a cli- mate crisis. In order for God’s glory to shine forth, as people of faith who love God and this world that was cre- ated for us to thrive in, we need to seriously reflect on what this climate crisis means for us all—and for fu-
This summer, Knox, Waterloo, hosted a virtual Vacation Bible Camp celebrating the earth, in partnership with Erb Street Mennonite and Waterloo North Men- nonite Churches.
ture generations.”
This summer, a virtual Vacation
Bible Camp, organized in partnership with two other local churches and themed around our “Great Big Beauti- ful World,” inspired children through- out the region to explore, celebrate and care for God’s creation. And in the coming months, “Faithful Climate Conversations” will encourage mem- bers of Knox to put their faith into
action through conversations about climate justice.
“Faithful Climate Conversations” is a collection of resources from For the Love of Creation. Ecumenical in nature, this national initiative brings together faith-based organizations, including The Presbyterian Church in Canada, under a unified banner to raise awareness for, reflect on, act on and advocate for climate justice.