Page 19 - Presbyterian Connection Newspaper

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PRESBYTERIAN WORLD SERVICE & DEVELOPMENT
PRESBYTERIAN
19
presbyterian.ca
WINTER 2018
Breaking the Cycle of Malnutrition in Somalia
By Karen Bokma
Communications Coordinator, PWS&D
Madina Abdi has been dealing with hunger for a long time. In the Gedo region of Somalia where she lives, consecutive, cyclical droughts have compounded ongoing food insecurity, jeopardizing fragile livelihoods.
During a previous hungry period, two of Madina’s children were admit- ted to a nutrition program after being diagnosed with acute malnutrition. They received the therapeutic food they needed to recover and are now doing well.
Madina helps support her fam- ily through a small retail business. She sells vegetables and other food stuffs. With the knowledge she gained from the nutrition program and the small profits from her busi-
ness, Madina could afford healthy food for her family.
But the small gains the family made were threatened once again when Madina gave birth to twins who were born underweight. Through a PWS&D and Canadian Foodgrains Bank–sup- ported project, Madina learned how impor tant exclusive breastfeeding is to shield infants from disease and ensure a safe food source—and she’s determined to follow through. Given the precarious food situation in the home, Madina herself is now at risk of malnutrition, which would also negatively impact the babies. In ordertopreventthisfromhappening, and to ensure that she can continue to breastfeed, the project is providing a family food basket to Madina, and other mothers in situations like hers.
As Madina shares, “My business is
down since I delivered because I am taking care of my babies now. But I know it will pick up again. It has given me hope in life and I will be able to care for my children.”
As a result of the project, at their most recent checkup, Madina’s twins were assessed as healthy and hav- ing gained weight. To make sure the positive progress endures, the project team will continue to support her to ensure she is getting the necessary nutrition for both herself and the twins to remain healthy and strong.
While Madina’s family has been able to address their food security is- sues,manyinhercommunityarenot.
In July, PWS&D issued an ur- gent appeal to respond to needs in many countries in Africa. An unprec- edented number of people across the continent are in need due to natural
disaster and violent conflict. We do not often hear about these crises in the media, but they are very real for the hundreds of thousands who are impacted on a daily basis.
Generous Presbyterian contribu- tions from across the country are already making a difference for fami- lies like Madina’s, but more needs to be done. Please respond with us to help provide critical assistance to families in need. Visit WeRespond. ca/africa-appeal-response.
PWS&D is a member of Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a coalition of 15 church-basedagenciesworking together with the common goal
of eliminating global hunger. This project was undertaken with matching support from the Government of Canada.
Families in South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are receiving emergency food and non-food aid through PWS&D and its partners. PHOTO CREDIT: CFGB/MATTHEW SAWATZKY
A mother with her child who was recent- ly screened for malnutrition. The child received treatment from a PWS&D-sup- ported project in Somalia. PHOTO CREDIT: WILL SWANSON
Through the Gambaga Go Home project, many women are able to earn a living and better provide for their families be- cause of vocational training.
The Garu Community Based Rehabilita- tion Centre in Ghana provides tricycles to people living with disabilities so they can improve their mobility.
While visiting the Gambaga Go Home project with PWS&D’s local partners in Ghana, Susan Viegas and Kristen Win- ters are presented with a goat.
Mission and Musings in Ghana
By Susan Viegas, PWS&D Committee member and member of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Toronto
In September 2018, I had the privi- lege of accompanying Kristen Win- ters, PWS&D’s Africa Program Coordinator, on a monitoring and evaluation trip to Ghana. As a newly appointed member of PWS&D’s committee, this was a fabulous and timely oppor tunity to experience first-hand the amazing relief and development effor ts in which our church is engaged.
In Ghana, women and men ac- cused of witchcraft and people living with disabilities face many barriers to living healthy, happy and dignified lives. PWS&D is working with the Presbyterian Church in Ghana (PCG) to break these barriers and help vul- nerable members of society build brighter futures.
The PWS&D-supported Gambaga Go Home project, which we visited, helps support alleged witches so they can return to their communities and improve their lives and liveli- hoods, free from discrimination.
I say “alleged” because people who are accused of witchcraft— mostly older women and a handful of men—are done so under very nebu- lous terms. Accusations are swift, and the victims—who may be tor- tured or killed—sometimes take their
own lives out of fear of reprisals or run away and seek shelter in camps under the supervision and authority of a local chief.
There are currently five such camps in the north of Ghana, with a total of about 400 inhabitants. The Gambaga project works to promote the rights of these marginalized peo- ple through community advocacy and access to health care and im- proved sanitation and hygiene.
The program also teaches voca- tional skills such as the manufactur- ing of shea butter, soaps and jewel- lery to sell to local villagers. Because of this support, many are able to eke out a living and provide for them- selves and, in some cases, their ex- tended family.
I was moved by the plight of these women but equally moved to find out how our support has saved so many lives and had a positive impact on families.
One woman I met told me that what gave her strength for the past 30 years was knowing that her sav- ings through the project were help- ing to send her children and grand- children to school so that they could have better lives.
Through sensitizing communi- ties about respect for human rights, mental illness, disabilities and other health issues that are often mistak- enly attributed to witchcraft, the pro-
ject aims to eradicate accusations of witchcraft and the banishment of people from their communities. May our continued suppor t and advo- cacy effor ts ultimately render these camps unnecessary in the very near future.
Kristen and I also visited the PWS&D–supported Community Based Rehabilitation Centre (CBR) in Garu, which, for over 40 years, has focused on improving the quality of life for people living with disabilities.
The project supports people with disabilities by providing schooling and vocational training to strengthen livelihood opportunities within their communities. In 2017, farmers with disabilities were trained in techniques to improve crop production and pro- vided with varieties of improved seeds. Some farmers received train- ing in livestock production, agroecol- ogy, and business development to boost income generation.
To increase financial literacy and access to local credit, self-help groups and community savings and loans groups were established, and members received training. To pro- mote improved health outcomes, the project also provides training on sex- ual and reproductive health issues, conducts HIV testing, assesses chil- dren for disabilities, and advocates for inclusive education in communi- ties and schools.
Kristen and I had a chance to meet with a group of women with chil- dren affected by cerebral palsy. One mother felt she had no choice but to abandon her severely disabled child. Through the program though, she was able to find support through a network of other mothers who shared similar experiences and helped her overcome challenges. This woman was also taught about proper hy- giene, nutrition and how to better communicate with her child. She is now an ardent advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities.
The Garu project will directly im- pact about 25,000 lives in Ghana over a five-year period, ending in 2020. The team is absolutely amaz- ing and so very committed to im- proving the lives of their clients. I am grateful to have spent some time visiting their facilities.
Ghana is an incredible country— almost 80% of the population of Can- ada lives in an area 42 times smaller! Ghanaians are a warm and friendly people with big hearts. No matter where we went, people gave willingly whatever they had, including three guinea fowl, a rooster, several yams, loads of peanuts—and one goat! I have been so very enriched by this experience and I hope for the contin- ued success of PWS&D programs to improve the quality of lives in Ghana in exponential ways.