Archive for the 'prayer requests' Category

Opportunity to befriend newcomers to Canada and learn about other cultures

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on April 22, 2008
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Would you like to befriend newcomers to Canada and learn about other cultures? Or would you support this ministry in prayer?

Kingcrest International Neighbours is a ministry that runs ESL classes and helps many refugee claimants and newcomers to Canada in East Vancouver.

Volunteers are needed for the 10-week Spring Term from April 15th – June 20th, 2008. Volunteers can come 1-2 times per week for 2-hour classes in the morning or evening on specific days. No previous training or experience is needed for being a host-friend - spending time with students and orienting them to life in Canada, or help with an ESL Bible Study, refreshments, administration, typing, fundraising, special events, childcare.

Please call Christina Chiu for more info (604-327-6262) or email christina_chiu@hotmail.com and put “Kingcrest” on the subject line.

Sri Lankan refugees in India

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on March 10, 2008
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Ruki Fernando’s personal impressions of Sri Lankan refugees in India:

“Are we the ones to bear this shame, are they the sacrifice”

I remembered John Denver’s passionate song dedicated to the refugees called “Fallen leaves”, as I sat in the Chennai airport, trying to make sense of what I had seen and heard and my own feelings, recalling my visit to Sri Lankans who had fled to India in fear of their lives and live in camps as refugees. One of the lines from the song that kept coming back to me was what I had put as the title to this reflection.

At the airport, I myself felt a bit of a refugee, having come to the airport from an overnight bus. It had not been an easy journey, traveling by a night train, and spending the day at the store house that now serves as a home to 26 families, and then taking an overnight bus back, straight to the airport. And several other train, bus and auto rides in between. But I guess the difficulties in my journey pales when compared to the journeys that the people I met had undertaken, on makeshift boats, often overcrowded. Mine had certainly been a journey by choice, taking advantage of attending a conference in Chennai, while they had not much choice in undertaking the journey, the choice of fleeing to India and remaining in Sri Lanka having being one of life or death.

Read the rest of his report here.

Report from Sri Lanka, RHP-Asia, Feb. 08

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on February 26, 2008
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Refugee Ministry in South Asia

During 2007, intervention of the Alliance Development Trust impacted over 8,000 IDP and refugee families in Sri Lanka. (The Alliance Development Trust, or ADT, is the relief and development arm of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, NCEASL.)

The refugee situation in Sri Lanka interconnects with number of South Asian countries. Because Sri Lanka has been experiencing civil war for the last 3 decades, over 1 million Sri Lankans have left the country to seek refuge in North America and Europe. The encouraging fact is that most of the refugees in Europe and North America were able to establish local congregations, and then support the congregations in Sri Lanka. NCEASL plans to initiate a networking project with the Sri Lankan Diaspora churches to raise awareness on the Sri Lankan situation. It also aims to build bilateral partnerships with Diaspora church and the local congregations, to equip and strengthen the churches on both sides.

Refugees in India
Estimates report that over 65,000 Sri Lanka refugees are housed in 133 refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, India, and that over 40,000 Sri Lankans live outside these refugee camps. In the last 18 months alone, over 9,000 people have crossed the Sri Lankan borders seeking refuge in India.
Most of the refugees are poor farmers, laborers and fishermen. To pay their boat fares, they had to scrape together several thousand rupees – which in many cases were their life savings. Women and children have died making the risky journey. The Sri Lankan navy, which patrols the straits between the 2 countries, has arrested refugees; and in a number of cases, refugees were killed in middle of the ocean.

Refugee camps are pathetic. The 287-acre camp at Mandapam has high walls with electric barbed-wire fencing. On the other side is the sea, patrolled by Indian coastal guards. The refugees live in a dilapidated row of houses. Bathroom and toilet facilities are virtually non-existent. According to people living in the camps, the so-called Indian standards of food rations and dole payments are not enough to live on. The refugees have become a source of cheap labor, exploited ruthlessly by local employers. In some instances, women have been forced into prostitution and substance abuses.

There is significant development in reaching out to these refugees. Two local churches have sent their workers to India, to work among the refugee congregations; and in the meantime, the refugees in the camps have begun a number of congregations. ADT will initiate a refugee ministry among these refugees to bring holistic intervention - to meet the spiritual, physical and psychological needs of the refugees in India. ADT has initiated a need-assessment project and looking for financial resources to implement the project without any delay.

With the escalation of violence and with the military plans to advance towards the rebel-held areas in Sri Lanka, it is anticipated that more people will flee the country using the sea route towards India. (If you wish to support this initiative, please write to us at nceasl@sltnet.lk )

Internally Displaced People
In the last 12 months, Sri Lanka has seen terrible violence. According to human rights groups, over 6,000 people have been killed or disappeared (abducted and killed) due to escalating violence. UNHCR estimates over 350,000 people are internally-displaced in north and east districts.
According to the defense spoke’s person, there will be a mass exodus of IDPs (internally displaced peoples) from the rebel-held Wanni region to government-held areas in coming weeks due to military plans to advance towards rebel-controlled territories. ADT and the local churches are planning to address the needs of IDP communities in coming months.
ADT will continue the livelihood-recovery activities for displaced communities. In 2007 we were able to impact over 8,000 lives through various projects and 300 families were assisted with livelihood recovery projects. Recreational and psychosocial projects were initiated in refugee camps.

In 2008, we anticipate 600 families will recover their livelihoods and over 1,500 children will gain access to nutritional and education activities. Due to poor standards in water and sanitation, ADT has initiated a special sanitation awareness project among the children in the refugee camps.

Pakistani Refugees in Sri Lanka – S-SARC
S-SARC is an initiative to support the asylum-seekers from Pakistan coming to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is not considered a “host country” for asylum-seekers, so after these asylum-seekers gain refugee status in Sri Lanka, they are settled in host countries by UNHCR. ADT has been providing practical assistance for Pakistani asylum-seekers and is networking with the other agencies that are providing similar services.

NCEASL urges you to uphold the ministry and the staff members who are vulnerable to security concerns and hardships. Thank you.

Somalia - Prayer Initiative

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on December 19, 2007
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Calling for a year of prayer for Somali People

Love Somalis by Prayer

The Need
“When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

Since 1992, the world media has been reporting the desperate situation and hopeless condition in Somalia. Since the overthrow of the dictator Siad Barre, the country is covered by war, violence, hunger, destruction, hate, fear and despair. The Somali people are in desparate need of a new hope.

The Vision
Throughout the year 2008, we want to see the worldwide church of believers in Jesus Christ saturating Somalis with the love of Christ by prayer!

General Goals
As God’s intercessors we want:
> to humble ourselves and repent about neglecting the needs of the Somali people
> to intercede before God so that the thousands of Somalis will be released from the kingdom of darkness
> to believe the Lord of the harvest and for HIM to build HIS church
> to proclaim God’s glory and for His glory to be revealed to the Somali people

Join us in prayer for Somalia
A prayer guide can be accessed on www.PrayForSomalia.org.

Uganda Flooding, Nov. update

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on December 10, 2007
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The most recent update from Stephen Mugabi, the RHP Africa Facilitator, is below.

Floods in Northern and Eastern Uganda, report on November 23, 2007 

a) Situation on flooding in
Uganda:
 
For now (November-early December), the flooding in most parts of the country has halted or reduced. I have been attending the on-going Common wealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) taking place in
Kampala, November 22-25, 2007. I was a delegate of the People’s Forum. One of the working sessions was on climatic change. Delegates predicted that more flooding will happen in countries like Uganda (and indeed many others in sub-Saharan
Africa). So even though the rains have relatively reduced in the past one month (affecting most parts in
Northern Uganda), we definitely are expecting more, and therefore continued flooding in the nearest future.b) Post recovery flooding situation in parts of
Uganda: This is where the challenge still remains. The majority of the population faced with the post recovery flooding in many parts of the country (particularly in Northern Uganda), are and still remain the poorest of the poor, displaced and homeless, returnees from the refugee (IDP) camps who were the victims of the 20 rebel wars led by the Lord Resistance Army (LRA), school-going children, women, and the elderly. Many are crying out for the needed emergency relief assistance (in form of food and non-food items). Among the many needs are food items (because of the waterlogged fields, crops are rotten and virtually swept away). The damage on crops was very wide spread. They are also crying out for non-food items (tarpaulins, tents, clothes, blankets, lanterns, household items such as plates and cups, supplies of medicines, mosquito nets, water containers, bicycles, etc.). Children who go to school need food and non-food items, and are also in dire need of educational materials (books, pencils, pens, places to study/temporary tents). 

c) Who is helping the affected communities? Where is relief expected to come from during the next 6 months to 1 year?Very little has trickled in since the flooding reduced. It has been the World Food Programme, Red Cross and a few humanitarian groups that have come to the rescue of those affected. However, thousands and thousands are in need of help (and they can’t find it). The Government of Uganda promised some relief assistance but very little as well has come in. The Government is at the moment busy with the CHOGM in
Kampala. Help can only come from the humanitarian agencies (and particularly churches who know where the neediest are).  Agencies like Red Cross, Medicines Sans Frontiers, WFP, World Vision etc. are helping but can’t reach everybody. Churches need to come in, but they, too, need to be enabled.

c) Special Appeal and Prayers for Assistance:


Prayer needs for those affected and situation in general:

  • Provision of food and non-food items for the next 6 months to 1 year (especially for the poorest of the poor – children and women);
  • Support for the local churches in
    Uganda as they carry out emergency relief assistance;
  • Meeting the health / hygiene / psycho-social and spiritual needs of communities affected (particularly IDP returnees who are homeless).
  • Victims – particularly the homeless and internally displaced, returnees from the IDP camps, and school-going children (who are expected to take their annual exams)
  • Government of
    Uganda, who is required to repair much of the infrastructure (destroyed bridges, roads and other electricity supplies)
  • Peace and tranquility to prevail
  • AEA-RHP Post Recovery Programme (resource and help to implement)

We will keep you updated. We are planning a visit early next month.

Reported by: Stephen Mugabi, Executive Secretary, Association of Evangelicals in Africa-Commission on Relief and Development (ARDC)

Flooding in Uganda

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on December 10, 2007
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Stephen Mugabi, Africa Facilitator, provides updates on flooding devestation in Uganda. Below is his comprehensive September report. The next post will have his most recent report and prayer requests.

* * * * *

Floods in Northern-Eastern Uganda - September Situation Assessment

Introduction 

It’s been raining and raining for the last two months in Uganda. Throughout 2006, most parts of Northern-Eastern Uganda experienced drought, famine, and almost an end to the 17 year LRA-led  atrocities that had devastated the lives of thousands (especially children and women). At the beginning of this year, rains and the return of IDPs to their homeland/villages was considered as a blessing to many communities affected by war and armed conflicts in the sub-regions of Teso, Acholiland and Lango. Unfortunately however, and from July this year, the heavy rains have been more of a burden or threat to the lives of over 300,000 people living in Northern and Eastern parts of Uganda. Instead of settling and embarking on new livelihoods (crop production, building houses and sending children to schools), many are now fleeing from their “new homes” because of the floods.  Well over 25 internally displaced camps (IDPs) established for those escaping the LRA violence, are now the most affected by floods. The post-conflict sub-regions of Teso (Amuria, Katakwi, Bukedea, Kumi, Kaberamaido and Soroti); Acholiland (districts of Pader, Gulu ); and Lango  (Lira, Dokolo, Amolatar and Oyam) have been seriously affected by the floods. Other areas affected are in the central region (Mukono and Kayunga districts); and Karamoja sub-region (Moroto, Nakapiripit). Kapchorwa (Bukwe and Ngege  areas) have been affected as well. The continuous rains have destroyed property, swept crops, damaged most of the infrastructures ( especially roads and bridges). This has made it difficult to access most of these areas in the last 2 months (as the poor roads and weak bridges are either inaccessible or virtually swallowed up). Mud-hut houses, latrines and poor school buildings have been washed away, sunk in and completed destroyed. School going children in most of these areas were not able to resume classes that opened for the third term on September 17, 2007. Many are likely not to sit for their final year examinations scheduled for early  November (in case of the primary seven leavers), and others in December, 2007. In most cases, emergency assistance has had to be lifted by the Uganda Government and UN humanitarian agencies. These agencies are only able to reach a few of the affected communities but thousands are also left (especially the ones in the far rural remote and inaccessible places).  

Most affected sectors and areas

The areas most affected are in the districts of Amuria  (Agoro- Amuria along the borders with Karamoja), Katakwi-Amuria districts, Bukedea and Kumi, Sironko-Nakapiripit highway and surrounding villages along the  Pader-Kitgum-Lira road. Property and School Building (Mud- Huts) DestroyedDwelling houses and school buildings (mostly mud and grass thatched) have either collapsed, swept away or completely uninhabitable. With destroyed schools and buildings, the education sector is affected severely in the flooding areas.  Over 174 schools are not accessed by the learners because either the classrooms have been destroyed, teachers houses collapsed (because many are built out of  mud and grass) , or in some other cases some structures have developed huge cracks which is not safe for both learners and facilitators as a result of floods. Confirmed 119 schools in Teso sub-region, 28 schools in Lango sub-region, over 25 in Acholi sub-region have been destroyed. Of the affected schools, over 80 are primary schools.

Health sector leading to outbreak of diseases: Many sinking latrines and the very few health clinics (also built out of mud and grass) have been swallowed by the floods. Many have sunk in and have left a high risk hazard in the affected areas.  There is a likely outbreak of diseases such as malaria, dysentery, cholera and other water borne diseases. Many people (especially children and women) are drinking from the dirty and water- soaked pools or sources that are already flooded. People escaping from the floods are now returning to a few of the existing and congested IDP camps. The absence of clean drinking water, water jerry cans, tents, medicines, and warm shelter is aggravating the hygienic conditions in these camps. 

Crops waterlogged or swept away: Crops planted by the returning IDPs have been destroyed or water logged.  Local implements and other agricultural inputs, storage facilities (made out of mud) have been washed away. In effect the marauding floods within parts of Teso-Lango-Acholi sub-regions have caused havoc with respect to crop production such that in the next 6 months to a year, there is going to be very low food supplies or shortages in the affected communities. Many people depend on foodstuff like millet, maize (for local flour), sorghum, rice, beans, and potatoes. All these crops are now rotting or water logged.

Key Immediate Areas/Interventions Affected:

  • IDPs resettlement exercise- At the end of last year, the Uganda Government intensified its’  resettlement program. Thousands of IDPs were encouraged to return to their communities. The on-going floods have affected this program. Many victims of the floods are now returning back to the camps. Those who had acquired land and grown some food have had their crops and temporary houses destroyed. For them to survive, they are now returning to those camps out of danger with the floods.
  • Disarmament Exercise affected-  For the period 2006/7, the Government of Uganda had seriously embarked on a disarmament exercise along the border districts of Katakwi-Moroto-Nakapiripit-Pokot and Kapchorwa, and along the border areas of Kenya-Uganda and Southern Sudan. With the on going floods in some of these areas, the exercise has been interrupted.  Cattle raiders are taking advantage of the rains and impassable roads. With more flooded areas in Katakwi- Amuria along the border, availability of small guns, and increased presence of IDPs, there may be resurgence or refuelling of ethnically motivated armed conflicts.
  • Cattle raids- Due to the impassable roads, the program of reducing cattle raids is likely to be affected. Cattle raids are expected with more rains.

 Community Needs in Affected Areas: In the worst hit areas of Katakwi (Oogora, Magoro, Ngariam, Usuku); Bukedea (sub-counties of Koliri, Malera); Omino in Kumi district; Gweri in Soroti, Omot in Pader, and Lira, the immediate community needs emerging from floods include the following:Food, shelter, health services (medical supplies and volunteers), and restoration of infrastructures (roads and building) are some of the immediate things required.  Support to IDP returnees and the affected school going children is urgently needed.  

In terms of priority, the specific community needs required for the next 6 months are:

  • Tarpaulins to save the crops which have not yet been destroyed;
  • Tents for shelters- many people are not sleeping in parts of Katakwi and Amuria- they do not have places to sleep and others are afraid of the floods;
  • Household items-  water jerry cans, cooking utensils, sleeping mats, iron sheets, bicycles for transport in safer areas, lanterns (as there is no electricity);
  • Warm clothes and blankets, basins;
  • Scholastic/educational materials- books, pens, chalks, benches, chairs, temporary resource classrooms (where school going children could access their education);
  • Support to pupils and teachers’ immediate needs- pupils and teachers have been displaced by the floods. A few of them are being housed by their immediate family members. Huts for teachers have been destroyed. Many will need iron sheets and other building materials to reconstruct their premises;
  • Support to surviving schools and health centres where some of the affected communities have taken refugee;
  • Fire wood and charcoal for cooking and warmth .

 Response made so far by Government and Humanitarian Agencies: Since the heavy rains began in mid-August 2007, local government, various humanitarian development and relief agencies have tried to offer quick emergency relief.  The government of
Uganda has declared the areas affected in Northern-Eastern regions as emergency disaster zones. Local and international communities are being called upon to render assistance. The disaster preparedness office under the Prime Ministers’ Office has started responding as well as World Food Programme and Red Cross Society among others. The relief that has been offered to the affected population includes tents, mosquito nets, food items, clothing and some medications. But the assistance is completely inadequate as many of the affected communities are not in position to cope. Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) has been helping people to come out of the floods to the safe havens. The most used means are the boats and local canoes as many areas have been cut out and no any vehicle can reach there. The use of the army helicopter has helped to rescue over 150 students in Kitgum and the work is still continuing.

Field Need Assessment

The population that is affected currently has gone up to over 300,000, and the situation is expected to worsen as the rains are still expected till the month of November, 2007. It has been realised that there could be possibilities for diseases outbreak. The most probable disease include cholera, dysentery, skin diseases, respiratory infectious, increased malaria infection and other related water-borne diseases.Despite the fact that most of the humanitarian agencies have began to respond, the magnitude of the needs is still very high as time goes by. There is an increased need for more warm clothing not only for the children who are likely to develop asthma and other related diseases but also for the adults. Temporary shelters are as well a critical and urgent need as most of these people’s homes have been destroyed by the rain. In order to protect against water-borne related diseases, temporary measures to clean water sources are needed. Also there is  need for mosquito nets to protect them from the increased number of mosquitoes as a result of floods.The in-accessible schools have many candidates who expect to sit  in a months’ time for their Primary Leaving as well as Secondary Leaving Examinations. This poses a great challenge as neither the government nor other relief agencies at present have come out to redress the situation. This therefore requires special attention which among other options might need to set up temporary tents for the affected groups to prepare for their examinations. Assistance is needed in identifying and transporting them to various centres from where they would be currently settled for their coming examinations . In addition those who are not in the candidate classes, temporary means mainly through the use of tents could be the only way to assist them.All these could have been good but there is as well a great need to supply with possible food items to various families.  

Association of Evangelicals in Africa Partners in the Affected Areas: The Association of Evangelicals in Africa-Commission on Relief and Development (AEA/RDC) has for sometime been involved with specific programs in Northern-Eastern Uganda since 2001. AEA/RDC has carried out a program on basic education, HIV/AIDS and peace promotion in the flood affected areas. Through Samaritan’s Purse (N)- Operation Christmas Child (OCC), the Edukans Foundation Child-to-Child Gift Boxes and World Sports Supporters Programs, ARDC has reached hundreds of schools and several church-based community organizations in the affected sub-regions. These programs have benefited  thousands of school going children who have been affected by the LRA-led war (and now the ongoing floods). AEA/RDC has also established useful contacts in these areas.  

ARDC has set up inter-church coordination alliances/networks (ICCs), helped  establish 7 resource classrooms in these regions, and is partnering with several schools in the 25 districts currently experiencing floods. Established church based and grassroots community networks working with AEA/RDC and ICC partners  now exist in the sub-regions of Lango (LICA): Teso (TICA); Gulu (GICA); Kitgum-Pader (KIPICC); Pokot and Kapchorwa districts .   

For example while distributing children’s gifts and resource classroom materials to partners in Pader-Lira and Apac in August-September this year, ARDC’s 4W drive pick-up vehicle and staff were almost affected by the floods along Pader-Lira-Kitgum-Omot way. Some of ARDC’s local partners and beneficiaries of its’ program such as schools in Amuria (Chanigweno-Kapelebyong PS, Arute PS in Aberilela, Orungo PS, Katine Wera PS, Alere PS in Kuju), Orum SS, Aloi SS, Otuke and Barr SS in Lira  have been directly affected. The respective ICCs and schools in these areas (especially Teso, Lango and Kitgum-Pader and Kapchorwa) are already appealing for assistance from AEA/RDC. 

What AEA/RDC and Partners can do? AEA/RDC has carried out this situation field assessment with a view of sharing the immediate needs of communities affected in the sub-regions, call upon for local and external assistance, and sharing areas of possible engagement/disaster response.  These local partners in the sub-regions of Lango, Teso, Kapchorwa, Kitgum-Pader , Karamoja (Pokot-Nakapiripit), are in dire need of help. AEA/RDC is in position to work with partners in order to carry out limited relief assistance in the following specific ways: 

  • Provide  house hold relief items to the most needy and partner communities (items to include tarpaulins, tents, mosquito nets, blankets, food supplies, lanterns);
  • Provide some scholastic /educational materials to affected school going children;
  • Help out on the needs of partnering schools (children and teachers);
  • Provision of bicycles, resource classrooms and temporary shelter for school leavers/P7 candidates;
  • Support partners in Teso, Lango, Acholiland, Karamoja and Kapchorwa towards their coping ways/mechanisms;
  • Distribution of seeds and agricultural inputs, housing and transport items (iron sheets and bicycles etc..);
  • Reach out to selective communities in the far rural remote areas (not reached by government and large humanitarian agencies. 

At the time of this situation report, the floods had slightly reduced (with the coming down of the rains). However and if the rains persist, the situation is likely to worsen.  We would therefore like to appeal to both our local and international partners to come to the rescue of the affected communities (especially school going children, teachers and needy communities). AEA/RDC and local ICC partners are in position to assist (if helped on some of the areas mentioned above). 

Reported by: 

Association of Evangelicals in Africa-Commission on Relief and Development (ARDC) 

Attn. Stephen Mugabi, Executive Secretary 

Kampala, September 21, 2007.