News

March E-News

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

CONTENTS:

Emergency Appeals 2009 Update | New Volunteers in North Korea | Church Leaders from East Timor Visit Australia | News and Urgent Experience Opportunities| Experience Volunteer in Focus | New Peacemaking Strategy in Mindanao | Farewell to Visitors from Tonga



Emergency Appeals 2009 – Update


A village in Samoa after the tsunami hit

A village in Samoa after the tsunami hit

During September and October last year, we responded to the urgent needs of several of our Partner Churches at a time when they faced danger from natural disasters and chronic food shortages.

UnitingWorld launched four emergency appeals to support victims of a destructive tsunami in Samoa, the earthquake in Sumatra (Indonesia), a chronic food shortage in Zimbabwe, and the trail of destruction left by Typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines.

We have received updates on the relief efforts from our Partner Churches in Samoa, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and the Philippines.

Highlights include the near completion of three new community centres in Samoa, food aid and sanitation supplies for 835 families in Zimbabwe, farmer support in the Philippines, and the rebuilding of water and sanitation facilities in Sumatra (Indonesia).

The full update including a message of thanks from the Relief and Development unit is now available to read here.



New Volunteers in North Korea


<i>A computer school for children in Rason</i>

A computer school for children in Rason

Last week two new volunteers, Thomas and Jennifer*, were officially commissioned at the Korean Church of Melbourne to undertake a three year placement at the Rasun City Welfare Project in North Korea.

The project in Rasun consists of several smaller projects, including a mobile clinic, TB Clinic and Hospital, computer school, orphanage, and a nurses school. Thomas and Jennifer will operate the project and help in it’s administration.

The couple has taken over the project at a critical time. The state of the North Korean economy has meant that the price of all food and non food items has doubled in urban areas, and up increased by up to six times in rural areas. The cost of food and equipment vital for the project’s operation will also rise.

We ask that you keep Thomas and Jennifer in your prayers as they undertake this extraordinary work.

You can read more about Thomas and Jennifer here.

You can read more about the project in Rason, North Korea here.

*Names have been changed to protect their identity




Glebe Road Uniting Church Hosts Church Leaders from East Timor


Vice Moderator of the Protestant Church in East Timor and Principal of Filadelphia Junior High School in Lisadila East Timor Mr Mateus Salvador, are currently visiting Australia. They are being hosted by the Glebe Road Uniting Church in Brisbane for three months.

The visit is part of developing partnership between Glebe Road Uniting Church and the Protestant Church in East Timor. UnitingWorld has been facilitating exchanges with our Partner Churches for several years to strengthen the relationship between our overseas partners and the Uniting Church in Australia.

You can read more about our Church Solidarity projects here.


New and Urgent Experience Opportunities



<i>Volunteers in Rarongo, Papua New Guinea</i>

Volunteers in Rarongo, Papua New Guinea

There are still a variety of exciting and diverse opportunities to volunteer with our overseas Church Partners. Some new placements include:

  • Medical in North India - Nurses, doctors, and paramedical personall are required to share their skills in the Church of North India (Durgapur Diocese)
  • Printers in Samoa - A printing engineer is urgently required to undertake a short term consultancy for three to four weeks.
  • Education and Counselling in Samoa - Teachers of Science, Computing and Mechanics are required, and a Counsellor/Psychologist to assist our partners in establishing a crisis counselling service.

Experience placements with UnitingWorld can last anywhere between three months and three years. There are also a small number of opportunities for short term consultancies.

These experiences offer life changing opportunities to use your gifts in the service of communities who need them and to learn from new cultures and traditions. If you think you may have the skills and passion to explore these possibilities, please contact:

Kathy Pereira
P: 02 8267 4250
E:  kathyp@unitingworld.org.au

A list of current Experience Placements is also available online here.


Experience Volunteer in Focus – Cherice Anquetil


Cherice Anquetil, a recent graduate secondary graduate from Laurieton/Bonny Hills in New South Wales, arrived in Tonga to undertake an Experience placement in partnership with UnitingWorld and the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga.

Already she has been through an earthquake, cyclone, and major tsunami warning, but this has not dampened her spirits. When Associate Director, Experience Programs Kathy Pereira spoke with her recently, she just said “I’m good…I survived my first cyclone.”

Cherice is assisting as an English tutor at Mo’unga ‘Olive schools in an outlying village on the main island of Tongatapu. She is constantly finding herself amazed by the hospitality shown to her in Tonga.

“One of the teachers is renovating the house next to his where I will be living. They are such nice people and I’ve been practicing my Tongan with their twins. I’m very surprised I haven’t got homesick yet, I’m enjoying it here too much!” said Cherice.

Cherice is undertaking a one year Gap Year placement to Tonga with UnitingWorld.

You can read Cherice’s full profile here.  Browse the full list of available placements for 2010 here.




New Peacemaking Strategy Commences in Mindanao


Associate Director for Peacemaking Joy Balazo has returned from a new YAP workshop in Midanao in the Philippines as part of a new strategy for the conflict-filled region.

The new strategy focuses on increasing dialogue between Christian groups, Muslim groups, and the indigenous people living in the areas surrounding the capital city of Pagadian. The local YAP coordinators are currently working with these groups separately, and will bring them together for a joint workshop for the first time in May this year.

The new strategy aims to create a total ‘peace zone’ within the next three years by training new YAP coordinators and expanding the work of the YAP centre in Mindanao.

Mindinao is located in the south of the Philippines, and is one of the most conflict-filled areas in the region.

Read more about the YAP Peacemaking Centre in Mindanao here.




Farewell to Visitors from Tonga


<I>From left: Rev. Dr Kerry Enright, Viola Matangi, Pauline ‘Unga, Adelaide Vailea, and Kathy Pereira</I>

This week we farewell three visitors from the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (FWC), who have been taking part in a short-term exchange with the Uniting Church in Australia.

Adelaide Vailea, Viola Matangi and Pauline ‘Unga, who come from the FWC Christian Education Department, have each spent two days a week throughout February and early March working with the staff in the UnitingWorld office in Sydney

Each have taught us more about Tongan culture as they worked alongside us for a number of days. Pauline recently travelled with Development Education Officer Bronwyn Fraser to Kinross School in Bathurst to help connect with the school and teach the students more about anga faka-Tonga (the Tongan way).  

They will all be missed, and we wish them a safe trip home back to their friends and families.

Read more about our Partner Church in Tonga here.

Image from left: Rev. Dr Kerry Enright, Viola Matangi, Pauline ‘Unga, Adelaide Vailea, and Kathy Pereira


Celebrating the Contributions of Women on International Women’s Day

Monday, March 8th, 2010

In acknowledgement of International Women’s Day today, UnitingWorld Associate Director for Relief and Development Mr Rob Floyd has asked for us all to reflect on not only the contribution women make to communities around the world, but the hardships they often face on a daily basis.

In developing countries, women are often denied access human rights, such as education and maternal health. Some are forced to walk for hours each day to collect water from remote sources. Girls often forgo formal educational opportunities to help raise their siblings.

Mr Floyd has also said that this day should serve as a reminder of Australia’s obligations as a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are a blueprint of eight areas agreed to by every country and several major world institutions to work towards a more equitable world by 2015.

“The economic and social development of women is key to the economic and social development of entire communities. Healthy, well educated and empowered women create strong communities which are far more likely to overcome poverty.

“This is the reason that all of the overseas projects of the Relief and Development unit of UnitingWorld are either based on or have a component of overcoming gender inequality.”

In India, the Tribal Development project run in partnership with the Church of South India seeks to empower some of the most marginalised people in the country by advocating for the human rights of women and establishing local schools. Women have been encouraged to form self help groups, and many have gained greater independence by starting small businesses.

Other projects, including the Papua New Guinea Rural Village Water project in Milne Bay, and the India Rural Village Water project in Vellore have focused on the role women undertake as water collectors. By making clean water easily accessible, girls are released to gain an education, women have time to assist their children with education and work towards other forms of income generation.

“Please take this opportunity on International Women’s Day to pray for the futures of women around the world and reflect on how you might support women’s rights in the future.”

Emergency Appeals 2009 – Update

Friday, March 5th, 2010

In September and October 2009, some of the most destructive natural disasters of recent times severely affected our partners in Samoa, the Philippines and Indonesia. At the same time, millions of Zimbabweans were facing a chonic food shortage, with an estimated seven million people relying on food aid.

With the generosity of our supporters, UnitingWorld was able to respond quickly to their urgent needs.

An update on the relief effots is now available to view online here.

A printable version is also available.