ARCHBISHOP Andrew John is going the extra mile for vulnerable communities around the world during Christian Aid Week 2024.
He is taking part in 70k in May – a challenge to cover 70 kilometres in whatever way you like, in solidarity with millions of people who have to walk long distances for clean water or to sell their produce.
Archbishop Andrew said that he was looking forward to it and explain: “Every year, during Christian Aid Week, people across Wales raise funds, act and pray for their global neighbours in a celebration of hope for a fairer world.
“I’m doing 70k in May because it’s a great way to support the appeal; I enjoy taking the time to get out and about and reflect on things while also doing something meaningful in support of others.
“Christian Aid Week really brings people together to put our faith into action and every prayer, every gift, every action makes a difference.”
Money raised during Christian Aid Week will help the organisation’s partners empower vulnerable communities to find practical and sustainable ways out of poverty.
This year’s appeal – from May 12–18 – is focussing on work in Burundi, one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in Africa. Heavily reliant on agriculture, it’s also one of the least prepared to combat the effects of climate change, including droughts, floods and landslides. The global cost of living crisis has intensified the challenges: more than 70 per cent of the population live in poverty and more than half of children are chronically malnourished.
Christian Aid has been working in Burundi since 1995 when it first offered humanitarian assistance to people surviving the civil conflict. Now, alongside local partners, the organisation helps establish Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). These community-led groups mean people can save and borrow money, making small businesses possible, offering reliable and diverse incomes so families can eat regularly, get medicine when they need it, and build safer homes.
Thirty-five-year-old Aline Nibogora is the chairperson of a VSLA which supports some 25 families in a remote village, in Makamba Province. Aline escaped an abusive marriage only to find herself on the streets begging for a place to stay.
Her life changed when she went to a three-day, Christian Aid-funded community workshop. With a small start-up loan, Aline began trading avocados and peanuts locally. She’s now a grocery wholesaler and living on her own plot of land where she’s building a home for her family. In the next five years she hopes to expand, so one day she can buy a mill. This will provide a source of income without the need to transport heavy goods over long distances.
Christian Aid Week offers seven days and so many ways to make a difference to find out more, visit their website.
