cymunedeasteredition

10 cymuned Easter 2017
Easter 2017 cymuned
11
Refugees,
we won’t
turn our
backs now
Every single action counts for appeal
week, says Christian Aid's Mari McNeill
Sixty years ago, something
special happened. In May
1957 churches throughout
Britain and Ireland decided to
put aside one week in the year to
outreach into their communities,
inviting their neighbours to be part
of the churches’ ongoing work of
helping refugees in the aftermath
of the Second World War: Christian
Aid Week.
Twenty places in Wales organised
collections for that first Christian
Aid Week in 1957 – Aberdare,
Aberystwyth, Ammanford, Bangor,
Bedwas, Blaendulais, Cardiff,
Carmarthen, Colwyn Bay, Dowlais
and Merthyr Tydfil, Ffestiniog,
Llwyngwril, Llandudno, Newtown,
Llangollen, Pontardawe, Swansea,
Tonyrefail, Welshpool and
Ystalyfera.
Church members used whatever
they had to make collecting
tins (think, Oxo and Ovaltine!)
and boldly took to the streets.
They shared about the needs of
refugees in Europe, the work the
Nejebar, from Afghanistan, fled her homeland after the Taliban said they would kill anyone
churches were doing, and invited
their friends and neighbours to
help.
Many of us have stories to
share about why we get involved
in Christian Aid Week, how we’re
inspired by Jesus’ love for us, and
how the Week is an act of witness
in our communities. Orphaned at
eight, Theodor Davidovic was a
teenager during the Second World
War and fought in the resistance
movement in Serbia against
Germany.
In the political chaos after the
war’s end, he fled his country. He
lived in refugee camps in Europe
for two and a half years: “It was
the Christians who sent the
parcels.
"It was the big organisations
that were feeding us, and I never
forgot it. That is why I volunteer
for Christian Aid. The people then
who were contributing through
Christian Aid Week helped me to
survive. I feel I owe my life to the
cause”. Theodor is 91, and a dedicated
Christian Aid Week volunteer
in Scotland.
Fittingly Christian Aid Week 2017
focuses on our work with refugees
in Europe today.
While the majority of today’s
refugees seek sanctuary in poor
countries, in 2015 some one million
people crossed into Europe.
Since the borders closed during
2015, thousands of people are
stranded in refugee camps in
Greece, Serbia and Macedonia,
countries that have been entry
points to the rest of Europe. European
countries are deadlocked
over who should take responsibility
and Greek authorities have yet to
receive the bulk of resources promised
to enable them to respond
adequately. There are currently an
estimated 57,000 refugees stranded
in Greece.
They are waiting for the political
situation to change and living
in fear of being sent back home.
‘The contribution of our diocese
bucket collections, held collections
who worked for the government, like her husband Noor
They are in urgent need of our
help.
One such refugee is Nejebar
and her family. Nejebar, from
Afghanistan, fled her homeland
after the Taliban announced they
would kill anyone who worked for
the government, like her husband
Noor.
They travelled on foot for two
months, before a treacherous
journey across the Mediterranean
in a small rubber dinghy eventually
brought them to Greece with their
children.
The young family have left their
home, family and friends behind,
and have been living in a refugee
camp for over six months.
With your help, Christian Aid
and its global partners continue to
provide support for refugees, like
Nejebar and Noor, with essentials
including, food, shelter and job
skills training, as well as advocating
for policies to protect and help
them on the ground. Christian
Aid’s work in Greece includes
setting up community kitchens –
providing stoves and cash to allow
refugees to buy and cook their
own food is an important shred of
autonomy.
We are also providing legal
protection services to unaccompanied
children and families and
housing support to some of the
most vulnerable refugees awaiting
relocation.
•
counts. Last year, hundreds went door to door, held
in churches and put on an array of events...
£5 could provide two nutritious
meals for a refugee in Europe
• £50 could buy a stove for refugees
to cook their own food and
enjoy tastes of home
• £132 is enough to set up a shower
unit to give a refugee a safe and
clean place to wash
• £285 could buy fridges for a community
kitchen in a refugee camp
The contribution of our diocese
counts. Last year hundreds went
door to door, held bucket collections,
held collections in church and
put on an array of events.
Many churches tried new initiatives
to strengthen their outreach,
including Big Brekkie’s in Waunarlwydd
and Ystalyfera. Brecon
held their annual sponsored walk
along the canal. And St Mary’s
Primary School in Brynmawr had
an action-packed week of learning
and marked the end of the Week at
their local church along with parents
and the local community to
celebrate all the work that Christian
Aid is doing.
Every single action counts to
raise vital funds to bless many
lives. From 1957, when a generation
of Christians decided they would
not stand by while people suffered
in refugee camps, to today – we
won’t turn our backs now. What
will you be doing this Christian Aid
Week?
To get involved in Christian Aid
Week (14-20 May), please visit
www.caweek.org or contact the
Cardiff office: cardiff@christian-aid.
org 029 2084 4646.
• Church members making
refugees welcome in Wales -
pages 12&13