St
Andrew's
ACTION ABROAD
St. Andrew's Girton supports two particular overseas projects, in Malawi and Bangladesh. We help these projects in several ways - raising money for them, praying for them, keeping in touch with the work going on, and teaching about them in Sunday Club.
Seeds and Tools in Malawi
We are supporting the work of a charity called Concern, providing seeds and tools for extremely vulnerable families in Malawi. Within three years of beginning our participation in this project, our money had provided tools and seeds for raising suitable crops for more than 6,000 farmers.
Concern works through local church-based groups at grassroots level, and can fly or ship supplies to disaster zones within a couple of days. However the long term aim of the work we are helping is to enable families to support themselves and become self-sufficient. For example, seeds have been distributed for crops which can be harvested at times of the year other than the main maize harvest. Dry season planting can take place in swampy or riverside areas (known locally as "dambo" areas.)
Child
Sponsorship in Bangladesh
We are supporting community development in the Nawabgonj area of Bangladesh
by sponsoring a little girl there. This project is run by the charity World
Vision. Most families in this rural area, 40 km from the capital Dhaka,
struggle to survive on low and uncertain wages from day labour in paddy
fields. Their meagre diet of rice and lentils is supplemented by fish caught
from the river. Poverty and illiteracy have led to malnutrition, disease
and exploitation.
Muslim, Hindu and Christian families are all involved in the project. More than 200 children have been enabled to go to school, and literacy classes have been started for adults too. A community health programme includes health checks and treatment for children, while their mothers are taught about preventative health care and hygiene.
The project has acquired land so that families can increase both income and vitamin intake by vegetable gardening. An important part of the project is training local leaders, to prepare for the time when urgent needs have been met and local people can build on what has been achieved.
Support St. Andrew's Action Abroad
Annual fund-raising events include a Lent Hunger Lunch, coffee mornings after the Sunday morning service, Cream Teas served in the Cotton Hall, and a fish and chip supper at Harvest Festival time. Other special events are advertised in the Girton Parish News. Another way to collect money is in an Action Abroad pot. Each pot, [a camera film canister in a former life], can hold a column of coins-- 2p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and even £2 coins all fit! You can pick up a pot from inside the church.
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