Thought for the day

Bishop June  prepares for a stroll in Santiago de Compostela  Source: Twitter      Bishop Joanna prepares for Christian Aid Week at GB   Source: Church in  Wales 

Wales’ bishops have joined in the call to support mums in Sierra Leone this Christian Aid Week (12-18th May 2019) and to draw attention to the stark reality that women in Sierra Leone are 150 times more likely to die in childbirth than those in the UK.

This year’s Christian Aid Week campaign draws attention to the high maternal death rate in Sierra Leone – the most dangerous place to become a mum. 10 women die giving birth every day and one in nine babies do not reach their fifth birthday. An estimated 15,000 mothers have died during childbirth since the Ebola crisis in 2014.

£300 could provide a delivery bed for a new health centre giving mums a safe place to deliver their babies. A sum of £60 raised could buy a starter kit for community health workers, which includes a bicycle, torch, rain coat and rain boots. Just £15 could buy a stethoscope or a bucket of paint for a community health clinic.

Bishop Joanna Penberthy (pictured right) said, “This is a such an important appeal. In the UK we take good antenatal care and medical support in childbirth for granted. As someone who almost died giving birth, I know first-hand how important it is to have all the right help and care in place. In supporting Christian Aid’s work, we can make a difference. Please give today.” (Press release here)

The Bishop of Llandaff is taking time out with all her clergy during Christian Aid week for a compulsory clergy school in Santiago de Compostela.

How many lives may have been saved in Sierra Leone this Christian Aid Week if the Llandaff clergy school had been held in Llandaff and the savings donated to the Appeal?

James 2:14-17

Church in Wales Governing Body and Christian Aid

The Bishop of Monmouth at GB in 2017 (left) and the Bishop of Bangor (right), +Richard's cover for absence, in 2019     Source: Twitter #govbody

Christian Aid Week 12-18 May 2019

"This year’s Christian Aid Week focuses on standing together to help families weather future storms – #StandTogether."

What IF?

actalliance                  action!aid                   christian aid 

The world produces enough food for everyone.

Yet every day almost one in eight people like Ralia go to bed hungry.

It doesn’t have to be like this. We believe in a world where everyone has enough to eat. We believe this can happen, in our lifetime. IF we act together, and act now.

What IF?

Hundreds of millions still live with hunger and malnutrition. But this year, we have the chance to change this.

A huge, powerful and exciting coalition of organisations has come together to make sure 2013 marks the beginning of the end of man-made hunger.

In June the UK will host the G8, a meeting of the world’s richest nations. David Cameron has already pledged to make tax, aid and transparency a focus.

IF we all speak out together in 2013, we can make world leaders change the future by tackling four big IFs:

  we stop the tax dodgers. 

  we use land for food, not fuel.  

  we keep our promises on aid. 

  we force governments and big corporations to be open and honest.

Go to action!aid or Christian Aid to take part or check out actalliance to see what they do. BBC report here.