FEBRUARY 2007
| IN THIS ISSUE This and That from Ben |
MISSIONS |
| UMCOR UPDATE Paul Dirdak, Deputy General Secretary Larry Hollon, General Secretary UM Communications |
AROUND SHASTA DISTRICT |
| Shasta District PHOTO STORIES View photos
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| CALENDAR
2007 Events
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| CONTACT eNews Shasta |
From the Desk of
PAUL DIRDAK,
Deputy General Secretary
“Kwa heri,” they say. “Kwa Heri.”
It’s the Swahili version of “goodbye.” Literally it means, “Go Well.” I know very few words in their language. But it didn’t require a translator to hear what else they were saying…Come back…Be careful… Thank you…God bless.
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I’d like to share with you why I have such tremendous respect for this family in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire.) They’re so appreciative of the help we offer. And so determined to help themselves. Not too many months ago, the DRC was all but unreachable.
Doctors couldn’t get to casualties of a war spilling across the borders. Massacres, rapes and execution-style killings were commonplace. Rebels and combatants looted food and relief supplies. They destroyed crops and burned down schools, hospitals, churches and homes to the ground.
By the time the fighting subsided, disease had set in. When a disaster like war destroys supplies of clean water and food, cholera flourishes, taking lives through dehydration and shock. Outbreaks of malaria, spread by mosquitoes, also killed thousands more. It’s how Kaiven lost her parents.
When the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) set up shop in the DRC, one reality was clear: Women would be key to sustaining recovery and redevelopment of this decimated nation. And the biggest challenge was not political, or even physical. It was cultural.
You see, educating women wasn’t the tradition. Their role was taking care of the family. So UMCOR addressed and incorporated traditional values into relief and rebuilding plans. It was acceptable for girls to learn about agriculture and health care in order to care for their families.|
In one village after another, we introduced education programs for impoverished or orphaned girls. Today, 1,500 girls of primary-school age in five towns of the DRC receive UMCOR scholarships, mentoring and support for their ongoing education.
In fact, Kaiven stood in the doorway that evening wearing a school uniform and holding supplies provided by UMCOR. And the enthusiasm she and her grandmother showed for Kaiven’s mentor – who had dropped by just to check on her and assist her with homework, is catching on.
More than 90 percent of the girls enrolled in the education program last year passed examinations required to continue to the next class.
Further evidence of the success of this vital program can be seen in the garden next to Kaiven’s home: neat rows of potatoes, cassava, cabbage and Moringa trees…not just cash crops , but also growing proof of the re-emergence of health and hope in the heart of Africa.
(By the way, the common name for the cabbage grown in these parts is, “Thank you, Methodists!”)
Yes, I’m proud of Kaiven and Ida – of all the women they represent in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I’m proud that our church is doing its part to establish the peace this nation seeks to solidify. I’m proud to be a part of such an effective, efficient organization like the United Methodist Committee On Relief.
I’m also thankful for friends who enable our efforts and support our mission to alleviate human suffering –whether caused by war, conflict or natural disaster – with open minds and hearts to all people. It’s a deep-rooted, unshakable motivation that unites us.
Your gift enables UMCOR to be there with practical tools to help hurting families recover from devastating loss and pain—whether in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Darfur, Liberia, or New Orleans.|
Your gift will support specialized ministries in fighting hunger and poverty, offering hospitality to refugees and displaced people, and expanding capacity of local responders in a disaster. Please give generously to restore hope and wellness to those who have lost so much. Thank you
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Kwa Heri,
Paul Dirdak
Deputy General Secty. UMCOR