At home around the world

Advertising for charity

“Our mission is to be a blessing”—this is the title of the image film recently released by the New Apostolic Church of Southern Germany to promote its charitable organization, which is known as the “Missionswerk”. Just an image film? More like a mildly tongue-in-cheek educational film that provides episodic ideas on how to practise “charity”. It deals with opportunities to lend a helping hand, how to keep an eye out for people who need help, and ways to share with others.

The video and some words of greeting (both in German) on YouTube

Reconstruction following immediate aid measures

The example of Fogo illustrates that emergency aid alone is not nearly enough after a catastrophe has occurred: in November 2014, the volcano known as the “Pico de Fogo” erupted in the Cape Verde Islands. Lava flowed for weeks and ultimately destroyed the houses of two whole villages. Together with the District Church of North Rhine-Westphalia, the aid organization known as NAK-karitativ provided immediate emergency aid on location.

Now the focus has shifted to the creation of enduring accommodations: former emergency shelters from the time of an earlier volcanic eruption are to be made habitable again with the help of donated funds. The programme also involves renovating twenty houses and equipping them with sanitary facilities, cooking stations, and connections to the water and sewer networks.

Detailed reports (in German) can be found at NAK NRW and NAK-karitativ

Building bridges of a different kind

The Dutch aid foundation operating in the South American country of Suriname shows that even relatively small relief efforts can be a big help: the river of the same name partially cuts off the village of Bendikwai from its surroundings because there are not enough river crossings.

The volunteers from the Netherlands not only donated a boat, but also remedied an enduring problem while making a local visit: the steps leading to the pier were dilapidated and barely passable. Without much ado, the Stichting Corantijn, together with its partner organization, the Stichting Suriname Jaarkalender financed the necessary building materials for the renovation. The gratitude of the villagers was expressed in a letter.

Read the whole story at Stichting Corantijn