Every Christian Aid Week people across Britain and Ireland raise funds, act and pray for their global neighbours in a celebration of hope for a fairer world.
This year鈥檚 appeal runs from 12-18 May and is focusing on the charity鈥檚 work in Burundi, one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in Africa. Heavily reliant on agriculture, it鈥檚 also one of the least prepared to combat the effects of climate change, including droughts, floods and landslides. The global cost of living crisis has intensified the challenges: more than 70 per cent of the population live in poverty and more than half of children are chronically malnourished.
Christian Aid has been working in Burundi since 1995 when it first offered humanitarian assistance to people surviving the civil conflict. Now, alongside local partners, the organisation helps establish Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). These community-led groups mean people can save and borrow money, making small businesses possible, offering reliable and diverse incomes so families can eat regularly, get medicine when they need it, and build safer homes.
Thirty-five-year-old Aline Nibogora is the chairperson of a VSLA which supports some 25 families in a remote village, in Makamba Province. Aline escaped an abusive marriage only to find herself on the streets begging for a place to stay.
Her life changed when she went to a three-day, Christian Aid-funded community workshop. With a small start-up loan, Aline began trading avocados and peanuts locally. She鈥檚 now a grocery wholesaler and living on her own plot of land where she鈥檚 building a home for her family. In the next five years she hopes to expand, so one day she can buy a mill. This will provide a source of income without the need to transport heavy goods over long distances.
鈥淚 don’t want my children to have a painful life like mine, remembering it makes me weep,” Aline said. “I could never have dreamed I would one day have a brick house and be a successful businesswoman, able to feed and clothe my children. This is a plan and I will do it; I am a woman who is an achiever.鈥�
There’s so many ways to make a difference over the seven days of Christian Aid Week 鈥� whether that鈥檚 church services, special collections, Christian Aid Big Brekkies, or even a Bible readathon.聽For those who like a physical challenge there鈥檚 a new option for 2024 with the chance to take part in 70k in May. You can cover the distance in any way you like, take part by yourself or with a group, and share your progress on a dedicated Facebook page.
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