World Day Of Prayer 5th March 2021
Please join us at your local World Day of Prayer Service
on Friday 5th March 2021
“Build on a Strong Foundation” – Service from Vanuatu
PROJECTS TO BE SUPPORTED
Each year World Day of Prayer offerings throughout the world go to projects
chosen by the National Committees. World Day of Prayer Aotearoa New
Zealand worked with the following organisations when selecting projects:
Christian World Service, the Bible Society and the Interchurch Council for
Hospital Chaplaincy
Christian World Service –
CWS partner the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) is working with national Councils of Churches in the Pacific to strengthen food security, and this has become more urgent with COVID-19 affecting tourism and other economic activities in the Pacific.
The PCC has established a model garden near its office in Suva and is promoting a seedbank concept for communities. Vanuatu Christian Council has taken up the seedbank project and is working towards a longer term food security project. They believe that food security is a key resilience issue for Vanuatu in the context of climate change and extreme weather.
Vanuatu was seriously affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold in April this year, and now with COVID-19 closing down much of the tourism industry and seasonal work opportunities in Australia and New Zealand, many are unemployed and have returned to their home villages where families must rely on home gardens and taro plantations to survive. Improving food security and resilience is also a disaster risk reduction and preparedness issue, with the annual cyclone season affecting Vanuatu more seriously each year.
Interchurch Council for Hospital Chaplaincy in New Zealand
Chaplains are available for all patients, their families or whanau and members of staff, for people of all faiths and none,
- to offer time to listen
- to encourage
- to support
- to help in looking at life issues
- for prayer
- for sacramental ministry
- for blessings
www.ichc.org.nz/chaplaincy.htm
The Bible Society – Emergency Healing for the Wounds of Trauma in the South Pacific
Thousands of people living in the Pacific Islands remain in urgent need of assistance in the aftermath of tropical Cyclone Harold, a category five cyclone that tore through the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga causing widespread destruction to homes, schools and medical clinics, as well as damaging food crops and water supplies, in April 2020.
The cyclone caused massive destruction across the region and claimed the lives of 31 people. Vanuatu was the worst affected island group, with more than a third of the population and over 20,000 children living in the worst affected areas. In Sanma Province alone, about 90 per cent of the population lost their homes and 60 per cent of schools were damaged.
Access to health services in Vanuatu, difficult under normal conditions with geographical and logistical challenges, are even harder to access following the destruction of roads and damage to health facilities, with many pregnant women now having to give birth at home.
In partnership with churches and the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Bible Society plans to reach the worst affected communities in Vanuatu using the Trauma Healing programme.
The programme will also assist these communities as they face the additional challenge of preparing for and responding to Covid-19.
The programme will train local church and community leaders in affected communities so they can reach people who have been traumatised by the recent disasters and the pandemic.