What is OWW?
One World Week is your chance to help shape the global landscape - to work for justice, peace and respect for the earth.
World Debt: Cancelled
UN Human rights Charter: Respected
World Hunger: Ended
Trade: Fair!
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead.
Lets get landscaping!
One World Week is 20 this year.
The main event this year is on Thursday 22nd October at Waterlooville Baptist Church, London Road.
The subject this year will be "Tearfund".
Do make every effort to support One World Week, 18th - 25th October.
Tearfund
Tearfund is a Christian organisation founded 30 years ago as a channel for Evangelical Christians in the UK to be alongside the world's poorest people. Over its 30 years of history Tearfund has developed a broad and highly respected expertise in the fields of disaster relief and development. The organisation is an essential resource to the world of mission.
As a member of the Disasters Emergencies Committee, Tearfund has been heavily involved in the crisis in Sudan which came to the notice of the world's media, once again, in May 1998.
Tearfund is in operation in over 80 countries around the world at the moment including the UK, where some 50 programmes amongst Britain's poorest people are supported by Tearfund's UK Action initiative.
Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project
This project is taking place in Ethiopia via ChangeMakers; there are two teams operating about 1,000km apart in the north and south of Ethiopia helping to improve the quality and quantity of water supplies and making them accessible to poor and needy people.
Children in Tenta and other parts of Ethiopia help their mothers to collect water for the family. As soon as the children are old enough to walk, and carry water containers, they will be helping out. Often they might have to collect water 2 or 3 times a day, which can take up a lot of time and energy when they have to walk long distances. It is a time consuming task and means the children don't have the chance to go to school.
The traditional water carrier is either a round clay pot or a gourd. But in addition to this, different sorts of tin cans and containers are used if it will hold water. This, of course, increases the risk of contamination to the family. So our community workers have to create the required health awareness in the community.
Water is collected from open sources including rain puddles, wells, streams and springs - but often people don't have these sources and have to walk long distances to the nearest river (which is often dirty and makes the people ill.)
The work in Tenta is bringing clean water nearer to the village from a protected spring source. Pipes carry the water and a tank stores the night flow to prevent wastage, as well as providing a convenient place where people can collect the water from a tap.
Water is used everywhere for the same purpose (washing, drinking etc.) The big difference in Ethiopia, though, is that a lot more work is involved in getting the water for those things - and there is not always enough to meet everyone's need. Sometimes, if it does not rain for a long time, the springs and other sources dry up. This can cause serious problems for the people; not only do they not have water for themselves, but also their animals and crops have to go without. They need water for food production - and may suffer and die for the lack of it. In times when there is a shortage of water in the area, a member of the family has to work hard to get it - and even then it may not be clean or fit to drink. The Tenta town water supply is nearly completed. The local people have worked hard together with the water team, digging a 7 km pipeline. Tearfund has supported the various water programmes since 1986 with grants totalling £1,618,008.
For more information on One World Week contact Eric Dinneen.
Prayer for One World Week
Lord God, almighty creator, we praise you for all your
creation;
things of grandeur and splendour;
things of beauty and
wonder;
things of colour and form.
We marvel at your universe, so vast it is beyond our
imagination.
Yet, Lord, you made man the crown of your creation,
and we
marvel even more.
You made us, we are yours.
Forgive us when we act as if we were
rulers rather than stewards of our world.
You created one people.
Forgive us when we make more of our
differences than our common needs.
You loved the world so much you gave your only Son to die for each
and everyone of us.
Forgive us that we forget so easily that you called us
to have the same love one for another.
Lord of Love,
teach us to love,
not in word only,
but in
deed.
Give us compassionate hearts that we might pray for those in
need.
Give us generous hands that we may give to supply their need.
Give
us willing feet that we may go to help those in need.
We ask these things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
material submitted by Eric Dinneen
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page last updated 4 OCTOBER 1998