On Thursday 6 June, children from four Methodist schools were among those who travelled to Downing Street to hand in over 30,000 paper plate petitions for the IF campaign. Each hand crafted plate urged G8 leaders to tackle the global hunger crisis that is responsible for almost half of child deaths every year. The children, who took part in the campaign as part of the MRDF-supported World AIMS Project, were met by Prime Minister David Cameron and joined by comedian David Walliams who added his voice to the campaign too. Read the full story.

Later that week MRDF staff and supporters joined thousands of people for a day of action on hunger at the Big IF rally on Saturday 8 June. In the morning General Secretary of the Methodist Church Martyn Atkins welcomed 3500 people to Westminster Central Hall for an ecumenical service ahead of the afternoon rally in Hyde Park. The event was planned to coincide with the internationalHunger Summit, organised by David Cameron, happening in London on the same day.

During the service church leaders from across the denominations joined the Archbishop of Westminster and Archbishop of Canterbury in calling for action at the upcoming G8 summit tackling the root causes of global hunger.

In a video message to the congregation, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, congratulated David Cameron for maintaining the UK’s pledge to deliver 0.7% GNI to the aid budget each year.

He said: “The G8 is the centre of financial resource and power, in all kinds of ways. Many members of the G8 are increasingly deeply committed to using that power for the global good, and our own government is one that has very courageously, at a time of austerity, increased its giving in aid.

“But it’s important that we put before them the needs of the global community in which we live, with which we are interdependent.

“My prayer would be that in this country, and across the world, that we are deeply committed to enabling people to be self-sustaining, so that global hunger can be ended in our lifetimes.”

The afternoon Big IF London rally was attended by 45,000 people with speakers including Bill Gates, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and activists from around the world.

One of the highlights of the event was the construction of a huge visual petition, created by the public and IF coalition organisations, made up of 250,000 spinning flowers, their petals representing the millions of children who die each year because of malnutrition.

The rally marked the start of a 10-day countdown to the G8 summit in Northern Ireland this week.

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There’s still time to add your voice to the IF campaign!

In an interview with the paper, MRDF Chief Executive Maurice Adams outlines his vision for MRDF to ‘remain true to its roots’, and invited Methodist Recorder readers to help shape its future: 'We believe that people who read the Methodist Recorder and know about MRDF have something important to share with us. We want to hear their ideas and have their input about why MRDF is so special to the Methodist Church.'

Maurice also invited readers to provide suggestions for a possible new name for MRDF, saying 'We are asking for people's ideas for a new name that will better reflect our future focus and be more effective in a digital age while respecting our heritage.'

Download the full article: page 1 page 2 (courtesy of, and © The Methodist Recorder)

Find out more about the consultation and take our online survey today.

14.6.13

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, nearly 1.3 million Syrians have now registered as refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt. Thousands more are fleeing the conflict every day and at present over 200,000 are still awaiting registration.

MRDF is responding to the crisis through the ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together) partners, the global network of churches and related relief organisations. MRDF supporters have so far donated over £18,000 to its Syria Crisis Appeal. These funds will go to support the work of ACT member agency The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), which is working with Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Through a programme coordinated by its Department for World Service (DWS), the LWF has been providing relief and support for Syrian refugees at Za’atari Camp in collaboration with the Jordanian government since August 2012.

Since it opened in August 2012, Jordan's Za'atari Camp has been a 24 hour-a-day operation.

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Za’atari Camp is now home to over 100,000 refugees, with more arriving every day. In a report on the situation, the ACT Alliance have said that the number of Syrian refugees is also putting pressure on national resources in Jordan including food, water, health, and education. This is contributing to increased tensions between host and refugee communities.

Prices of food and other commodities are constantly rising and many Jordanians blame the increasing Syrian refugee population for the soaring cost of living. Because of this, humanitarian agencies are planning programs to ease tensions between the two groups and to promote peaceful coexistence.

LWF have been working hard to provide shelter, camp management, psychosocial support and education services to improve conditions. Over the winter, LWF provided 2,200 winterised tents with cooking gas and prefabricated shelters. One of the main priorities was distributing warm garments for 33,000 people as temperatures dropped below freezing.

One family who has benefited from LWF’s help is that of 55-year-old grandmother Omm Yaser. ‘We received the shelters during the rains, but before the snowfall. Our first night in the prefabricated shelter was the first night we felt safe and warm in Za’atari refugee camp’.

The shelters have also provided an alternative safe space to play for her grandchildren. Amjad, Yaser’s 30-year-old son, explains 'We were always worried about the kids playing outside. The only outdoor spaces are basically in the street where camp vehicles are operating, making it dangerous for them to play. When we received the six prefabricated shelters, we arranged them to make an inner courtyard which became a safe playground for the children'.

Refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Armenia still desperately need your support. Please give whatever you can to help agencies like LWF to provide life-saving assistance to those in greatest need.

Learn more Za'atari Refugee Camp in pictures.

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'While it is disappointing that the Government hasn't yet fulfilled its promise to enshrine its aid commitment in law, what is more important is that it has made the commitment, and is sticking to it in these hard economic times. Britain is a leader in supporting international development through its aid programmes, and should be applauded for that. As a small organisation supporting grassroots projects in some of the poorest areas in the world, we know what a difference this funding makes to people's lives.'

8.5.2013

In September 2012, MRDF’s ‘Strength to Strength’ conference in Uganda provided MRDF partners from 13 countries with the opportunity to learn from each other, share experiences and be inspired by new ideas and approaches. Following feedback from partners at the conference, MRDF established The Network Challenge Fund. This new fund supports partner organisations to undertake their own exchange visits and continue to share good practice.

MRDF Programmes Team Leader Nick Burn comments: ‘Past experience has shown that exchange visits are a rich learning experience. They give staff invaluable insight into how another organisation has addressed issues they themselves face. They can explore how to tackle these practically, hear about the problems they may encounter and how to overcome them’.

Two partners that have just completed a successful exchange are Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance (CDVTA) and Voluntary Action for Development (VAD). CDVTA is an innovative project to support and empower elderly people in remote areas of North West Cameroon whilst VAD works to improve health in rural Uganda through education and the construction of water and sanitation facilities.

Back in February four staff members from CDVTA travelled to Uganda to visit VAD for a six day networking visit. The planned exchanged aimed for the partners to share expertise in governance and managing projects.

When planning for the exchange, Francis Njuakom Nchii, Director of CDVTA, said ‘This is a unique opportunity to improve the working capacity of our staff, enable them acquire first hand experience, skills and knowledge through project visits, interaction with VAD staff and learning from best practices of VAD.’

After a week of meeting staff, visiting projects and sharing the staff from CDTVA returned to Cameroon feeling invigorated and excited to continue their work.

When reflecting on the trip Francis said ‘the experiences and skills we have got from VAD, have made us more humble, more encouraged and more determined to serve our poor, disadvantaged elderly people and communities better than we did before.’

VAD’s experience in water and sanitation provision was of great interest to CDTVA  who have just began to work in this way with primary schools, local communities and the elderly. Similarly CDVTA’s advocacy strategy in support of elderly rights and social mobilization in Cameroon has been very successful and this was one of the main areas of shared learning.

MRDF Programme Manager Guillaume Debar, who supported the exchange, comments: ‘At MRDF, we believe that capacity building activities such as exchange visits between NGOs contribute to a more effective civil society response to the needs of vulnerable communities.’

MRDF partners in Mali and Togo are currently planning exchange visits to take place in the next few months, also supported by the Network Challenge Fund.

In a letter to the Financial Times, 80 religious leaders have urged heads of state to keep their eye on the targets set 13 years ago. With a passionate call to remember the world’s poorest people, they asked the G8 leaders to keep their promises on aid and march forward with reforms on tax, trade and transparency. They have recognised today as a chance to reflect and an opportunity to re-engage with the structural issues that keep people poor:

'The MDGs remind us that in addition to providing for the wellbeing of our own societies, we have a collective responsibility to uphold human dignity and the common good at the global level. Each individual has a value that can never be lost and must never be ignored.'  (Taken from the letter published in today’s Financial Times)

What are the MDGs?
In 2000, 189 nations made a promise to come together to try and free people from extreme poverty. This pledge became the MDGs, a set of eight targets designed to encourage development by improving social and economic conditions in the world's poorest countries with a deadline of 2015.

The eight goals cover a range of issues including tackling the spread of disease, reducing child mortality and increasing school attendance. The MDGs have not been without criticism and world leaders are currently looking at the next steps for eradicating global poverty.

MRDF’s Response with 1,000 Days to Go
The vision of the Millennium Development Goals is a good one; a group of countries, governments and organisations all working together with shared purpose and vision. We support religious leaders today in their desire to encourage those attending the G8 to stay committed to this vision. Today’s timely message has been a reminder of the commitment to realise the MDGs by 2015 but also a chance to think about the much greater things that could be achieved beyond this deadline.

The world is a very different place from when UN Member States originally discussed the MDGs and then agreed to them. Dramatic headway has been achieved towards the goals in many parts of the world. However there are still many millions of people caught in the trap of extreme poverty and many of these people live in countries that are failing to change because of complex underlying issues that are not easily or quickly resolved. The next 1,000 days provide us with an opportunity to encourage accelerated progress towards the MDGs and to continue to think creatively about how to end extreme poverty.

Maurice Adams, CEO of MRDF, comments:

'Like you and me, people all over the world want to live a life where their needs are met and their rights are acknowledged. Poverty prevents this because of precarious livelihoods, poor education, inadequate healthcare and maternal care, unsafe housing and a lack of other basic social services.

The MDGs were a well-intended start to a global conversation on how we address this kind of crippling poverty, but there is still a critical need, and obligation, to tackle the deeper underlying issues that cause it.

MRDF is committed to social justice and human rights through its participatory, community-focussed programme of support and we know that locally generated and owned interventions to poverty often offer the most appropriate long-term solutions.'

Join in the conversation on Twitter at #1000daystogo

MRDF is working together with other agencies this year to press our leaders to take action on aid, tax, land reform and transparency as part of the IF campaign. Find out more

Read the letter published in today’s Financial Times

5 April 2013

Around three million people have now been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing conflict in Syria. Local infrastructure has been severely damaged in some areas, meaning food supplies are limited and many families are currently without access to water or basic medical care.

Almost a million people are estimated to have fled to neighbouring countries, where they are finding supplies are also stretched and temporary refugee camps nearly filled to capacity.

MRDF is responding to this humanitarian crisis through our emergency response partner, the ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together). ACT Alliance member organisations are working locally to provide support both in the refugee camps and with communities which are hosting displaced people. Priority is being given to the most vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

Donations to MRDF’s Syria Appeal fund will pay for essential supplies such as food, hygiene kits and bedding sets, as well as counselling and emotional support for those who have experienced trauma, and remedial classes for children who are missing out on normal education.

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You can give £5 by texting ‘MRDF13 £5’ to 70070 (standard network charges apply).

To order gift aid envelopes for a collection, call 020 7467 5132 or email mrdf@methodistchurch.org.uk

Picture above: A boy hangs on tightly to a damaged ball in the Za'atari refugee camp, located near Mafraq, Jordan. Donations to MRDF's Syria Appeal will provide services and items for work and, especially in the case of children, play. Photo: ACT Alliance/Paul Jeffrey

20.3.13

‘We are pleased that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that 0.7% of national income will be spent on overseas aid and applaud the government for being the first in the G8 to deliver on this 43 year old promise, especially in these tough economic times. We hope that this will set a precedent and that other G8 countries will follow suit.’

‘However, aid alone will not solve the grinding poverty that causes nearly 1 billion people to go hungry. We also need to tackle the injustices which skew global financial and trade systems, and perpetuate poverty and marginalisation; which is why MRDF is a member of the IF campaign.’

Read more about the IF campaign

20.3.13

“Security and stability are obviously important in enabling successful development work. However, using aid money to compensate for the UK’s defence cuts cheats the world’s poorest people. It’s also not what the public expect development assistance to be spent on. Britain is close to fulfilling its longstanding pledge to give 0.7% of national income to support international development, and it’s vital people can have confidence that this money will go to where it will have most impact on poverty.

The best ways to combat insecurity and encourage peace in the long term are to invest in education, income generation and agricultural development programmes and good basic healthcare, and to tackle the injustices which create and perpetuate poverty and marginalisation.”

21.2.2013

In December last year, CDVTA organised a convention, the third of its kind, in the regional capital Bamenda. Attended by 25,000 people from old people’s clubs and community leaders from across the region as well as political and traditional leaders, the convention aimed to champion the rights of older people, present a positive image of old age, and call for the Government of Cameroon to provide better provision for the elderly. Many of the participants travelled for many hours on foot to be there.

In a keynote speech, Director of CDVTA, Francis Njuakom Nchii, spoke of his sadness seeing elderly people suffering from mistreatment, isolation, poor healthcare or being left to care for their grandchildren in old age when their children had died from HIV/AIDS: 'In my close to 17 years of committed action in support of older people in Cameroon’s most remote villages, I have often seen with sorrow the human face of poverty; signs of rejection, signs of ostracism, frailness and signs of poor health on the faces of many elderly people.'

He described the vital importance of elderly people to society, observing: ‘Older people are indeed a canopy of wisdom; they are the true custodians of our culture.’

He called on the country to do more to protect elderly people, in particular calling on the Government of Cameroon to put stronger policies in place to give elderly people access to subsidised healthcare, a greater role in national and local democracy, state pensions and government support in income generation.

Finally, he outlined CDVTA’s work supporting older people to increase their incomes and become more aware of their rights and thanked MRDF for their support and ‘the care, love and compassion that they have shown and continue to show to CDVTA and its elderly people in Cameroon.’

The Governor of North West Cameroon also gave a speech saying ‘I commend CDVTA’s support for older people in Cameroon. Today CDVTA has become an example to the international community. CDVTA shows us that social mobilisation for the elderly is possible and that it is possible to improve elderly livelihoods and more importantly that elderly people can work together to exercise their rights.’

After the formal programme for the day ended there was time for some light-hearted fun as the delegates took part in an eclectic range of competitions including dancing, fashion shows, a tug of war, a laughing contest and spaghetti eating competition.

The convention succeeded in raising awareness of the rights of older people in Cameroon and CDVTA will continue to lobby Cameroon’s Government to provide a range of services to vulnerable elderly people including government healthcare and state pensions.

View images from CDVTA's work

11.02.13

What has happened in Mali?

Mali was considered one of the most stable democracies in West Africa until the recent unrest, which began in January 2012. Islamist groups and Tuareg rebels took control of northern Mali following a military coup. The Tuareg people have long opposed the central Malian government, claiming they were not fully represented, and calling for Northern Mali to become an independent Tuareg state.

Islamist groups have since driven out the Tuareg rebels and seized control of Northern Mali, imposing a strict form of Sharia law that prevents citizens from working, socialising, listening to music or showing skin in public. The international community became increasingly concerned as the Islamist groups spread southwards, posing a threat to major cities.

International intervention

On the 10th January 2013 the UN Security Council concluded that without intervention, Islamist groups could take control of Mali, destabilising the democratic and economic structures of West Africa, whilst creating a terrorist haven.

France has sent 1,400 troops to Mali, sped up the deployment of more than 3000 West African forces and carried out airstrikes against key Islamist targets. Since the intervention began, French and Malian forces have advanced northwards, recapturing large towns and cities with little resistance from Islamist militants. The Tuareg groups that initiated the rebellion have welcomed the arrival of international forces.

The UK has provided military equipment and pledged to send 330 troops to Mali which will provide training to the Malian and West African armed forces.

MRDF partners still working hard

The deterioration of the situation and arrival of French troops in Mali has had no significant impact on MRDF partners, who are situated in the south-west of the country. AMAPEF, J&D and GRAFE are continuing to carry out their projects as planned, enabling hundreds of people to improve their health situation and agricultural production.

What you can do

You can support an MRDF partner in Mali through the Partner a Project scheme. You will receive regular updates from your project, explaining how your money is changing lives.

Alternatively you could nourish a child in Mali for just £14 by purchasing an Extraordinary Gift.

30.01.13

MRDF supported 50 projects in 17 countries of the world, focused on livelihoods, health and women’s empowerment.

Over £1m in grants were made for long-term development projects.

MRDF distributed £630,000 in response to 15 separate emergency situations in 17 countries.

The average income of farming families participating in MRDF projects tripled.

MRDF forged new partnerships in Ethiopia and India.

2,000 families in five countries accessed loans at affordable rates.

The launch of Iota, an award-winning new interactive educational resource.

Read more in our Annual Report and Annual Review.

11.1.13

The Doha talks drew to a close on Saturday 8th December, a day later than planned. Unfortunately the extra day didn't reflect an increase in ambition and the talks were widely greeted with disappointment. Simeon Mitchell, MRDF’s Acting Executive Director commented: ‘We have come to have low expectations of global climate talks, despite the crucial importance of intergovernmental commitments and global action in tackling climate change. Doha did nothing to challenge this view, as progress was woefully inadequate. Governments do not seem to be taking seriously the catastrophic threat that climate change poses to the lives and livelihoods of billions of people across the world, especially the marginalised with whom MRDF primarily works.’

However, there were two bits of good news to come out of the Doha conference. The UK government used the conference as an opportunity to announce a £1.8 billion increase in funding to help poorer countries to tackle the effects of climate change and develop low carbon industries.

For the first time, there was also recognition of the principle that poor countries should receive some form of reparation for the ‘loss and damage’ that climate change is causing them. Poor countries produce very low levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that cause climate change, but climate change is affecting them now and will continue to have a profoundly damaging effect. Mr. Mitchell added: ‘While recognition is some way short of the compensation we have been calling for, it is a welcome step in the right direction.’

Find out more about how you can take action.

11.12.12

Maurice Adams has more than 25 years’ experience in the leadership of international not-for-profit organisations and the management of public health and education programmes, particularly in Africa, where he lived for the last 17 years. His most recent role was as Vice President of the Elizabeth Glaser AIDS Foundation, based in South Africa. He has served as Country and Regional Director for various UN, US and UK funded development initiatives, run a successful management consultancy, and was CEO of ACET, a pioneering Christian response to HIV/AIDS in the UK and overseas.

The appointment was made by the Board of Trustees of MRDF. David Lewis, Chair of the Board, commented:

“I am delighted that we have recruited Maurice Adams as MRDF’s new Chief Executive. He brings a long-standing passion for working alongside the world’s poorest people, unparalleled experience in the development sector and exceptional leadership experience which I am confident will take MRDF to new levels.”

Maurice Adams commented:

“It is a privilege to be appointed the new Chief Executive for MRDF: a responsibility that I take very seriously, because so many people depend on its vital support. The spirit of caring for the disadvantaged and the obligation to challenge injustice has always been at the heart of MRDF. My task is to strengthen the good work that the dedicated staff team and partners are doing, and to ensure that our supporters can be confident that every penny invested in MRDF is used wisely and goes towards those who need it most. I pledge that as I lead this work we will continue to be good news to the poor, vulnerable and often neglected people that we serve. Our work is needed more than ever before.”

Kirsty Smith, who previously led MRDF for 12 years, left in September 2012 to become Chief Executive of international disability charity CBM UK.

11.12.12

MRDF participated in the Big Give Christmas Challenge between 6 and 8 December, which meant all donations made to MRDF online had the opportunity to be doubled and have twice the impact in tackling poverty on the ground.

Update: We have raised over £32,000. Thank you very much for your support!

You can still read more about the project and make an unmatched donation on the Big Give website here.

All the funds raised will support MRDF’s work in Ethiopia, one of the world’s poorest countries where more than 12 million people do not have secure access to food. The project will equip 650 families next year to earn a living from fruit and vegetable production, beekeeping, or sheep rearing. MRDF participated in the Challenge for the first time in 2011 and raised £40,000 which supported a sustainable agricultural project in Cameroon.

The Big Give is a fundraising scheme run by the Reed Foundation. It has raised £1.5 million which is made available as match funding to all charities participating in the Challenge. Donations are be matched by a combination of these funds and money already pledged by MRDF supporters.

'Trees mean a lot to us in Ethiopia. We plant trees for food and for house construction. We plant trees to conserve the land and for wood.'

Tekley Getaneh

8.12.12

The unrest began when Islamist groups and Tuareg rebels took control of northern Mali following a military coup in early 2012. The Tuareg people have long opposed the central Malian government, claiming they were not fully represented and calling for Northern Mali to become an independent Tuareg state.

Islamist groups have since driven out the Tuareg rebels and seized control of Northern Mali – an area roughly the size of France. This has attracted supporters of Islamist groups from neighbouring countries, such as Algeria. Over the past month, increasing numbers of supporters have converged on Northern Mali.

The West African force will not initially use military power; instead it intends to focus on ensuring security in the government-controlled south, retraining the Malian army and protecting refugees and villagers. The allied countries hope this intervention will encourage the Islamist groups to negotiate.

The central government continues to control the south of the country, where MRDF’s partners are based. The situation in Southern Mali is relatively stable with the majority of people carrying out business as normal. In October, farmers were able to gather in their main harvest of the year, which has started to improve the availability and price of food. MRDF partners, J&D, GRAFE and AMAPEF are continuing to carry out their projects as normal.

Find out how you can nourish a child in Mali by buying an Extraordinary Gift

1.12.12

So, should MRDF still be working in India?

India’s economic statistics are impressive but they have not translated into prosperity for its one billion people. Two in every five children are malnourished. A third of adults are underweight. More than 500 million Indians have no electricity, and less than a third have adequate toilets.

India’s economic boom may have led to a rich elite and growing middle class, however 450 million people continue to live in extreme poverty. These people are often of a lower caste, which means they are discriminated against, marginalised and considered to be less important in society. They are therefore often unaware of their basic human rights to education, healthcare and services. This lack of skills and knowledge makes is extremely difficult for them to raise themselves out of poverty independently, and the Government has not yet started to address the situation of extreme poverty in India effectively.

Marginalised tribes

Among the poorest and most marginalised people in India are tribal people - the indigenous communities of the land. Tribal people occupy an even lower status in society than the 'untouchable' Dalits, the lowest caste in society, and often experience greater prejudice. Tribal people often lack basic civil and political rights. They have little or no access to the legal support needed to secure land ownership and are discriminated against in the judicial system.

MRDF is working with women from the Saora and Kondh tribal groups in rural Orissa, Eastern India. Tribal women are generally expected to work in the home and have little say in how household income is spent. They have the lowest literacy rates in India and most are not aware of their rights. Community decisions are generally made by men so women’s needs are rarely addressed.

Speaking Out

The aim of the project in Orissa is to educate tribal women about their rights and raise awareness of issues that frequently affect them such as child marriage, trafficking and domestic violence. The women receive training in leadership skills and advocacy so they can confidently voice their opinions in public and demand services from the government. MRDF also helps the women to form groups and start up small businesses by providing training and start up capital so they can earn an income and learn new skills.

Recently the Indian government responded to demands from the women in the project and funded village drains to improve health in three areas, provided free electricity for 156 poor families to light and warm their homes, repaired five wells so communities can access safe water and provided 380 vulnerable families with mosquito nets to protect them from malaria.

Under the surface of India’s economic boom, there is inequality, extreme poverty and millions of people who are not aware of their rights to education, healthcare or state services. These are the people MRDF is working with.

What you can do

24.10.12

In purely quantitative terms there is enough food available to feed the entire global population of 7 billion people. And yet, one in nearly seven people is going hungry. One in three children is underweight. One of the Millennium Development Goals agreed in 2000 was to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. According to the UN, progress is on track in Northern Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Latin America and Central Asia. However, one of the areas where insufficient progress has been made and which has been categorised as suffering from ‘very high hunger’ is sub-Saharan Africa.

Why does hunger exist? The causes of food insecurity are complex, and include natural and man-made triggers, such as extreme weather, war, poverty, lack of agricultural infrastructure and over-exploitation of the environment.

Ethiopia produces the most coffee and honey in Africa and has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Poverty remains a major issue – 38% of its 84 million people live on less than 79p a day – but many people are working hard to support their families and improve their standard of living.

MRDF has been working in the Wof Washa region of the Ethiopian highlands since 2004. Here, crop failures led people to turn to logging in the forests so that they could sell wood and create more land for farming in a bid to survive. At the turn of the 20th century around 40% of Ethiopia was forested; now only 3% is covered. Without the trees to protect the soil from the elements, it has become thin and rocky, making it unproductive and reinforcing the cycle of deforestation.

Fruitful Land

MRDF’s partner in Ethiopia, SUNARMA (Sustainable Natural Resources Management Association), is helping communities to break this cycle. By promoting a range of agricultural techniques including soil enrichment, terracing and crop diversification, it is enabling better crop yields while protecting the natural environment. People are now growing fruits such as apples, pears and plums, and vegetables including carrots and cabbages. Some families have received a new breed of sheep that gives better meat and lambs more than once a year, increasing profits without doubling the pressure on grazing land.

A tree planting programme has been initiated and over a million saplings have been planted so far.  SUNARMA is also helping communities to build irrigation channels to provide water for their crops, enabling them to have at least two harvests a year. Around 250 people in one community now have an irrigation channel after working with SUNARMA and contributing land, rocks and labour.

Metaferia Semunuguse is 35 years old and lives in Shola Meda village with his wife.  He started growing apples with help from SUNARMA and produced 32kg of apples in 2010 and 55kg in 2011, keeping some for his family to eat and selling the rest. He has recently started producing his own apple trees through grafting, following training provided by SUNARMA, and now has 30 trees. 

Sweet Success

Kindu Wolde has also benefitted from SUNARMA’s work. A 48-year-old farmer, Kindu lives in the Debele District, central Ethiopia, with his wife, son, daughter Zenbu and adopted son Getaneh, has helped him improve his bee-keeping business. He said:

 ‘I started keeping bees many years ago and at that time I started with small beehives. These were the old sort. After SUNARMA came to my community I received some training on how to keep bees and support on how to produce honey from them.

 ‘From the training I learnt how to select better breeds of bees and how to manage the bees. I also got two modern beehives from SUNARMA. Now I am gaining the honey!

‘I have learnt to breed the queen bee so now I can also give her to other farmers so that they can also breed bees. I am a very willing person to be an example so that others can learn to keep bees and have this experience also.’

The modern beehives that SUNARMA supplies farmers with have three layers in them, which means that Kindu can expect a yield of around 30kg of honey per year, instead of the 4kg of honey a traditional hive produces. Kindu can sell the honey at a good profit, and use the income to feed and clothe his family.

How you can help

3.10.12

MRDF’s Acting Executive Director, Simeon Mitchell, received the award along with Phil Knox from Purple Flame Media, which produced the films for the Iota resource.  After the ceremony, Simeon commented, ‘We did not produce Iota in order to win awards, but to change hearts and minds.  However, it is great to have this recognition of the power and quality of the materials. We hope it will be an encouragement for even more people to use them.’

The award judges commented on the ‘well-crafted’ films, and that they formed ‘a thought provoking suite of resources, inspiring informed debate and discussion’.

The IVCA Clarion Awards are not-for-profit and recognise best practice in communicating the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility, diversity, community development, ethical, health and welfare issues. Previous winners have included BP, Honda, and Al Gore’s film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’.

Iota was also awarded Silver in the 'Best DVD Training Resource' category at the Christian Broadcasting Council Media Awards 2012 on Friday 5 October. The CBC Media Awards celebrate the very best in Christian media, championing content that explores Christianity in ways that are fresh, inspirational and engaging.

Have you ordered your free copy of Iota yet? You can order them here or by visiting the Iota Course website.

2.10.12

MRDF last held a partner conference in 2007 and partners have been requesting another one ever since. A core team of six, consisting of representatives from partner organisations in Africa and Asia, decided the topics to be discussed. They included gender, corruption, finance and advocacy. Conference delegates could also attend optional sessions on things like leadership, sustainable livelihoods and good governance.

Programmes Officer Mel Coleman said, ‘Partners particularly appreciated the sessions on local fundraising, anti-corruption and leadership. But it was also great to see how much the partners learnt from one another. Each of our partners made a stall to display their work, and the stalls included videos, banners and in one case a street play. There was a real buzz around each partner demonstrating what they are doing and swapping ideas about what works in their communities.’

Although workshops ran from 8am to 6.30pm (and often much later!), there was also time for relaxation. Mel, together with Mandie Jones, Programme Manager, spotted posters for a Gospel concert and were able to arrange free tickets for all the delegates.

One of the four plenary sessions introduced partners to the kind of work the MRDF admin team back in London does. It also explained who MRDF supporters are, and showed pictures of church fundraising events, harvest festivals, fair feasts and marathon runners! After the session delegates sat in silence, awed by the dedication and commitment of MRDF supporters all over the UK, and then broke into spontaneous applause.

2.10.12