Dear Friends at St. John's Southbourne,
This year our Christian Aid theme is related to climate change again and the struggle for people in Malawi to grow enough crops to provide for their families. In the face of the recent Cyclone Freddy that has just hit Malawi in April, your support is more vital than ever. Floods have washed away crops such as maize, pigeon peas, beans, tobacco and sorghum during the critical growing season. Over 500,000 people have been displaced and hundreds lost their lives.
Through you, Christian Aid will be there long after the flood waters recede, helping families build back.
Jen, a loving mum in Malawi, dreams of her children being able to have the education they deserve.
Her hard-working boys have earned places at top colleges. ‘My heart longs to see our children finish school,’ says Jen. ‘These dreams are very important to me, because by doing so, I’ll be sure that I am creating a good future for the children.'
Her oldest two boys have gained tertiary education places, which is very rare for young people from her rural area. One has a place at a prestigious polytechnic and one at a well-known college – it’s even on one of Malawi’s banknotes.
Jen works hard to provide for her children. But she can barely scratch a living from the soil. Soaring costs of food, fuel, fertiliser, school uniforms and school fees are crushing dreams and keeping her family in poverty.
Now, Jen has had to make a choice. One no mum should be forced to make. Rising costs mean Jen can pay for only one of her sons’ college courses.
Your gift could help famers like Jen plant better seeds, secure a fairer price for their crops, and build happier futures for their children.
Please give today, and help this strong and determined mum provide for her family’s future.
Your gifts this Christian Aid Week could help people around the world secure a safer, happier future for their children and grandchildren.
We are united by hope. And together, we hope every family will have the joy of living a dignified life, free from poverty.
Every gift. Every action. Every prayer. Every one of us can make dreams come true.
Jen Bishop and her family - Adam Haggerty/ Christian Aid
