Get ready for Christian Aid Week
Christian Aid week is coming up from 14–20 May. Right across the island of Ireland churches will be showing love in action for their global neighbours as they give, act and pray for a more just and equitable world.
Each Christian Aid Week thousands of volunteers take part in activities such as organising house–to–house collections, soup lunches, big brekkies, cake sales, coffee mornings, sponsored events and church services in support of Christian Aid Ireland’s work.
Focus on Pigeon Pea farming in Malawi
This year the focus is on Christian Aid’s partners in Malawi who are supporting farmers affected by the climate crisis. The Nandolo Farmer’s Association is one of them and they support farmers to grow the drought–resistant and highly nutritious pigeon pea. They help farmers to access markets for their crops and to get a fair price for their produce.
Esther’s story
Esther Saizi (pictured) is a chairperson for the Namibawa pigeon pea cooperative in Balaka district. She used to sell to vendors before joining the Christian Aid programme, but at a very low price. In her first year with Christian Aid’s programme, she produced eight bags of pigeon peas during the harvest season and was able to make a much larger profit. This was because the Nandolo Farmer’s Association of Malawi connected her to the right market buyers.
In 2020, affected by rains during Cyclone Ana, she only harvested five bags. This year, however, her yield has increased to seven bags. Esther has a lot of people relying on her and her pigeon peas business.
With the profits she has made, she now has 13 goats, and she uses the manure on her crops so that she does not have to buy expensive fertilizer. She has also bought a sewing machine so that she can make clothes. Esther also began to buy tools for her daughter to use in her carpentry business. Her second daughter, Rashida, lives away near her school. With her profits, Esther pays for her daughter’s lodgings, a part–time tutor, and school costs such as examination fees and school uniforms. Her dream is to see her second child graduate from college.
Some great resources for churches can be downloaded from www.caweek.ie and watch out for the new red digital envelopes which will make giving so much easier!
Please consider praying, taking part and giving to this life–transforming work.