At this Easter-time, the globe is still gripped by this ongoing COVID-19 crisis and we at CRED are wondering how we should be responding to support the CRED Partners around the world who, along with the projects they run, face great difficulties arising from this crisis. Many of them are operating in countries whose infrastructure and ability to care for their communities is much less than that in our own country. Therefore, how should we respond, to do something that can be done to help in some practical way?
We recognise that many in the UK are struggling with curtailed earning capacity having been laid off, furloughed or working reduced hours. However, those living under the ministries of our Partners are in much worse, much more vulnerable positions than we are. Many of the governments in our partner countries do not have the resources or the willingness to help the projects and people that our Partners work with and the impact of widespread infections in these communities could be catastrophic.
Our friends in Kibera (Kenya) and Acholi Quarters (Uganda), for example, are struggling to ensure that social distancing and hand-washing are able to take place: how do you follow those guidelines when everyone lives so close together, and when most homes have no running water or sanitation?
Many of our Partners, including those in Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, are trying to continue to pay some sort of salary to the teachers of their schools, even if just a small amount to ensure that the teachers have some little bit of income.
Other Partners are trying to ensure that those who relied on school meals to get some food each day, still have access to food parcels: the street children in Zambia and Rwanda, and the kebele children in Ethiopia for example.
Finally in India, where different religious groups are treated very differently, our Partner is trying to ensure that the church leaders and communities that she supports are able to access even just some very basic food and medical needs, as their usual sources of income are completely stopped, and the government won’t acknowledge their need in any way.
So, we are appealing to your generosity and compassion at this time.
Please can you consider making a one-off donation, however small, to what we are calling the ‘CRED Foundation – COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund’. This will be a general fund that we will collect, and we ask that you donate to it as such. We will then invite all of our Partners to bid for specific support towards project-work that they are doing relating to Covid-19, which we will consider on a case by case basis and then disburse funds accordingly.
Our guarantee to you is that we will use all possible wisdom to disburse these funds appropriately and that we will keep you informed as to how these funds are disbursed and the benefits they bring.
So please, give as generously as is possible for you and let us see if we can bless some of our neighbours across the globe. Whether you donate the cost of an Easter egg, or the amount saved by not being able to go out for a special Easter meal this year – every donation will make a difference.
Easter is such a significant time of the year: it reminds us of the grace and love of God and that when his Kingdom comes near, people’s lives are changed, and the world can be transformed. Let’s continue that transformation for our Partners through this Fund
Thanks for reading this message and responding as you feel led. If you have any questions concerning the above, please do not hesitate to contact Helen (Partner Liaison) or Simon (Chair of Trustees).
God bless,
Helen Harrison, Simon Wareham and all the CRED Team
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