Beth and Keith's Ethiopia Exposure

Six young supporters joined a Christian Aid trip to Ethiopia in February this year. Among them were Beth Hughes of St Peters, Brockley, and Keith Stephenson of St Antony & St Silas, Nunhead.

"We didn't directly witness starvation" says Keith, "because we weren't in the worst affected regions. But we did witness the consequences of malnutrition - teenagers who are no bigger than British children aged eight or nine."

"In contrast to the disaster stories, we saw a great deal that was very encouraging," reports Beth. "Water, health, education and environmental issues were all being addressed by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church."

The Church, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, prides itself on its integrated approach. It focuses on water, sanitation and education with all-embracing programmes to improve the lives of rural communities.

"In one afternoon we saw acres of terracing and irrigation to make the land more productive; a veterinary clinic; clean water supply; and new school buildings," says Beth. The Church has built new classrooms, with Christian Aid's financial help, enabling class sizes to fall from 130 to 80. However, there is still a shift system - some pupils at school in the mornings, others in the afternoons. Many children don't go to school at all - they earn money for their families by tending sheep, goats or cattle.

The tour took the group to many other Christian Aid projects from tree-planting to prevent soil erosion and encourage wildlife; to a camp for Ethiopians who have migrated from a famine stricken part of the country; to The Gemini Trust in Addis Ababa, supporting families with twins.

Lasting impressions?

For Beth, the lasting impression was that "the communities benefiting from many of these projects are involved from beginning to end and so are given a sense of empowerment and ownership of the work done."

Keith "learnt a lesson in Biblical hospitality - wherever we went, people shared what little they had with me. Now I feel I should share what I have with them."

Ghana independence anniversary celebrations

The Ghanaian Anglican Fellowship (UK) celebrated Ghana's 46th Independence Anniversary with a service and reception at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 8 March. The Bishop of Kumasi (Ghana), the Rt Rev Daniel Yinka Sarfo presided, and the High Commissioner of Ghana, H.E. Mr Isaac Osei sent a short message of goodwill. The Ghanaian Anglican Fellowship (UK) - the first-ever in the UK - was founded in 2002 by the Rev George Ansah, Vicar of Emmanuel, West Dulwich, with the collaboration of Canon Peter Clark, Vicar of Christ Church & St Stephen, Battersea and Mr Sam Kow Arthur.