Toward a Solution . . .
A few of the many programs supported by Week of Compassion through Church World Service:
• Women in Bangladesh are using a micro-credit loan to create a weaving business that will help 800 tribal women earn income making blankets to sell to a disaster prepared- ness program.
• Livelihood recovery programs in Indonesia will help 3,700 households (18,500 people) restore their income after the tsunami with training, equipment and small business grants.
• Solidarity Home in Haiti offers a place for teenaged mothers to learn how to overcome obstacles and develop skills for earning a living so they can support themselves and their families.
• A project in Old Cairo in Egypt is working to raise awareness of the dangers of child labor, remove children under 12 from the labor force, and provide job training for adoles- cents to obtain non-hazardous work.
• A water cistern program in the West Bank helps Palestinian people overcome the problems of water shortage and unavailability, improves access to safe water, and provides employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled laborers. Women and children also benefit by spending less time in the difficult, risky and time-consuming task of collecting water.
• Remote villages in the Balkans are gaining income security through a program that provides 20 sheep to a family, who in turn raise the sheep to sell for profit. As their herds grow, villagers repay the initial livestock donation, providing livestock for other families.
• 500,000 of the most vulnerable refugees from the militia violence and ethnic cleansing in Sudan receive emergency help, including food and shelter. A supplemental feeding program serves another 50,000 people.
• In Indonesia and Sri Lanka, tsunami victims are continuing to recover, thanks to family shelter kits, emergency medical supplies, food, water, cooking utensils, blankets, health and school kits. Livelihood restoration programs are helping fishers and farmers to get back on their feet.
• Refugees in Afghanistan are learning to adopt better health practices, and birthing training programs are ensuring safer deliveries for both mother and baby.
• In Angola, four million people have been displaced by civil violence, and landmines limit free movement and food production. Vocational programs help landmine survivors learn trades and skills that help secure their ability to earn a living.
