Emergencies

Hunger the real homework

Widespread hunger in rural Zimbabwe means that Kembo Ndlovu, head of Lupaka primary school, doesn’t just have to worry about nourishing his pupils’ minds, but also their bodies. Children who don’t get enough food at home, won’t have the energy to go to school and if they do, nagging hunger pangs will make it harder ...

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Children abandoned in Zimbabwe’s economic crisis

Children abandoned in Zimbabwe’s economic crisis

While Elvis Presley was famous for his fried peanut butter sandwiches and his voracious appetite, Elvis Ncube in Zimbabwe is lucky if he gets a daily meal of porridge and beans. Elvis’ mother left for Botswana for a short period to find work in 2005, but she never returned. Life in Madabe village, southern Zimbabwe, ...

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Zimbabwe: “The food is finished”

In the gentle warmth of a mid-winter African sun, Moffat Mpofu seeks shade beside his small thatched hut. Beside him his wife Sarah stretches out on a thin grass mat, their youngest daughter resting quietly across her knees. But the peaceful scene hides a distressing story. Mr Mpofu, 49, tested positive for HIV in December ...

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Zimbabweans’ struggle as asylum refugees

Many people are leaving Zimbabwe for a better life elsewhere rather than go hungry and not have a job at home. But some people leave the country because of intimidation resulting from their political beliefs. Gloria* is one such person. When she lived in Zimbabwe, she supported the opposition and attended rallies. By doing so, ...

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Working Together to Save Lives in Darfur

Working Together to Save Lives in Darfur

Christian Churches from all over the world are working together to save the lives of people affected by conflict in Darfur. A joint programme involving ACT (Action by Churches Together), a global alliance of churches and related agencies working in the field of humanitarian relief, and Caritas Internationalis has been providing essential life-saving services such ...

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Imagine compassion in a crisis: Preparing for next time

Imagine compassion in a crisis: Preparing for next time

Life since the 2007 Mexico floods has been a learning curve for Hugo Gutierrez. He said Caritas Tabasco’s small team was almost overwhelmed when the disaster happened. After the floods Mr Gutierrez did emergency response training to ensure that if the floods ever came again, people would be better protected. “We learned about how to ...

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Haiti 2009: Back in Class

Haiti 2009: Back in Class

Soft spoken and demure, Junor Hesgazons leans intently into his schoolwork, his eyes casting constantly to the chalkboard as the day’s lesson takes shape. His white collared shirt neatly creased despite the humidity of southern Haiti, Hesgazons looks every bit the engineer he hopes one day to be. “I like to study engineering. I like ...

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Imagine compassion in a crisis: Recovery in Myanmar

Imagine compassion in a crisis: Recovery in Myanmar

2008 saw tragic scenes in Myanmar, India, Nepal, the Caribbean and Honduras as storms killed thousands. Caritas relief efforts provided food, shelter, medicine and compassion as it appealed for US $77 million worldwide in 2008 in 40 separate appeals. In May, Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar (also known as Burma), leaving 134,000 ...

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