HOTLINE - week of March 24, 2008

"Seeing the girls empowered with education…girls fetching water near their homes and then going to school--that makes me happy," says Deborah Katina, Executive Director of Yang'at ("care" in the Pokot language), a Church World Service partner in western Kenya. "By empowering women and girls we're improving life for the whole community." Katina is a pioneer in the area of girls' rights to education--something the Church World Service Water for Life program is helping to make possible in West Pokot district, Kenya, and in a community across the border in Uganda--an arid region with a population of some 4,000 people.

It is the responsibility of women and girls in many parts of Africa to collect water for household use. This often means walking many miles to sites that are contaminated.

With help from Yang'at, families in two communities--one community in Kenya and the other in Uganda--are developing clean water resources, some for human consumption and others for livestock. A variety of water structures are used: shallow wells, cattle troughs, tanks, and sub-surface sand dams.

"I think God sent Church World Service to West Pokot because God knew His people were suffering there," says Katina. "When we go to the communities, we're not just talking about water."

With clean water close at hand, girls can attend school, and women can turn their attention to other profitable pursuits and improve their family’s situation.

"Girls are learning their rights… to education and to not be 'circumcised.' The mothers have the heart to help their daughters; fathers often think just about the dowry," Katina continues. "Education is the key to everything."

"I am very old, I have helped women to give birth and I am now helping their children to give birth," explains Hawa. "The work is in the heart. God is the only guidance I have had." Many traditional birth attendants, especially older ones, are illiterate and have never received any formal training.

As part of an integrated approach to humanitarian needs in Darfur, Church World Service coalition partner Action by Churches Together-Caritas has set up mother and child care services in all its health care facilities across the violence-torn region. The centers offer pre- and post-natal care, health education, safe delivery facilities, and assistance carried out by trained midwives.

Last year, 82 midwives and traditional birth attendants who are working in camps and rural areas in South and West Darfur took part in training and were equipped to improve services and support the clean, safe delivery of babies.

This past February, 50 midwives of all ages from South Darfur attended a five day refresher course held in Nyala. Altogether, an additional 100 women are receiving training throughout February and March.

Butheina, one of the younger midwives, says proudly, "We have learned how to combat harmful traditional practices, how to care for women before and after delivery, as well as the need for urgent referral in complicated cases."

As the United States begins its sixth year of military involvement in Iraq, Church World Service continues to support humanitarian efforts to assist war-affected Iraqis, both settled and internally displaced, as well as refugees in neighboring Syria and Jordan.

In Iraq, CWS is working in partnership to equip hospitals with medical supplies to treat victims of violence. With CWS support, Iraqi non-governmental organizations are increasing their capacity to respond to emergency needs. And children are gaining assistance via support for orphanages, community centers, and mobile street units. Some of the orphans are being reintegrated into family settings, and the most vulnerable families are receiving a monthly food basket. Church World Service has also provided CWS Hygiene and School Kits for Iraqi refugee families in Jordan and Syria.

In mid-April, Church World Service is co-sponsoring Iraq Action Days, in Washington, DC, providing an opportunity to promote peace and relief for the people of Iraq.

Since 1991, Church World Service has consistently supported humanitarian aid in Iraq, providing blankets, food, medical supplies, CWS Hygiene and School Kits, and other assistance for families and children. An important part of that work was the multi-agency "All Our Children" program, which in a little over two years--from January 2003 to March 2005--exceeded its goal and provided more than $1 million for rehabilitation projects for Iraqi children in health and nutrition, education, psychosocial counseling, recreational activities, and water and sanitation.

Torrential rains across the nation's mid-section have brought floods and flash flood warnings from Texas to Pennsylvania. At least 17 people have died. Missouri appears to have suffered the brunt of the damage. Church World Service has worked extensively over the years with faith-based and other disaster responders in Missouri. As such, the state interfaith community enjoys fair capacity to organize for long-term recovery.

CWS Emergency Response Specialists are in contact with local, state, and national personnel from CWS member communions to ensure that requests for material resources, training, or project development are met.

Your prayers and support - and your participation in CROP WALKS and the TOOLS & BLANKETS Program - make possible these and other life sustaining programs. For information on how to get involved, please call your Church World Service/CROP Regional Office toll-free at 1-888-CWS-CROP, that's 1-888-297-2767.

For information about free loan videos, please call 1-800-297-1516, ext. 338, or e-mail us at: videos@churchworldservice.org.

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