Completed RUMP Training in Imvepi
Savings Group Report and Savings Materials delivered to Mijale
CRESS is delighted to announce that CRESS UK is the chosen charity for the Diocese of Blackburn's Bishop's Harvest Appeal this year.
Last summer, during the Lambeth Conference, Bishop Philip met Bishop Joseph Aba, South Sudanese Bishop living in exile in Northern Uganda, and thought him one of the most inspirational Christian leaders he had ever come across.
Bishop Philip has chosen to support the work of CRESS through the Bishop's Harvest Appeal. Through Bishop Aba's and CRESS's team, South Sudanese people are being empowered with the knowledge and skills to establish self-sustaining communities. A big task in such a poor area where many of the South Sudanese are still refugees in Northern Uganda.
While the Bishop's appeal is focused on his Diocese in terms of fundraising, anyone who wants to support this initiative can do so and it's easy to make a contribution ... see the various ways you can do so below.
The Harvest Appeal
Some of the ways the Diocese of Blackburn's harvest appeal donations will help Bishop Joseph and the people of Liwolo include providing a vehicle dedicated solely to Diocesan ministry. This would support the work being done on growth, discipleship teaching, pastoral work, peace reconciliation and enable major events such as youth and pastor conferences and confirmations to happen. Bishop Joseph currently oversees 117,000 refugees with half of those attending his 100+ refugee settlement churches. This ministerial work means he regularly travels over 100km each way on very rough roads and transport is almost the biggest challenge to his ministry.
- Donate online using a debit or credit card by clicking here. (select 'One-Off Gift and add Gift Aid if appropriate).
- Donate by cheque, payable to 'Blackburn Diocesan Board of Finance Limited (Diocese Harvest Appeal)' and send to Blackburn Diocesan Board of Finance, Diocesan Office, Clayton House, Walker Office Park, Blackburn, BB1 2QE.
- Download the Harvest Appeal QR code to enable donations and pin it to all your noticeboards. Why not laminate it and stick it to your external noticeboards as well?
Members of CRESS’s 42 agriculture groups have already started planting trees as part of their organic food production. The trees offer multiple benefits of nutritious fruit for improving diets, income generation from the sale of fruit after only a couple of years, and also protection from severe sun and rainfall. With your support, new this year will be the addition of locally sourced fast-growing fuelwood trees which are in huge need due to deforestation as wood is the main source of energy for cooking in the refugee settlements.
You can find out more about the Diocese of Blackburn's Harvet Appeal here.
Stories from South Sudanese refugees
Rev. Jacob Karaba, whilst living with his family in Imvepi Refugee Settlement, said, “Before CRESS, life was hard. Everything was horrible. We eat beans provided by UNHCR every day. We had no money to change our diet. When my wife and I got the training on vegetable growing and received the vegetable seeds from CRESS/DOL, everything changed. My family eats vegetables throughout the year. We also sell some to raise money for other needs such as clothes, paying medical bills etc. My family no longer buys vegetables from market. I thank CRESS and Diocese of Liwolo for impacting the lives of my family members.”
Loice Bangu is a single parent with six dependents: three of her own and three other children from her brother who had died. She got involved with the CRESS Village Savings and Loan Association project. She says that the project has helped her survive. She spends her days in the market selling pancakes and cooking oil. The loans she gets from the group have given her hope that things will keep improving. Her message of encouragement to the donors is that what has been done so far is making a difference to many lives. She is thankful and hoping that they are not forgotten.
