November Prayer Focus - TEAR FUND

Tearfund are asking us to pray for ‘forgotten’ crises, in parts of the world that rarely make the news:

5 million Venezuelans have made journeys, through dangerous terrain, to flee the economic and political crisis that has devastated their country. Nearly 2 million people fled to neighbouring Colombia.
Tearfund is working with local churches in Colombia to welcome Venezuelan refugees and to help them to rebuild their lives.
In the last few years in the Sahel region of West Africa, thousands of people have been killed and more than a million people have fled their homes due to the growing insecurity. One of the main factors behind an increasing level of violence is hunger. From landmine explosions to ambushes, kidnappings and carjackings, the risk of violence towards the people we serve (as well as our local staff and partners) is high. ‘Without faith and a firm conviction that Christ died and rose again, it is impossible to survive in such an environment,’ shares Seid Zebe, who leads Tearfund’s work in Mali.
When disasters strike it is people living in poverty who are hit the hardest - in areas prone to flooding, landslides and cyclones, and in houses that cannot withstand these shocks. And all through no fault of their own – they cannot afford to live anywhere safer. These families often did not have the income to meet their basic needs before the disaster hit, they have no savings and are desperate.
Violence against women and girls is an affront to God. Through our Transforming Masculinities work, Tearfund is equipping church leaders around the world to help change attitudes about women and cultural norms, which are often the cause of violence.
We often hear about crises in the news when they happen, but rarely about the solutions; these take time and are difficult to report. But God is always moving and there are countless stories of answered prayers and of God’s goodness that we can delight in. In one year alone more than 200 children in the community of Matana were sick – all due to malnutrition. This was in part due to the climate crisis changing weather patterns, meaning even less food to go around. The Anglican Diocese of Matana, working with Tearfund, turned this around by offering support and training in farming techniques. Through this, the community of Matana has completely eradicated hunger.