Cafod West African Campaigns Presentation/World Food Crisis

Following the Guildford Circle's monthly meeting on 7th June, the President's Charity Cafod, made a presentation to the Circle on the Food crisis in the Horn of Africa. The guest speaker was Robert Cruickshank, Senior Emergency Response Manager- Africa, who was accompanied by Jenny Finlayson, Community Participation Co-ordinator for Arundel & Brighton Diocese. 

In the presentation Robert made reference to the following salient points:

* Rain has substantially failed in East Africa every year since 2020 causing a 'rain drought' and has been classed as a crisis. Even though rain is falling now the ground is so hard it just run's off.

* In last 2-3 years many animals have died.

* The war in Ukraine has meant grain and fuel  have become much more expensive

* Running bore hole pumps has become doubly expensive

* The impact is that money send to CAFOD partners does not purchase as much as before and has effectively been halved in value

* CAFOD raised the crisis issue with the international community but because of the other crises in the World, the initiative gained little attention. In the UK the Disasters Emergency Committee failed to raise an appeal.  

* Due to the generosity of the Catholic Community in England and Wales, in the World Food Crisis and 2022 Lent appeals, CAFOD has from early 2022, allocated £2.5m to the African Crisis.

* Since early 2002, Cafod has been instrumental in providing the following resources in Kenya: 1000 plus families have been given access to food; Support was given to the Food for School Fees Scheme benefitting some 2,000 pupils;  Improved access to drinking water has benefitted over 10,500 people; 10 bore holes were repaired; Unconditional cash was given to 650 families; A livestock support scheme was implemented for 600 families including micro-irrigation for livestock; Mother and child facilities have been created. 

These schemes were designed to give support to families with food and water for six months.  Similar support has been given in Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Robert Cruickshank addressing the Circle

An after dinner photograph of Robert Cruikshank, Bro. President and Jenny Finlayson

In conjunction with the above presentation, our intrepid President, Bro. Daniel, abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on Sunday 24th June. Yet another fund raising effort for his chosen charity Cafod. Photographs of the event have not yet been forthcoming but will be shown, hopefully, in the next published Blog. In the interim, we have to make do with the images below!

The Spinnaker Tower

An artist's impression of Bro. President