Christian Aid Week this year is 12th -18th May, with the slogan “Push back against Poverty”.
We all recognise the dire consequences of poverty: it robs people of their dignity and allows injustice to thrive. This is the true story of one determined mother in Burundi (Central Africa) who was certainly pushed to the brink of survival by poverty.
Aline Nibogora suffered abuse at the hands of a violent husband and was forced to flee when he turned the community against her. She lost almost everything. Separated from her three sons, she resorted to sleeping in the street; however, her love for her children drove her to transform her life.
Her first step back from the brink came when she participated in a three-day community workshop with Christian Aid-funded trainers. With that experience behind her, she received a small start-up loan to trade avocados and peanuts locally; with her profits she bought a bicycle so she could transport greater quantities of goods to markets further afield.
At long last, her hard work earned her enough money to rent a house and be reunited with her three sons. Together they are now building a new safe and happy home of their own!
Christian Aid Week is our opportunity to demonstrate love through our gifts, prayers and actions. It is a time to let our global neighbours know that our love goes out to them as they face ever increasing changes and challenges.