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Social care Divonne

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SOCIAL ACTION

What we believe and what we do

Our motivation is Jesus’ command to ‘love our neighbour’. Who is our neighbour in our globalised world? How can we show love without depriving people of their dignity, or creating dependency? Are we open to receiving and learning as well as giving?

We don’t have pat answers to these questions, nevertheless this group is for those who believe that love and faith are something which is ‘lived’. We strive to do this in 3 different ways:-

1. Through fund-raising for projects in developing countries which assist in meeting people’s basic needs, especially those which help them to help themselves.

2. Through practical help within our local neighbourhood.

3. Through changing our lifestyle to be more sensitive to the environment, and in sympathy with issues concerning justice and poverty.

We meet on average 6-8 times a year to discuss and plan ways we can help and be involved as a church community. All our meetings are open meetings and new volunteers or associates are most welcome, even if you can assist or attend only occasionally.

Our fund-raising social events are open to all, and usually attract a good crowd of participants. Last summer we organized a Treasure Hunt in the forest around the ruins of the monastery Notre Dame d’Oujon, and in the autumn held a very successful Quiz Night.

Children slaying the dragon during the Treasure Hunt:


Our Special Projects for 2010:

Fund-raising for:

·      Umtata Projects, South Africa . These projects are run by Sisters of the Precious Blood. Bethany Home cares for homeless babies and toddlers, some orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Thembililhe Home cares for older homeless and abused children and provides schooling on the premises, and Ikhwezi Lokusa Rehabilitation and Development Society provides vocational training and technical support to 60 disabled adults.

Babies and their carers at Bethany Home, South Africa:

·      StandProud. This organization works with disabled children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It aims to improve their physical mobility through corrective treatment, locally-crafted leg braces and physical therapy. It also works to promote the full integration of the children into society by facilitating their attendance at local school.

Happy smiles on the faces of children who have benefited from StandProud’s activities:

·      Mama Masai Literacy Project. This project assists a self-help group of Masai women and their families in Tanzania. Their traditional dependency on their cattle is threatened by global warming bringing prolonged droughts. Literacy skills will help to make their small handicraft business self-reliant and sustainable.

Learning to read and write in the Masai Steppe:

Practical support for:

·      Asylum seekers in Nyon. 2009 brought a new opportunity to our neighbourhood as Nyon acts as a processing centre for over 100 asylum seekers. We are involved in a number of social activities through an alliance with Swiss volunteers. Our particular initiative is to give them English language tuition.

Asylum seekers join us on the Treasure Hunt.

Informing and mobilizing church members to be ‘creation conscious’ in our daily lives:-

·      Reducing our energy consumption

– e.g. using public transport, turning off electricity,  buying energy-efficient cars, and energy-saving devices.

·      Conserving natural resources

e.g. reducing wastage, turning off water taps, recycling.

·      Creating a fairer world e.g. buying fairly-traded products, investing in ethical shares.

Contact person:
Joy Stephens [022 366 4535; 078 628 5632; joypoppe@gmail.com]