Together, we uplift each other

Mother-of-five Achoya says the majority of pregnant mothers in her area did not have much knowledge about nutrition. But that was before mums like her took action together with Christian Aid’s local partner, and supporters like you.

Achoya’s husband passed away in 2011, so it’s been down to her to care for and feed her children. That’s a big responsibility at the best of times. But for Achoya it’s also been a real struggle.

The climate crisis, conflict and isolation have made diets very limited, and malnutrition rates high, across this part of South Sudan.

Yet there are solutions. And Achoya, who trained to be a health facilitator with one of our local partners, is helping to implement one of them.

She supports Mother to Mother groups set up by our local partner and shares information about nutrition and the importance of breastfeeding.

The group members then help spread this knowledge to other mums.

Achoya also promotes good hygiene, which has meant more mums are delivering their babies safely in health facilities – and that more newborns can be checked for malnutrition.

All of this has reduced malnutrition in children among the families of the Mother to Mother group members and the wider community.

Strong result: women in Marsabit County, Northern Kenya, got over 300 water tanks installed in their communities. Thank you for standing with them.

Trained by one of our local partners in Northern Kenya, Sadia supports women to make their voices heard on local government spending decisions. As a result, women now have a say in key decisions that affect them and their families.

In this increasingly drought-prone region, Sadia says women fight for essentials like water because ‘they carry the burdens of home. We’ve had to be persistent. But now, with women participating, we’ve gotten tanks and we are able to store water.’

Sadia also supports the Jaldesa widows’ group, pictured above. ‘Since having training, they present the issues they have to the authorities as a group. That ensures they get the help they badly need.’

‘I thank those who did this with me, because it means a new beginning.’ - Marlen

After violent storms devastated her husband’s coffee farm, Marlen was on the verge of migrating to the US – as many Hondurans affected by climate change and unemployment have been forced to do.

But then Marlen found a much better way of adapting to climate challenges and earning a living. Through our local partner, she learned how to install solar technology, and received a loan to start a woman-led, sustainable energy enterprise.

Today, Marlen is a pioneer of solar panel installation in remote, off-grid communities. ‘Many families have benefitted,’ she says.

‘They previously burned pine, which is a problem because it causes breathing problems and deforestation. But now they have their solar energy system. And it is something that protects the environment.’

‘On my first installation, we turned the solar panel on, and it was so wonderful to me I cried,’ says Marlen. ‘I thanked God, Christian Aid and its local partner. Then my husband asked me: what do you think? I said, it is precious, but all of us did it.’

‘In our project, we also try to reduce a lot of water contamination due to washing coffee beans. Every time we install an energy system, we take this message to the communities and we educate them. To educate others to respect nature, is a reward.’ And every time we share such strength, courage and love, we open the possibility for more.

Our movement has never been stronger and this must be the hopeful legacy from Glasgow to keep hope alive. As we continue to hold governments to account for what wasn’t done at COP26, through Christian Aid we’re coming together to help each other survive the challenges and disasters the climate crisis is bringing on a daily basis.

As a Christian Aid supporter your strength, courage and love is helping to build a world where everyone is better prepared for potentially devastating changes, and can better protect their families. Thank you.