From Uganda to India, Ukraine and Argentina - International briefs 29 October
We’ve compiled news from four continents today, with food relief in Uganda, the General's visit to India, scouts in Ukraine and care for older persons in Argentina rounding up this week’s international briefs.
Ugandan food relief
With drought having destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of households in the northeastern region of Uganda, The Salvation Army’s Emergency Response Team recently entered the Kotido District in Northern Uganda with live-saving food relief.
Two-hundred and fifty vulnerable households each received 25kgs of maize flour, 10kgs of beans and three litres of cooking oil. The team prioritised elderly community members, who have been hardest hit by the drought.
The drought has destroyed crops, wiped out pastures and starved both people and animals.
Kotido Municipality Mayor Peter Abrahams Irar thanked The Salvation Army for its intervention, confirming that some human and animal fatalities had occurred in the region due to food, water and pasture scarcity.
“Our gratitude goes to the International Headquarters in London and The Salvation Army Canada & Bermuda Territory for making this possible,” the Uganda Territory team wrote on Facebook.
Images: Facebook
General’s India visit
The India Northern Territory welcomed General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham to the recent Board of Directors meeting in Kolkata, where the TSA National Office is located.
Along with the General and World President of Women’s Ministries, International Secretaries of South Asia Zone Commissioner John Kumar Dasari and Commissioner Mani Kumari Dasari also attended.
“The auspicious occasion was graced by the presence of our Territorial Commander, Colonel Abraham Lincoln Mudda, and Lieutenant Colonel Sunita Robert, Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries (TSWM) along with all the other distinguished members of the Board of Directors,” the India Northern Territory team posted on Facebook.
“It was a truly memorable occasion marked by fellowship, unity, and the shared mission of advancing God’s Kingdom through the ministry of The Salvation Army.”
General and Commissioner Buckingham also visited the India Eastern Territory, as seen in the rally snapshot below.
Preserving childhood
In corps across war torn Ukraine, staff and volunteers are working hard to give children and young people as normal a childhood as possible. In the almost five years of full-scale war, this has been difficult, especially in those corps in Eastern Ukraine and now, across the country.
In Kropivnitsky, art classes for both children and adults provide a fun and creative outlet.
“Creativity helps us grow and inspires us, while our souls praise the Creator of this world!,” the organisers say.
The scouts have also been active during the northern summer and autumn. The junior and senior patrol groups combined for a joint session, learning to prepare firewood, light a campfire, make a tripod, and boil water for tea – which they all enjoyed afterwards with some treats. And everyone received a badge for passing those skills.
In Kyiv, scouting is also popular.
“At Scouts, children don’t just play and learn new and useful things; they also share their struggles with one another and pray for each other,” shared the leaders.
Painting, prayers and scouts help give childhood a reprieve from war.
A place to call home
At Hogar Eliasen in Buenos Aires, Argentina, what makes this Salvation Army residential home for older people so special are the relationships, the freedom to make your own choices and the everyday moments shared with others.
It is a place where professional care is combined with companionship, where residents are encouraged to retain their independence, enjoy the things that matter to them, and where becoming part of a caring community can soften what is often a difficult transition in later life.
For residents and staff, that sense of home is found in the relationships they build:
María has lived at Hogar Eliasen for around a year. Her transition from living alone wasn’t easy but now, when asked what she likes about the home, her answer comes quickly. “Everything. The plants, my companions, the older people, the staff. The staff are magnificent.”
Bernabé has lived at Hogar Eliasen for approximately two years. Residential care was not something he had originally imagined for himself, but his circumstances changed after his wife became unwell.
“I didn’t come here just because I wanted to come,” he says. “I had to come. But the care is very good. Very good. The team here are very helpful.”
The balance between providing support and preserving independence is central to the way staff member Vanessa Paniagua describes her role. “I like working here because I like caring for older residents,’ she says. ‘I like assisting them, accompanying them and helping them with everyday tasks … I used to have two grandparents, and now I have 40!”
To read the full story from All the World, click here.
