DanChurchAid: news

Safe at last

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:14:42 GMT

The Humanitarian Response Unit of DanChurchAid met with beneficiaries of combined DCA/RDRS activities during a workshop in Northern Bangladesh

The ABC's of Advocacy

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:23:37 GMT

DanChurchAid has published an advocacy manual to provide a tool for marginalised or discriminated groups, and the civil society organisations that work on their behalf, to advocate for the equal rights and opportunities of all citizens, regardless of their gender, religious or ethnic belonging.

Struggling for life in seclusion

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:52:30 GMT

The isolated char islands in the Teesta River in Northern Bangladesh are a harsh place to survive. There are no doctors on the islands and the closest hospital is four hours away. Food is always scarce and hunger a constant companion. Read the testimonial by 87-year-old Kulsum Bibi, a widow with disability living on one of the char islands. DanChurchAid’s partner Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Services (RDRS) works in the region on disaster preparedness and relief.

Life on a river island

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:00:52 GMT

70-year-old Rahim Bakosh lives on the edge of a char island in the Teesta river. Broken homesteads, loss of livestock and constant movement is the rule of life in the char islands of northern Bangladesh. DanChurchAid’s partner Rangpur Dinjapur Rural Services (RDRS) in Bangladesh helps the inhabitants in the floodplain of the Teesta River with survival strategies.

A one man army

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:05:23 GMT

Caste continues to be a burning issue in India’s hinterlands where violence is the norm of the day. DanChurchAid’s partner since 2003 Centre for Dalit Rights (CDR) is a pioneering organization working for Dalits’ rights in Rajasthan. Read the testimonial by Damodar, a Dalit man who has single handedly taken on the struggle for his land and identity

Where can we live?

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:23:28 GMT

Just outside of Port-au-Prince, community leader Altenor Ronald expressed a mixture of frustration, anger and disorientation as he tried to coordinate the relocation of the displaced into a roadside displacement site. “We have no food, no stoves, people are hungry. I’m in charge and I don’t know what to do,” he said.

Haiti - One month later

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:26:32 GMT

On January 12th, a month ago this friday, a massive earthquake measuring 7.0 on the richter scale struck Haiti. The quake lasted about 35 seconds, but left the capital Port-Au-Pince and the surrounding inhabited areas in ruins, killing more than 200.000 and leaving 1.2 million people homeless.

The difficulties of humanitarian work

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:31:50 GMT

In a perfect world, distributions of humanitarian aid after a major disaster would occur without a hitch. Everything would be orderly and proceed with precision.

But life is messy and Haiti is far from perfect. Humanitarian practice, even during relatively small emergencies, is hard and imperfect work – a fact often not fully understood or appreciated by donors and even non-emergency staff of humanitarian groups.

Fighting for the forest

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:58:11 GMT

India’s forest cover accounts for a little over 20% of total land and is home to more than 8% of tribal population. More than 90% of them live below the poverty line, struggling for their basic survival. Read the testimonial by Ditabhai, a tribal living in the reserved forests of India on his life and struggle with rights.

Born in the rubble

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:35:12 GMT

Marie Sylsalve cradled her 10-day-old son, McAnley, and reflected on three weeks that have taken an almost incomprehensible toll. She last saw her husband in the moments immediately following the 12 January earthquake. The family’s home was destroyed and Sylsalve saw a wall fall on Andre. She presumes he is dead – it has been three weeks now. And twelve days later she gave birth in the ruins.

Counting the chickens...

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:57:22 GMT

The chickens of Mtoso village get more attention than the average Danish egg layer. The women of the village gladly perform a song of gratitude about how the chickens have changed their life, whenever there are visitors.

Parents struggle for Justice

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:22:23 GMT

Dusty, worn down roads and a diversion through fields onto a muddy track lead to Kumha, a village located in Southern Bharatpur, - an upper caste Jat dominated district of Rajasthan. This is a village where a young Dalit girl was gangraped by three upper caste men. She committed suicide.

The battle for food

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:45:11 GMT

At an ACT Alliance distribution of food and goods, workers set about allocating relief to the most vulnerable. Pregnant women and families with young children come first.

Then things go horribly wrong.

Caring for Haiti's kids

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:50:40 GMT

With Haiti’s healthcare services in worse shape than before the earthquake, ACT Alliance members in Port-au-Prince continue to support medical care for Haiti’s most vulnerable.

As it had done long before January 12, ACT is caring for the children. Traumatized, ill and suffering loss of limbs, hundreds of children need round-the-clock care.

Helping the survivors

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:03:06 GMT

Video from ACT Alliance on the relief effort in Haiti

ACT Alliance support reaching Haiti

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:10:28 GMT

In the chaos of aid distribution, ACT Alliance members are managing to get food, temporary shelter, water cleaning materials and expertise to the Haitian capital.

Port-au-Prince “looks like a war zone”

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:47:53 GMT

More than a million people in Haiti’s capital will this evening be without shelter and no immediate prospect of accommodation in camps. Between 60 and 80 percent of the houses in Port-au-Prince were brought down or are uninhabitable by Tuesday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

Relief work has already started

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:59:47 GMT

DanChurchAid is Raising Funds for the Victims of the Earthquake

Aid is good business

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:33:53 GMT

DanChurchAid cooperates with private companies on developing new and better products to help the fight against poverty.

"Too risky to save in my hut"

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:02:59 GMT

Being a single mother of two in rural Malawi is no easy task for Joyce. Her income is highly unstable, and she has to rely on loans from friends and relatives during tougher times, since she has no means of accumulating savings. For poor people like Joyce, access to microsavings is the way to a better, more stable future.

DCA Procurement Manual 3rd Edition - French

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:34:52 GMT

Goodbye 2009 - Hello 2010!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:11:42 GMT

Climate summit in Copenhagen and a surge in the number of people lacking basic nutrition – 2009 was a year of great challenges, but also of generosity, hope and new opportunities. We look back upon 2009 and some of the main events for DanChurchAid.

Minimal progress in Copenhagen

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:18:51 GMT

COP 15 ended with a Copenhagen declaration after 28 hours of uninterrupted negotiations on Saturday the 19th. Targets and money are missings, says DanChurchAid.

Woman of substance

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:45:58 GMT

In Ballabhgarh village in India lives Sonedeyee, the first Dalit woman Panchayat (Local Self Government) leader. Sonedeyee was brutally attacked earlier this year by the dominant caste in the village. She is now fighting for her rights with the help of Centre for Dalit Rights (CDR), DanChurchAid’s Partner in Rajasthan.

Do not be afraid! Act now!

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:46:34 GMT

We, leaders of churches and international church organizations present in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Change Conference reiterate the Gospel message ”Do not be afraid!” Act now! This message was echoed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and reflected by the unprecedented mobilization of international civil society during the first 10 days of this conference.