Christian Aid Week

Churches and parishes in the Diocese of Chester will again have the opportunity to support Christain Aid Week. This year, much of the fundraising is going towards supporting young families and mothers in Sierra Leone. 

Every day in Sierra Leone, ten women who had hoped to bring new life into the world die in childbirth.


Nurse Judith checks 12-day old twins in the temporary clinic in Sawula village

A spokesperson for Christian Aid says: "In rural communities, the poorest women are forced to walk for hours under the baking sun to find a nurse or midwife while others travel on the back of a motorbike to reach medical care far away, in what is the world’s most dangerous country in which to give birth."

"May to December is described as the ‘hunger months’ in Sierra Leone and on one meal a day, some mums simply don’t have the strength to survive a difficult labour. Others are fortunate enough to have a basic clinic nearby, but these often lack essential equipment, beds and supplies and have no light meaning babies have to be delivered by torchlight at night.

"Wherever he went. Jesus was moved by the suffering of people and Christian Aid is inviting churches to stand up for mums this Christian Aid Week (12-18 May) against the scandal of life ending when it should be beginning."

The Ebola outbreak of 2014-16 killed ten per cent of Sierra Leone’s healthcare workers but also left it with significant international debt accrued to tackle the disease, leaving even less money for the healthcare so desperately needed to ensure that people can thrive.


Get involved

Sign Christian Aid's drop the debt petition here.
To access church resources, information, and to donate go here


Christian Aid is helping communities build their own health clinics and is delivering health training and helping improve hygiene to save lives in a country where one in nine children don’t live to see

Christian Aid regional coordinator for Cheshire and North Staffordshire said: “Christian Aid Week is an amazing celebration of our potential to change the world, through generosity, solidarity and action.

“We stand together so mums and their children can have life in all its fullness. Please join us this Christian Aid Week in any way you can whether it is in prayer, with Big Brekkies, sponsored walks or house-to-house collections or in taking the opportunity to speak truth to power by calling on our Chancellor to work to cancel Sierra Leone’s debts that arose from tackling the Ebola crisis.

“Our world needs hope right now. Every mother, every child, all of us are made in God’s image and we passionately believe that when we come together the almighty power of people can make a world in which dignity, equality and justice is experienced by everyone.”

Heavily pregnant Jebbeh Konneh is checked by Nurse Judith in the temporary clinic in Sawula village. Jebbeh’s sister died tragically recently in childbirth by the side of the road on the way to get help.

Page last updated: Friday 5th April 2019 1:20 PM
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