Christmas should be a time of celebration. But for the 820 million chronically hungry people in the world today, over half of whom are women and girls, it’s a time of ongoing hardship[i].
To fight the scourge of hunger, Caritas Australia is launching its ‘Global Gifts’ campaign this Christmas season. As part of the Caritas humanitarian network, over 1.5 million people were assisted in its humanitarian and development program, but Caritas is asking Australians to go further for women and their families struggling with hunger.
Global Gifts assists families to work their way out of poverty. Sileap, a mother in Western Cambodia, is just one example of Global Gifts delivering a Christmas wish: that her children achieve success through an education.
Sileap joined the Caritas-supported Sustainable Change with Dignity Program. Before joining the program she struggled to make ends meet.
Like many in vulnerable communities, Sileap’s life circumstances are challenging and most of the population live on only $5.50 a day.
Tragically, floods, droughts and animal diseases undermined Sileap’s efforts at becoming self-sufficient through the revenue from her and her husband’s small farm, and drastically reduced their income. The family was in debt and did not have the resources for proper nutrition, sanitation and hygiene.
After training in advanced farming and hatchery techniques by Caritas Australia, Sileap began her own hatchery, and now earns enough to feed and support her children. She and her husband also earn a good income from their rice and vegetable farms, have learnt to cultivate crops and have plans to expand.
“Before joining the Caritas program, my family’s situation was difficult. Now we have enough food. My children have enough nutrition and proper clothes,” Sileap says.
To donate to the Global Gifts campaign you can simply go to www.caritas.org.au/give and make a donation or go to www.globalgifts.org.au and choose one our Global Gifts cards.
[i] Source: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
Find out more at www.caritas.org.au/christmas
With thanks to Caritas Australia.
