Mayo cleric raises awareness of war and hunger in eastern Congo
A Westport clergy member is placing a suitcase and a water container under her Christmas tree this year to raise the alarm on the urgent humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the efforts of Christian Aid to help those most in need.
Church of Ireland Rector, Rev. Suzanne Cousins, is raising awareness of the hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced from their homes in eastern Congo after fleeing fighting between armed groups and government forces.
Eastern Congo is also facing a deepening hunger crisis, with one in three people now struggling to get enough food to eat.
Rev. Suzanne chose the suitcase and water container to emphasise just how few possessions people are often able to take with them when they are suddenly forced to flee their homes.
Chance is one of those who saw her world turned upside down. When fighting reached her village, Chance witnessed armed men loot her shop and attack her neighbour. Carrying her two-month-old on her back and rallying her seven other children, Chance set off in search of safety. She hasn’t seen her husband since she fled her home.
After walking with her children for 50 miles, Chance found relative safety in a camp for displaced people close to the town of Kalehe in South Kivu – a province in eastern DRC. Now in a temporary shelter, she has nothing of value and fears her husband is dead.
Despite having very young children to care for, Chance does agricultural work in nearby fields, earning around 50c a day to buy food for the family. Chance and other displaced families in South Kivu have been supported by Christian Aid’s local partner, which has provided grants to help people afford the basics.
Rev. Suzanne, Church of Ireland rector of Westport, Castlebar, Turlough and Dugort on Achill Island, supports the work of Christian Aid through her ministry, organising fundraising events and encouraging her congregations to donate.
Christian Aid Ireland chief executive Rosamond Bennett thanked Rev. Suzanne for helping to raise awareness of the crisis in eastern DRC.
She said: “We’re grateful to Rev. Suzanne for helping to highlight the urgent situation in DRC. With her suitcase, she shows just how meagre are the possessions that people can take with them when they flee from fighting. Here at home, we're looking forward to our Christmas celebrations but in DRC, mothers like Chance and her children are struggling to feed themselves after escaping a brutal conflict.
“The money Rev. Suzanne helps to raise each year in the Westport area allow us to reach mothers like Chance and her children. With your support this Christmas, we could reach even more families.”
To support Christian Aid’s work to reach mothers like Chance this Christmas, visit caid.ie/Christmas.