Latest news
Everyone Counts
Posted on 2nd February 2016 by Chris Jones
When we visited the Asochin tribe, it was such a joy to meet literally everyone by name! Villagers waited for hours to greet the team on their arrival and as you can see from the photographs, we had the opportunity to meet each one by name.
As we shook hands and greeted each of these precious people, it was evident again why we do this work. We do this work because we know that everyone counts - everyone of us is equal, known by and loved by God. And, as an expression of what He has done for us, in loving us first, we want to reflect that love to others around us.
It is very easy for us to look down on others whom we see as below us in status or ranking, or to look up to those whom we see as more important than ourselves. It's very hard to treat everyone as equal in worth and recognise that everyone counts. Whether they are poor, crippled and illiterate or rich in education and resources.
But when we recognise that 'everyone counts', we start to change our behaviour and we find our eyes are opened to find joy and friendship in unexpected places.
Medicine distribution, food relief & free clinics
Posted on 30th January 2016 by Chris Jones
Over December and January we’ve been hard at work serving remote communities in southern Chin and northern Rakhine States.
Our team have had the privilege to visit many remote tribes who rarely receive visitors or support from outside their own communities.
Over the next few days and weeks we’ll be sharing some of the stories and photographs of this work.
Today’s news post covers our visit to the Laymyochin.
Our three main areas of practical focus were:
- Distributing medicines to our Community Health Workers
- Running free clinics in the villages
- Distributing food relief
However, our team soon realised, that while our focus on health, education and food security were important, the biggest impact the work was having was in the hearts of the people.
For many of us reading this post, having somebody tell us that we are loved, having someone to care for us, or even someone to simply ask us ‘how are you?’ is a regular and daily occurrence. But for many of the villagers we met, even the gentle, sincere, caring question, ‘how are you?’ is a rare occurrence.
Many remote tribes in this area live in constant fear of outsiders who threaten to take their land. They have been told by others that the reason they are sick is because they are poor, dirty and worthless. They have been denied recognition of their own identity, through the rejection of their language and culture… they are seen as the last and the least in the worlds’ eyes.
But we had the privilege of being welcomed into their communities, the joy of feasting together even with the little that we had, and the opportunity to share their pain and suffering. Most importantly, all that we shared, we shared as equals, valuing every moment of their warm hospitality.
Christmas Food Baskets Update
Posted on 21st December 2015 by Chris Jones
The first Christmas Food Baskets have started to arrive to villages in Chin State!
We're delighted to post below pictures of rice, cooking oil, soya beans, salt and biscuits, provided by supporters of Health and Hope, reaching villagers in need. Thank you so much to all who have contributed to this vital work.
Each family brought their baskets to the centre of the village and the team, along with the elders of the village, arranged for the aid to be distributed.
In Lailenpi and the surrounding villages, 75% of the harvest was lost (in comparison to 2014) due to the impact of cyclone Komen, resulting in the need for 250,000kg of food aid to support villagers until the next harvest.
There is a still a long road ahead of us, but thank you to all who have supported the work so far. If you haven't yet had a chance to support our appeal, the team will be hard at work over the coming weeks and months transporting food aid into villages in Chin and Rakhine State. Please click here to help get food aid to those in need in western Myanmar:
