Jean Bosco Nsanzimana was used to getting food from the market — “even though I was a farmer,” he says.
Practices like intensive tilling had left his land, in the Kayonza District of Rwanda’s Eastern Province, depleted and unable to produce much food. And in this region of Rwanda — hotter and lower-lying than much of the country — changing weather patterns have brought additional challenges. … Conservation agriculture training, provided through MCC partner Peace and Development Network (PDN), is helping these farmers, and others throughout Rwanda, find steadiness amid the uncertainty that climate change brings. Now, when growing conditions are right, these farmers can grow enough to sustain their families, with extra to sell. Even when conditions are subpar, farmers who follow conservation agriculture practices get at least some crops. https://mcc.org/our-stories/when-communities-grow-together MCC – Relief, development, and peace – in the name of Christ.
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Hena Khatun has a courtyard full of reasons to believe that she will be able to feed and care for her daughter and sickly husband, despite the floodwater from the nearby Jamuna River that threatens to cover the land where she lives.
Staff from MCC partner Maitree Palli Unnayan Sangathon (MPUS) taught her to look up. The local NGO showed her techniques they’d learned from MCC’s agricultural team in Bangladesh. Now Khatun has eggplant, chiles and cabbage growing in sacks that sit on the ascending shelves of an 8-foot-tall, triangular bamboo structure, called a 3D garden. More eggplant grows in hanging bags, which are out of reach of rising water and can be moved if necessary. Bottle gourds, a favorite ingredient in Bengali cooking, grow on vines that spread across a bamboo canopy. Read more about this project at https://mcc.org/our-stories/above-floodwaters MCC – Relief, development, and peace – in the name of Christ. MCC continues to work with our partners on the ground to provide essential emergency relief to families in Gaza. As of the end of March, 550 families have received food kits that include rice, flour, oil and canned beans and vegetables through distributions
Qusai*, 12, and Judy*, 11, volunteer with MCC's partner Al-Najd in their work to support families. With no school to attend, they help organize and distribute food boxes for families in Gaza alongside their parents, who are staff at Al-Najd. https://mcc.org/our-stories/food-distribution-gaza-continues-under-famine-conditions Mennonite Central Committee: Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ Every day, when Mr. Khong awakens in Myanmar, he has two challenges: One, avoid being captured, conscripted or killed by the military junta that is struggling to hold onto its power to govern. Two, get food to people who have fled to remote mountainous areas of the country to avoid the reaches of the junta.
“The donation from MCC has been a miracle to us. And it also inspires us,” he says. “We still believe in God, and we thank God that … we have our faith brothers and sisters like MCC … who are committed to this work.” Read the full story at https://mcc.org/our-stories/being-riskless-not-always-will-god MCC – Relief, development, and peace – in the name of Christ. Jared Konkle was eight years old when he volunteered with MDS for the first time — at a family project in Sauble Beach, Ontario.
“It was really cool because I got to do it with my whole extended family, including my great grandma. We built a shed and we worked on some other buildings. When I go back to [Silver Lake Mennonite Camp] now, it's cool to see something I built,” said Jared, now 16. Jared’s grandfather, Nick Hamm, led that project and is gearing up to coordinate the MDS Canada Family Project again this summer. This time at Fraser Lake Camp in Bancroft, Ontario. Jared’s encouragement to families considering the opportunity, “I would highly recommend this experience to other people as a way to help… and have fun with others at the same time. It was awesomesauce.” To learn more, visit mds.org/family-program MDS Vision - We strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those affected by disasters. MCC Thrift and Volunteers are thrilled to announce the reopening of MCC Thrift Shop in St. Catharines!
After closing for renovations in December 2023, we've been hard at work revamping our space to better serve our community. We're delighted to welcome you back to our refreshed and improved store! Join us as we unveil our newly renovated shop and discover all the wonderful treasures waiting for you. 254 Grantham Ave., St. Catharines ● 905-682-8944 ● [email protected] https://mccthriftontario.com/stcatharines MCC Thrift - Where Every Purchase Is A Gift To The World. Through your generosity, MCC and its local partner, AEID, have successfully drilled four of their 15 planned wells to bring clean, potable water to the surface for families in Makiya, Ethiopia.
For families, access to clean water is the most serious challenge the community faces in northern Ethiopia. Read the full story at https://mcc.org/our-stories/water-impact-report-winter-2024 MCC – Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ Ongoing conflict has left over 90% of Syria’s population living below the poverty line. One in three people face food insecurity. MCC partners are providing food and other immediate relief, and working with the Syrian people to build a peaceful future.
We ask you to join us as we continue praying and working for peace in Syria. https://mcc.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/syria MCC – Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ "Our well is a blessing,” says Molita Nacuduzi, a participant in an MCC supported clean drinking water project in Chitongo, Mozambique.
With this new well, the women and children of the community no longer have to make treks to the Zambezi river to collect water. The task was often dangerous as many people, mostly children, lost their lives to crocodiles in the river while collecting water. The water was also dirty and many people got sick. “It is good for us all, [especially] for us girls who used to make that long and dangerous walk each day,” shares Molita. This well now provides clean water to over 300 families in the community. Thank you for making a difference. MCC – Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ https://mccthrift.com/ Our MCC Thrift Shop on Grantham is reopening in early April! The civil war in Myanmar isn’t making the news anymore. But it should be. The military has overthrown the first democratic government in decades. Homes, fields, and villages are burning. Children and families have fled to the jungles. And humanitarian relief workers are being thrown in prison. And as people of faith, we don’t want anyone to feel forsaken.
This Easter, we can reach out to families caught in conflict and let them know they haven’t been forgotten. You can support MCC by your offering. If by cash or cheque, designate the envelope/memo line “MCC Myanmar”. By e-transfer, enter “MCC Myanmar” in the message box. MCC – Relief, development, and peace in the name of Christ https://mcc.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/myanmar |
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