15 June 2009

ADRA Australia calls for donations

Wahroonga, New South Wales
ADRA Australia

Aid agencies are facing the same struggles as many other organisations, thanks to the global financial crisis, with unfavourable exchange rates and extremely low interest rates meaning the agencies cannot do as much as they used to.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia is not immune to this. To continue reaching out to people facing financial hardship or poverty, ADRA Australia needs to raise $A500,000 before June 30, according to the agency.

While ADRA Australia has had to "tighten its belt," there are no plans to cut its programming and ADRA Australia is continuing with its plans for the coming financial year in order to continue supporting those already affected by the financial crisis.

ADRA Australia is asking Adventists in Australia to support this commitment by making a donation before the end of the financial year.

According to Candice Jaques, communication coordinator for ADRA Australia, most discussions on the impact of the global financial crisis are largely about developed countries-places like Australia and New Zealand. This crisis has hit many Australians and New Zealanders hard-some have lost jobs, others have lost superannuation and most are trying to hold on to the family holiday.
But the impact of the global economic downturn also includes those most vulnerable to changing world markets, and those with the least power to do anything about it. For the extremely poor, this crisis can be life threatening.

Before Christmas 2009, this crisis will push 46 million more people to live on less than $A1 a day.

In addition, research by the Institute of Development Studies in the United Kingdom on the impact of the crisis on developing countries has already discovered these disturbing truths:

  • People are adapting livelihoods in order to cope but often into illegal or dangerous activities. In Indonesia, Kalimantan men are travelling to another island to pan for gold. In several poor countries, children are reported to be leaving school and entering work. In Kenya and Zambia, there are unconfirmed reports of growing numbers of children and young girls selling sex.
  • People are eating less frequently, and eating less diverse and nutrient-rich foods. In Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Jamaica and Zambia, people are coping by changing their diets. In Nairobi, Kenya, mothers are recognising signs of malnutrition in their children.
  • There are signs of rising domestic violence, tensions between groups, crime, and drug and alcohol abuse. In Nairobi, Muslims and Asians have been accused of running exclusionary feeding programs or taking advantage of the crisis. In Jakarta, local police statistics show a rise in crime over the past three months.
  • Major global buyers are forcing developing country suppliers to absorb the bulk of the effects. Some buyers are delaying making new orders and pushing for lower prices, according to the Institute of Development Studies.

These effects can have a detrimental impact on families, and cost the lives of mothers, fathers and ultimately, children. On top of this, the very crisis that is pushing them further into poverty is also making it harder to help them.

Those wishing to donate to ADRA Australia can do so through their website or by calling 1800 242 372 within Australia during business hours.

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