Local people have a cuppa for Christian Aid
Canon George Irwin, who served for 27 years as rector of St Mark’s, Ballymacash, raised a cup of tea during Christian Aid Week (May 15-21) to say ‘cheers’ to women farmers like Agnes Machona, who lives in a drought-prone region of Zimbabwe and is now able to earn a living to support herself and her children.
Christian Aid’s local partner in Zimbabwe has helped Agnes to grow and harvest hibiscus flowers because the plant tolerates drought, as well as helping her find commercial buyers for her crop.
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Hide AdCanon George Irwin, who retired to Sion Mills, County Tyrone in 2016, chaired the Lisburn Christian Aid Committee for 20 years, helping raise many thousands of pounds to support the international development agency’s work with some of the world’s poorest communities.
Also cheering on Agnes’ success are Maura Pringle and Frances Francey, Christian Aid representative at St Malachy’s Parish Church in Hillsborough and Hillsborough Presbyterian Church respectively.
All three stood in ‘solidari-tea’ during Christian Aid Week to highlight the agency’s work in eastern Zimbabwe, which has helped 27,000 people cope with poor rainfall - made worse by rising temperatures caused by climate change.
Agnes Machona (37) and her husband have three children. To support the family, her husband works in the construction industry in Botswana while Agnes stays at home to work their farm and raise their children. Severe drought in recent years has caused Agnes’ crops to fail and she recalls a time when there was so little food that she had to cut back to just one meal a day, even though she was breastfeeding.
Across Northern Ireland during Christian Aid Week, thousands of people fundraised and donated to support Christian Aid’s work.