Author: CEDAR Fund

Holistic Development Project Kachin State in Myanmar, Phase 2

Project Name Holistic Development Project Kachin State in Myanmar, Phase 2 Project Location Myanmar Project Natures Urban and Rural Development Livelihood Development Project Objectives Promote community development among internally displaced persons in Myanmar. Enhance community resilience in the face of long-term conflict and the impact of disasters. Beneficiaries Internally displaced persons, orphans, community leaders, and church leaders No. of Beneficiaries 1,545 Key Activities Provide training for leaders to enhance their leadership skills and community development abilities. Offer educational sponsorship, professional training, and counselling for youth. Provide medication for influenza and diarrhoea, as well as public health education, to community residents. Additionally, offer agricultural and livestock skills training, and organise Bible study groups. Provide sewing and handicraft skills training

Holistic Development Project FMFF in Myanmar, Phase 2

Project Name Holistic Development Project FMFF in Myanmar, Phase 2 Project Location Myanmar Project Natures Urban and Rural Development Livelihood Development Project Objectives Empower our partner as the coach and mentor of the community leaders (such as field coordinators) to be the facilitators of community development and sustainable farming in target areas. At least 5 local leaders (field coordinators) enable the local community to respond to local community issues and emergency response. Promote holistic development/ growth of the children and youth during the conflict period. Beneficiaries Children and teachers, field leaders, youths No. of Beneficiaries 374 Key Activities Field leaders training: leadership training, project management training, professional training. Sustainable farming: Agriculture training and field visits, marketing for demonstration

Holistic Development Project Ayeyarwardy region in Myanmar, Phase 2

Project Name Holistic Development Project Ayeyarwardy region in Myanmar, Phase 2 Project Location Myanmar Project Natures Urban and Rural Development Livelihood Development Project Objectives Improve the agriculture skills and knowledge of the local farmers by providing training, exposure trips, and running the community farm. Promote holistic development (physical, social, emotional, and spiritual) in the target villages, and mobilise the local churches actively involved in this project. Beneficiaries Children and teachers, field leaders, youths No. of Beneficiaries 1,700 Key Activities Youth development: professional training, child protection workshop. Farming: farming training, community farm, exposure trips. Economics: IGA for women and farmers Health: public health education, providing medicine Spiritual: church leadership program, Christian parenting education program Project Period Aug 2022 to

Shiva, a Nepalese colleague – Restore Dignity for the Dalits

Written by: Clara Chiu (Head of Partnership Development) Whenever I read Philippians 2 about Christ’s incarnation and dwelling among us in the likeness of men, I am moved by His love and sacrifice. He was willing to lay down His nobility and power, taking the form of a servant to be a human. Such sacrifice is love. Abandoning one’s birthright for others is easier said than done. Shiva, a colleague of our Nepalese partner, Samari Utthan Sewa (SUS)*, followed Christ in a way that he willingly put down his esteemed identity to serve those marginalised. Nepal borrows India’s caste system, which divides people into four main categories, each with its subcastes. The castes are hereditary, and their occupations

Urban and Rural Development

Slums are a phenomenon of economic takeoff and rapid urbanisation in some developing countries, and they are also a symbol of inequality between the rich and the poor. Next to the modern skyscrapers, there are a dense pile of old houses. Sewage, narrow alleys, and broken walls have become ‘scene panels’ for poor areas; the tourists’ cameras reflect helpless and lost faces. Poverty is not a problem to be solved overnight. Only by allowing poor friends to discover their potential and realise they are also self-sufficient can people on the poverty line’s edge live with dignity. CEDAR provides resources for low-income families in different countries to learn livelihood skills. Also, it supports religious, family relations and financial management

Advocacy

Changing the lives of communities, apart from the efforts of community residents, also requires the cooperation of public policies. Residents, social welfare organisations, and regional officials should all participate in public policy discussions and make suggestions for improvement to enhance the rights and interests of poor communities. CEDAR believes that the poor can contribute to their communities. Therefore, we make advocacy from an institutional perspective and promote citizen participation, educate residents in slums to understand the issues that affect the community’s well-being, drive discussions among residents, and organise various issue groups to allow them to participate in the advocacy work. Advocacy Projects

Health

Pregnant women and newborn babies cannot receive medical and health protection. Ethnic minorities with AIDs delay treatment due to language barriers and lack of knowledge of AIDS. Families in slums do not have masks and soap during the severe epidemic. All this still happens among poor communities worldwide today, and living healthily is a luxury for them. Even though they may not die immediately, their health worsens daily due to insufficient medical resources, lack of hygiene knowledge, and a meagre salary. CEDAR helps people experiencing poverty and hopes they can have a healthy life. We not only fund the establishment of community clinics in slums but also support partners to provide health and nutrition knowledge to poor communities,

Humanitarian Relief and Disaster Risk Reduction

Natural disasters are inevitable, and unnatural disasters are helpless. What believers can do is lend a helping hand in times of difficulty and live the gospel. Whenever a disaster occurs, CEDAR adopts the method of ‘funding first, then fundraising’ – first remit the funds needed for the rescue project to partners in the disaster area so that the victims can receive assistance as soon as possible and simultaneously appeal to believers to contribute. This will prevent the frontline rescue work from being affected by the level of fundraising. If we raise more funds than we have allocated, we can allocate more funds according to the needs of the victims so that more victims can receive practical help. Since

Livelihood Development

Matthew chapter 25, verses 31 to 46, talks about the rules of God’s judgment, including whether we have cared for hungry, sick, or naked people. Taking care of the physical needs of people with low incomes is no less than their spiritual needs. CEDAR set up a savings group in slum areas and established a small loan fund. Villagers participating in the group can start small businesses with loans and improve their livelihoods in the long run, which is more effective than one-off relief assistance. Livelihood Development Projects

Church and Community Mobilisation

What is the mission of the church? Apart from preaching the gospel and making disciples of Christ, what else should the church do? The church is a part of the community. For community residents, what role does the church play? Is the church dispensable for non-believers? For a long time, CEDAR has cared about the poor we help and promoted Integral Mission, nurturing and encouraging churches, Christian institutions, and believers to live out what we believe in, preaching and practising and witnessing the gospel’s power in the community. Church and Community Mobilisation Projects Karongi Church Empowerment Zone Advocacy for Thailand Karen Minority Rights Thai-Myanmar Border Development (next phase) Hong Kong Ministry One Resettling Internally Displaced Persons in Sadon