CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Action by Churches Together (ACT) has undertaken continued work in the west African nation of Sierra Leone and issued an appeal for more than $2 million to support this work.
Following the signing of the Abidjan Peace Accord in November 1996 many displaced people in Sierra Leone returned to their homes after six years of war. The Council of Churches in Sierra Leone has been working with refugees and displaced persons since 1991, according to its partner, ACT.
ACT is a worldwide network of churches, including the Lutheran World Federation, meeting human need through coordinated emergency response.
The most recent effort sought to serve people through distribution of seeds, tools and food aid to farm families. A total of 5,022 farming families were cared for and final seed distributions were completed on May 23, 1997, in time for the planting season, ACT reports.
Two days later a coup forced the democratically-elected government into exile. According to ACT, the ruling military junta is not capable of governing or of controlling troops. Banks remain closed. Telephone lines are vandalized. ACT reports fuel shortages and concerns of equipment and vehicles being looted. In this atmosphere of insecurity, political uncertainty and growing economic hardship ACT found innovative ways of continuing the work.
The current ACT proposal includes a combination of relief and rehabilitation activities. The ACT program has increasingly relied on the city of Conakry in Guinea as a source of supplies and for communication. One of the few agencies still operating in the country, the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone has demonstrated the value of a local agency in times of crisis.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church Sierra Leone is an active member of the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone. The Lutheran church's work and ministry has been focused on the rural communities which make up more than half of its congregations. An example of this focus is the church's 25-acre palm oil plantation, which was a source of sustenance for the community until the civil conflict.
ACT reports that many people left the urban areas of Sierra Leone following the coup, seeking safety in their home villages. A good harvest answered the need for additional food in the villages as families welcomed their newly-arrived relatives.
Ninety percent of the seed provided by ACT on a loan basis is expected to be recovered. Work continues "to be carried out in a war zone where many vulnerable people will continue to need relief," ACT says. "It is therefore essential to continue to provide assistance to communities to rebuild their lives after years of displacement, to prevent further displacement taking place."
Since 1991 nearly half of Sierra Leone's population has been displaced due to rebel activities. Many people have been deeply traumatized by the war. The coup in May caused further displacement, but this time from urban to rural areas, putting pressure on communities as they strive to re-establish village life.
ACT seeks to aid farming families, those who fish or cultivate cash crops (such as cocoa, coffee and palm oil), vulnerable people, families and communities rehabilitating their homes and community infrastructure, member churches and people psychologically affected by the war.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
