28.09.2016
Share the Load, Lighten the Darkness, Feel the Heat – Parishioner’s Campaign to Support Christian Aid
A Killiney parishioner has come up with a novel idea to help raise awareness and funds for Christian Aid. Utilising freely available twigs and wine boxes with a Christian Aid label attached, David Millar of Holy Trinity, Killiney, is hoping to spread the word about the important work of Christian Aid and also raise money. The initiative was launched in his own parish on Sunday but David hopes his idea can spread far and wide as a way of ‘sharing the load’ with those who struggle.
Inspired by Loko’s story, which was highlighted in a Christian Aid campaign two years ago (http://www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/christianaidweek/lokos-story/#woman), David has come up with a way to connect our lives with the lives of people who struggle to make a living. Loko walked for miles every day, facing much danger collecting firewood to sell so she could feed her family.
In the winter many people here buy kindling which is freely available in people’s gardens or in the hedgerows nearby. David suggests gathering the kindling and putting it in wine cartons (six to 12 bottle boxes are best, he says, and wine merchants are delighted to get rid of them) with a specially designed label affixed. The boxes of kindling are not for sale but a donation to Christian Aid is encouraged and the label raises awareness of the charity. This project is something that every parish could do for Christian Aid without incurring cost and it could also be adopted by youth groups and eco groups, he says.
Speaking at the launch, David recalled Peter Byrne visiting the parish two years ago with a 15kg load of wood. Having worked in Africa, he recalled the women collecting wood and this sparked an idea. “We want to get more and more people collecting and distributing boxes of kindling. We hope that this could spread to other parishes so we can lighten the darkness, feel the heat and share the load, as it says on the label,” he commented.
Peter Byrne of Christian Aid said that since the Christian Aid campaign, Loko has become part of a project and has received one cow and two goats which have transformed her life. She no longer has to walk for eight hours a day to collect fire wood. The project has given her life and hope, she says.
He paid tribute to David for reflecting on Loko’s story and coming up with a plan of action. “He has connected something from Loko’s world and ours and he has picked up on some of the current and pertinent themes such as desertification, climate change and ethical consumerism,” he commented.
The Rector, Canon Niall Sloane, also commended the initiative and urged parishioners to take a box home and be reminded of those who struggle each day.
Photo captions:
Top – Canon Niall Sloane, David Millar and Peter Byrne.
Bottom – The wine boxes filled with kindling.