Manchester Rector goes the extra mile for vulnerable communities

The 70K challenge is about covering 70 kilometres in whatever way you like, in solidarity with millions of people who have to walk long distances for clean water or to sell their produce.

Forty-nine-year-old Revd Azariah said: “Every year, during Christian Aid Week, people across Britain and Ireland raise funds, act and pray for their global neighbours in a celebration of hope for a fairer world.

“I’m doing 70k in May by walking, cycling, perhaps even the odd short burst of jogging, within and around the parish boundaries. I want to meet people in schools, businesses, restaurants, shops and parks to let them know that their parish within which they work, rest, and play is representing them within the world. I hope to raise awareness of the impact of the ravishing of climate, and lower my aversion to regular exercise.”

Money raised during Christian Aid Week will help the organisation’s partners empower vulnerable communities to find practical and sustainable ways out of poverty.

This year’s appeal - from May 11-17 - is focussing on work in Guatemala, in Central America, where climate change is causing the seasons to intensify and shift erratically. As a result, farming communities have to battle severe floods and, more recently, ferocious heatwaves. Water sources are drying up and vital crops are failing, plunging farming families into hunger and poverty.

Amelia is 24 and a mother of two from the Alta Verapaz region. She said the situation is very worrying:“In the past three years, we have been experiencing high heat and a lack of rain. One of the biggest issues is the lack of water…My plantations have been dying… and there is no food for my family.”

Despite the challenges families are facing, the unstoppable power of hope drives people to look for ways to push back.

Christian Aid has been working with organisations like, Coordinación de ONG y Cooperativas, to offer training and tools so farmers can diversify and grow more resilient crops, build water recycling systems using household items, and create organic fertiliser. They are also supported with selling produce locally and campaigning for their rights against land grabs by industrial plantations.

When Amelia discovered these initiatives, she put herself forward as a community representative, attending training sessions and bringing the learning back, to train other women in her community. She also raises awareness about the environment, discouraging people from littering, and encouraging people not to sell their land.

To support Revd Azariah please visit his fundraising page AscensionAnswers - Christian Aid Fundraise and to find out more about projects like these and how to get involved, go to www.christianaid.org.uk.