All The World (April 2012)

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passing on

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EMERGENCY SERVICES

PAKISTAN – assistance for all people

AFRICA drought – long-term change

High drama in PHILIPPINES floods

New EMERGENCY SERVICES map

SPECIAL ISSUE

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APRIL–JUNE 2012

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03 UPFRONTFrom the Editor

04 JAPANEarthquake and tsunami response

06 HOME�AND�AWAYReflections from here and there

08 TRAININGIncreasing capacity

10 FACTFILEVital statistics

11 PAKISTANWithout discrimination

12 IN�THE�PICTUREImages of disaster relief

14 FOCUS�ON�...Emergency Services

17 THE�PHILIPPINESEscaping a flash flood

19 NEW�ZEALANDIn for the long-haul

20 AFRICA�DROUGHTLong-term benefits

22 SNAPSHOTSEmergency relief news from around the world

EMERGENCY SERVICES SPECIAL ISSUE

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FR

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Kevin Sims, editor

F r o M T h e e d i T o r

ediTor Kevin Sims

deSiGn And ArTWorK Berni Georges

ediToriAL oFFiCe

The Salvation Army international headquarters

101 Queen Victoria Street

London eC4V 4eh, United Kingdom

Tel: [44] (0)20 7332 0101; fax: [44] (0)20 7332 8079

email: [email protected]

FoUnder William Booth

GenerAL Linda Bond

ediTor-in-ChieF Lieut-Colonel Laurie robertson

Published by Linda Bond,

General of The Salvation Army

Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd

© The General of

The Salvation Army 2012

What’s in a phrase?

THERE’S a well-known advertisingcampaign in the UK that appeals to mystraight-forward simplicity (my wifewould agree that I’m not always great atpicking up on subtlety!). The campaign isfor a range of do-it-yourself paints andother products, each of which,apparently ‘does what it says on the tin’.For instance, asks one advert, do youneed two-year waterproofing for yourfence? Then look out for the tin with alabel that says: ‘Two-year FenceWaterproofing’! Hence: ‘It does what itsays on the tin’. The idea is simple but effective.

The Salvation Army has had manycatchphrases through the years. ‘Heart toGod, hand to man’, ‘Doing the mostgood’, ‘For God’s sake, care’ and ‘Soup,Soap and Salvation’ are familiar phrasesto many. Others have tried toencapsulate the Army as, for instance,‘Christianity with its sleeves rolled up’.General John Gowans, a notedwordsmith who was the Army’sinternational leader from 1999-2002,summed up the movement’s mission as‘Saving souls, growing saints, servingsuffering humanity’.

These are all good but, as much asanything, they highlight the difficulty insumming up the work of a movementthat is a church to more than a millionpeople while to others it is thought ofprincipally as a charity, a provider ofsocial services or an emergencyresponse agency.

This issue of All the World focuses onthe emergency response aspect – and yeton every occasion the other areas ofSalvation Army service are never faraway. In at least three countries where

The Salvation Army responded to adisaster there are now congregations anda wider ministry.

Colonel Marguerite Ward writes aboutSalvation Army emergency work inPakistan that has opened doors to otherareas of service. Many of the peoplewho have been trained by The SalvationArmy’s International Emergency Servicesspend their everyday lives in varied areasof the Army’s work.

When General Linda Bond launchedThe Salvation Army’s International Vision– One Army, One Mission, One Message– in October 2011, she made thischallenge to corps (churches), socialservice centres and headquarterseverywhere: ‘If there is a SalvationArmy shield on your building, youdo all the mission!’

You could take this a stagefurther and say: ‘If you wear auniform, if you have a red shieldon your clothing, if youassociate yourself with TheSalvation Army, you do all themission.’

The ‘salvation’ in SalvationArmy is usually thought of as aproclamation of the salvationfrom sin that can be claimed

through Jesus Christ. The word salvationcan also, of course, denote saving in awider sense.

This issue of All the World showspeople who, through Salvation Armyemergency responses, have receivedsalvation by being saved from floods,saved from famine or even saved from afeeling of hopelessness. To them, a redshield with the words ‘The SalvationArmy’ – or whatever it is in the locallanguage – is linked with safety, trust and hope.

The Salvation Army – it does what itsays on the shield.

‘The Salvation

Army has

had many

catchphrases

through the

years’

4 | ALL THE WORLD | APRIL–JUNE 2012

J A PAN

THE building was swaying andsome of the staff couldn’t standstill, so they sat down on thefloor.’ Commissioner Makoto

Yoshida, The Salvation Army’s TerritorialCommander in Japan, is describing thescene at the movement’s territorialheadquarters in Tokyo on 11 March 2011.‘Then the tsunami was being televised,and we watched it. We couldn’t believe it– it was just like a film. But it was real. Weimmediately thought we had to dosomething.’

Since that moment, The Salvation Armyhas been helping people whose lives weredevastated by the disaster. It is estimatedthat 20,000 people were kil led.Thousands remain missing.

The Salvation Army’s response grewinto a major operation but it began in asmall way after tremors had halted publictransport in Tokyo.

‘Commuters had lost their way ofgetting home,’ recalls the commissioner.‘They were sort of refugees ... so weopened the hall in our building andinvited them in. About 150 people camein and we cared for them.’

In northern Japan many towns andvillages were swept away by the tsunami.The commissioner says: ‘The inhabitantslost everything. They were brought intoshelters, normally the community centreor a school. The Salvation Army went to those centres to feed them ... Peoplereally appreciated the hot meals we could provide.

‘We took food to different places everyweek for about four months after thedisaster and distributed more than 10,000meals.’

As it was meeting the need for food,The Salvation Army considered otherways it could help.

‘Some schools lost their teachingmaterials, so we provided notebooks andstationery to schoolchildren,’ reports the

commissioner. ‘And when summer cameand the weather grew hot, we providedfans in a number of the shelters.’

Along the coast, the tsunami haddevastated the fishing industry so TheSalvation Army looked for ways of helping.

The commissioner explains: ‘Our fooddistribution brought us into contact witha member of the fishermen’s union.Through him we discovered a number ofneeds that required addressing. Forinstance, the tsunami had filled the seawith rubbish which needed to be cleared.The fishermen had also lost their workingclothes. At first they were not sure if wewould be able to help, because theamount of money required was 10 millionyen [US$120,000].

‘When we said we could help, amember of the union came to Tokyo to saythank you – but he later confessed that healso came to find out if we were for real!After that, we established a goodrelationship with the fishermen. Theystarted to tell us about their need for boatsand other equipment, and we tried to help them.’

The Salvation Army has adapted itsresponse to people’s changing needs.Commissioner Yoshida sees anotherchallenge to be met: ‘In the initial stage,

Philip Halcrow is Deputy Editor of The War Cry,

published by The Salvation Army’s United

Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland.

The full version of his article was first published

in The War Cry.‘It is estimated that 20,000 people were killed’

Adapting tochanging needs

by Philip Halcrow

people needed material help; now theneeds of their hearts must be met.

‘Most of the people are not Christians,so it is not always easy to speak aboutGod and the Bible. We have just tried todo what Jesus did, and they are coming toask us for spiritual support. We are nowtrying to work out how we can makeourselves available so they can easilycome to us for spiritual help.’

The commissioner describes howpeople have shown their appreciation.One relief worker finds himselfsurrounded by people saying thank youwhen he visits an area. A Salvation Armystaff member who had been purchasingrelief materials received an invitation tothe shopkeeper’s wedding.

The shopkeeper said that The SalvationArmy’s work had changed his outlook on life.

Above: a building that was knocked overby the force of the tsunami


J A PAN

ON the northern coast of Japanare large stretches of waste-land where entire towns werewashed away by the tsunami

of March 2011. What can also be foundare people eager to rebuild their communities and reclaim their lives.

In collaboration with The SalvationArmy’s Japan Territory and InternationalEmergency Services, SAWSO (the USA-based Salvation Army World ServiceOffice) has been overseeing fundsdonated to The Salvation Army in the USAto support several projects that arerebuilding both lives and livelihoods inthe coastal towns of Ofunato, Onagawa,Kesennuma and Minamisanriku.

The Salvation Army in Japan was quickto respond to the disaster with food andother emergency supplies. Because of thisspeedy and effective response, localgovernment and business leaders asked usto help them develop temporary shoppingcentres. The thinking was that this was aneffective way to restart local businesses,provide jobs and give local citizens aplace to shop for daily needs.

Rebuildinglives and

livelihoods

Shops in Minamisanriku and Ofunatohave now been completed, and in AprilThe Salvation Army’s USA nationalleaders Commissioners William andNancy Roberts will take up an invitationfrom Japan to attend the openingceremony of the Onagawa shops.

On my last visit to Japan I was able tovisit the completed Ofunato shops alongwith Captain Kazuyuki Ishikawa and wewere thrilled to discover that NHK (aleading Japanese TV network) was there,filming one of its most popular shows, A Toast to Family.

The show was interviewing shopkeepersabout how they were rebuilding their lives andthey even interviewed us about The SalvationArmy’s work to make theshopping centre a reality.

These shopping centresare more than just placesof commerce, they arealso signs of hope for areturn to normal life. Theshops in Minamisanrikuinclude a space to hostcommunity events andfestivals, and they evenhave plans to build a memorial for the disasterthat will honour thosewho lost their lives. Thememorial will also bring

in groups from other parts of Japan whowant to help rebuild these hard-hit communities.

It is clear that The Salvation Army isbuilding lasting relationships in theseplaces. The leader of the KesennumaFisherman’s Union had tears in his eyeswhen The Salvation Army offered toreplace some of the equipment that hadbeen washed out to sea.

He said that no other representativeshad been to visit him or his co-workersand that their spirits were very low. TheSalvation Army is now giving them hopeand the tools to rebuild. These activitiesare opening the doors for numerousministry opportunities, including workamong the displaced citizens of localcommunities.

Recently, The Salvation Army was askedto help provide psychosocial support tochildren traumatised by the disaster andto elderly citizens who do not have familywho can help care for them.

Throughout the next years, as familiesand communities rebuild their lives, TheSalvation Army will be there to help themeach step of the way.

by Brian Swarts

‘It is clear that The Salvation Army

is building lasting relationships

in these places’changing needs

Top right: preparing meals for distribution; below: bicyles suppliedby The Salvation Army at a time when petrol was difficult to obtain

Brian Swarts is Technical Advisor at The Salvation

Army World Service Office (SAWSO) in the USA


COUNT RY � O R �T H EM EHOM E �AND �AWAY

MAJOR COMFORT ADEPOJUNIGERIA TERRITORy

A SERIES LOOKING AT THE THOUGHTS AND ExPERIENCES OF

PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE SALvATION ARMy IN THEIR COUNTRy

OF BIRTH AND OTHERS GIvING SERvICE ABROAD

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am the Home/Health Officer in the officer training

college, Nigeria, and Territorial Coordinator of Emergency

Disaster Management Services. I also lecture on

emergency disaster management at the training college.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I met the Salvation Army through my husband, Gabriel. At

that time he was single and I belonged to another

Christian denomination. He gave me a book by Catherine

Booth, who is known as the Army Mother. When I had

read the book Gabriel asked if I wanted to be like

Catherine.

Two years later I became a Salvationist and another two

years on I entered training to become a Salvation Army

officer – after which we got married!

Gabriel is now the Training Principal in Nigeria.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

Catherine Booth, the first woman I read about whose life

actually motivated me.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me’ (Isaiah 61:1

Authorised Version).

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ (Song No 33).

How do you think The Salvation Army in Nigeria

differs from the rest of the world?

Not much, but we are passionate about uniform-wearing,

as the Army used to be elsewhere.

What particular challenges does The Salvation

Army face in Nigeria?

In such a large country as Nigeria, with its enormous

population, tribalism has been and continues to be a

challenge. This can produce a lack of coordinated vision

– even within The Salvation Army! In my role as a training

college officer I also see challenges in adequately training

officer-cadets to be strong enough to seek God’s ways

before those that owe more to culture and traditionalism.

The same goes for evangelistic strategies that are not

appropriate for the 21st century.

What do you like most about Nigeria?

Cultural diversity and favourable weather.

If you were elected General, what would be

the first thing you would change?

Our evangelistic approach. I feel there must be something

wrong with our strategy. For instance, Nigeria has a

population of more than 150 million people, of which 80

million are Christians. The Salvation Army was one of the

earliest Christian denominations in Nigeria but it does not

even have 100,000 soldiers while some newly emerging

churches have memberships in the millions.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army

anywhere else, where would you choose?

Anywhere God can be found.

Why should The Salvation Army be involved in

emergency relief work?

Because the Army cares. It is said: ‘A hungry man is an angry

man’ – when we care for people they can be persuaded to

ask: ‘Why do you care?’ This inevitably opens dialogue which

can lead to salvation. I like the principles which our Founder,

William Booth, held to: ‘Soup, Soap and Salvation’.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Training experience from working with The Salvation Army’s

International Emergency Services and other experiences

gathered in the course of practice and through my profession

as a nurse.

What skills do you have that you would like the

opportunity to use more?

Servant leadership by example.

How would you like to be remembered?

As someone who cares for all without discrimination.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

A lot! To start with, the care it offers to everyone in need. The

doctrines of the Army, if well interpreted and adhered to, offer

everything Heaven offers and everything that promotes peace

here on earth.

Left: Major ComfortAdepoju visits

a school during her time working with international

emergency Services

&AW

AY

&AWAYAPRIL–JUNE 2012 | ALL THE WORLD | 7

INDONESIA TERRITORy(ORIGINALLy FROM CANADA)

MAJOR WILLIAM BARTHAU

&AW

AY

Ò

& awayWhat is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am Territorial Project Officer for The Salvation Army’s

Indonesia Territory

What would be your typical day?

Dealing with projects, sending emails, observing, making visits to

sites, meeting and networking with individuals and groups of

people, obtaining further information, liaising with support staff and

personnel, working on possibilities and helping others to dream

the possible along with helping to put in place the process

for success!

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

My first contact came when I was in my mid-20s at Jackson’s

Point Corps (church) in Canada. I was looking for a place to

worship. The Salvation Army has fulfilled that role ever since.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

The Old Testament prophet, Nehemiah. He had faith, a vision,

commitment to the task and knew when to have trust in others.

His approach was a blend of observation, listening, reflection,

painting the picture of possibilities, working with others and

leadership as required.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

‘Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to

take’ (Proverbs 3:6 New Living Translation).

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

I find ‘God of Concrete, God of Steel’ (No 30) interesting because

of my education in mechanical engineering technology!

How do you think The Salvation Army in Indonesia differs

from the rest of the world?

The integrated mission expression and the commitment to living

out the Christian life in a Muslim-dominated society.

What particular challenges does The Salvation Army face in

Indonesia?

Limited resources, which causes particular difficulties in a country

of many islands, with travel and communication challenges. It can

be difficult to upgrade leadership skills while ministering in a

country with a predominantly Muslim culture.

What do you miss most about your home country?

Family – our children (this is the first appointment where we have

left our children behind), Tim Horton’s restaurant and English as

the main language.

What do you like most about Indonesia?

Culture, the people and no winter snow. I also enjoy living on the

territorial headquarters compound, with very few steps from our

flat to my office desk!

If you were elected General, what would be the first

thing you would change?

I will leave that suggestion of change for others to decide since

a great amount of latitude already exists for The Salvation

Army’s officers and members.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army

anywhere else, where would you choose and why?

Africa – having served there for 11 years.

Why should The Salvation Army be involved in

emergency relief work?

Its knowledge, skill and awareness, along with its ability to

assist at the grass roots level, adapting to the local situation.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Technical understanding, human resources, facilitating thought,

programme/project development and management.

What skills do you have that you would like the

opportunity to use more?

Practical, technical skills like woodworking or construction

which I gained in my education as a mechanical

engineering technologist.

How would you like to be remembered?

As one who supported and encouraged others to make the

world a better place.

Major William Barthau in a Salvation Army hall in indonesia (top) and distributing relief supplies


T R A I N I NG

THE Salvation Army is mandatedby mission to assist individuals incrisis. More often than not, thatmandate expands outward to

include assisting communities in crisis aswell. In the midst of large-scale suffering,it is often The Salvation Army’s localpresence that is immediately called uponto fill the service gaps. Our frontlinepersonnel and networks can secure on-the-ground intelligence to formassessments and decisions to procureresources, whether for immediateemergency aid or long-term communitydevelopment. It is always our frontlinepersonnel who understand their localcommunities, culture and customs best.

Training or continuing education areessential. In austere times, which alwaysbring one back to basics, trainingbecomes critical – how does one performunder difficult conditions?

In today’s information age, knowledgeis abundant, and abundantly accessible.It can easily be suggested that all trainingshould be conducted on the worldwideweb where self-study courses andwebinars, as productive as they may be,seem to multiply daily.

But remembering, understanding, andapplying knowledge is just one level oflearning. If left to stand on its own, thatlevel is difficult to retain. The ability toanalyse, evaluate and recreate is yetanother level of learning, and one that ismost productive when taught in contextof one’s own community and personalexperience. It is that visceral connectionthat brings the learning home and – inshort – results in one’s ability to plan.

In tandem, training and planning

should propel an on-going process asopposed to a finished product with anexpiration date. This process shouldbecome a specialised tool – if not aspiritual gift – that should be storedprominently on every emergency servicestool bench.

Training must unfold a plan woventogether by strategy.

Building local capacity is certainly nota new phrase – nor is it unique to TheSalvation Army – but it is applicable, as issustainable resource management. Doesbuilding our ‘muscle’ to serve individualsin crisis on a daily basis allow us to flexthat conditioned muscle to better servecommunities in crisis? If a soup kitchen

can provide a daily meal for 100individuals in need, can it also rampup to distribute 1,000 meals per dayfor a community in need?

Can we analyse and evaluate thecomponent parts of daily service forindividuals in order to synthesise thosediverse elements into a new emergencystructure that can assist communities? Andare we so informed that it can beaccomplished quickly, without needlesseffort or confusion?

Global relief work requires a broadunderstanding of the internationalemergency services ‘industry’ – anindustry that speaks a jargon regardingperformance standards (The SphereProject), code of conduct, life withdignity, and respect for local culture andcustom. And, like all industries, it requiresa working knowledge of the active playerswith whom it comes in contact.

The Salvation Army’s InternationalEmergency Services has the expertise as well as access to experiencedinternational workers who can be calledupon to come into any territory at anytime to advise or consult. Equallyimportant, it has the ability to train localcommunities to understand their fullcapacity from an emergency servicesperspective.

Exercise today what we will be askedto do tomorrow – this is soundstewardship in austere times.

Sound stewardshipby John Berglund

‘Training must unfold a plan

woven together by strategy’

disaster managementtraining in (top) indiaand (right) México

John Berglund is Director of Emergency

Services in the Greater New york Division of

The Salvation Army’s USA Eastern Territory


T R A I N I NG

CONDUCTING training coursesis nothing new for InternationalEmergency Services (IES). Since2004 it has facilitated almost

40 PREPARE courses all over the world.The main focus of these courses is to

prepare Salvation Army personnel torespond to disasters in their territories orcommands quickly – appropriate to thelocal context and capacity. There is anemphasis on the importance of adheringto internationally accepted codes ofconduct. The minimum standards ofhumanitarian aid are made clear anddelegates are encouraged to coordinatetheir efforts with other stakeholders.

While the topics of mitigation andpreparedness are usually touched upon inPREPARE training, it was felt that thisdidn’t address the question of howcommunities could prepare themselves.

It was realised that this was a topic thatwas relevant for both IES and colleaguesin International Projects andDevelopment Services (IPDS). Disastersaffect people and cause loss of life,property and livelihoods. Sustainabledevelopment on a community level needsto address these issues so the communitycan be prepared for the worst.

During the past few years muchdiscussion has taken place between IESand IPDS about the need to work at grass-roots level when it comes to preparedness– assisting communities to become moredisaster-resilient. Meetings also took placewith other organisations already involvedin these kinds of activities and literaturewas consulted to learn from experts in this field.

Ready, willing

and able

One of the outcomes from theseexperiences was a zonal meeting fordelegates from across The SalvationArmy’s South Asia Zone. Project and/oremergency officers and the programmesecretary from The Salvation Army’sIndian territories, Pakistan and Bangladesh– all disaster-prone regions – met inKathmandu, Nepal, to share ideas,experiences and plans.

The Salvation Army only started inNepal in 2009 and is therefore still fairlysmall. For visitors and the local SalvationArmy it was a privilege to be able to conduct the meeting in such a special location.

Guest speakers from EFICOR (an Indiannon-governmental organisation whichpartners with Tearfund) and Habitat forHumanity gave some valuable inputabout how community-based disasterpreparedness projects are carried out intheir organisations and how theseactivities could happen in partnershipwith other groups.

In Bangladesh, The Salvation Army ispartnering with Tearfund to run such a project in 10 communities. Therepresentatives from Bangladesh sharedtheir experiences and challenges, and alsospoke about the planned next steps.

Delegates looked at biblical principlesof preparedness and did a stakeholderanalysis, which sought to work out who isinvolved in communities and how TheSalvation Army can network with them.

Mapping exercises helped to identifythe areas of risks in the delegates’respective territories and also highlighted

the areas where The Salvation Army hasstrengths – especially where there areexisting community projects, self-helpgroups or corps (churches). Comparingthese two maps they identified locationsthat could offer opportunities forcommunity-based disaster preparednessactivities.

On the last day the delegates from eachterritory spent time on a presentation fortheir leadership.

This zonal meeting was a pilot, but thedelegates and organisers felt that it went well. All delegates participatedenthusiastically and the four days clearlyraised awareness of the issue.

This is just the beginning of the Army’sinvolvement with community-baseddisaster preparedness; there is still muchto learn. But together we have made a firststep towards understanding how TheSalvation Army can assist communities tobecome more resilient.

‘Disasters affect people

and cause loss of life,

property and livelihoods’

Above and top: emergency response trainingworkshops in nepal

Zonal gathering harnesses community strengths


FA

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Salvation Army work in

Bangladesh began in 1971

after an emergency response

to a cyclone the previous year

The plate shown belowis attached to every boat

provided by The Salvation Army to Japanese fishermen who lost everythingin the 2011 tsunami. Captain Kazuyukiishikawa, who is overseeing the boat

provision programme, says that – given theexpected lifetime of the boats – the

information about The Salvation Army’sassistance to the fishing community will be seen in harbours along the coast for

‘30 to 40 years’. The plate is also attached to other items, including a fork-lift truck!

Australia Eastern Territory; Australia Southern Territory;

Brazil Territory; Canada and Bermuda Territory;

Denmark Territory; Eastern Europe Territory; Finland and

Estonia Territory; France and Belgium Territory; Germany

and Lithuania Territory; Hong Kong and Macau Command;

India Central Territory; India Eastern Territory, Indonesia

Territory; Italy and Greece Command; Japan Territory;

Korea Territory; Latin America North Territory; Malawi

Territory; Mexico Territory; The Netherlands and Czech

Republic Territory; New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory;

Nigeria Territory; Norway, Iceland and The Faeroes

Territory; Pakistan Territory; Portugal Command; Salvation

Army World Service Office (including funding from USA

Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Territories);

Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Territory; South

America East Territory; Southern Africa Territory; Spain

Command; Sweden and Latvia Territory; Switzerland,

Austria and Hungary Territory; Taiwan Region;

United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland

THE SALvATION ARMy is hugely grateful for the generous supportit receives from the public and from fund-raising agencies around the

world. What is perhaps less well known is the funding that is madeavailable for emergency relief work through various parts of The Salvation

Army itself, including some countries or areas that would perhaps be expected to needevery last dollar (or pound, euro ...) to fund their own work.

SALvATION ARMy DONORS TOINTERNATIONAL EMERGENCySERvICES FROM 2010-11

There was no Salvation Army presence in Rwanda until a

relief operation began in Kayenzi Commune in September

1994. The following year officers were appointed to

develop corps (church) and mission work. Today there are

more than 1,000 Salvation Army soldiers in the country.

When – for security reasons

– the oversight of Salvation

Army emergency relief work

in Iraq moved over the

border to Kuwait, it had

long-term benefits. It

became clear that many

Indian Salvationists (and

some from other Asian

countries) were working in

Kuwait. After further

investigation, Salvation Army

officers were appointed to

Kuwait in August 2008.

Projects coordinated

through International

Emergency Services from

2007-2011: 256

PREPARE training courses

run since 2004: 37


PA K I S TAN

WHEN disaster strikes, itoften impacts those whohave the least capacity to deal with it. This is

certainly evident in Pakistan. Since 2008,we have experienced an earthquake nearQuetta, large groups of people beingdisplaced or loss of life caused by militaryaction, rioting or communal violence andthe floods of 2010 and 2011.

The Salvation Army’s response to thefloods represented a new philosophy inregards to the inevitable disasters that wecan expect in this territory. At a ForwardPlanning session in June 2010, theparticipants decided that we shouldanticipate disasters and not just scramblein response when they occur. This wouldrequire developing competent people toassess and provide services whenemergencies occur and also to work with communities once the initialresponse/emergency is finished.

We would, it was decided, investourselves in the various places in order to help rebuild communities, developrelationships and remain with the peopleafter a response was complete.

Little did we realise that, one monthlater, we would experience the great floodof 2010 that consumed almost one-thirdof the total land mass of Pakistan, resultingin 2,000 deaths and displacing more than20 million Pakistanis.

The flood coincided with a heavymonsoon season in the country,intensifying the damage and misery. Thedemand for The Salvation Army’s servicescreated a situation that required muchsoul-searching and discussion.

Christians constitute only two per centof the total population of 170 millionpeople in Pakistan. Subsequently, mostlyMuslims were affected by the flooding.

Where the needis greatest

We received generous offers of fundingfrom the international community. As aterritory, we had to decide where and howthis aid money would be spent. Thedecisions were not easy ones.

We were pressured to considerfocusing on supporting Christians first – asa forgotten community. The monsooncaused considerable damage andsuffering, but not to the extent of thosewho had lost everything in the flood –livestock, homes, possessions, crops andeven family members.

We agreed to work with the floodvictims irrespective of their religion. Thiswas done for several reasons: 1. Being consistent with donor

expectations;2. Our mission is to serve suffering

humanity and love them in the name of Christ, without considering their social status or faith;

3. We serve where the need is greatest, where possible;

4. We worked with the communities and their leaders in determining the type of aid required and the beneficiaries;

5. We would continue to build on thesenew relationships into the future.

The decision we made has already hadits impact and reaped tangible benefits.We were able to use the opportunities toexplain what The Salvation Army was andwhy we were there. We would offer

to pray with the community during each encounter.

Invariably the people respondedpositively and joined us in their ‘Amens’.The Muslims we came into contact withhave been very appreciative andfrequently ask: ‘Why would you care forus?’ They now see The Salvation Army asa friend and valuable asset to theircommunities.

How long will it be before our nextearthquake, flood or man-made disaster?Who knows?

In the meantime we are able totransform emergencies in this country intoopportunities to serve our people and ourLord in a new and lasting way.

by Colonel Marguerite Ward

‘We agreed to work with the flood

victims irrespective of their religion’

Above: distributing food and other essentials;below: local people help to unload relief supplies

Colonel Marguerite Ward is Territorial President

of Women’s Ministries in The Salvation Army’s

Pakistan Territory


I N �T H E � P I C T U R E

BoLiViA: a Salvation Army team memberwades his way through flooded streets

nePAL: delegates to aSalvation Army disasterpreparedness workshopshare a lighter moment

hAiTi: a baby born at aSalvation Army field clinic

deMoCrATiC rePUBLiC oF ConGo: a celebratorycrowd gathers in front of thenew Salvation Army outpostin Kinigi. The outpost openedafter The Salvation Armyimplemented projects forpeople who had returned totheir community having fledfighting in previous years.

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roMAniA: officers and Salvationists fromiasi travelled across northern romania toprovide help after floods destroyed 520homes in dorohoi. The woman shown beinggiven food and other essentials had losteverything in the floods – even the bootsshe is wearing were donated by apoliceman. She had to line them withnewspaper to stop them falling off.

Ph

oto

by Y

ve

s M

on

tob

an


I N �T H E � P I C T U R E

Sri LAnKA: this dramaticphotograph shows a communitymember workingwith The SalvationArmy to clean debrisand foul water froma well that had beencompromised duringflooding

KenYA: this brightly-dressed woman inTurkana came to collectwater that TheSalvation Army wasdistributing. She askeda team member if hewould take her photoand, as he readied hiscamera, she pulled outa mobile phone fromher clothes!

indiA: this letter ofthanks was sent to theleadership of TheSalvation Army’s indianorthern Territory by acommunity that hadbeen helped to recoverfrom floods. The letterwas signed by severalcommunity membersand, if that were notenough, theypersonalised themessage further byincluding theirthumbprints.

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IAM sitting on a veranda outside myguest house in a small village inMalawi. To anyone looking on, itwould seem that life is good! I pickup a cool bottle of cola, lean back

and study the Milky Way, trying torecognise some of the stars I know. Thenight is dark and the conditions areclear, so I can see the heavens above.

I’m comfortable because the eveningis warm enough for me to be sitting inshirtsleeves but pleasantly coolcompared to the stifling hot day that hasbeen. It is good to sit back and relaxafter what has been a busy day.

All is well ... but then the mosquitoes– loaded with a dose of malaria anditchy bites – arrive. At this point Iremember that I am drinking colabecause it is safe whereas the waterfrom the tap is not. Reality –accompanied by its buzzing minions – bites!

Within walking distance of where I sitare hundreds of families who have beenforced from their homes. They have noform of shelter for the night so theysleep under the same stars I have beenwatching. At least they will not be coldovernight.

I am on deployment for The SalvationArmy’s International EmergencyServices. This night is not all thatunusual for me when I am away fromhome, visiting a disaster zone. Thecomforts of home are a long way awaybut I am still far better off than most ofthe people I am surrounded by. I willhave a bed of some sort tonight and thelocals make sure I have enough safewater or soft drinks. The food is notalways what I would like but I amgrateful for something to eat.

The Salvation Army’s InternationalHeadquarters (IHQ) has had peopleperforming my coordinating role formore than 17 years. TheArmy round the world hasbeen helping people in crisissince its beginning nearly147 years ago, but the

defined role of the Army in theinternational scene of emergencyservices is relatively new.

The role as it exists today began whenThe Salvation Army was asked to helpin the Rwanda refugee crisis in 1994.The Salvation Army in neighbouringcountries was overwhelmed with thetask at hand and asked IHQ for help.This was put into action and the section had its beginnings.

The responses required are amazingin their variety. We have been involvedin food distributions in camps, refugeecentres, schools and individual homes.

We have bought fishing boats in anumber of countries, bedding materialsfor thousands of families, heaters andcooking equipment for families whohave lost their own. We have builthouses for those who are mostvulnerable and supplied sheltermaterials for families to build their own– varying from tarpaulins to tents towooden temporary dwellings orpermanent homes.

We have built fences, bought icecream machines for self-help groups,and paid people cash for work tosustain their families in very difficult

by Major Drew Ruthven

A ministry of hope

F��CUS�ON EMERGENCY�SERVICES

‘The comforts of home are a long way away but I am still

far better off than most of the people I am surrounded by’



situations. Recently we have builttemporary shopping facilities forcommunities that have been destroyedand need to have their own shops backin place.

From supplying goods and equipmentto offering medical, emotional or spiritual help, International EmergencyServices has been trying to respond asbest it can in these desperate situations.

So why does The Salvation Army do this?

Some feel it should be a role forsecular humanitarian workers. Otherspoint to the increasing number oforganisations helping in disaster areas.I’ve heard the argument that, as themoney donated round the world forthese emergency responses seems to beincreasing year by year, the disaster

response field is getting more and morecomplicated and professional, so whydoes The Salvation Army work in thistime of crisis and chaos? Can’t it be leftto other groups?

I would suggest that Christians arecalled to be active in any community –particularly when it is suffering.

The Salvation Army’s threefoldmission imperatives of ‘saving souls,growing saints and serving sufferinghumanity’ – put so succinctly by then-General John Gowans – struck a chordaround the world. So where doesInternational Emergency Services fit inwith this ideal?

It’s obvious that we ‘serve sufferinghumanity’, but I would contend that weare also ‘growing saints’ – saints whohelp us to help others. It’s my

experience that we are also openingdoors for the Army to save souls.

International Emergency Servicesstands on a biblical foundation of Jesus’words: ‘I tell you the truth, whateveryou did for one of the least of thesebrothers of mine, you did for me’(Matthew 25:40 New InternationalVersion 1984).

Our work is a form of ministry topeople God cares for and who we arecalled to be working with.

Historically, The Salvation Army hasworked with all types of people,attending to their physical as well astheir spiritual needs. I love the storyfrom the Army’s early days when themovement’s Founder, William Booth,talked to his son Bramwell about thepeople he had seen living underBlackfriars Bridge in London. Williamfamously challenged Bramwell to ‘goand do something!’

I find myself easily aligningInternational Emergency Services here

‘The comforts of home are a long way away but I am still

far better off than most of the people I am surrounded by’

Left: women in Kenya wait to collect water from aSalvation Army portable bowser; top: Major drewruthven and Captain Stanley Phiri cross acrocodile-infested river in Malawi to reach thelocal divisional headquarters – the only otheroption was a three-and-a-half hour drive; above:emergency services worker damaris Frick speaksto a Kenyan official about the safety of a group ofdisplaced people


F OCU S � ON � . . . � E M E R G ENC Y � S E RV I C E S

INTerNATIoNAl emerGeNcy ServIceS mISSIoN STATemeNT

Moved by compassion and in obedience to the example of Jesus Christ,

the International Emergency Services section of The Salvation Army

provides support, training and resources to respond to the needs of those

affected by emergencies without discrimination.

in London and around the world withWilliam and Bramwell Booth. When webecome aware of people in trouble wego to them, listen to their needs and, ofcourse, we ‘do something’!

One of the tasks of InternationalEmergency Services is to keep up withknowledge standards and trends in thehumanitarian field. As we are involvedwith many other internationalorganisations we need to be aware ofchanges in the accepted approaches todisaster responses.

International Emergency Servicespersonnel train others in disasterresponse and need to know the latestinformation regarding technology,resources and current acceptablestandards in acting to benefit thoseaffected by disasters. The implicationsof being involved in internationalresponses are complex for allconcerned, and The Salvation Army isrequired to adhere to standards thathave been accepted by all major groupswho respond in times of need.

International Emergency Services hasonly three full-time staff in the office atIHQ (including me!). The role of thedepartment is to coordinate responses –on behalf of Salvation Army territoriesor commands – to disasters around theworld. Currently we are monitoringmore than 70 projects.

The task is huge and, of course, sucha small staff cannot track everything andalso be active on the field constantly.

Around the world we have people whohave been trained by InternationalEmergency Services to respond to andmanage disaster situations. We haveconducted almost 40 training coursesaround the world since 2004.

It must be said that the majority ofpeople trained will not be deployedabroad. However, they have gainedcapacity to work and respond in theirown countries.

We cannot do this work alone – thefinancial resources from donors and thepersonnel support from all around theworld enable the work to happen.Disasters in recent years have varied insize and complexity but throughout theworld the people of The Salvation Armyhave responded and helped manythousands of disaster-struck families andindividuals regain dignity in their livingsituations.

Having been on the field a number oftimes, and being involved in organisingthe deployment of a sizeable number ofour trained people, it is easy to see therewards that come with this work. Wedo not receive monetary gains ortangible benefits.

The rewards are many in terms ofseeing people helped to cope withdesperate situations. We gain so muchthrough the satisfaction of bringingsome form of order out of chaos. Morethan anything we are hugely blessed –blessed in being able to be God’speople, bringing hope into the lives ofpeople who may have thought thathope was gone.

Far left: a malnourished childbrought to a clinic in Uganda whichwas given supplies by The SalvationArmy; above: members of theSunday morning congregation in aflood-hit town in The Philippines –complete with wellington boots!;left: emergency service workers inKenya are interviewed about thedrought response

Major Drew Ruthven is Coordinator of the

International Emergency Services team, based

at The Salvation Army’s International

Headquarters in London


T H E � P H I L I P P I N E S

BY definition, flash flooding hitshard and fast. This was particu-larly in evidence when heavyrains caused widespread flooding

in The Philippines in December 2011.More than a million people were affected,with 1,250 known to have been killed.

For Salvation Army officer-coupleCaptains Mark Evan and Aileen Tan, theflash flooding of 16-17 Decemberconcluded in a night of high drama andextreme danger.

Captain Mark remembers: ‘TropicalStorm “Washi”, locally known as

“Sendong”, was not predicted to be toogusty but our local weather agencywarned that it would bring heavy rainfall.

‘On 16 December, the people of theNorthern Mindanao region of ThePhilippines were going about their normalroutines, preparing for the weekend andlooking forward to Christmas. I wasstaying away from my home in Iliganbecause, with two fellow-officers, I wasbusy with Red Shield kettle collections.The mall where we had our kettle washaving a special sale so we wanted tograb the opportunity to carry out acollection among the expected crowds,even though the weather was not good.

‘I spoke to my wife Aileen on the phonemost of the night, talking about ministryopportunities. There was no sign thatthings would take a turn for the worseuntil she texted me to say that the waterwas rising significantly and that it was justabout to enter our home.

‘She began grabbing important thingsand putting them where she thought theywould be safe.

‘People who had lived in Iligan formany years had assured us that the waternever reached higher than waist level butas the floods rose Aileen started to panic.Instead of going outside to find a safeplace she stood on the work surface in thekitchen – almost in the kitchen sink!

‘Aileen was sure that the water wouldnot get any higher. She also wanted toavoid having to swim to safety – especially

‘As the floods rose

Aileen started to panic’

Rising danger

Above: Captain Mark evan Tan with his daughterChloe in the newly cleaned iligan Corps hall; below: Captains Mark and Aileen with Chloe


T H E � P H I L I P P I N E S

as she was eight months pregnant and shewas holding onto our one-year-olddaughter, Chloe!’

It was not long before the situationbecame even more serious.

Captain Mark says: ‘When I called hershe told me that the water was up to herknees, even though she was standing onthe kitchen worktop. Five minutes later itwas up to her waist!

‘I told her to get out and to leave thehouse, but she kept on repeating over andover: “What should I do?”

‘I felt so helpless.‘When the phone line went dead I

began to pray: “Give my wife wisdom inorder for her to know what to do. She’syour minister and I know that if you stillhave plans for her you will save her.”

‘I clung on to God’s promise that hewill never forsake his people and prayedfor faith to believe that he would keep myfamily safe.

‘Immediately I felt God give me a senseof peace.’

Soon after, one of the captain’scolleagues rang with the news he hadbeen praying for – his family was safe.

Only later did he find out howtreacherous the situation had become.

‘The water had almost reached ceilinglevel and during that time Aileen putChloe in the fridge, which amazinglyfloated in front of her, allowing her morefreedom to swim to safety.’

26,000 survivors remain in often-overcrowded evacuation centres inCagayan de Oro and Iligan. An estimated200,000 people are seeking refuge inmakeshift shelters and with host familiesin their areas of origin.

As in many situations, The SalvationArmy had a presence in the area longbefore the disaster, and it will still be thereafter other organisations have moved out.Handing out relief items is one thing butliving in the communities – sharing theirsense of trauma and loss – makes a lasting difference.

Captains Mark and Aileen’s baby, Mark Junior, was born in January 2012.Mother and baby – and sister Chloe –are doing well.

Her first attempt to find somewhere toput Chloe had been less successful – shehad put her in a washing bowl, only todiscover that it had a hole in the bottom!

Some neighbours heard Aileen cryingout for help and bravely put their ownlives at risk to save her and Chloe,although not before more drama as Chloeslipped through the hands of one of therescuers, only to be caught before she fellinto the water.

Captain Mark says: ‘The experience hasnourished my faith in God and made merealise how important my family is to me.

‘This calamity taught me a valuablelesson – to give complete trust to ourtrustworthy Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’

Despite the damage to his own houseand the traumatic experience with hisfamily, Captain Mark took a lead role inthe relief activities that followed.

After consultation with communityleaders and in coordination with the localgovernment, The Salvation Army assistedwith the supply of relief items to remoteareas. Village leaders received vouchersand the government provided transport,helpers and military support for securityand loading.

The Salvation Army organised a team of37 volunteers, mainly students home forthe Christmas holidays. Five thousandfamilies (3,000 in Cagayan, 2,000 inIligan) received relief supplies includingrice, coffee, sugar, noodles, corned beef,

mats, blankets and mosquito nets.More than three months after

the floods the situation is stillhard for many people. About

‘Chloe slipped through the

hands of one of the rescuers’

Above: territorial headquartersofficer Lieut-Colonel Virgilio Meniaon the mud-strewn path outsideiligan Corps; above right: thekitchen (and sink) where CaptainAileen Tan sought refuge from thefloods; right: preparing food fordistribution in Cagayan; far right:food distribution in iligan


N EW � Z E A L AND

AYEAR after earthquakes thattook 185 lives, the residentsof Christchurch, NewZealand, are enduring theuncertainty of the future

with considerable stoicism and patience.The Salvation Army’s earthquakeresponse team of more than 30 dedicatedstaff, along with a citywide network of corps-based Community MinistryCentres, are to the fore in providing helpto the affected and vulnerable in the city.

More than 10,000 homes will bedemolished and not rebuilt, which ishaving a huge impact on families andwhole communities. But through all thisthere is a feeling that, while life will neverbe the same as before the quakes, there isan opportunity to create something newand better.

Understandably, a number of peopleand families have left Christchurch. Thestress of the on-going shakes and theuncertainty about when they might stop,the need to find work and housing, andsecuring a future for families have allbeen catalysts. Others stay. Some havelittle option as Christchurch is their home,their extended families and supportgroups are here, they have too much tiedup in their houses or businesses to be ableto leave. Some choose to stay as they wantto be part of the rebuild of the city.

The major areas of concern for me arethe children and the elderly. Both groupsare vulnerable. I fear that, for the children,the earthquake trauma will have anegative impact on their development formany years to come. We are countering

by Bruce Coffey

this by having Salvation Army staff workin 15 severely affected primary schools inlow socio-economic areas. They supportthe teachers, children and families with abit of fun and joy, through activities likeoutdoor ventures, having a school fun dayor providing a barbecue lunch.

The major concern for older citizens isof them becoming increasingly isolated astheir neighbourhoods are cleared offriends, community networks and supportservices. We are worried that some indamaged homes will still not have madealternative accommodation arrangementsby the time the bulldozers arrive.

Should this happen we want them tothink of The Salvation Army as their firstline of support so our community vanoutreach teams are making regular visitsto the worst-affected areas. We havecompleted a letter box drop with leafletsthat identify team members by name andadvise when the vans will be in the areaso people can visit us ‘for a cup of tea anda chat’. A dedicated website for thecommunity outreach has also beencreated – www.salliescarevans.org.nz

The specific needs of individuals arecontinuing to be met by a team of sixdedicated social workers, a pastoral care

team and through the full range ofservices available from theCommunity Ministry Centres. TheArmy’s work is greatly appreciatedjudging by the words of thanks frommany at the recent first-anniversary

memorial service, at which more than10,000 bottles of water were given out.

It is humbling and a privilege to be ableto minister to people. We thank God forthe tasks he has entrusted to us. We aremoved when we hear of the tears of joy ofa mother who needed to relocate out ofthe city because of the negative impactthe shakes were having on her eight- and15-year-old children – bed-wetting, fear,verbal abuse, poor school performance.She says that it all changed once theyarrived in their new home.

The 18 months since the first majorquake cannot be reclaimed and relived. Anew ‘normal’ for individuals, families,businesses and the community isemerging – but it is one of bothuncertainty and hope.

The people of Christchurch are risingto the task of rebuilding their lives andproviding as best they can for themselvesand their families. The Salvation Army isthere to walk alongside those who arestruggling, supporting them through thetransition.

Walking alongside

‘The people of Christchurch

are rising to the task of

rebuilding their lives’

Top left: more than 800 schoolchildren enjoy a ‘funday’ organised by the earthquake response team.They are shown making a 115-metre-long bananasplit, complete with bananas, ice cream, whippedcream and chocolate topping!; top right: childrenfrom a quake-hit Christchurch school enjoy aSalvation Army-organised day out at an animal park

Bruce Coffey is The Salvation Army’s

Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Manager


A F R I C A � D ROUGH T

IT’S half past three on a Friday afternoon in July 2011 inLowarangak, Turkana County, northern Kenya. Drought has causedthe region’s worst famine in 60 years,

with 12 million people at risk of starvationacross Eastern Africa. Captain IsaacSiundu, Project Officer for The SalvationArmy’s Kenya West Territory, has travelledto Turkana to conduct an assessment ofthe situation.

The temperature is a roasting 40degrees Celsius. The countryside is openand hilly. The skies are blue and cloudless– and everything on the ground is brownor grey. A dry, dusty wind blows towardsthe sun-scorched Lokitaung Hills. It hasnot rained for two years.

The sights Isaac sees and the stories hehears are heartbreaking.

He writes in his report: ‘Mary Asimit sitsunder a leafless acacia tree with herchildren, eating wild fruits. Their bodiesare weak and emaciated. The skin on theirbodies is dry and their eyessunken.’

‘Our home is in Todonyang,’Mary tells him. ‘When my last goatdied in May, I took my two childrenand walked for two days and nightslooking for something to eat.

‘We had heard that food was beinggiven out in Lowarangak but when wearrived here the food was finished. Now Ieat these wild, bitter fruits with mychildren.’ The situation in other parts ofKenya and neighbouring Uganda lookedsimilarly dire. Food and water arepriorities and the needs are great.

Moving on a few months, The SalvationArmy has implemented several projects.They range from short-term responsessuch as water trucking and distribution toremote areas, food distributions or theprovision of bedding and hygiene articlesto health centres, to longer-term solutionssuch as boreholes and the provision ofseeds.

For the first three months fooddistributions took place in variouslocations. Ruben, a Salvation Army corpssergeant-major in Isiolo District, is blind.

But that didn’t stop him taking an activerole in organising the food distributions inhis area.

One of the locations for the monthlydistribution was the compound of hishouse in Isiolo town, and focused on 97people (and their families) with physicaland mental disabilities. Many of thesepeople face a lot of challenges evenwithout the drought.

Ruben’s own impairments gave him aspecial compassion for these people.When the territorial leadership came forone of the distributions, Ruben and ablind friend of his led the beneficiaries insongs of gratefulness and hope.

Schools have been supported as well.In The Salvation Army’s Kenya EastTerritory, cooked meals are provided to3,500 children in 16 primary schools.Secondary schools were targeted in theTurkana region, which is part of the KenyaWest Territory. This project was called‘Food for Fees’ because in exchange forfood items 20 schools waived large partsof the pupils’ school fees.

These projects are only going on forone or two school terms and are not

‘I took my two children

and walked for two days

and nights looking for

something to eat’

by Damaris Frick

Short-term solutionsand long-term benefits


A F R I C A � D ROUGH T

he wrote. ‘The 10th bore was planned tobe situated in Logi, Bulambuli, butbecause of impassable roads the areacould not be reached and a new locationwas considered. The community membersthen organised themselves after learningthat the bore which was meant for themwas relocated to another place due toimpassable roads, and they repaired the road!’

The drought is not yet over. Much of therelief food will have been eaten by nowbut there are benefits that remain even

beyond the sustainableprojects like boreholes.

These are probablyless tangible results suchas community membersorganising themselves,

remembering their own strength andcapacities, or children being enabled tocontinue their education.

Thanks to the selfless love andcommitment shown by Salvation Armyworkers and ‘ordinary’ Salvationists, all ofthese add up to hope for people who hadalmost lost it.

Damaris Frick is a member of The Salvation

Army’s International Emergency Services

team, based at International Headquarters

in London, UK

opposite page: schoolboysin Kenya work together toget the base of a water tankin place; left: a newborehole in Uganda; below left: damaris Frickhelps with food distributionat a school in Kenya; belowright: a disabled man in aKenyan community signs upto receive assistance

providing a sustainable solution. But theyare supporting children, parents andschools at the most critical time.

Sustainable water sources are providedin Uganda and Kenya. Depending on thewater level, these are boreholes withsimple hand or electrical pumps run bysolar power.

In early January 2012, MajorEmmanuel Sichibona from the UgandaTerritory reported about the boreholesplanned for one of the projects: ‘We havenow succeeded in drilling 10 boreholes,’


COUNT RY � O R �T H EM ECOUNT RY � O R �T H EM E

FROM AROUND THE WORLDSNAPSHOTS

GEORGIA

THE country of Georgia is often hit by

earthquakes, avalanches, mudslides and

other natural disasters. The Lagodekhi

Region is particularly prone to floods.

Lying at the base of a long mountain

range, this area floods every year,

destroying crops and ruining stored

food.

In 2011 The Salvation Army was able to

contribute in a small but meaningful way

to those affected. Each qualifying family

received a 50 kilo bag of flour, which

would almost certainly be used to make

bread, a staple of the Georgian diet.

A small number of the recipients arrived

by car to collect their flour but most

utilised wheelbarrows or wagons drawn

by horse or donkey.

Major Bradley Caldwell, commander of

The Salvation Army’s Georgia Region

(part of the Eastern Europe Territory),

reports: ‘One elderly lady arrived with her

grandchildren, who tended the donkey

while she conferred with Captain Beso

Nebieridze, who supervised one of the

distribution locations. This grandmother

said that the flood had not only

destroyed the family's food supply, but

had also severely damaged her home.

She tearfully thanked The Salvation Army

for its humanitarian effort.

‘Another citizen requested prayer due to

her family’s overwhelming loss.

‘As they collaborated long after sunset –

reading approved recipient lists by the

light of a cellphone – Salvation Army

officers, soldiers and other volunteers

were touched at the plight of those they

came to bless.’

GUATEMALA

WHEN Santa Rosa, Guatemala, was hit by a series of

earthquakes in September 2011, killing three people and forcing

hundreds from their homes, The Salvation Army reacted quickly.

A team from Guatemala Divisional Headquarters took to the

streets to distribute food, blankets and mattresses. These slides

from a PowerPoint presentation put together by the Latin

America North Territory show various aspects of the response.


S N A P S HOT S

LIBERIA

THE journey from Monrovia, the capital of

Liberia, to Grand Gedeh County takes

about 12 hours, travelling on rough roads.

This inconvenience didn’t stop

Salvationists from Liberia Command

Headquarters in Monrovia making the

journey to provide assistance to refugees

who had fled fighting in neighbouring

Ivory Coast.

After two assessment visits had been

made, a convoy of two trucks and five cars

made its way to Solo Town Refugee Camp

INDIA

FLOODS are an annual occurrence in many parts of India but

for the people affected, each disaster is devastatingly

significant. In the northern Indian region of Moradabad, for

instance, 150 villages were affected by flooding in September

2010. The Emergency and Disaster Secretary from The

Salvation Army’s India Northern Territory worked with other

Salvation Army personnel to distribute food and blankets to

1,500 families. Around the same time in Assam, eastern India,

286 flood-affected families were supported with food,

mosquito nets and tarpaulins.

DOMINICAN�REPUBLIC

IN August 2011 Hurricane Irene brought devastation to the

Dominican Republic. The local Salvation Army reacted

immediately, talking with people to discover what they really

needed, getting together with other groups and churches

and then assisting people in need.

In some cases food items were distributed, in others it was

clothes. Some people received beds, mats or even roofing

sheets. On more than one occasion Salvation Army officers

and helpers even climbed on houses to assist with the

manual labour of repairing roofs for families who couldn’t

do it themselves.

near Zwedru City, Grand Gedeh County.

A Salvation Army team took two days to

distribute ‘emergency disaster bags’, each

containing clothes, rice, vegetable oil,

tomatoes and other essentials. The people

The Salvation Army, an internationalmovement, is an evangelical part of the

universal Christian Church. Itsmessage is based on the Bible.

Its ministry is motivated by love forGod. Its mission is to preach the

gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name

without discrimination.

Now working in 124 countries, The Salvation Army has been

offering help, hope and God’s love to people in need since 1865.

they met had survived dreadful situations.

Some of the women had been raped by

rebels, others had lost husbands and now

had no way to provide for their children.

Momo Gborkowkollie Douwee, Protocol

and Communications Officer for the Liberia

Command, says: ‘The Ivorian situation

brought back fresh memories of the

restless and bloody Liberian war.’

Salvationists at command headquarters

were happy to work in their own time to

pack the bags.

All The World (April 2012)

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