ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

(Extract)

Central U.S. floods

The worst of the flooding in the central U.S. may be behind us, but massive clean-up and recovery are now ahead for families whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. CWS Emergency Response Specialists have been assessing needs in affected areas, planning for long-term recovery, training, and projects.

You and your congregation can help respond to flood-related needs with your donations and by making CWS Emergency Clean-up Buckets. Before July 31, buckets can be transported or shipped to either our Elkhart, IN, office, the Brethren Service Center, New Windsor, MD, or Fernwood Center, Little Rock, AR. After July 31, they can be shipped to the Brethren Service Center or the Fernwood Center.

Myanmar

'Enclosed is my stimulus check from the U.S. government,' wrote Bill Merriman in a recent note to Church World Service. 'The people of Myanmar need it more than we need it to stimulate our economy... I know that any support for CWS gets to those who need it most.'

Following Cyclone Nargis, which swept over the Irrawaddy Delta on May 3, Church World Service provided emergency temporary shelter and fresh water supplies sufficient for nearly one million survivors.

As part of the recovery process, farmers in 11 townships are receiving seed stock, field preparation tools, and basic equipment to ensure next season's crops and future food security. Farmers have until the end of this month to recover their fields and paddies and get rice seed in the ground for next season's crops.

Malawi

Some 37,500 households (about 187,500 people) in 150 rural villages in Malawi, southern Africa, are gaining access to clean water, with the help of Church World Service and long-time partner Christian Service Committee. In rural Malawi, only 32 percent of the people have access to a safe water supply.

In this three-year project, people in each village are providing labor and locally available materials to help construct one borehole. Each cluster of five villages is also helping to rehabilitate two existent boreholes.

The main goals of the project are to provide clean water to help prevent waterborne disease, and to reduce the burden on women and girls who are responsible for fetching water and assuring their family's health.

Village health and water committees are being trained to manage, maintain, and repair their community's new water systems. Villagers are also learning about better hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, the benefits of educating girl children, environmental conservation practices, and the prevention of HIV/AIDS.