Author: CEDAR Fund

Why is Reconciliation Important?

Whenever we talk about reconciliation, we always think of our good partner in Zimbabwe, Foundations for Farming (FfF). We are honoured to have Brian, their founder, to share with us the power of reconciliation and forgiveness through his journey on founding FfF. Written by: Brian Oldreive (Founder of Foundations for Farming) Over the years, we in Foundations for Farming (FfF) have learnt the importance of reconciliation and unity. It all began when I had failed miserably using the world’s conventional farming methods. This caused me to seek the Lord to show me how to farm His way, and He very graciously allowed that farm to prosper until it became one of the largest crop growing operations in Africa. In

The Ever-Roving Lisu

One might readily connect words like “refugees” and “war” to the Syrians, the Rohingya people, or the South Sudanese. In fact, besides the Rohingya refugee crisis in Rakhine State of Myanmar, another 200,000 people in the country were forced to be internally displaced from Kachin State in the north, Shan State in north-east, and Kayin State in south-east due to unceasing armed conflicts. The United Nations estimated that close to 172,000 individuals in these three states need humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, humanitarian effort is limited due to safety concern or inaccessibility in non-government-controlled areas. We have been helping the displaced Lisu people in Kachin State since mid-2017 through our partnership with the Kachin Lisu Christian Council. Lisu people whose village was destroyed or whose communities became unsafe due to

Will You Make Things Right?

Written by: Jady Sit “Where are you?” “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” The above scene (Genesis 3:9-12), well-known by every Christian, documents the event when men and God’s relationship went from perfect intimacy to complete distant. As Adam accused “the woman you put here with me”, relationship among humans had also become distorted. Then, men and land were cursed. Sin made the world a broken

The Letter from CEDAR | March 2018

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! It was rather cold in Hong Kong in early February. “Severe winter” and “high summer” are used to describe different seasons, and it is likewise applicable in international relief and development work. Governments and Non-government organisations (NGOs) are often key players in disaster relief and development work. To NGOs, the 80s and 90s of last century could be considered as the golden days. At that time, growth in geographic coverage as well as development theories and effectiveness had experienced a period of “high summer”. But, the situation has changed in recent years. Economic progress of some developing countries allow their governments to assume a more active role, and in turn, narrowing down

Week 4: When The Drought Hits…

In the past two weeks, we have examined two farming methods that could help restore the land. However, the nature is not always men’s ally. When abnormal weather happens, what could impoverished farmers do to help themselves? Drought is a frequent occurrence in central India where climate changes have caused great damages to the local farmers due to scarcity of rains. Climate change is one of the factors that drives farmers into a corner. In 2015 alone, there were over 12,000 farmer suicide cases due to severe financial difficulties in India [1]. Our partner in India, EFICOR, said countless farmers and their families suffered from hunger, and were forced to sell their livestock, or leave their hometowns in the hope

Week 3: Every Creeping Things on Earth

Did you know that the tiny creatures living in the soil are beneficial to plants? We learned about the ecosystem within the soil from our partner in Zimbabwe, Foundations for Farming (FfF). FfF has been teaching impoverished and marginalised farmers to look at the God’s creation at a micro level—there are lots of organic matter in soil, such as snails, ants, earthworms, and bacterium that improve soil fertility, and as they move, they help create channels for better infiltration of water and air. However, ploughing and digging in conventional farming often hamper their growth, which in turn hardens the soil over time and ultimately leads to the loss of water and nutrients. Mulching is the