31,537 - samaritan's purse · factbook/index.html ^poverty line - the international poverty...

Fisaora is a young boy from NosyBe in Madagascar. He came from the south of Madagascar, where it is forbidden to worship any other gods except ancestors.Fisaora came to an Operation Christmas Child outreach event with some of his friends and he heard the Gospel for first time in his life! He was so excited to raise his hand when asked to become Jesus’ friend, even if his friends did not agree. Later, he received a gift-filled shoebox that had multiple pairs of sandals in it. He was excited to share them with his friends.

THAILAND

SHO

EB

OX STATS: AU/NZ

THA

ILAN

D

104,295 shoeboxes were sent to children in Thailand in 2017.

Fast Facts:Population** 68,414,135

HDI* 87 (out of 188 countries)

Poverty Line^ 10.5%

Thailand

Vietnam

VIETN

AM

SHOEBOX STATS: AU/N

Z31,537 shoeboxes were sent to

children in Vietnam in 2017.



Poverty Line^ 13.5%

SHOEBOX UPDATE ENCLOSED!

SPECIAL REPORTISSUED FEBRUARY 2018

Cambodia

CA

MBO

DIA Fast Facts:

Population** 16,204,486


Poverty Line^ 17.7%

101,889 shoeboxes were sent to children in Cambodia in 2017.

SHO

EB

OX STATS: AU/NZ

** Population statistics – The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/index.html

^Poverty Line - the international poverty line of living below US$1.25 per day. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hdr.undp.org/en/countries

*Human Development Index (HDI) – rankings from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Australia is ranked #2 hdr.undp.org/en/countries

SHOEBOX STATS: AU/N

Z

MA

DA

GA

SCA

R

42,167 shoeboxes were sent to children

in Madagascar in 2017.



Poverty Line^ 75.3%

Madagascar

Fiji

FIJI

22,058 shoeboxes were sent to children in Fiji in 2017

SHO

EB

OX STATS: AU/NZ

Fast Facts::Population** 920,938


Poverty Line^ n/a

PAPUA N

EW G

UIN

EA

SHOEBOX STATS: AU/N

Z25,505 shoeboxes were sent to children

in Papua New Guinea in 2017.



Poverty Line^ n/a

Papua New Guinea

Through our Operation Christmas Child project, God has given us unparalleled opportunities to touch the lives of millions of boys and girls in over 150 countries. Many of these children have never received a gift or heard the true meaning of Christmas – until they open shoeboxes filled with gifts from people like you. Your generosity helps bring

the Good News of Jesus Christ to children, their families, and

communities.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD AROUND THE WORLD

Australian & New Zealand 2017 shoebox total 327,451Global shoebox total 11,012,840

We thank God for you giving us Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes gifts to distribute at Yangklee Village.Pastor Somnuk Bunoi started a new ministry in Yangklee. He began a campaign called “bring love to the community” to encourage people to the love of God. With the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, we invited parents and children in Yangklee and nearby villages to join the event. Through Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes and The Greatest Journey discipleship program, 60 adults and 85 children accepted Christ as their Saviour. Pastor Bunoi said, “Thank you for bringing gifts to our children. We witnessed the joy, hope, and smiles on the faces of the children and more importantly, the Gospel that they have received, which is the greatest gift of God. Thank you.”

MADAGASCAR

Children in a poor community outside of Hanoi, Vietnam, were excited and blessed to receive Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts during a recent distribution event.“This community has difficult conditions. Most people are rice field farmers or labour workers,” explained Minhtrung Le, Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child coordinator in Vietnam.Minhtrung described the distribution as an opportunity to teach the students to demonstrate love according to 1 John 3:18 and to love “not in word or tongue” but in “deed and truth”.Government officials expressed their gratitude to Samaritan’s Purse for bringing shoebox gifts to Vietnam.“These boxes are meaningful and precious. Thank you for helping the poor students in this area,” said Mr Can Viet Anh, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi

Union of Friendships Organizations (HAUFO).Mydzung was delighted to receive

coloured pencils in her shoebox

because she doesn’t have any at home. The second-grader’s favourite subject in

school is art.

Please pray for children in Vietnam like Mydzung. Pray that they will know God’s love for them. Pray

for the millions of children across the world who will receive Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes and have an opportunity to hear about God’s love.

VIETNAM

As with many of the rural areas of Tanzania, Kitomondo had never seen anything like this – so many free gifts with no strings attached. Pastor Marco Kayumbo says that it’s God’s power working through these simple shoebox gifts that has allowed him to plant churches in so many difficult areas of coastal Tanzania.“When you give me a gift shoebox and I have it in my hand, I know I have a very powerful tool,” Pastor Marco said. “If I’m going someplace difficult, I just put the gift shoeboxes on my bicycle and I go to that place because I know I can get an opening.”

After that initial shoebox distribution two years ago, dozens of children joined The Greatest Journey discipleship program. Last year, Pastor Marco held a distribution in the area for 600 more children.

TANZANIA

A shoebox gift is a “very powerful tool”

Praise God that now Maranatha Church of Kitomondo – the church Pastor Marco planted – welcomes nearly 20 worshippers to its twice-weekly gatherings.The public meetings are an answer to the fervent prayers of the few believers in the community, many of whom were previously hiding their faith from their Muslim neighbours.

Shoebox gifts create smiles and open doors for the Gospel in Tanzania.

THE GREATEST JOURNEY

After receiving a shoebox gift, many children have the opportunity to enrol in The Greatest Journey, our dynamic, 12-lesson Bible study course guiding them through what it means to faithfully follow Christ.

PHILIPPINESRodelle received a shoebox 14 years ago, and his favourite item from the box was a yoyo. During that outreach event, he distinctly remembers wondering how someone who did not know him could love him this much, and realised it was a symbol of God’s love. He came to know Christ through that outreach event.

Now Rodelle continues to serve God as a teacher of The Greatest Journey and through starting a church in a village where there wasn’t a church before. He

travels there multiple times a week and the church meets under this tarped area in the photo. As a result of an outreach event, he now teaches three different The Greatest Journey classes in the area. The photo is the first class of 30 graduates receiving their new Bibles and graduation certificates. Rodelle is praying that God will continue to bring more opportunities for him to share Christ and foster continued church growth in this area.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV)

Country Children Enrolled

Children Graduated

First Time Decisions for

ChristNew Teachers

Cambodia 19,799 13,919 8,422 1,402

Thailand 17,275 9,721 6,873 651

Samoa 178 109 68 55

Fiji 7,531 6,653 1,036 523

PNG 3,130 1,911 325 248

TOTALS 47,913 32,313 16,724 2,879

The Greatest Journey statistics for 2017 in our region.

CHU

RCH PLAN

TING

CHURCH RESOURCING: CAMBODIA – OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD CHURCH PLANTING PROJECT By God’s grace we have seen 37 churches planted with our partnership in 2017. We are thankful to Pastor Sophea for sharing testimonies from the pastors involved in the Church Planting Project.

Pastor Chhun Sophy lives near the Vietnamese border. He received Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes and distributed them in two villages. In the first village, Chea Bdey Village, he now has 35 adults and between 45–55 children meeting together each week. In the second village, Phum Rea Andrek, he now has 20 adults, 25–30 children and 10–15 youth

meeting weekly. Both churches have been planted as a direct result of Operation Christmas Child.

Pastor Chhun Sophy said, “Previously church pastors had only seen the

37 churches planted in Cambodian villages in 2017

shoeboxes as a gift for the children and an opportunity to share the Gospel. Now, I can see there is another step – the opportunity of church planting. As a pastor, it has been so encouraging to see the church grow!”

Similarly, Pastor Keo Cheurn has planted two new churches through Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. In Chak Angkor Village in Svay Rieng Province, there are now 20 adults, 20–25 children and two youths meeting together regularly. In Phum Chork Village, there are 15 adults and more than 10 children meeting together. Because of Operation Christmas Child, Pastor Keo Cheurn is happy to report that the success of evangelistic outreach events has grown dramatically.

Pastor Poy Piseth planted a new church in Tropeng Trav Village, thanks to Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. The church has 70 children and seven youths! Recently, he baptised all seven of the youth members (see photo on the right, above). They meet regularly, and they have also started a soccer outreach for kids, along with a children’s program and a youth program, with hopes of reaching out to adults in the future.

The Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes have been an amazing starting point for planting churches and seeing the lives of many people changed all over Cambodia.

Seven youth members baptised

EDUCAT

ION & VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Beneficiaries 4,240 people (in the first year)

Schools built 5

Preschools supported 5

Countries Cambodia Solomon Islands

HEALTH & NUTRITION

Beneficiaries 2,578

Emergency surgeries 2

Maternity wards supported 1

Nurses trained 75

Countries Cambodia South Sudan Jordan

CHURCH RESOURCING

PE

OPLE AT RISK

Beneficiaries 850

Countries Cambodia Sri Lanka Vietnam Mongolia

WAT

ER, S

ANITATION & HYGIENE

Beneficiaries 46,700 people

WASH sources installed 6,600 Ceramic filters 900 BioSand filters 16,500 Water tanks 4,000 Latrines

Countries Cambodia Sri Lanka Haiti

ANIMAL

S, A

GRICULTURE & LIVELIHO

ODS

Beneficiaries 289

Animals 60 Yaks 75 Sheep

Countries Mongolia Liberia

Beneficiaries 156,200+

Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) 16

Personnel trained (medical & non-medical) for DART 68

Countries Iraq Caribbean Bangladesh Vietnam

DISASTER RELIEF

Beneficiaries 5,109 people (in the first year)

Churches built or extended 37 in Cambodia 7 in Mongolia 1 in Cambodia and 3 in Fiji

Bibles distributed 1,600

Countries Cambodia Fiji Mongolia

SECTOR PROJECT STATISTICS 2017

20 schools built in four years

What a difference! Example: Bos Thom Village School

BEFORE: broken wooden shack classrooms with dirt floors and almost no resources = 15% literacy rate

AFTER: new school built and equipped, teacher training, library and computerised literacy classes = 65% literacy rate

EDUCATION & VO

CATIONAL

TRAINING

EDUCATION: CAMBODIA – WE CAN READ, WE CAN WRITE Imagine not being able to read this sentence, to read a book to your child, or write a letter or email to a friend. Many of us take these basic abilities for granted.

Functional literacy is the bare minimum needed to communicate and comprehend simple sentences. In many primary schools in the rural villages of Cambodia, becoming functionally literate is incredibly difficult.

Vinh Samet has been the Principal at Kauk Prech Primary School for the past four years. “Parents and teachers simply did not understand the value of education,” he says, as he recalls the vast problems his school has faced. When Samaritan’s Purse partnered with Kauk Prech, they addressed this issue by meeting with the community members and village leaders to discuss the importance and value of education.

WATER, SANITATIO

N & HYGIENE

WATER: CAMBODIA – WATER FOR FAMILIESSok Pheap is 34 years old and lives in Phum Thmei village in Cambodia. Pheap and her husband Muth work tirelessly as rice and cassava farmers to provide for their three-year-old daughter.

The entire village collects their water for cooking, washing and drinking from a well nearby, but it is unprotected and each rainy season the floodwaters pour in. Pheap said, “We tried to boil the water before we drank it, but sometimes we were too busy working and didn’t have time. I didn’t like the taste of the water from the well when it wasn’t boiled, and my daughter kept getting diarrhoea.”Pheap heard that Samaritan’s Purse was running a hygiene promotion

night in her village, as part of the Water for Families project. She went along and learned that her daughter’s diarrhoea was being caused by the dirty water from the well, and heard about BioSand water filters, which are easy to use and highly effective in filtering dirty water.Pheap signed up to receive a BioSand filter and participated in hygiene training, learning that drinking clean water, along with washing your hands with soap, improves health.She said, “Now we have our water filter and I’ve learned how to operate and maintain it properly. Very soon after we started using the BioSand filter, my daughter’s health improved! She doesn’t get diarrhoea anymore; the filter is like a doctor for my family. I want to thank Samaritan’s Purse for providing us with this clean water – may God bless you!”

A child dies from a water-related disease every 90 seconds

ANIMALS, AGRICULTURE

& LIVELIHOO

DS

LIVELIHOODS: LIBERIA – ONE LIFESamaritan’s Purse is currently running a program called ‘One Life’ in Liberia, aimed at ministering to and supporting Ebola virus survivors. Jeremiah is one of the beneficiaries of this project.

In 2014, Jeremiah’s family was hit with the Ebola virus. During the span of one month, Jeremiah, along with 39 members of his family, got sick with the deadly virus. He was the only one to survive. Jeremiah’s parents died in the same week in August 2014 and he was sick until the beginning of September. On 12 September, he tested negative for Ebola and went to live with his uncle in Pipeline, Monrovia.Through the One Life project, Samaritan’s Purse has been able

to help him start his life again post-Ebola. He started a business selling shoes, and was also taught lessons on business strategy and managing money. He hopes in the future to continue his business and share his story, helping other survivors to restart their lives as well.

INTERN

ATION

AL DISASTER RELIEF

Our emergency field hospital (EFH) in Iraq cared for thousands of patients in 2017. After months of work, Samaritan’s Purse handed its 50-bed facility over to the Iraqi Ministry of Health. Australia and New Zealand’s response was to send six medical personnel to support

the work there and provide funds.

Samaritan’s Purse brought physical relief and the hope of the Gospel to families in the Caribbean as they struggle to recover after the destructive impact of the hurricanes Irma and Maria. Emergency responses in the Caribbean after the hurricanes involved mounting a multifaceted relief response and working closely with local church partners.“If I could describe Samaritan’s Purse in one phrase: ‘It’s the answer of God’,” said Pastor Jose.Samaritan’s Purse Australia and New Zealand responded by sending nine Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) team members, who were working there over Christmas.Vietnam was hit by deadly typhoon Damrey. The affected provinces are among the poorest in the country. Farmers there saw their fields ravaged and their harvests of rice and vegetables wiped out. Thousands of marine cages, used for fishing, were also destroyed. Samaritan’s Purse flew in supplies,

Iraq

including heavy-duty shelter plastic, kitchen items, hygiene items, jerry cans and blankets. Teams of Samaritan’s Purse

staff saw great joy on the recipients’ faces as distribution was made to families most in need.

More than 620,000 stateless Rohingya refugees have fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar; many are critically injured and need complex surgical procedures. Samaritan’s Purse are assisting with surgical teams

treating critically injured refugees and increasing the capacity

of Memorial Christian Hospital, our long-time partner in Bangladesh. The other area of response

is our treatment centre in Kutupalong camp, where the diphtheria outbreak is concentrated. The camp is the largest among the Rohingya refugee camps, with more than

800,000 people.

Caribbean

Vietnam Rohingya refugee

INTERN

ATION

AL DISASTER RELIEF

We have used the peaceful winter months to prepare for the upcoming disaster season. The key areas of focus have been training and equipment.

In late September, several willing volunteers gathered at our Sydney office for training as Lead Responders and Site Leadership Team personnel. The quality and experience of those in attendance was outstanding, putting us in good stead for future disaster management.We have based our large Disaster Relief Unit in Melbourne for some maintenance work, where we believe it will be strategically placed for future deployment when needed. We are currently upgrading our documentation and software, as well as strategically placing equipment around Australia to improve our response time. Rob Rolley has stepped into a key role, looking after all programs and processes on board the Disaster Relief Unit.We continue to make key contacts both in South Australia and the Northern Territory. These contacts are vital as we continue to grow our National Disaster Relief program.

Four maternity wards built in four years

HEALTH & NUTRITION

HEALTH: SOUTH SUDAN – MABAN HOSPITAL“At first when I came to Maban, we had to do surgeries under a tree,” said Dr Evan Atar, medical director for Samaritan’s Purse.Samaritan’s Purse has been working closely with Bunj Hospital in Maban County, South Sudan over the past few years. This hospital started with only one doctor, serving a population of approximately

139,900 refugees and approximately 53,178 host community members

through the provision of curative, medical, surgical,

labour and delivery services.

In partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Samaritan’s Purse has expanded the facility into a 120-bed hospital complete with adult and paediatric in-patient wards, Tuberculosis and neonatal wards, two surgical theatres, X-ray and ultrasound diagnostics room, a laboratory, and 24-hour emergency care. Now, it employs a total of 71 staff, inclusive of 66 nurses or paramedics and five medical doctors.Every week at the hospital, women deliver babies, an operating theatre hosts hundreds of minor and major operations each month; parasite-borne illnesses like malaria are treated daily; and the pharmacy dispenses critical medication and non-prescription drugs to relieve aches and fevers or symptoms of minor illnesses.Samaritan’s Purse has also begun constructing a classroom for training events and developing training programs for nurses and other healthcare workers, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to improving health services.

PEOPLE AT RISK: MONGOLIA - REACHING THE LIGHTFor the past five years Samaritan’s Purse Australia has been supporting Reaching The Light Developmental Center, to bring help and hope to families with developmentally disabled children living in the most remote parts of rural Mongolia. The project began as a small parent-training program and has now developed into a program that serves families across Mongolia, provides training for rural health care providers, and has launched – and now oversees – several countryside centres.Ariunzaya was born premature, weighing only 1.3 kg and requiring neonatal intensive care. The family

learned that she had spastic diplegia, resulting in her legs being very tight and stiff. As a six-year-old, Ariunzaya was invited to participate in physical therapy sessions at the Reaching The Light centre. There are no developmental centres in her hometown, so she had never undertaken any physical therapy previously.When she came to us a year ago, she could not sit or stand because of this tightness and poor balance. The great thing was that after three sessions of therapy, Ariunzaya has become more flexible and her balance has improved. She can even stand alone for a few seconds. Now she can walk with her walker, and her parents are feeling very encouraged about the future. We have a plan for her this summer to have four weeks of therapy, so she can start school with the rest of the children her age.

PEOPLE AT RISK

SECTOR PROJECTS 2017 Beneficiary figures are per year.

SECTOR PROJECT NAME COUNTRY BENEFICIARIES

HEALTH & NUTRITION

Annoor Sanitorium-Emergency Surgery Jordan 1

Smiling Heart Operation Cambodia 1

Maternity Ward Bos Bov Cambodia 2500

Maban Hospital Nurse Training South Sudan 76

TOTAL BENEFICIARIES 2,578 people


CHURCH RESOURCING

Church Planting Initiative Cambodia 1,687

Morodok Dey Church Construction Cambodia 300

Ger Church Construction Mongolia 1,522

BEST Bible Distribution Sri Lanka 1,600



WAT

ER, S

ANITATION & HYGIENE

Bio Sand Water Filters Cambodia 4500Water Tanks Sri Lanka 16500Latrines Cambodia 4000

Health and Hygiene EducationHealth & Hygiene Education

15100

Ceramic Filters Cambodia 6600



PE

OPLE AT RISK Orphanage – Aroma Ministries Sri Lanka 95

Safe Migration and Trafficking Awareness Cambodia 225Drug Rehabilitation – Rebirth and Reintegration

Vietnam 40

Reaching Light Development Mongolia 310

Tuong Lai Special School Vietnam 135

TOTAL BENEFICIARIES 805 people


INTE

RNAT

IONAL DISASTER RELIEF

Emergency Field Hospital Iraq 4,200

Hurricane Irma and Maria Caribbean 102,000

Rohingya Refugee Bangladesh up to 70,000Typhoon Response Vietnam 50,000

TOTAL BENEFICIARIES 134,400+ people


EDUCAT

ION & VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Phnom Krom Cambodia 44

Banon Cambodia 41

Toul Kros Cambodia 48

Sang Kom Cambodia 50

Douken Cambodia 39

Bos Thom Preschool Cambodia 70

Kantrong Cambodia 80

Prey Chongha Cambodia 75

Tatrei Cambodia 150

Bos Bov Middle School Cambodia 275

We Can Read, We Can Write (students) Cambodia 2911

WCRW (teachers) Cambodia 70


ANIMAL

S, A

GRICULTURE & LIVELIHO

ODS

One Life Project Liberia 20

Winter Disaster Recovery Mongolia 119

Agricultural Cooperatives Mongolia 150TOTAL BENEFICIARIES 259 people

Better Teachers, Better Education (teachers) Cambodia 24

High School of New Beginnings Cambodia 192

Sports and Leadership Training Solomon Islands 150


AUSTRALIAPO Box 964 Kings Langley NSW 2147

Phone: 1300 884 468 Web: samaritanspurse.org.au

Email: [email protected]

NEW ZEALANDPO Box 870, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140

Phone: 0800 726 274 Web: samaritanspurse.org.nz

RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENTSamaritan’s Purse Australia Ltd.

ABN: 84 070 722 404

CHRISTIAN MINISTRYSamaritan’s Purse Australasia

-Operation Christmas Child ABN: 80 162 895 623

Helping inJesus , Name

31,537 - samaritan's purse · factbook/index.html ^poverty line - the international poverty...

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