The Rural Voice, 2005-12, Page 48Rhea
Hamilton -
Seeger and
her husband
live near
Auburn. She
is a skilled
cook and
gardener.
By Rhea Hamilton -Seeger
For me this has been a year full of
references to Africa.
It began in the spring with my
reading The River by Edward Hooper,
a detailed and somewhat disturbing
investigative look at where the HIV
virus AIDS could stem from and
research techniques from the 1950s
and '60s.
I then had the pleasure of listening
to Stephen Lewis, UN Secretary
General's Special Envoy on
HIV/AIDS in Africa speak about
AIDS and the devastating effect it has
had on a number of African countries.
It was a taste of the Massey lectures
that were later aired on CBC radio.
His eloquence is almost tangible and
his lyrical way with our English
language makes me wonder if I have
been speaking the same language. His
words paint a grisly and desperate
picture of a population decimated by
this disease.
Following all that up was Shake
Hands with the Devil, The failure of
Humanity in Rwanda by Romeo
Dallaire, commander of the UN
contingent that went into Rwanda and
witnessed the genocide and was
helpless to stem the violence.
Our problems on this continent
pale in comparison to what is going on
in Africa but are no less important in
our lives. Our Christian celebration of
the birth of Christ encourages us to
look at our families, rejoice and thank
Him who saved us all. We extend that
feeling of goodwill by giving gifts to
each other and to others less fortunate.
Locally there are Christmas Gift
bureaus set up in many communities,
the food banks get extra assistance in
their ever -burgeoning task to staving
off hunger in our communities. So
how can we do more?
From what I have seen and read we
cannot leave problems of hunger and
44 THE RURAL VOICE
Gardening
True Christmas giving
poverty to our governments. They
seem to be struck dumb or so involved
in the politics of the moment that they
fail to see how lack of resolve on their
part is also part of the problem.
Hunger and poverty are overwhelming
and so we need to tackle them bit by
bit. And to that end comes such
organizations as the Mennonite
Central Committee, World Vision, the
Canadian Red Cross and the Stephen
Lewis Foundation. All of them deal
with the big issues one step at a time.
Lewis' Foundation works with
projects as small as an essential
washroom for a clinic to a school for
children.
This whole chain of thought was
sparked by the World Vision Gift
Guide nestled next tomy latest
gardening magazine that was in my
mailbox a few weeks ago. Attractively
laid out, it showed exactly where my
dollars can make a difference with the
purchase of hens, roosters, goats. pigs
and rabbits. Fruit trees, as well as the
ever -popular seed and tools can still
make a difference as well as oxen,
school supplies, small business tools
like sewing machines to the whopping
"let's drill a well" proposal.
The skeptic in me knows that not
all of my donation will make it to
good use. Let's be practical.
Organizations have to pay for the
collection (some donors like to pay
with credit card) and pay for shipment
of supplies as well as promote the
need as well as the good work done
with your money.
The Mennonite Relief Fund which
is administered by the Mennonite
Central Committee was started in
1967 in Southwest Ontario to help
with the ever-growing worldwide
need for relief of hunger, and relief of
poverty and natural disaster. They
raise hundreds of thousands of dollars
with their Annual Relief sale and
direct the funds where they will do the
most good, even into communities in
our own Canada. Since their first sale
they have raised over $11 million in
38 years. That is a lot of help. And
still there is more to do.
Then there is the Red Cross. That
is how I learned about volunteer aid as
a child. The Red Cross was in every
classroom from the posters on the wall
to the special pins earned with
accomplishments in first aid. A non-
denominational organization it has
been around since 1909 and provides
volunteer aid around the world and at
home. Their web site is a reminder of
what can be done to help each other
every day.
With Christmas fast approaching I
could write about tending to your
poinsettia but somehow it just
wouldn't seem right this year. You
don't have to donate to organizations
that work in foreign countries, you can
look around your community and
share with your neighbours. Don't
hesitate to check out the Mennonite
Central Committee website for what
they are doing in Canada. In our own
backyard is the Habitat for Humanity,
the Children's Aid Society and our
own church programs, just to name a
few who are making our communities
stronger with their work.
Putting your dollars to work in
your own community allows you to
see exactly how your dollars work and
how a little goes a long way to
improving and strengthening a
community.
Check out the Christmas Bureau.
Organized by volunteers, like your
neighbour, and assisted by local
merchants who sometimes contribute
goods as well as space for drop off
boxes, it offers some hope and a little
cheer at a time of year when good
cheer can be in short supply. Our
schools always have projects on the
go including gardens and breakfast
programs.
If you are concerned about the
environment there are groups looking
for help with nature trails, education
centres, and even gardens in your
community. It isn't always about
money but about time and giving of
yourself.
And of course this is the season
when many, not some, have that old
feeling of being overwhelmed by the
season of giving. But don't be fooled.
You can give any time of the year. It
does not have to be across the water or
across the pond but could be as close
as next door. The whole point is to
share what you can when you can.
Now THAT is a thought for the
New Year too.0