A visit to Christian Aid partners in South Africa made a deep impression on two representatives from the Union of Welsh Independents (UWI) and will help them promote the UWI appeal back home.
Delyth Evans and Glyn Williams spent a fortnight at the end of April visiting partner organisations in Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Stellenbosch and Cape Town, accompanied by Christian Aid staff member Tom Defis.
‘It’s the honesty of the people that we met that will remain with me,’ said Glyn, who is a church secretary from Welshpool in mid-Wales.
‘They were very open about their problems and willing to share their experiences with us, and so appreciative of the support that they were receiving from Christian Aid partners.’
‘It’s a very complex situation’, said Delyth, who works in the denominational office in Swansea.
‘The people there have huge problems, and there don’t seem to be any easy solutions, but the partners we met are certainly trying to make a difference. I was very impressed with the work that is being done on HIV/AIDS.’
Unfreedom day
One of the highlights of the visit for both of them was the service they attended at the Kennedy Road shanty town, on the outskirts of Durban.
‘It was National Freedom Day, commemorating the first democratic election in the country in 1994,’ said Delyth, ‘but the people there had decided to hold an Unfreedom Day service because they still feel trapped in poverty.’
‘We sat for about five hours on the local refuse tip, which is home to hundreds of families, listening to Reuben Phillips, the Bishop of Natal, who has done so much to try to help them in their need’, added Glyn.
‘Despite the desperate circumstance in which many of these people live, I was struck by the pervading sense of hope everywhere we went. The partners are certainly doing tremendous work.’
Sharing stories
Both Glyn and Delyth felt that the visit had been worthwhile and important for the success of the appeal.
‘Meeting the partners and visiting the people in their own habitat helped us to understand and identify with their problems. It is up to us now to share their stories.’
Follow the progress of the UWI appeal on this website.