Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) shares God's love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice.
It's been 100 years since we first started responding to basic human needs in southern Russia (present-day Ukraine). Now, we continue to work for relief, development and peace all over the world.
Thank you for joining us at the 2022 Spring Banquets. Here you can learn about the photos displayed on your table placemat.
DR Congo
Students dance and sing during morning exercises, led by Principal Joel Maombi Fikiri before class at Rutshunda Primary School outside of Minova in eastern DR Congo. With the support of MCC, Église du Christ au Congo provides tuition for children who have been displaced from their homes by violence in North and South Kivu provinces in DR Congo. Completing high school creates educated citizens and gives children and youth a purpose. (MCC Photo/Matthew Lester)
South Sudan
Augustine Bidali, a refugee from South Sudan now living in the Imvepi settlement area in northwestern Uganda with his three brothers, uses his training in tailoring to support the family. Augustine successfully completed a tailoring course supported by MCC through partner RICE-WN which earned him a startup kit that included a sewing machine. (Photo courtesy of RICE-WN)
Cambodia
*Srautrahn Chee (girl) and her neighbors *Rith Reach (orange shirt) and *Yan Hou (white shirt) hold up a fish from Chee’s grandparents’ fish pond. Her grandparents, *Chun Sokun and *Soa Samin, used no-interest loans from the agricultural cooperative they joined, to build a fish pond and expand their garden, creating income for their family, even during the dry season. (MCC Photo/Matthew Lester)
India
Botiram and Manki Kashyap harvesting okra. "Now I can grow 20-30 different varieties of vegetables in my farm. With the guidance from SEBA-CFGB project, I see the joy every morning."
Deforestation and industrial agriculture in the region has degraded the soil and made it difficult for local families to grow enough food. The project provides saplings and fruit trees, has leveled the land, dug trenches to trap rainwater, and used manure to improve the soil quality. (MCC photo/Pabitra Paramanya)
Syria
Children* from Daraa, Syria, just received MCC school kits. The kits were part of a shipment of humanitarian assistance distributed by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). Nearly 5,000 school kits were distributed between October 2018 and January 2019 at three schools in Daraa province, located in southwestern Syria just north of the border with Jordan. (Photo courtesy of Middle East Council of Churches)
Lebanon
Staff members* from MCC partner pose with an MCC blanket and relief kits that will be distributed to community members of a low-income neighborhood in Tyre, Lebanon. Blankets and relief kits are part of a larger shipment of MCC humanitarian aid being distributed by PARD in communities in southern Lebanon. (MCC photo/Evangeline Hammond)
Burkina Faso
This was a celebration day for this group of students. They had just received their school report cards and all had passed. They were also receiving visitors from MCC so they had prepared a performance of dancing and singing. Eating good food in their cafeteria was also part of the day's festivities.
MCC partner Bottomly Home Orphanage has a boarding school for girls where the girls from Indigenous families with the most need receive free education. Parents in Indigenous communities are encouraged to send their girls to boarding school. (MCC photo/Dave Klassen)
Nepal
Sumitra Chepang feeds a spoonful of super porridge to her 10-month-old daughter Promisa in their home in the village of Syammaidada, Nepal, while her other daughter, Ritu Chepang, watches. Food insecurity is a major issue in Nepal, especially in the rural areas, where nearly 40 percent of kids under five have stunted growth due to malnutrition. Through MCC’s account at Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Chepang was given a supply of pre-made super flour. She now makes her own, a blend combination of corn, wheat, and soybean, for her six children's diet. (Shanti Nepal photo/Shanti Chepang)
Bolivia
Children between 4 and 6 years old with a teacher in an activity on values for the anniversary of the Mother Teresa of Calcutta after-school program. A parade through the streets of the neighborhood was carried out and each age group of children in the program participated with a theme. MCC partner Centro Social Parroquial San José (CSPSJ; San José Parish Social Center) runs two community centers that work with children and families from low-income neighborhoods. Each day, the community centers provide lunch, snacks, after-school support, and educational and recreational activities for the children. For the mothers and other women of the community, they offer classes in vocational job skills and workshops on health, nutrition, self-esteem, leadership, and prevention of domestic violence and child abuse. (CSPSJ photo/Nanci A. Razera)
Ethiopia
Female farmers walk towards a meeting place to share their experiences with conservation agriculture (CA) in western Ethiopia in 2019. Women, the traditional weeders, benefit particularly from CA as it cuts down on the time they have to spend weeding crops. (MCC photo/Rose Shenk)
Ukraine
A woman and child at MCC partner CO All-Ukrainian Platform For Health Improvement Of Society (KECB)s child care center which has been turned into a shelter. (Photo courtesy of CO All-Ukrainian Platform For Health Improvement Of Society)
Malawi
Ndiuzani Butao holding her 14-month-old daughter Hanna Danela, at a farmer field school training. Ndiuzani is a lead farmer in rural southern Malawi. Lead farmers are training their communities in conservation agriculture, a method of cultivation that helps to renew and restore the soil while also increasing food security. (MCC photo/Amanda Talstra)
