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Campaigns, Village and Economic Development (West Timor, Indonesia)
February 17, 2025
A huge thank you to everyone who gave any of the life-changing gifts from our Everything in Common gift catalogue during Christmas, and to everyone who made a donation. At time of writing, you’ve helped raise more than $350,000 through the catalogue, supporting our partners to impact their communities in so many different ways. Thank you!

New for Everything in Common 2024 was our Healthy Kids and Mothers card, helping provide care and nutrition to expectant mothers, newborns and families in the Alor and Rote Islands in Nusa Tenggara Timur (West Timor Province), Indonesia.

These islands are home to some of the poorest communities in Indonesia, where many people still live off the land in traditional subsistence lifestyles. With the rise of imported foods and uncertain growing seasons, families struggle to get the food and nutrition they need. Mothers and babies are the hardest hit, with malnutrition leading to high-risk pregnancies and stunting of children.

Our local partner, the Christian Evangelical Church in Timor, and their development agency TLM are determined to make change, both now and into the future.

Working in eight villages, our partners are:

  • providing health checks and education for pregnant women, new mums and their children
  • distributing locally-grown fresh vegetables and resources for families to grow their own food
  • installing clean water sources in villages that need it.

Looking beyond, our partners are using the villages as models to inspire others, working with local governments and church communities to tackle the heath crisis for good. We’ll keep you updated about progress with stories like Irma’s (shared below).

First published in UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

“She is so healthy…”

Our church partner in Nusa Tenggara Timur (West Timor Province), Indonesia, distributes vegetable seeds for expectant mothers to provide for healthy nutrition during pregnancy, and for the family in the future.

Irma (pictured) said “growing vegetables is good for pregnant mothers, health workers … told me that. [When] I gave birth to my third child, she is 3.8 kg. She is so healthy, maybe because I consumed a lot of vegetables.”

This project was supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). 

by
Campaigns
February 14, 2025

As the saying goes, “Big change comes from small actions, repeated”.

Monthly giving as a UnitingWorld Global Neighbour is a way for you to ‘put on repeat’ your commitment to building a more just and equitable global neighbourhood.

Poverty and injustice have complex causes, and there are no quick fixes. Regular giving provides our partners with a reliable income stream to deliver powerful and effective programs, day in and day out, until the work is done.

Why give monthly?

Express your faith and values

Live out your values of justice and compassion as part of a community of givers, celebrating stories of progress and equipped to pray for our partners.

Have a greater impact

Monthly giving is one of the most powerful ways to support people fighting poverty. It creates a secure funding base for our partners, faster response in disaster, lower fundraising costs and more lives changed.

Accountability
As a monthly giver, we’ll tell you where your donations are used and how we’re resourcing our partners to continually assess, monitor and improve the projects you support.

Join our network of faithful monthly givers, working together to build a more just and equitable global neighbourhood. 

Become a UnitingWorld Global Neighbour today! Find out more or sign up at www.unitingworld.org.au/globalneighbour.

 

First published in UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

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Blogs, Campaigns
February 14, 2025

In a fast-paced world dominated by 24-hour news cycles, consumer culture and the dizzying expansion of technology, the season of Lent can feel like a relic of the past. One more tradition squeezed out by our busyness and distractions. As Ecclesiastes 7:12 reminds us,

“God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.”

But perhaps now, more than ever, Lent is a rare invitation to pause. To follow Jesus into the stillness of creation. It’s a time to give our full attention to God, to live more simply and to act generously out of love for our neighbours and this beautiful, fragile world.

Climate change is undoing decades of progress, driving poverty, food insecurity and forced migration across our world. There’s profound injustice at its heart: those who’ve contributed the least to this crisis are suffering the most, while those who’ve burned the most fossil fuels have largely insulated themselves from its effects.

What can we do? We can follow Jesus.

Our world urgently needs a movement of attentive and generous discipleship.

Lent can be that annual ‘spark’ that reminds us of who we are in Christ, and all the love and hope we have to offer a hurting world.

We’ve heard our church partners’ call for solidarity and support to help vulnerable communities build resilience to climate impacts. We invite you to join us in answering their call:

“We hope and pray the world will join us.”

Below, members of our partner churches from across the Pacific share about their experiences of climate change and environmental degradation.

“In Kiribati, we are experiencing coastal erosion, and we believe that increasing sea level rise contributes to the losing of some of our lands.”
Teraoi, Kiribati Uniting Church
“Climate change is severely impacting our land [West Papua]. In the highlands it is becoming harder to grow potatoes and catch animals. Without our staple foods it affects our health and nutrition.”
Ekyen, Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua
“Here in Tuvalu, young people have anxiety about sea-level rise, droughts and migration. I fear for the loss of our culture and traditions, but I tell myself: “God has given us this land, and we must hold onto it for future generations to enjoy.”
Tetavaa, Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu
“Across our communities in Kiribati, climate change is causing reduced rainfall, droughts and lack of accessible clean water.”
Bubutei, Kiribati Uniting Church
“The dry season [in Solomon Islands] feels hotter and longer. Mass logging has removed so many trees, king tides wash the fertile soil away and it doesn’t come back. I’ve seen small islands that now look like deserts.”
Caleb, United Church in the Solomon Islands
“In Fiji, we feel the rising sea levels. There are burial sites that are now underwater and villages that are being forced to relocate. We all think it is a serious issue that needs to be tackled, and we pray the world will join us.”
Rev. Asinate, Methodist Church in Fiji

 

Lent Event offers a way to step into action, faithfully and meaningfully.

Commit to 40 days of faithful action for God’s creation. Fundraise or donate for communities on the frontlines of climate change. Speak out for justice.

Throughout Lent, we’ll share stories from our partner, the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga, showing how your actions will help transform lives across the Pacific, Asia and Africa.

Will you join us? By acting together, we can challenge the status quo of a distracted and disconnected world, make a real difference in the lives of our neighbours, and inspire vital hope and courage for the future.

Sign up, get ideas for action and connect with a community of like-minded people at www.lentevent.com.au.

 

First published in UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

by
Campaigns
February 13, 2025

In January 2022, the Pacific Island nation of Tonga faced one of its most devastating natural disasters—the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano. The eruption unleashed massive tsunamis and volcanic ash, destroying homes, crops and livelihoods across the country.

Entire communities were left reeling from the destruction, but for many women and girls, the disaster was particularly challenging as they shouldered the responsibility of caring for their families amidst the chaos.

Taisia Heiumuli, a senior pastor with the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (FWCT), played a key role in the recovery efforts that followed. “Women and girls were deeply affected,” Taisia explains. “Many of them were responsible for finding safe places for their children while their husbands were away, leaving them to bear the emotional and physical toll.”

When Taisia led a project in partnership with UnitingWorld and the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP), aimed at addressing both the psychological trauma and providing practical tools for recovery, she made sure that the specific needs of women were given equal priority.

The project had two main components. The first was psychological support, aimed at helping people traumatised by the disaster. “The wounds were deep, especially for women and children,” says Taisia. “Through counselling and support, we aimed to heal those wounds and create a space where people could share their struggles and rebuild together.”

“We didn’t want to just give people fish; we wanted to give them tools to go get their own!”

The second component focused on rebuilding the livelihoods of families. People were provided with tools like sewing machines, cooking stoves, gardening equipment and fishing gear—resources that allowed people to regain a sense of autonomy and contribute economically to their families. “We didn’t want to just give people fish; we wanted to give them tools to go get their own!” Taisia says, emphasising the long-term empowerment the project aimed to foster.

This community-wide effort ensured that everyone was able to rebuild. Women learned new skills and shared them within the community, creating a powerful network of support. “One woman was able to sew children’s clothes for a ‘White Sunday’ celebration, earning $800 from her work,” Taisia proudly shares.

Another inspiring story to come from the project was that of Michelle, a young woman from another denomination whose business was destroyed by the waves. With the help of the project, she received new equipment and was able to rebuild her business. “She cried when she shared how blessed she felt,” Taisia recalls. “This project wasn’t for members of the Free Wesleyan Church—it was for the entire community, and we’ve been blessed to be able to support so many people.”

As the season of Lent approaches, we invite you to reflect on the power of faith, community and collective action through Lent Event! More of Taisia’s story will be featured in an upcoming six-part video series for Lent, highlighting inspiring stories from our partners in Tonga. Find out more on the Lent Event website.

Story from UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

 

Part of this program includes working ecumenically through the Church Agencies Network-Disaster Operations consortium (CAN-DO) funded by the Australian Government as part of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP).

 

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by
Blogs, Campaigns
November 13, 2024

We all like to say Christmas isn’t about the presents—and we mean it. 

Ask around. It’s about family and friends, neighbourhoods alive with connection, and intergenerational debates over the holiday playlist (Taylor Swift or Mariah Carey? Elvis or Bing Crosby?). 

It’s a time to reflect on the gift of God’s grace, to be present with those we love, and to share kindness and gratitude. And yes, we give presents! But there’s a downside… 

Each year, Christmas fuels a massive surge in global consumption, and our planet is paying the price. We buy more, travel more, and produce nearly 30% more waste than at any other time of the year.  

The maddening part? A lot of what we give isn’t even wanted! (an estimated $921 million-worth in Australia each year!*) 

Polling by the Australia Institute found that over 6 million Australians expected to receive gifts they would never use or wear last Christmas. Nearly half of adults (48%) wish people would stop buying them presents altogether. 

Yet, despite this, the vast majority of us still love the act of giving. We want to be generous; we want to show our loved ones we care. But we also care about the planet, and we’re starting to realise we can’t keep adding to the piles of ‘stuff.’ 

Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives!

Here are 10 Christmas gift ideas that show love for both people and the planet… 

 

 

1. Give a gift that fights poverty!

What better way to affirm someone you love by giving on their behalf to a person or community who really needs it? It honours your generosity and theirs, it’s useful and doesn’t contribute to more ‘stuff’ in the world.  

Looking for gifts like that? Check out the Everything in Common gift Catalogue: www.everythingincommon.com.au

2. Give an experience 

Instead of generating more stuff, why not generate some great memories? Whether it’s a voucher for a favourite local restaurant, tickets to a sporting event, or a relaxing massage or sauna, experiences create opportunities for quality time, connection and shared joy. Post-COVID, many small businesses could use the support, and there’s no better way to foster community than by enjoying a great meal or fun activity together.  

 3. Give something that grows 

Is it fair to say plants are universally loved and timeless? You can never have too many. They live, breathe, and brighten up any space. Plus, the receiver can use cuttings to propagate more, give them as great gifts themselves and spread beauty and sustainable giving for years to come. Let’s create jungles, not jumbles! 

 4. Give second-hand or local 

Opt for pre-loved treasures or locally-made items. You’ll reduce your environmental footprint while supporting small businesses and fostering a sense of community. I recently picked up a handmade wooden dinosaur from a men’s shed fundraiser that my two-year-old is 100% going to love. (It’s a green brontosaurus that bobs its head and tail as you roll it along). With so many local community groups struggling right now, it’s a great way to help financially if you can’t volunteer time. 

5. Repair, regift or upcycle something you already own 

Instead of buying new, think about sprucing up something you already have that could make a unique gift. Upcycle old furniture, clothes or household items and turn them into something new and exciting for someone you love. It’s creative, thoughtful, and sustainable.

Get some inspiration from the pros selling on Etsy.

6. Give time and attention  

Christian theologian and activist Simone Weil once said, “attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” In our era of smartphones and algorithms and distraction, giving your time, energy and attention to someone might be the best gift you can give! 

Babysitting so a couple can have a night out? Gardening help for an elderly family member? You could even pledge your time in a card with an explanation and deadline, so they know you mean business. 

7. Donate in someone’s name 

Make a donation to a cause that matters to a friend or loved one. Whether it’s a local or international cause, a gift has the power to make a real difference in someone’s life or for the environment. It’s personal, meaningful, and aligns perfectly with the Christmas spirit of giving. 

You can even make an online donation as a ‘secret santa’ gift to your loved one.

8. Give a digital or subscription gift 

Subscriptions to streaming services, audiobooks or digital magazines eliminate the need for physical products and packaging. You can even gift memberships to services like a virtual yoga class or an online creative workshop. It’s a way to give something fun and useful without adding clutter or waste. 

9. Give homemade 

There’s something extra special about a gift that’s been made by hand. Whether it’s baked goods, homemade jam, or a hand-knitted scarf, these kinds of presents are personal and meaningful. They also avoid the environmental footprint of mass-produced goods and packaging. 

Get some inspiration from Adamstown Uniting Church ‘s Pudding Kitchen.

10. Give sustainably 

If you do want to buy something new, choose gifts from companies that are committed to sustainable practices. Look for products that are organic, fair trade or made from recycled materials. Ethical shopping means your money is going toward businesses that are trying to make a positive impact on the world. 

Vote for a better world with your choices this Christmas – but don’t stop there.  

We know that overcoming the global challenges we face, especially the climate crisis, requires more than individual action. We need transformative changes to our political, economic, and social systems to truly tackle the root causes of climate breakdown. 

But individual choices are still important. They send signals to businesses and policymakers, spark essential conversations within our communities, and build momentum for the collective action needed to drive systemic change. 

While our gifts may seem small, the shift in mindset it represents is powerful.  

This Christmas, let your choices be part of a larger movement to protect our planet. Together, we can push for the deep, structural changes the world needs and inspire much-needed hope along the way. 

 Original artwork in header image by Cocoon Creative for our SHOP FOR THE PLANET gift card.

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by
Campaigns, News
October 15, 2024

Everything in Common is our annual gift catalogue, filled with gifts that fight poverty and build hope. Our new catalogue is out now! 

Each gift card supports one of the life-changing projects of our church partners overseas.

We also have a new set of Christmas cards with traditional advent themes..

Click here to browse the full catalogue and shop online

Want to host a gift stall in your church or community? It’s a great way to make a difference, provide an alternative to Christmas consumerism and start important conversations about global poverty and climate change.

Click here to host a stall

 

UnitingWorld is the international aid and partnerships agency of the Uniting Church in Australia.

 

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Campaigns, Social Empowerment for Excluded Castes (India)
July 25, 2024

Laboni (pictured above with her mother) grew up in a typical rural village in West Bengal, India, where education is out of reach for many because families are too poor to invest in it.

Stuck in a cycle of poverty like this, going to school never seems as vital as the tasks of daily survival. Children grow up to help in the household or in the fields as soon as they are able; girls are married off young.

“My family was eager to marry me off at an early age,” Laboni now reflects. “It was not just because of my family but also according to our tribal culture; every girl between the ages of 13 and 15 should get married.”

Our church partner, the Church of North India-Diocese of Durgapur, saw the situation and believed that things could, and should, be different.

They supported Laboni’s education, and she became the first in her family to ever finish school. Today she’s pursuing her dreams: working on a university degree and hoping to return to her community as a teacher to inspire others to follow in her footsteps.

“The girls of my village [now] see me, and they are encouraged to study. I’ll tell them to go further,” says Laboni.

“I would urge every girl to stand on her own feet. We girls can participate in the development of our family, society and village.”

Thanks to UnitingWorld supporters and our partnership with the Australian Government, our partners also helped transform Laboni’s whole village and beyond, providing hundreds of families with income-generation support, training in agriculture and animal husbandry, and family health interventions.

The Diocese of Durgapur now runs 27 study centres currently supporting 420 children and a community development program working across 25 villages and two urban slum communities. Since they began the project, our partners have helped more than 2,000 children like Laboni with high-quality education support and career skills.

The wider community development work has grown to impact 1,698 households and 7,691 people with income-generation support, training in agriculture and animal husbandry, and family health interventions.

Laboni’s village is now a different place because of the love, hard work and dedication of our partners spanning more than a decade.

That’s why we believe this type of sustainable community development, led by local partners is the most effective weapon we have against poverty and injustice.

It’s an incredible blessing that we can play a part in creating such profound and lasting change. 

You can play a role too. Your support can help expand this live-changing work in India and beyond.

Click here to join our network of faithful monthly givers working together to build a more just and equitable world. Or find out more about this project here.

     

This project is supported by the Australian Government
through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

by
Campaigns, Project Updates, Social Empowerment for Excluded Castes (India)
June 26, 2024

Sophia Lakra discovered a passion to help others early in life.  

Growing up among the poor in West Bengal, she saw the incredible potential of young people as well as the barriers preventing so many from realising their dreams. 

Children became either trapped in a cycle of poverty, or they found a way to escape.  

The difference, as Sophia saw it, was education.  

She wanted to help keep disadvantaged children in school. So she studied hard and at age 21, Sophia became a teacher. 

“I wanted to do something worthwhile in my life,” she says. “I love working with children and I always wanted to make a difference in their lives.” 

“Education has the ability to transform individuals and communities, giving children wisdom, skills and values that enable them to make important decisions and solve problems.” 

Sophia’s passion led her to further studies in social work, and to join the Community Development Program run by the Church of North India, Diocese of Durgapur.  

She is now a Program Facilitator, overseeing study centres that are impacting hundreds of children each year with much-needed education support for disadvantaged children. 

“The major barriers holding these children back are more than just living below the poverty line, it’s the low self-esteem, fear and self-doubt that comes from their families living that way,” she says. 

“Through education, we help children to become confident in who they are … to know what is right from wrong … to have the courage to raise their voice and speak against injustice.” 

“Their knowledge helps to fight social evils like poverty, gender inequality and the caste system. They have a healthier life.”  

Since joining the Community Development Program, she’s now watched generations of children born in slums walk into study centres as toddlers and leave as adolescents, vastly better equipped to find productive work or pursue further study. 

“Mentoring these young souls is such a beautiful experience,” she says. 

“Through education and life skills training, I believe I am preparing these children for life. I care for these children, guide and love them the way I would like my own daughter to be cared for.” 

“It can be stressful at times, but my passion rewards me when I see a smile on these children’s faces.” 

Sophia told me that many of the children stay in close touch and even come back to volunteer in the project to help others. I asked why she thought that was and for her it’s simple:  

“Education changes people… People change the world.” 

Amen.  

Our partners like Sophia are working hard alongside thousands more people on community-wide, sustainable initiatives to end poverty.  

Many of our supporters have already given generously to help us reach this year’s target of $500,000 so that we can fully fund our projects across Asia, Africa and the Pacific.  

With only a few days left in the financial year, please consider a donation to support our work to end poverty and create justice alongside people like Sophia.  

www.unitingworld.org.au/endpoverty

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Campaigns, Community Health & Infant Nutrition (Timor Leste), News
April 30, 2024

46-year-old Bernadeta has long been a gardener.  

Around her home in rural Timor-Leste, she’s tried her hand at growing more than just staples. 

“I was growing vegetables such as bitter-gourd, string-beans, eggplants, water-spinach, green vegetables, lettuce and spinach,” she says. 

But it wasn’t until UnitingWorld’s partner FUSONA* offered her some assistance and invited her to help lead a gardening group that her garden became the primary source of income for her family. 

“When FUSONA’s staff came to introduce the kitchen garden program to me and my neighbours, I was excited and happy to join because they offered different seeds for us to grow and we don’t need to spend money to buy them,” said Bernadeta. 

So she joined the first training and agreed to lead a gardening group while she expanded her own kitchen garden. 

“The first time we joined as group, I learned new things and we had to decide how we would work together, assist each other and build trust,” she said.  

“At first it was a bit confusing for me as group leader to embrace all members with different ideas, characters, behaviours and mindsets, but we made decisions about how we could work for a better result for group.”  

They decided each person would work on the shared land according to what they were confident in and what they could manage.  

“It was important to acknowledge that each member would produce according to their strength and we formed a working rhythm that was understood among the group,” said Bernadeta. 

“When it comes to harvest time, we harvest and bring to the market to sell. And sometimes people are coming to our gardens and buy fresh vegetables here.” 

The group has decided they need to move to a bigger area of land in order to produce more vegetables to meet the market demand, and are working to figure out a sustainable water source for it.  

“As a group we are so pleased and thankful to FUSONA for supporting us with seeds to produce more in our gardens, said Bernadeta.  

“I love my kitchen garden and hope that FUSONA can continue to support our group with sourcing equipment as we get bigger!” 

We look forward to keeping you updated about Bernadeta’s group and the wider project.  

Thank you for helping make it happen!

Thank you to everyone who donated to support our food crisis appeal or gave gifts of seeds and kitchen gardens from our Everything in Common Gift Catalogue. You’re helping people like Bernadeta to build food security and generate an income for whole families.

*FUSONA is the development agency of the Protestant Church in Timor-Leste (IPTL), a partner of UnitingWorld and the Uniting Church in Australia.

by
Campaigns, News
April 23, 2024

This story comes from Fiona Morgan at Revesby Uniting Church.

 

This is Barry.

He lives in Sydney, loves his job with Uniting. Kayaking down the Georges River brings him joy.
This is Raj.

He lives on the west coast of Sri Lanka, loves his job as a motor bike mechanic. Dancing brings him joy.

Raj, who has Down Syndrome, needed some extra help at school and when he was completing his apprenticeship as a motorbike mechanic. The support he received from UnitingWorld partners in Sri Lanka mean that Raj is now able to do what he loves – in his work and his leisure time.

At Revesby Uniting Church, we place great value on welcoming and celebrating everyone. This Lent, our community chose to raise funds for UnitingWorld’s partners in Sri Lanka, who run community-based rehabilitation programs that support people including Raj.

Our thinking… why not use the things that bring us joy to raise funds that will allow others, in Sri Lanka, to do what brings them joy? Paddle for Participation was created!

During Lent, Barry kayaked 20km up the Georges River to raise funds for UnitingWorld, cheered on all the way by our community.

People gave so generously, raising $4000 over the 40 days of Lent. And because we highly value connection, conversation and hospitality at Revesby Uniting, our community celebrated the Paddle for Participation with a picnic together on beautiful Bidjigal land.

Photo credit: Ian Bertram

   

You can set up your own fundraiser for UnitingWorld.

Find out how here!