Footsteps 27 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter RESOURCESPUBLICATIONSFOOTSTEPSFOOTSTEPS 27 PRESSURES ON THE FAMILY This edition of Footsteps is a challenging one. It shows some of the issues facing families today and in the future. It could make us feel quite depressed. Is there anything we can do? It raises many difficult issues that are easier to ignore. However, like the recent issue on women’s health (which has been much appreciated by readers) we hope that this issue, too, will help in raising awareness and discussion of sensitive issues. Families are the building bricks of societies. When they start to crumble, so too may society. We need family units – of whatever size – that provide a secure and loving base for children to grow and where people can share their needs, problems and joys openly. As part of the final stage of developing their population policy, Tearfund have included discussion of population issues in all their publications. They would be particularly pleased to have the response of Footsteps readers. Please find below articles from Footsteps issue 27 in html. To download a pdf version of Footsteps issue 27 click here (660K). Bible study: Families Families. God intends the family as a place of refuge and security, standing strong under pressures. It should be a place where members can grow to maturity, sharing good things and fun! There are many examples of this in the Bible – for example, Psalm 128. Read More Drama from EcoLink It is very important to encourage people to talk openly about sensitive issues. Drama – using people or puppets – can be a good way of encouraging such discussion. Here is an idea for a drama written by EcoLink in South Africa. You can add your own ideas, adapt the content and change the names to make it relevant for your own community. Read More Editorial This edition of Footsteps is a challenging one. It shows some of the issues facing families today and in the future. It could make us feel quite depressed. Is there anything we can do? It raises many difficult issues that are easier to ignore. However, like the recent issue on women’s health (which has been much appreciated by readers) we hope that this issue, too, will help in raising awareness and discussion of sensitive issues. Families are the building bricks of societies. When they ... Read More Erosion control Many years ago I worked with a group to control very large erosion ditches – sometimes 10 metres across. We used hardwood posts which we sank 1 metre deep into the ground, with the tops level with the original ground level. We planted them in two rows across the ditches and tied wire diagonally between them. We filled the ditch with straw or grass and planted cuttings of willows. As the level of straw and grass fell, we filled it up again. Read More Happy Families Checklist How often do you laugh together? every day 5 every week or two 3 not very often 1 Read More Healing for our communities and families by Gladys Mwiti. The Oasis Centre is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and believes that the importance of Christian counselling in the church cannot be over-emphasised. They prepare training materials and run workshops and seminars throughout Africa to prepare Christian counsellors. Read More Letters Testing water purity. We appreciate Footsteps which provides much useful information for us. We work in providing water supplies in rural areas. We have a problem in testing water before proceeding with the building of wells and do not have access to large and expensive machines. Will the water be clean enough for drinking? Do any Footsteps readers have any ideas for simple methods of testing water easily and cheaply in the field? Read More Practical methods for spacing families Compiled by Isabel Carter. There are many ways of helping couples to space their families. The most suitable method depends on what is available, the needs of the couple and their beliefs about which methods are appropriate. Read More Resources EcoLink Ecolink is a group in the Eastern Transvaal of South Africa, providing a variety of training courses and booklets. The workshops include literacy, environmental issues, bookkeeping and budgeting and solar cooking. Their resource centre produces environmental education resources for communities, schools and field workers. They are useful not just in South Africa but elsewhere. Read More The changing role of the family by Dr Apolos Landa. As we approach the third millennium, people all around the world show signs of being scared. They may be fearful about their safety, worried about their families or full of uncertainty about the future. Read More The Population Debate Children are a blessing. The Bible teaches that children are a blessing. Children are to be welcomed into the world and celebrated. People are made in the image of God and are to be given respect and dignity. However, many people today do not experience life as a blessing but as a tragedy. They may live in extreme poverty or as one of millions of ‘street kids’ who are unwanted. They may die from illnesses which are preventable. Read More The return of sleeping sickness Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) is a disease carried by tsetse flies which affects an estimated 55 million people in 36 African countries. It causes severe pain, suffering and death in mainly rural communities. A WHO specialist has described the situation in many parts of Africa as a ‘time bomb’ under constant threat of exploding. Here is recent information from a Footsteps reader, Dr Paul Fountain… Read More The world’s missing women Kala Devi lives with her husband and seven daughters in the slums of Delhi. When I met her, she was pregnant again. Despite the expense, she had been for a scan. Finding it was a boy, the family had brought sweets for everyone to celebrate. If it had been a girl, she might well have had an abortion. Read More Visual Aids for Development by Petra Röhr-Rouendaal. ‘ I feel like a bird who can fly for the first time!’ This is what Brenda told me after she had produced her first visual aids. She is a nurse working in the north of Kenya with the nomadic Samburu and Turkana people. She has travelled with the nomads over the last few years, living in a simple grass-mat hut. Brenda’s work is to teach people about primary health care. This proved difficult as few people could read or write and she had no visual aids. Visual ... Read More FOOTSTEPS ISSUES 109 - Youth 108 - Living with disability 107 - Waste 106 - Sexual and gender-based violence 105 - Land rights 104 - Prisons 103 - Entrepreneurship 102 - Health and faith 101 - Caring for orphans 100 - Impact and change 99 - Climate change 98 - HIV 97 - Hygiene and sanitation 96 - Human trafficking 95 - Poultry keeping 94 - Valuing food 93 - Mobilising local resources 92 - Conflict and peace 91 - Maternal health 90 - Lifelong learning 89 - Livestock 88 - Managing disasters 87 - Non-communicable diseases 86 - Stigma 85 - Trees 84 - Leadership 83 - Millennium development goals 82 - Natural resources 81 - Celebration issue – 20 years 80 - Micro-enterprise 79 - Managing everyday risk 78 - Migration 77 - Food security 76 - Accountability 75 - Sharing ideas 74 - Household health care 73 - Sanitation 72 - Family life 71 - Effective communication 70 - Agriculture and climate change 69 - Sexual health 68 - Forgiveness and reconciliation 67 - Urban renewal 66 - Human rights 65 - Adding value to food 64 - Planning for sustainability 63 - Meeting the MDGs 62 - Literacy 61 - Impact of HIV on children 60 - Facilitation skills 59 - Pollution 58 - Theatre for development 57 - Financial stewardship 56 - Learning from disaster 55 - Families under pressure 54 - Household agriculture 53 - Holistic development 52 - Nutrition 51 - Water 50 - Increasing our impact 49 - Disability 48 - Traditional medicines 47 - Biodiversity 46 - Appropriate technology 45 - Advocacy 44 - Networking - HIV & AIDS 43 - Motivating change 42 - Focus on health and dental care 41 - Looking after our land 40 - Celebration issue - 10 years 39 - Older people 38 - Child participation 37 - Sustainable healthcare 36 - Conflict management 35 - Micro-enterprise 34 - Animal health 33 - Insect-borne diseases 32 - Food security 31 - Readers' feedback 30 - Water, sanitation and hygiene 29 - PLA 28 - Street children 27 - Population 26 - Credit schemes 25 - Fish Farming 24 - Women's health 23 - Drug rehabilitation 22 - Training 21 - Technology 20 - Environment 19 - TB and AIDS 18 - Disasters 17 - Evaluation 16 - Literacy 15 - Soil erosion 14 - Immunization 13 - Clear vision 12 - Partnership in health 11 - Accounts and records 10 - Small livestock 9 - Sanitation 8 - Mother and child care 7 - Home gardens 6 - AIDS 5 - Trees 4 - Help from children 3 - Family spacing 2 - Medicines and chemicals 1 - Water
Bible study: Families Families. God intends the family as a place of refuge and security, standing strong under pressures. It should be a place where members can grow to maturity, sharing good things and fun! There are many examples of this in the Bible – for example, Psalm 128. Read More
Drama from EcoLink It is very important to encourage people to talk openly about sensitive issues. Drama – using people or puppets – can be a good way of encouraging such discussion. Here is an idea for a drama written by EcoLink in South Africa. You can add your own ideas, adapt the content and change the names to make it relevant for your own community. Read More
Editorial This edition of Footsteps is a challenging one. It shows some of the issues facing families today and in the future. It could make us feel quite depressed. Is there anything we can do? It raises many difficult issues that are easier to ignore. However, like the recent issue on women’s health (which has been much appreciated by readers) we hope that this issue, too, will help in raising awareness and discussion of sensitive issues. Families are the building bricks of societies. When they ... Read More
Erosion control Many years ago I worked with a group to control very large erosion ditches – sometimes 10 metres across. We used hardwood posts which we sank 1 metre deep into the ground, with the tops level with the original ground level. We planted them in two rows across the ditches and tied wire diagonally between them. We filled the ditch with straw or grass and planted cuttings of willows. As the level of straw and grass fell, we filled it up again. Read More
Happy Families Checklist How often do you laugh together? every day 5 every week or two 3 not very often 1 Read More
Healing for our communities and families by Gladys Mwiti. The Oasis Centre is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and believes that the importance of Christian counselling in the church cannot be over-emphasised. They prepare training materials and run workshops and seminars throughout Africa to prepare Christian counsellors. Read More
Letters Testing water purity. We appreciate Footsteps which provides much useful information for us. We work in providing water supplies in rural areas. We have a problem in testing water before proceeding with the building of wells and do not have access to large and expensive machines. Will the water be clean enough for drinking? Do any Footsteps readers have any ideas for simple methods of testing water easily and cheaply in the field? Read More
Practical methods for spacing families Compiled by Isabel Carter. There are many ways of helping couples to space their families. The most suitable method depends on what is available, the needs of the couple and their beliefs about which methods are appropriate. Read More
Resources EcoLink Ecolink is a group in the Eastern Transvaal of South Africa, providing a variety of training courses and booklets. The workshops include literacy, environmental issues, bookkeeping and budgeting and solar cooking. Their resource centre produces environmental education resources for communities, schools and field workers. They are useful not just in South Africa but elsewhere. Read More
The changing role of the family by Dr Apolos Landa. As we approach the third millennium, people all around the world show signs of being scared. They may be fearful about their safety, worried about their families or full of uncertainty about the future. Read More
The Population Debate Children are a blessing. The Bible teaches that children are a blessing. Children are to be welcomed into the world and celebrated. People are made in the image of God and are to be given respect and dignity. However, many people today do not experience life as a blessing but as a tragedy. They may live in extreme poverty or as one of millions of ‘street kids’ who are unwanted. They may die from illnesses which are preventable. Read More
The return of sleeping sickness Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) is a disease carried by tsetse flies which affects an estimated 55 million people in 36 African countries. It causes severe pain, suffering and death in mainly rural communities. A WHO specialist has described the situation in many parts of Africa as a ‘time bomb’ under constant threat of exploding. Here is recent information from a Footsteps reader, Dr Paul Fountain… Read More
The world’s missing women Kala Devi lives with her husband and seven daughters in the slums of Delhi. When I met her, she was pregnant again. Despite the expense, she had been for a scan. Finding it was a boy, the family had brought sweets for everyone to celebrate. If it had been a girl, she might well have had an abortion. Read More
Visual Aids for Development by Petra Röhr-Rouendaal. ‘ I feel like a bird who can fly for the first time!’ This is what Brenda told me after she had produced her first visual aids. She is a nurse working in the north of Kenya with the nomadic Samburu and Turkana people. She has travelled with the nomads over the last few years, living in a simple grass-mat hut. Brenda’s work is to teach people about primary health care. This proved difficult as few people could read or write and she had no visual aids. Visual ... Read More