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Christian Aid Highlights Commonwealth Poverty

Monday June 30 2014

As Glasgow prepares to host the Commonwealth Games this summer, Christian Aid is taking the unique opportunity to showcase its life-changing work underway across the Commonwealth to help people overcome hurdles they face in their everyday lives.

Starting on Thursday July 3, Christian Aid Scotland will highlight stories of real people competing daily against a backdrop of poverty, inequality, HIV, climate change, conflict and hunger in Commonwealth countries from Malawi and Zambia, to India, Pakistan and Jamaica.

With the help of pupils from Torbain Primary School in Kirkcaldy, Christian Aid is this week launching ‘12 days of Commonwealth’ – a daily online journey around the twelve Commonwealth countries where the charity is working through local organisations to transform the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

And as the 12 days come to a close on Tuesday 15 July, a unique event in the heart of the Games’ host city - ‘The Commonwealth Poverty Monologues’ - will bring these stories to life in 12 performances.

Athletes representing 71 countries and 2.2 billion people will soon descend upon Glasgow for the competition, and Christian Aid hopes to help Scots reflect on what unites us as part of the Commonwealth, at the same time as addressing key issues which hinder development in many of the poorer countries taking part.

Kathy Galloway, head of Christian Aid Scotland, said:“This summer we celebrate the notion of ‘common wealth’ by reflecting on all we have achieved together. But at the same time we know there are many hurdles still to be overcome, and these are having a devastating impact on quality of life for millions of people - whether they be mothers anxious about giving birth safely in Malawi, children without access to clean water in Sierra Leone, or families living at risk of further flooding due to climate change in Bangladesh.

“Our aim over these 12 days is to provide an insight into challenges which still exist in 2014, as well as fresh inspiration as to how we can all play a part in bringing about real and lasting change.”

To find out more about 12 days of Commonwealth and ‘The Commonwealth Poverty Monologues’ event, visit www.christianaid.org.uk/12daysofcommonwealth or call Christian Aid’s Glasgow office on 0141 221 7475.