WEE BOX Appeal 2022

Over the past two weeks, we've seen so much generosity and love for families fleeing conflict in Ukraine.

As part of the global Caritas network, we’re already there when emergencies strike, and will be there long after others have left. We stand beside people in their darkest hour of need, showing them the love of the Catholic community in Scotland, feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless.

By standing together during these tough times, we can bring strength to those in crisis whenever and wherever it’s needed.  

It’s this love of the Catholic community in Scotland that’s needed in the poorest communities all around the world.

And, this Lent, families in Malawi facing the devastation of the Climate Emergency, need love and support more than ever. 

Disaster-hit Malawi

Just yesterday, a cyclone hit Malawi with floods and heavy rains taking lives and destroying homes. This comes just weeks after a major tropical storm hit the country, with a national disaster declared shortly after. The storm left over 150,000 people displaced from their homes and there is widespread damage to crops.

We were extrememely saddened to report that 11 people who were involved in our Climate Challenge Programme Malawi, which is run with funding from the Scottish Government, died as a result of the storm.

Donations to our 2022 WEE BOX appeal will go towards our life-changing work supporting people in need around the world, providing urgent food and shelter, and helping communities make changes for the future so they can break the cycle of poverty, including adaptations to the climate crisis.

Chimwemwe Sakunda Ndhlovu is one of our partners from Malawi. She was in Glasgow for the COP26 conference in November where she shared the impact of climate change to world leaders.

As part of her work in Malawi, Chimwemwe has been assessing the damage of the storm. She told us: 

“We have had widespread, devastating damage from the storm. In some villages, most homes have been wiped out, with food, livestock and people’s personal belongings now gone with the floods.

“Most people in Malawi are farmers and earn their living growing crops so the impact is dire for them. They’ve lost everything and will need to start again.  

"On top of the impact of the storm, we are also now facing heavy rains. This is causing further flooding. It will be a long time to recover from this. We want to support people as much as possible to get them back on their feet after losing so much.”

Julius Thom spoke to us about his family’s experience of the climate crisis in Malawi. He lives in Southern Malawi where extreme weather is affecting his ability to grow food:

“When you are growing food for your family every person lives on optimism. But now, my household – and many others in the village – are facing hunger.

“Climate change has caused of lot of problems in my life compared to the past. My focus is on my children and providing a future for them.”

Alistair Dutton, our Chief Executive, expressed his thanks for your generous donations and urged that we stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Malawi.

“We have had enormous support for the people of Ukraine in the last two weeks and rightly so. SCIAF is responding immediately through the international Catholic aid network, Caritas, and donations are going directly to local humanitarians on the ground.

“We are united in solidarity with those who are suffering in the midst of this brutal war.  But hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest people cannot feed their families and face extreme hunger every day.  As we watch the horror unfolding in the Ukraine, please remember other people throughout the world who face poverty and injustice, and give generously with love and hope. SCIAF’s WEE BOX appeal funds our long-term work to help people escape extreme poverty.  Please give generously."