"It gives one hope, this great strength of Africa."
-Stephen Lewis, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations
For over 35 years, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief have worked with the African people in Ethiopia, Malawi and Tanzania, and our hope has never faded.
We have witnessed transformations – large and small – that have brought safe, clean water to communities where the source of life was also a source of disease.
We have seen women take on leadership roles in their villages, marshalling the knowledge and the know how to bring economic stability and healthy livelihoods to their communities.
We have seen African medical professionals work creatively and responsibly to overcome obstacles to deliver life-saving care.
And we have taken note of something else Mr. Lewis has remarked upon:
"It is always the village women who drive these things."
Which is why we’ve launched a new campaign to encourage our supporters to put their trust in the hands of the women of Africa.
"In Her Hands” is more than a campaign theme, it is a philosophy that permeates all that we do, and this year, it is more important now than ever before.
With extreme poverty on the rise for the first time in 22 years due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, women and girls will bear the brunt – threatening the progress made over the last several years. CPAR staff on the ground in Africa are seeing a concerning rise in child marriages and violence against women and girls. Schools that have closed for the pandemic are reopening to far fewer girls in the classroom. Women who already performed most of the work for the least amount of pay – if any at all – are finding fewer economic opportunities with which to sustain their families.
This year, CPAR is launching the “In Her Hands” campaign, with the goal of putting health, hope and security into the hands of those who need it most. We’re inviting Canadians to join us in our work to build healthier communities in rural Africa. Find out more by visiting our In Her Hands website, reading about our programs, and consider giving what you can to put health and hope in her hands.
