Tearfund
 | |
| Founded | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Founder | George Hoffman, of the Evangelical Alliance |
| Type | Christian charity |
| Location |
|
| Mission | to serve Jesus Christ by enabling those who share evangelical Christian beliefs to bring good news to the poor[1] |
| Website | http://www.tearfund.org/ |
Tearfund is a UK Christian relief and development agency which works in over 50 countries. It is a founding member of both the Micah Network and the Disasters Emergency Committee.
History
The charity was created out of the Evangelical Alliance (EA) and the Evangelical Refugee Fund created by the United Nations. Tearfund's original name was The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund Committee[2]:17 George Hoffman headed up the fund.[2]:21
In January 1969 Cliff Richard did two fundraising concerts for Tearfund at London's Royal Albert Hall.[2]:29 He has served as the charity's Vice President and in 1999 served as its president.[3] In 2009 Sir Cliff gave the proceeds of his first 50th anniversary concert in Wembley Arena to Tearfund.
Tearfund was registered as a charity on 6 March 1973.[2]:21
Tearfund Ireland was launched as an independent charity in 2008 and now works closely with Tearfund UK as a sister organisation.
Work
Tearfund first sent staff overseas in 1972 when nurses were sent to flood-struck Bangladesh to work with the Bible and Medical Missionary Fellowship. The nurses spent from six months to two years working in hospitals, clinics and feeding camps.[2]:62
Tearfund engages both in direct operational work (via its Disaster Management Unit), and in development work partnering with local Christian groups.[2]:92By 2006 Tearfund was working with 297 partners, many of them church-based groups, in a total of 565 projects.[2]:164 In 2006–2007 it provided £9 million to partner groups working in emergencies.[2]:73
In 1994 Tearfund set up a Disaster Response Unit, now called the Disaster Management Team.[2]:65–66 The first disaster responded to was the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. By 2006–2007, Tearfund had teams working in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Liberia, Darfur, Indonesia, Pakistan and Kenya, caring for people affected by conflicts and natural disasters.[2]:68
Incidents
In 2000, four Tearfund staff were kidnapped whilst performing charity work in Sierra Leone. They were freed after four days but robbed of all their possessions.[4]
Literature
The charity produces a grassroots development magazine named Footsteps which is produced in seven languages and has a print run of ~50,000.[2]:108
The charity has also produced a booklet entitled Don't Forget Your Ethics which advises people how to travel in both an eco-friendly and fair trade manner.[5][6][7]
Campaigning
In 1997 Global Action Network became Tearfund's first full-scale programme of equipping supporters to campaign on poverty issues from a Biblical basis.[2]:183
Tearfund is a member organisation of several coalitions, including:
- The European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad).
- The Jubilee Debt Campaign
- The Make Poverty History campaign
- The Stop AIDS Campaign
- The Stop climate chaos campaign
- The Trade Justice Movement
Inspired Individuals
Tearfund piloted an Inspired Individuals Initiative in 2008. The Initiative seeks to identify, support and resource social entrepreneurs, change agents whose unique vision has the potential to transform the lives of millions living in poverty.
Tearfund’s support for these Inspired Individuals is threefold: firstly, each individual will be paid a stipend for a period of three years; secondly, Tearfund will provide a network of like-minded people to encourage and challenge; and thirdly, a bespoke support programme is offered.[8] Members of the initiative include Kelvin Mwikya.
References list
- ↑ Tearfund: Mission, Beliefs, Values
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 Hollow, Mike (2008). A Future And A Hope. Oxford, UK: Monarch Books. ISBN 978-1-85424-865-7.
- ↑ "TV JILL'S MERCY SQUAD KILLED". Sunday Mirror. November 14, 1999.
- ↑ "Sierra Leone hostages". The Times. August 31, 2000.
- ↑ "Before you go the essential checklist Where can you find out about travel companies who are committed to sustainable tourism at home and abroad? Here are some good starting points". Sunday Telegraph. August 5, 2001.
- ↑ Amy Barry (July 22, 2000). "Ten commandments for tourists". The Times.
- ↑ Guardian Travel Pages, Pg. 19 (July 8, 2000). "Travel: In brief: Ethics abroad". The Guardian.
- ↑ Tear Fund Inspired Individuals