Feeling the pulse of what we do
In our latest blog, WDR Communications and Fundraising Coordinator Laura Kerr writes about the heart of our work.
In recent months, WDR staff and committee members have spent time with each of our global partners. For all partners, this was through a Zoom call and for one partner, Kopila-Nepal, it was a visit in November, too. We spent time together, online and in person, not to question or examine, but to chat with friends, find out how they are and help us understand the current context in which they are all working.
Now, don’t worry, reporting does happen! All our partners submit two reports to WDR every year. These reports cover the detail of the work Irish Methodists are funding through WDR and create space for questions and back-and-forth should any queries arise. It’s important to have these reports, to manage our budget, support partners with any issues and ensure your support is being used as it was intended. For WDR though, partnership must not stop here. Truly effective partnership is bigger than budgets and certainly not limited to twice-yearly contact. For us, partnership is about friendship, open and honest dialogue, and a sincere desire to work together, from a place of mutual understanding, for the transformation of the world.
Our run of Zoom meetings finished with one of our partners in South Africa, the Church Land Programme. It was wonderful to see eight members of CLP staff join the call to talk to Tim Dunwoody (WDR Team Leader), Rev Paul Maxwell (WDR Convener), Rev Andrew Robinson (WDR Committee member) and me. In the last year, CLP has undergone some changes as Graham Philpott stepped down as Director, although he remains part of the staff team. David Ntseng (who first came to CLP as an intern) has taken on the role of Director. When talking about the change in his role, Graham commented that he has enjoyed the shift in his work and getting back to “feeling the pulse of what we (CLP) do”.
That phrase has been stuck in my head ever since.
These conversations, and our visits to partners, bring colour to the picture of what we’re doing, together. Emails and WhatsApp are great, but chatting face-to-face is an outright winner when it comes to communication and human connection. The conversations with our partners have reminded me again of why WDR exists and why we work the way we do, through relational partnership. In Graham’s words, they have helped me feel the pulse of what we do.
Kshamata Khadka
In our Zoom calls, all of our partners told us about some of the people they work with. Our work is not about cold statistics and faceless stories; it’s about people, families, friends, and communities. People created by God, to live happy, fulfilled lives and be all that they can be.
In Nepal, we met some of the wonderful women Kopila work with, who told us in their own words how their lives have changed through the partnership. Spending time with Kopila staff, we saw first-hand their passion for their work and heard what drives them.
Kshamata Khadka, part of the Kopila staff team explained her motivation, “When I was growing up, my parents always worried about me; they worried where I was and when I would come home. I realised that society was unfair for girls and that’s why my parents were concerned. I don’t want a society where girls aren’t safe. I came to Kopila because they fight for women’s dignity and rights.”
For WDR, the pulse of what we do is shaped by God’s heart; a heart that beats for justice, for all His people. Caring for those living in poverty is a fundamental aspect of Jesus' teachings. In the Gospels, we see that Jesus was fully aware of the physical and spiritual well-being of those around him. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and comforted the afflicted. In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus says that when we care for the least of our brothers and sisters, we are caring for him.
Global poverty is a social justice issue. It is unjust that some people live in extreme poverty while others have more than they need. We are called to work for justice and equality in our world.
“The Lord says, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” ”
When we see injustice, we are called to act. Addressing global poverty is one way we can work for justice and equality.
So, after all the conversations with our partners, I have once again felt the pulse of what WDR does and been reminded of the ‘why’.
Put simply, we do it because Jesus did it.
If you’d like to join us as we work to make the world better for everyone, you can:
Give a financial gift
Subscribe to our mailing list for news and updates
Learn about our partners and the issues they face
Pray; for those living in poverty, for our partners as they respond, for generosity from those who have more than they need.