Saturday, July 11, 2009

Building Bridges

CCMP works towards building sustainable bridges between people "of means" and credible community projects running relief and developmental programs, within poor communities, impacting mainly the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children within their reach.

There are many "ordinary" people (probably just like yourself) who have the desire and ability to make an incredible impact on the lives of the poor, even with a small measure of their wealth. The challenge holding many back though is in answering the questions: Who? Where? What? How?


CCMP is building bridges, crossing the gap between rich and poor, over which you can do one (or more) of three basic things:

1. Donate things you don't use any more, or things you buy (eg: school supplies) and we will see that your donation gets to the beneficiaries of one of the community projects we work with, in support of the project's work.

2. Give of your time and get involved in a project or program as a volunteer. Allow the wealth within your life to rub off on those who live in greatly underprivileged circumstances, or take on a practical project that will improve the circumstances in which the poor live and raise their children.

3. Support the ministry financially to help cover general running costs (overheads, insurances, petrol, etc), maintain a core team who keep things coordinated and going, and specific pragram and activity needs. Our banking details can be found at the bottom our home page.


Poverty is more deeply rooted than simply not having food, "stuff", or opportunities - it often has a lot more to do with alack of basic personal skills, values and attributes without which any kind of progress or restoration simply isn't possible. And the best way to effectively address these issues is not through big campaigns, but through direct contact, interventions and support of the poor.

Nelson Mandela once said, "To care for the poor is not an act of charity. It is an act of justice!" - Making a difference in the lives of the poor is not about doing what makes us look or feel good. It is about doing what is right!

Being well intentioned, prayerful, understanding, knowledgeable, compassionate or spiritual is of no consequence unless we act! Many Biblical scriptures make it clear that we are judged by our acts of mercy, not our acts of religion. Christ called us to make disciples, not "converts", and to follow his example of action - somthing not often seen in the world and, sadly, not often in the church either. CCMP works towards overcoming the reservations that hold so many back from allowing the love of God to work through them to do what is right and what matters.

Download this old newsletter - September 2007 - for more insight into our understanding and thinking when it comes to reaching out to the poor. You can also download the CCMP and Ubomi Obutsha Centre profiles for more detailed information of our work.