Displaying items by tag: deprivation

In the UK, 64% of people have noticed an increase in deprivation in their communities this year. This surge, linked to cost of living concerns and the global situation, is dampening Christmas spirits for many. Major Estelle Blake of the Salvation Army has highlighted the combination of financial stress and loneliness affecting people, with examples of older individuals riding buses all day or spending hours in cafes for minimal social contact. The Salvation Army aims to bring comfort and connection, not just through material aid but through genuine human interaction. This year, it is distributing 76,000 toy parcels and providing 3,000 beds for the homeless. Major Blake urges Christians to reach out to those in need, offering food and companionship, especially during Christmas. She emphasises the importance of long-term engagement beyond the holiday season; the Salvation Army operates residential and emergency pop-up centres in collaboration with other churches. Major Blake herself plans to spend Christmas Day with those in need.

Franciscan friar Peter Tabichi, a science teacher in Kenya, won this year's $1million Global Teacher Prize. Not only is Peter an excellent teacher, he also gives 80% of his earnings to deprived students living in a region of severe drought and famine. He teaches high-schoolers in a school with no library or laboratory, and only one computer with limited internet access. Many students are orphans or come from a single-parent home. Tabichi views his award as a big win for Africa and all teachers and students who struggle every day with so many challenges. He will not keep the money for himself, but will use it to improve his school and feed the poor. ‘I intend to give it back to society; I intend to come up with projects that will seek to solve the problems facing the school and the community.'