CAFOD

CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish has supported their work for a number of years. In the photograph the Parish Council Chairperson is handing a Cheque to Pat Pugh parish CAFOD rep.
The current CAFOD project is Connect:2 El Salvador which aims to help communities in El Salvador, the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. A typical village is Puentecitos, a community of 1,000 people where three-quarters of homes have no electricity or water and the average family income is just £18 per month. Despite the beautiful landscape, Puentecitos is in one of the poorest regions in El Salvador. The local economy depends on subsistence agriculture – people grow food to survive. Corn and beans are the most popular crops and people lack a varied diet. A quarter of children under five suffer from malnutrition. Education is limited. There is a primary school but older children must walk 2 miles to the secondary school in the nearest big town. A lack of employment opportunities for young people has fuelled migration.
CAFOD and their partner organisations in El Salvador focus on four key areas of development, agriculture, reducing the risk of disasters, HIV and Aids and creating peace. Up-to-date information on how life in Puentecitos is progressing can be found on http://connect2elsalvador.wordpress.com/
For further information on CAFOD contact the Parish rep. Pat Pugh via the Parish Office 8989 2074 or email wanstead@dioceseofbrentwood.org
On the left Joanna Jarvis who together with Denise Grierson and Mary Matthews runs the Brentwood CAFOD Office based at Chigwell Convent 020 8502 9722 or www.cafod.org.uk