Benburb rector uses frankincense to share the Christmas message

THE rector of Benburb Church of Ireland parish, which includes Clonfeacle, Derrygortreavy, Eglish/Drumsallan, used the Advent/Christmas seasons to highlight the on-going famine in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Rev Suzanne Cousins hung a bag of frankincense on her Christmas tree in an attempt to draw attention to, and raise awareness of, the crisis besetting those African countries.

The aim of her gesture of solidarity has been to encourage people to give a gift in support of Christian Aid Ireland's work in the Horn of Africa where more than 23 million people are desperate for food because of drought.

And although Christmas ‘22 has now past, the crisis certainly has not, which is why donations to Christian Aid's work are still very welcome.

With each of the past rainy seasons having failed to materialise, crops have been unable to grow in the dry, bone-hard soil. In addition, water-deprived livestock have died.

Aid agencies are calling this “the worst drought to have hit the region in 40 years” and they point to the grim fact that millions in the worst affected areas are close to starvation.

The situation is being made worse by the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine which has seen food prices soar with grain exports to the region seriously affected, too.

Working through local partners, Christian Aid is responding in Ethiopia and Kenya where it is helping over 300,000 people by repairing wells, distributing water purification kits, transporting water to the worst drought-affected communities, and providing fodder and veterinary medicine to keep valuable livestock alive as well as supplying cash support.

Frankincense - a fragrant resin obtained from the Horn of Africa’s indigenous trees - was one of the gifts the three Wise Men brought to the baby Jesus, hence Rev Cousins’ idea to use it in heightening awareness.

She has supported Christian Aid Ireland throughout her ministry and this year she and her parishioners have held a series of events which to date have raised well over £3,000 to support Christian Aid’s work in Ukraine as well as the Horn of Africa.

Rosamond Bennett, Christian Aid Ireland’s Chief Executive thanked the Benburb rector for having alerted others to the nature and severity of the crisis.

And having travelled to the region in the summer to see for herself the hardship caused by the drought, Christian Aid's CEO knows only too well the toll it is taking.

Describing conditions she had witnessed she said, “In northern Kenya, we drove over several bridges but none of the rivers had any water. They were just wide, empty tracts of sand and dust.

“The landscape was littered with carcasses. Weakened by hunger and thirst, the animals had died where they stood - goats and cattle mainly. But even the camels, the ships of the desert, had succumbed to this harshest of droughts.

“I met a woman farmer we’ve been supporting and she told me that her harvest had been badly affected by the drought. She showed me her brown, shrivelled vegetables. As well as that, all her cattle have died, so she has no meat or milk to sell.”

To support Christian Aid’s work, please visit caid.ie/ChristmasDonate