36 CREATION HOPE
Kenya : an elephant shrew in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest India : where A Rocha works to reduce conflict between elephants and people
like to become a birdwatcher , and be involved in the work of conserving them and their habitats .’
Eco-tourism facilities have generated funds and created jobs . A Rocha has trained up nature guides and employs people to build and maintain walkways and bird-hides . Some parents and guardians of the beneficiaries are trained on tree nursery management , just one example of the sustainable livelihoods we are developing in the area .
India
In the UK , human-animal conflict rarely escalates beyond the annoyance of foxes knocking over the bins again . But if you are a resident of Bengaluru in India , you may well find yourself in a deadly struggle with an elephant . Often either the elephant or the human meets an untimely end . Our Christian hope is ultimately for a restored and renewed earth where a child can lead along a leopard and a goat without risk to any of them ( Isaiah 11:6-9 ). Until then , we can seek to live as harmoniously as possible with our fellow citizens of this world .
A Rocha has been working for over eighteen years to find creative ways for humans and elephants to peacefully coexist , researching , educating and developing strategies that don ’ t cause harm to anyone . One solution is to make barriers around the national park , although this has not been as simple as it sounds . Avinash Krishnan , who leads the project , explains , ‘ We ’ ve tried different barriers for elephants like setting up beehives on fences , hanging sacks dipped in tigers ’ urine and installing devices that create the sounds of lions and tigers . All of these seem to work for a while , mainly because elephants are social animals , but after a while , they begin to observe and overcome these boundaries .’ An effective solution that the team has come up with now is to scare away the elephants by mixing tobacco and chili powder to create a strong smell . And in case nothing works , the elephants that cause trouble are captured by the Karnataka Forest Department and trained in camps .
Uganda
In Uganda , children die every day from preventable diseases caused by contaminated water and improper sanitation and hygiene . One of the simplest ways to create safe drinking water for poor families is to boil it or to add a chemical treatment . Neither of these methods is cheap or good for the planet , but if that ’ s what you have to do to keep your children alive , you do it .
A Rocha doesn ’ t work on the assumption that there is always a loser . We look for ways everyone can win . In Uganda , we provide families in need with bio-sand water filters , which remove 99 % of pathogens and parasites : clean drinking water without the need to cut down trees for charcoal .
The COVID-19 pandemic has made life harder still for Ugandans on the economic margins . Nabisere Esther from Kampala told us , ‘ During this lockdown we are having almost no income . I thank God that my family can get enough drinking water from the filter without spending money on charcoal to boil it .’ Psalm 34:5 says , ‘ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous , and his ears are attentive to their cry .’ For Nabisere , A Rocha ’ s help was a sign of God ’ s faithful provision and love .
Uganda : Evans Kaddu and clean water
1 . www . anglicancommunion . org / mission / marks-ofmission . aspx
2 . www . lausanne . org / content / ctcommitment # p1-7
Dave Bookless
Rev Dr Dave Bookless . Dave ’ s passion is communicating biblical teaching to today ’ s cultures , and he has spoken around the world to conferences , colleges and churches . He has a PhD from Cambridge University on biblical theology and biodiversity conservation , and has contributed to many books and articles .