An image of women in Sudan’s Darfur province walking together has inspired Christchurch churches to walk for Darfur.
On Sunday (SEPT 7) members of St Marks, St Annes and St Martins in Opawa and St Martins will walk a circuit of the three churches raising money for Christian World Service’s Let’s Walk Together appeal for Darfur.
Christian World Service is a Christchurch-based organization supporting relief and development projects in poor countries.   Its current appeal for the NCA Darfur Programme features a line of women walking together, carrying water jerry cans on their heads. 
It inspired St Marks and St Annes mission motivator Mark Aitchison to hold a fundraising walk as a “good practical act for Darfur”.
Mr Aitchison said that hearing about a war half a world away affected him and he hoped it would nudge others to respond and join the walk for Darfur.
“Some of the things I’ve heard about the war are not just sad but make me think about how hope works in people.  Hope can be contagious.  If these people need help, I feel inspired to do what I can. 
“I could say my contribution is a drop in the bucket but I can’t get away from acting, even if it’s a little.”
Small donations went a long way to bringing relief in Darfur.
People of St Martins and Opawa were fortunate to live in a beautiful area to walk, he says.  Being Father’s Day, he hopes plenty of young families will get involved.
The NCA Darfur Programme is headed by Auckland development worker Wayne Mitchell.  It supports 300,000 refugees and internally displaced people in Darfur with emergency relief, which is keeping people alive.  A British charity operating in Darfur estimates 100,000 people would die a month if aid organizations pulled out.
The walk for Darfur sets off from any of the three churches at 2pm on Sunday and lasts 90 minutes.  A gold coin donation will cover tea and coffee breaks at the churches.  The day finishes with a service at St Annes Anglican, corner Wilsons and Centaurus roads, at 5pm.