Material resources impact report - Summer 2024

An update on MCC material resources projects

Young residents of Pure Hope Children's Home and their caretakers stand outside the organization's building, located in Meheba Refugee Settlement Camp.

Zambia Ukraine Saskatchewan — Jul 2024

July 17, 2024

Your gifts have arrived in grateful hands

Relief kits have been distributed to families in Zambia who desperately need them

Nyiranshuti Atanaziya speaks with MCC staff at Zambia's Meheba Refugee Settlement Camp. — Atanaziya Nyiranshuti was separated from her family when she left Rwanda in 1994. Now widowed, she lives in the Meheba Refugee Settlement Camp in Zambia. The relief kits you provided have ensured she can care for herself and her three grandchildren. (MCC Photo/Karla Koehn)

In the northwest corner of Zambia, the Meheba Refugee Settlement Camp is home to over 34,000 refugees fleeing violence, unrest and famine in their home countries. Soaring food prices and a lack of basic hygiene supplies has put vulnerable people in this community at even greater risk.

With the generous support of people like you, the first of three shipments of MCC emergency supply kits has arrived at Meheba through our local partner, Brave Heart Foundation. Comforters, soap, nail clippers, combs, sanitary pads, towels, toothpaste, notebooks, pens, sewing kits, laundry soap and clothes for infants have been distributed to 13,695 people, with plans for two more deliveries in the coming years to reach a total of 38,016 people.

“What you gave to me really helped me because I received a bucket and inside I received four towels. I found four big soaps and two others that we use to wash clothes. I found toothpaste and a toothbrush. The kit helped me very much… Thank you and may God protect you and be with you.”

Atanaziya Nyiranshuti

Meheba Refugee Settlement Camp, Zambia

Sending comfort around the world

Your comforters wrapped people in warmth and care all winter long

Serhiy,* who is blind, examines the new MCC comforter he just received from MCC partner New Life in Nikopol, Ukraine. *Family name is withheld for security reasons. — Fleeing the danger of war has been made even more challenging for Serhiy* and his son because they both have visual impairments. When the winter winds howled, Serhiy and his son were warm thanks to the comforters made by MCC volunteers like you. (Photo courtesy of New Life Charitable Fund)

Sewing machines were abuzz across Canada, the U.S. and Europe this winter as MCC donors put the finishing touches on comforters to send around the world through our annual Great Winter Warm-up. We challenged our community to donate thousands of comforters in February. You answered the call with compassion and enthusiasm, generously sending 6,991 beautiful comforters — each stitched with love.

*Name shortened for security purposes.

Threads of care

Harold and Miriam Tieszen have been making comforters for MCC for over 20 years. Recently they spotted one of their comforters in a photo from our partner in Ukraine. Easily identifiable by Harold and Miriam’s signature pattern and recognizable fleece backing, the couple was touched to see a young person wrapped up in their love and kindness.

Harold and Miriam Tieszen holding a comforter they made to donate to beneficiaries through MCC.

With Harold cutting the squares and Miriam sewing them together, the Saskatchewan couple makes a great team and has sent hundreds of beautiful comforters around the world with MCC. (Photo courtesy of Harold and Miriam Tieszen)

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Two beneficiaries in Ukraine are wrapped up in comforters made by MCC volunteers.

Recipients of Harold and Miriam’s comforter in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. “It was beautiful and absolutely lovely [to see a photo of them with our comforter],” Harold reflected. “It is awesome to see that someone can benefit from our work. We love to help someone while enjoying what we are doing.” (Photo courtesy of Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches of Ukraine)

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