Emergency Aid from Namibia to the Philippines

Given the difficult situation of the many victims of the recent vulcano eruption in the Philippines - see the report on the UEM website - the administrative board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Namibia has decided to give a sign of solidarity. This morning Bishop Ernst Gamxamub and the Deputy General Secretary Wilfred Diergaardt hand over a donation amounting to 500 Euros to Rev. Dr Claudia Währisch-Oblau (head of the Evanglism department of UEM). UEM will transfer the money to the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), a UEM member, which takes care of the victims of the natural catastrophe and has asked the UEM communion for emergency aid. Bishop Gamxamub said: "We are not a rich church, but with this symbolical donation we would like to show our solidarity with those who suffer. We are part of the UEM communion." The donation from Namibia shows that there is a sound solidarity among Africa and Asia and that no member church is too small to financially support a fellow member church in case of an emergency. Important to know: in Namibia the unemployment rate is at approx. 40 per cent and the monthly per capita income amounts to 120 Euro. Dr Martina Pauly