As Lent begins today on Ash Wednesday, the Anglican Missions Lenten Appeal is opening its Lenten Appeal with a call to support critical health care in the war-torn Holy Land and in the Rwenzori region of Uganda.

Uganda

In Uganda, Lenten Appeal 2024 donations will go to the Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation (RSNF), an independent NGO set up 14 years ago with the help of Southland Anglican Dot Muir.

Since 2010 RSNF have supported hundreds of children with physical and cognitive disabilities, providing surgeries and transportation, post-surgery care, vocational and education packages, and home-based support. 

This year the RSNF Lenten Appeal will focus on supporting pregnant mothers’ nutrition in the rural Rwenzori region where poor nutrition is common and babies are often born with avoidable life-threatening physical impairments such as cleft lip and spina bifida.

Alongside its regular work with disabled children, this Lent, RSNF needs our help to provide pregnant mothers with nutritional supplements as well as horticulture tools and skills training to ensure they and their families are getting better nutrition in the future.

Learn more about the Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation here.

Holy Land

This Lent, the Hope for the Holy Land appeal directs funding to support the health and education ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

Lenten Appeal donations will be delivered through Anglican-run health and education centres and caring ministries in the West Bank, Gaza and Israel.

The Holy Land Appeal will broaden its scope to include not only medical care provided at Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, but emergency and ongoing support for children and families suffering from the impact of the war across the affected areas.

Find out more about the Hope for the Holy Land Appeal here.