Tearfund came about because Christians cared.
Some bright ideas businessman didn’t set it up; it wasn’t just a good thought someone had in the middle of the night. Nor was it about some larger-than-life personality trying to convince everyone else that this was the way to go.
In 1968 thousands of homeless, persecuted refugees from Nigeria were pouring over the borders into Biafra, in West Africa, following a vicious civil war. The news carried graphic pictures of the tragedy. Christians were moved and began sending money to a group called the Evangelical Alliance. They said, in short, ‘Help them.’ It was a cry of compassion from a whole community of people and as a result, Tearfund was born.
Those refugees weren’t the last ones Tearfund helped. Since then, money given to Tearfund has helped refugees as far away from each other as Honduras in Central America to Burundi in Africa. Even on your back doorstep in the UK, people are being helped, from asylum seekers to excluded pupils.
But what exactly is Tearfund? At its heart, Tearfund is a movement of compassionate Christians who really love Jesus, take his words seriously and take his love out into the world. Jesus loved and cared for poor people. He stood for justice and he commands us to do the same.
When there’s a natural disaster Tearfund supports projects that help those in need. When stories describe problems in the world, such as children who are forced to sell sex to survive or about people who die because there is no clean water to drink, people are moved to give... just like those Christians in 1968.
Tearfund receives this money and uses it to help Christians all over the world who are trying to solve these problems.
Tearfund also lobbies the government who can make decisions that impact the poor.
Tearfund talks to the decision-makers to make sure they take people’s needs seriously, particularly people who are poor and often neglected.
To help support Tearfund in their fight against poverty and get involved click here.