by Emily Enders Odom, Mission Engagement & Support | Special to Presbyterian News Service
CERDET, the Center for Regional Studies in Tarija, Bolivia, supports Indigenous communities by, among other things, developing irrigation systems. (Contributed photo)
LOUISVILLE â When Manuel Nazario casts his net into the water these days, his catch is far less plentiful.
In the remote area of Bolivia near the Paraguayan-Argentina border, where Nazario and the members of his community mostly fish for a living, their traditional livelihood is now in severe jeopardy.
Home to an indigenous people known in Bolivia as the Weenhayek, also called the Wichà in Argentina, the Capirendita community is currently grappling with the devastating impact of climate change, irregular rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, disease and mining pollution that creeps in from the Andean zone. As a result, Nazario and the families of Capirendita are finding their age-old ways of life and their means of eco
Historic Tales of Dragons and Reptilian Monsters
The Egyptians were said to be invaded each year by flying serpents from Arabia that threatened their frankincense trade, while Alexander the Great encountered a great hissing dragon when he invaded India. In 1035, a terrible dragon was killed in the swamps of Hungary, the memory of this event living on through the royalty of the Báthory family and the Báthory seal.
In Kradów, Poland, a dragon was said to terrify the inhabitants, requiring weekly an offering of cattle to appease its appetite lest it devour human flesh. The dragon’s demise, according to Polish folklore, traces to a poor cobbler’s apprentice. Cleverly concealing smoldering sulfur in the skin of a calf, this apprentice caused the fiery death of the dragon. Today, large bones said to belong to this dragon hang from the ceiling of the Wawel Cathedral.
by Margaret Mwale, Self-Development of People | Special to Presbyterian News Service
The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People has awarded $118,000 to 30 community-based organizations in the U.S. The grants were made to help the organizations deal with the impacts of COVID-19. (Contributed photos)
LOUISVILLE â The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) has approved grants totaling $118,000 to 30 community-based projects in the United States aimed at alleviating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money is from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)âs One Great Hour of Sharing offering. SDOP receives 32% of undesignated OGHS gifts.
In 2020, SDOP marked 50 years of partnering with economically poor, oppressed and disadvantaged community groups. The funds that would have been used for its 50th anniversary celebration have instead gone toward awarding COVID grants to communities facing critical needs.