Operation Hope

The brothers of the Taizé Community live entirely by their work. They do not accept any donations. Similarly, if a brother inherits something from his family, the community makes a gift of it for the very poor.

The community brings support to people in difficulty on the different continents, among others children who are destitute or sick…

Moreover, it has to help certain young people coming either to Taizé or to the European, Latino-american, African or Asian meetings: so many of them cannot contribute to the cost of their stay or their travel because they come from so far away…

Some examples of recent commitments of Operation Hope

Snowstorm victims in China

In 2008 more than a dozen provinces in the South of China were struck by the most severe snowstorm for a century. The snowstorm was followed by persistent freezing temperatures. Two Chinese organizations, the Catholic Church based “Jinde Charities” based in Shijiazhuang, and the Protestant “Amity Foundation” in Nanjing, were involved in relief work. Taizé contacted them in mid-February. Since brothers of the community had visited them in 2006, collaboration was established very quickly. Before Easter, together with Caritas Germany, Taizé’s Operation Hope provided support for Jinde Charities’ relief work in Guizhou province, coordinated by the local bishop and financed also by local donations and Jinde’s own funds. Based on suggestions from disaster victims, local government officials, and local Church partners, the Jinde Relief Team offered emergency aid to 10,000 people in three remote villages where no outside help had so far reached. The aid included food supplies, seeds and fertilizer for replanting suitable crops, and material for repair and reconstruction of the damaged and destroyed houses.

Operation Hope’s other target was the city of Changde in Hunan province. Through the Amity Foundation, the biggest Christian NGO in China, and the Hunan Christian Council, the aid from Taizé enabled families whose houses had collapsed under the heavy snow to construct very simple replacement accommodation.

One thousand tonnes of flour in North Korea

At the end of February-beginning of March 2007, through Operation Hope, the community dispatched one thousand metric tons of wheat flour (40,000 25 kilo sacks) to North Korea, as humanitarian relief for people short of food. A brother of the community, himself originally from South Korea, accompanied the shipment and helped in the distribution to victims of flooding in the most stricken regions: Sinyang, Yangdok and Songchon, in South Pyongan Province. The flooding was the most devastating since the Korean War. People are still suffering from its effects. The food was distributed to the most vulnerable people: pregnant women, nursing mothers, small children and old people.

In 1998 and 1999, the Community sent over a thousand tons of corn to North Korea, for the population suffering from several years of drought and flooding. Since then, each year it has been possible to express a sign of solidarity, by sending different kinds of humanitarian relief: milk and feeding bottles for new born babies, medical equipment and basic medicines. In 2007 and 2009, the Community has also invited four doctors from the Red Cross Hospital in North Korea for a year’s training in France.

Support for AIDS orphans in Ethiopia

Operation Hope continues to help the religious sisters in Ethiopia whose work it has been supporting for more than fifteen years. In Addis Ababa they care for children who are AIDS orphans and families who are affected by leprosy.

Help for typhoon victims in the Philippines

On 30 November 2006, the Philippines was struck by Durian (Reming), a typhoon of incredible force. Torrential rains and flooding devastated several places in the region of Bicol on the island of Luzon, especially Albay and Legaspi City. The community was especially alerted because young people from this area had stayed in Taizé for longer periods. Operation Hope provided help for rebuilding houses destroyed by the typhoon.

Wells in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is situated in the Sahel where the dry season lasts nine months without interruption. The population uses open wells that often dry up and the women are forced to use unhealthy water collected in artificial ponds during the rainy season. Sometimes they have to go as far as ten kilometres in order to find water and the rare wells that do exist become a source of conflict because of the scarcity of water and the long time they have to wait. Operation Hope supports the drilling of wells and the installation of pumps. These wells are an essential source of water supply for the people and for the prevention of sickness.

An Italian priest who follows these projects writes, “With good harvests in 2008, thanks to a good rainy season, the danger of famine seems to be a bit less. This is the exact opposite of 2007, when the rains were very irregular and at the same time there was flooding. We have been able to continue our operation “Water for the Sahel” and you have given us real helping hand. We were able to use your precious help in drilling five bore holes complete with pumps. That means drinking water for five villages. In addition, we have been able to provide fresh milk for the undernourished at the hospital in Nanoro. Because of the world food crisis, in addition to the bad harvests in 2007, there were many undernourished children. Still more, we have been able to face a major problem in the rebuilding of the Goundi dam, which was swept away by the water at the end of August 2007. At present we continue our commitment through the drilling for drinking water in other villages. We have made a list of wells that need new pumps; the companies hired by the state had installed pumps of inferior quality. These pumps break down continually and the people end up by abandoning the wells that cannot be repaired because they do not know where to find the spare parts.

Help after the earthquake in Indonesia

On 27 May 2006, the city of Jogjakarta, Indonesia, was struck by a massive earthquake whose epicentre was in Bantul, on the city outskirts. Six thousand people died, of whom four thousand in the city itself. Many houses, schools and clinics were destroyed. Through Christian communities, help was given by Operation Hope to victims of the disaster. Among them were families of young people who had been to Taizé.

Solidarity after Bolivian disasters

In 2007, several states in Bolivia were hit by floods. The most serious was in the State of Beni. Operation Hope provided help for buying food for families in the region of Trinidad who had lost their homes and who are living in camps.

While in the plains of Bolivia the problem was rain, it the mountains it was the contrary. The Altiplano was undergoing severe drought. Operation Hope helped farming families from El Alto who were in need of tools for working the earth and of seed.

Schools in Bangladesh

Operation Hope has been supporting schools in Mymensingh, in Bangladesh, since 2008. In all, more than 1500 children study in these schools. These schools are places where young Muslim, Hindu and Christian teachers learn to work together. All of them are students themselves; they have to earn money to pay for their studies. These students understand that, if they wish to receive help themselves, it is also important for them to give something. They give their time to care for these schools, for children from very poor families. Serving the poor in this way increases the feeling of being part of one single human family.

In Cambodia: a place where the sick are made welcome

Since January 2008, Operation Hope has been supporting a place where sick people are made welcome in Infant Jesus Parish in Boeng Tumpun, in Cambodia. To respond to the needs of poor village people coming from different provinces in the country, the parish launched this project that promotes the dignity of the sick persons and provides them with the necessary medical care. The closeness to the capital, Phnom Penh, facilitates access to hospitals if that is necessary. Gifts make it possible to share in the cost of hospitalisation, but also to finance the centre itself: to pay the workers and the upkeep of the building, the cost of welcoming these people and of medication.

Operation Hope

For those who wish to do so, it is possible to contribute to this mutual aid.

Countries in the Euro zone:
Opération Espérance (Operation Hope)
IBAN : FR76 30003 01212 00037260029 02
BIC – SWIFT : SOGEFRPP
Bank: Société Générale, 17, rue Filaterie, B.P. 16, 71250 CLUNY, France
Or : Opération Espérance (Operation Hope)
La Banque Postale, 69900 LYON CEDEX 20 : CCP 0117121D038
IBAN : FR53 2004 1010 0701 1712 1D03 855 – BIC - SWIFT : PSSTFRPPLYO

The cost of an international transfer within the Euro zone by means of the IBAN and BIC – SWIFT codes is identical to the cost of a national transfer (except for sums beyond 12.500 €).

To receive confirmation that the transfer has been received, please write to:
Operation Hope
Taizé Community,
71250 Taizé, France
indicating the references of the transfer.

Asia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc
Gifts can be sent in the same way as subscriptions to the Letter from Taizé, making sure to indicate with your payment “For Operation Hope”.

UK
Cheques payable to “Operation Hope”, to be sent to:
Nick and Jane Shields
42 Blenheim Road, St Johns
Wakefield WF1 3JZ, UK.
mailto

USA
Operation Hope
c/o Holly Inglis Ciminnisi
33 Clark Court
Rutherford NJ 07070