There is hope even amid multiple crises – our latest report shows over 1 million people were supported through our work

2022 WAS A YEAR OF CRISES that shook and challenged our
worldview and affected us on many levels, perhaps more deeply
than anything else ever before.

Crises always lead to a great deal of suffering, and no matter the causes, and no matter where in the world we are, we all feel the impact.

People are starting to question the rules we play by. Long-simmering discontent is boiling over. The world is changing; but listening to discussions – not only between
experts, but also ordinary Finns – I believe it is changing for good.

For Finn Church Aid, 2022 was a year of changes. Just a few years earlier, we had discontinued our European operations, thinking our work there was done. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 changed everything overnight, and for much longer than we anticipated.

Thanks to unprecedented support from Finnish people, Finn Church Aid was able to quickly mobilise programme work in the country. In no time at all, a country office and one of our organisation’s biggest aid programmes were up and running.

Despite their own sense of shock and disbelief, people wanted to help. Individuals, businesses, churches and public authorities were ready and willing to give money and their time to support people in Ukraine.

By the end of February 2023, our partner Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) reached 275,860 people in the humanitarian response supported by FCA. Our country office’s work focused mainly on education and reached 18,400 people in Ukraine already in 2022.

What happens in Ukraine also has repercussions for our activities elsewhere, including in Africa. The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in decades and our local employees, particularly in Kenya and Somalia, are fighting it on a daily basis.

Cereals from Ukraine used to be a major part of the region’s food security, but the war stopped grain shipments, causing an acute food crisis and rapid inflation in a region suffering from various challenges.

Meanwhile, our efforts to build long-term development cooperation are hampered by the ruling military junta in Myanmar, the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and the impacts of the climate crisis.

What this shows us above all, is that the work of Finn Church Aid is still needed. We can alleviate suffering and offer a ray of hope for many in times of despair.

In addition to the very tangible crises caused by war and disasters, we are facing a global political crisis. In times of crises, it is easy to withdraw mentally and physically; this is a natural protective mechanism and how we instinctively react to danger.

But in today’s world, no one can make it alone – this is what the crises mentioned above have shown us. We need others. We must learn to work together.

At its essence, this involves recognising the needs of others and acting for the common good – within and beyond Finland’s borders.

It is fair to ask if there is hope left in this world? To answer that, I want to bring your attention to things we can do with your support.

We can help children and youth go to school and learn, we can provide water to those who are thirsty and food to those who are hungry, we can offer asylum for refugees and strive for those who have no livelihood.

In all crises, human response is of key importance. With the support of our donors, we supported over one million beneficiaries in 2022. We have been able to empower people living amidst crises to take action to improve their lives.

So yes, there is hope.

Read our annual report here

Text: Tomi Järvinen, FCA Executive Director
Main Photo: Antti Yrjönen