Earlier this year, we sat down with the team from ADRA Haiti to discuss the implementation of the ”FAH” program - Food Assistance in Haiti.

It has been over a year since the earthquake that hit Syria and Türkiye in 2023. We have mentioned it before on this podcast, but for the ADRA team in Syria, the reality of the aftermath has never gone away.  After a bit of a break, ADRA Insider is back to share more stories from our work in Canada and around the world. We sat down earlier in 2024 to hear the voices of the ADRA Syria team as they shared their experiences during and after the earthquake, and shared some of their perspectives on what the world outside their country might not quite be able to see. Their heart-stirring personal testimony is impactful, and their determination to help their community even in the face of loss is inspiring. Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada, and visit our website to learn how you can help make a difference.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

Max reviews the crises emerging around the beginning of 2024 in Tanzania, Madagascar, Japan, and Lebanon.

In the final episode of 2023 - ADRA Canada's "Year of Justice" - we take a look at the work that ADRA does with people who are displaced from their homes, whether Refugees or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). We share stories of an IDP family in Somalia and a family of Ukrainian refugees seeking to make the most of a new life resettled in Canada.  This episode also takes some time for Max, the producer, to reflect on the scale and frequency of humanitarian crises and natural disasters in 2023 and to offer some personal thoughts on what it means to pay attention with an open heart, to remain empathetic to the suffering of the world, and to maintain a humanitarian spirit in spite of constant bad news.  To everyone who has listened to this season of the podcast this year, we thank you for your attention, engagement, and support. We wish you the best in the new year!   Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

In our ongoing Year of Justice, we dedicated November to the theme of "Protecting Children." Yes, we are a bit late highlighting last month's theme on the podcast, but we still felt it was worth it to give the topic a highlight on this show.  Notably, we sat down recently with Cho Thel - Senior Program Manager for the Myanmar chapter of the BRIGHT (Breaking Barriers, Improving Girls Education, Hope, and Totality) Project. She shared some of her personal experience from helping to implement this project, as well as some of her own story growing up in this very same country, and how it all contributes to ADRA's emphasis on protecting children from the harms of trafficking, labour exploitation, and abuse. You will also hear examples of the BRIGHT project's success in Niger and Sudan, and catch a glipse of how all ADRA projects contribute in some way to the protection of children. Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

On November 15, 2023, ADRA Canada celebrated the agency's 40th anniversary. After four decades of humanitarian service, there was a lot to celebrate, to reflect on, and to look forward to. Important representatives from Seventh-day Adventist church leadership, as well as local leaders and dignitaries, all took their turns on stage to speak on the importance of ADRA's work, and to cast a vision for the future of the agency.  Join us on this episode of ADRA Insider as we summarize the events of the night for those who were unable to attend, as well as giving you a little insight into some staff's experiences behind the scenes. You'll also hear the recorded premiere of a new, original ADRA theme song, and learn a bit more about legacy giving and the ADRA J. Howard Society. Follow us on all of our online platforms to stay up to date with ADRA Canada.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada 

Food security is at the heart of so much of ADRA's programming around the world. As unprecedented drought conditions wreak havoc on crops, pastures, and herds, and as armed conflicts send people into various forms of displacement - hunger almost inevitably rears its ugly head. Tackling the roots of hunger means finding new ways for communities to ensure continuous food security - anchoring them in sustainable practices that don't ultimately depend on the continued support or presence of ADRA. This episode begins to explain a bit about how we do just that.  Follow ADRA Canada on all of our social media to stay up to date about all of our projects related to hunger! Also make sure to check out some of the videos on our YouTube channel from a recent trip in Cambodia and Indonesia – where our team saw the results of some of our food security projects.  And don't forget that out 40th anniversary celebration is coming up soon! Be a listening ear in the coming month to learn all about our four decade legacy of Justice, Compassion, and Love.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada   

As our "Year of Justice" rolls on, and families across the country have settled into the rhythm of the new school year, we wanted to take a moment to focus on education and the crucial role it plays in so many ADRA projects. To advance education is to give people the skills and resources necessary to lift themselves out of cycles of poverty. Here, we share stories from around the world about how ADRA is impacting lives through learning, for both young and old, abroad and right here in Canada.  Follow ADRA Canada on all of our social media to stay up to date about all of our projects related to wildfires! Be sure to check our website for your opportunity to contribute to the response efforts and change the lives of a family in need.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada   

As one of the most intense fire seasons on record has unfolded right here at home in Canada, ADRA has been working both on preventing and responding to wildfires. The most recent flare-ups in British Columbia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories have prompted us to conduct needs assessments in the affected areas. Find out more about what kinds of things we are looking for when we prepare our response to a wildfire, as well as what it might take for you to stay safe in an emerging wildfire situation.  This episode features Eric Hansen - a wildfire prevention specialist working alongside organizations like IFNA (Independent First Nations Alliance) to manage wildfires - as well as the new manager for our National Programs: Ray Fankhauser. You'll gain new insights from them about how big these wildfires can really get, what other countries are doing to assist Canada, and how the wisdom of Indigenous communities has been indispensable for fire safety in Canada. Follow ADRA Canada on all of our social media to stay up to date about all of our projects related to wildfires! Be sure to check our website for your opportunity to contribute to the response efforts and change the lives of a family in need.  https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada   

While we await more information concerning the response to the wildfires across Canada, ADRA Canada wants to share some stories from the community service work that has been going on in Alberta. Problems of homelessness, substance abuse, food insecurity, and hunger have haunted many communities in that province, and ADRA's projects have been at work among the people to make a real, tangible difference.  Hear the inspiring stories of the Red Deer Soup Kitchen, and the ADRA Delivers program, and be inspired to see similar programs reproduced in your own community.  Follow ADRA Canada on all of our social media to stay up to date about all of our projects relating to indigenous communities! https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada   

Considering we started season 6 of this podcast with a look at the migrant crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean, we thought it would be good to update you with some of the current information on ADRA's work in the region. News of asylum seekers from Haiti, and the continued flow of people from Colombia and especially Venezuela through the Darien Gap can be very distressing to hear. The ADRA network has set up Protection Points in various Central American countries in order to provide assistance and relief to travellers and families making these dangerous walking journeys. Listen to find out how ADRA supporters are supplying families with food and water, information on travel and immigration, and safe spaces for children to play. Follow ADRA Canada on all of our social media to stay up to date about all of our projects relating to indigenous communities! https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada   

In this episode, Max sits down with Campbell Page - the director of Indigenous Ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. Campbell shares about his own Cree and Métis heritage, as well as the role that ADRA and other Adventists can play in the important process of reconciliation with Indigenous people in the land now known as Canada. Campbell also discusses how his Christian faith and theological training intersect with his Indigenous identity, and how he finds intersection points shared by the Bible and Cree spirituality. You can read more about ADRA's commitments to Truth and Reconciliation here: https://www.adra.ca/adras-commitment-to-truth-and-reconciliation/ As mentioned in the episode, you can learn more about this topic via the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: https://nctr.ca/  Follow ADRA Canada on all of our social media to stay up to date about all of our projects relating to indigenous communities! https://www.adra.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/adracanada https://www.instagram.com/adracanada/ https://www.youtube.com/adracanada https://vimeo.com/adracanada   

In this second part of our episode on Emergency Management, we take a look at the history and development of the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan. Who are these factions that are fighting? Why are they in conflict, and how is it affecting people? Most importantly, how are ADRA and other humanitarian agencies responding to this crisis? This episode sheds light on how humanitarian organizations like ADRA work around the limitations imposed by an active conflict zone. 

While the wildfires raging across Canada are a major point of concern for many people, they are only one of several emergency situations we have dealt with this year. In this first half of the double episode, Max examines polar opposite ends of the emergency response process: the early emerging phase where the response is sometimes undefined or in development (such as the early phase of response to Alberta wildfires), and the longer-term implications of an emergency (such as the lingering mental health effects of the war in Ukraine). A second part of this episode will cover ongoing events in Sudan, Haiti, and other areas of the world facing recent emergencies. 

ADRA's projects almost always involve some element of promoting healthy living, or enhancing people's ability to maintain, preserve, or improve their health. From food security projects, to water access, to medical responses to global pandemics, ADRA puts deeply-held Seventh-day Adventist values into practice by helping people to access their health-related human rights. 

It has been over a year since the most recent invasion of Ukraine by Russian began. ADRA workers have been active on the ground in Ukraine, as well as in surrounding nations like Moldova and Romania, and in countries around the world receiving refugees – all in an effort to save lives and give people hope. In this episode, we hear from staff members of ADRA Ukraine and ADRA Canada about their experiences amidst the devastation. We also hear from two survivors – one, a woman who was away from her family when they were forced to evacuate, and another a mother in Kiyv whose son has epilepsy. Hear the stories of survival, struggle, and hope, and get an inside look at how ADRA is making a difference.

On International Women's Day 2023, ADRA Canada's gender equality specialist Mahider Yeshaw joins the podcast to discuss some of the work we have done in Sudan - and helps us make the connection between water access and gender equality. We learn how water can become a deciding factor in women's empowerment. We also get a brief explanation of ADRA's emergency response process from our emergency programs director - Anita Odondi.

The earthquake in Türkiye and Syria earlier this month came as a shock to the world. Over the last few weeks, humanitarian agencies have been working overtime to respond to the immediate aftermath of the crisis. Now, in the final stages of emergency response, ADRA and other similar organizations are shifting more towards longer-term recovery work. The wounds are still fresh in many ways, but the broader concerns about infrastructure, healthcare, and rebuilding are becoming more salient. How has ADRA been responding? This episode shares details about what has been done so far, and points to some of the work that is needed going forward.

On Monday, February 6, 2023, troubling news struck the world when a massive earthquake struck Syria and Türkiye. Bad news has gotten worse as the death toll climbs - in fact, between the time of recording and upload, the number of deaths and injuries reported in this very podcast became inaccurate. In a coincidental turn of events, one of ADRA Canada's own staff members was present in Damascus. Zeny Cooper had been sent to provide finance training for the ADRA Syria team. Instead of going ahead with her workshop, however, Zeny faced the onset of the earthquake and its numerous aftershocks. You can hear her story here, as well as a summary of where the disaster response is at so far, and of course a bit more about how you can help.  While ADRA has dispatched a team to conduct assessments in Türkiye, we have a more established presence in Syria and will be focusing our relief efforts there.  Follow this link to donate to ADRA's emergency response to the earthquake. https://www.adra.ca/adras-turkiye-and-syria-response/

Our theme for January at ADRA Canada was "Ensuring Economic Opportunity." ADRA Canada's programs help individuals, families, and communities to earn money, develop resources, and adapt to new financial situations. We work to create a just world by refusing "drive-by" charity and insisting on the empowerment and sustainable independence of the communities we serve. With stories coming from Venezuela, Kenya, the Philippines, and right here in Canada, this episode demonstrates how ADRA's approach to ensuring economic opportunity for our project participants is holistic and well-rounded.