Mothers Union Australia is helping communities in the Pacific face the impacts of Climate Change

Families living in the Pacific are increasingly experiencing the impacts and adversity of climate change, with cyclones and flooding becoming regular events. The impact of repeated disasters not only destroys infrastructure and homes but can produce instability in family life and place children at risk.

The Anglican Diocese of Polynesia is a well-respected part of community life in Tonga and Fiji, and plays a pivotal role in not only engaging communities in worship and prayer but critically in times of disaster, mobilising people in serving those in need. In times of adversity, the church can reach outlying communities often much faster than relief agencies to provide families with much-needed support. The Diocese is also at the forefront of demonstrating how a strong theological underpinning can inform an appropriate and relevant response to climate change.

The Church and Community Disaster Resilience Project (CCDR) equips and empowers youth to prepare their communities to be safer, better prepared, and able to respond in times of adversity. Additionally, the project provides prepositioned supplies, enabling communities to respond immediately to a disaster.

Youth are trained in the well-regarded Community Integrated Vulnerability Analyses (CIVA) program which enables them to identify and map both the physical and human capabilities and vulnerabilities that exist in each community.
The process identifies potential shelters and evacuation centers such as churches and halls, but also the human skills and capabilities that can be called upon in a crisis. An initial program trained youth mainly associated with All Saints Church in Nuku'alofa.

Most of AOA's supported programs across the world, partner with the local Mothers Union and we are delighted to be the partner for this program.