You might be seeing teeth marks in your weekly budget as the global credit crunch bites, but how are the effects being felt in poorer parts of the world?
There was an old playground tradition in which a child approached another on the first day of the month and recited the rhyme: “A pinch and a punch for the first of the month and no returns.” He or she then gave the intended victim the same without fear of come-back.
The credit crunch is administering both to whole nations that have little means of redress, as witnessed by CMS mission partners around the world.
Gail Phillip (Photo: © CMS) For example, Gail Phillip, who is serving in Thailand, writes: “Thailand is known as The Land of Smiles but, at the moment, the smiles seem much more subdued. Rising fuel prices are leading to general price increases — and not just small ones.
“The price of plain rice, for example, has increased by as much as 10% in a month. When I went to the supermarket the other day, there were notices up, saying that sales of rice would be rationed to three bags per family.
“Of course, the poorest are hit hardest by even the slightest of these increases and there is much concern about the state of the economy and what the future holds.”
That last sentence sounds very familiar, echoing the concerns of people in the UK.
Ruth Sayers (Photo: © CMS) Ruth Sayers writes from the Middle East, where she works as an administrator and fundraiser for Bethlehem Bible College: “Bethlehem continues to face the challenges of economic difficulty and political oppression. Many feel that the situation is hopeless and that their lives just get harder.
“At present there is about 60% unemployment and many have little prospect of becoming employed.”
A couple working in administration and teacher training in Central Asia report that one of the downsides of their arrival back in their location is the misery of frequent and prolonged electricity cuts amid temperatures exceeding 40°C. The demand for power far exceeds the supply.
“We are always grateful for our workplace generator and cannot imagine what it must be like to endure the intense summer heat without power to run fans or refrigerators, or to pump the daily water supply up into the tank on the roof of the building.
“Price hikes and a fuel and food crisis are part of the daily grind — all problems waiting to be addressed by those in government.”
Ruth Radley (Photo: © CMS) Meanwhile, for Ruth Radley working with children and youth in Sudan, there is not as much choice of food as there used to be in the market.
She notes: “I have heard that it has changed dramatically in the last few years. Most of the food is brought up from Uganda, meaning that prices are very high, and rising, given the current global food situation. I do not know how people here can afford to live.”
Seeking help
for food and rent
Becky Hollis (Photo: © CMS) Becky Hollis, serving as a curate, writes from Sri Lanka: “Many people are trying to find ways of saving money, given that electric and gas prices continue to increase and food prices have rocketed. Sri Lanka continues to have the highest rate of inflation in South Asia, with prices for basic goods increasing by 30% over the last 12 months.
“More and more people are coming to our church to seek help for food and rent, which we too are finding difficult — last year we overspent our budget by 30,000 rupees or £150. It doesn’t sound much but such help certainly makes a massive difference in the quality of people’s lives.”
Garry Ion (Photo: © CMS) Finally, Garry Ion, who serves as a consultant in construction planning and management in Uganda and Sudan, admits briefly: “I am always extremely grateful that my support is covered by your generosity there [in Britain]. My work's expenses have gone up significantly because of the increase in fuel costs, and still your support allows me to do my mission.”
So, just an economic downturn or a full-blown international recession? You decide.