Lent Event

Sarah White, founder of Lent Event, beside a 20-litre plastic container typical of those carried by the women of various Aftican regions who bring water for their family often over great distances. Lent Event sponsors the provision of new wells.

Lent Event is a community based Christian social justice movement begun in Australia in the early 2000s by Sarah White of Sydney. It began in the West Epping Uniting Church.^[1]

White perceived a need to help people in underdeveloped countries and, to raise money, proposed a variation on the Christian habit of giving up luxuries for Lent by asking people to donate the value of their forgone luxury. Lent Event is thus promoted as not just a fundraising venture, but a spiritual journey.

Lent Event is partnered with Uniting Church Overseas Aid (UCOA), an arm of the Uniting Church in Australia, and is supported by UnitingCare Australia.^[2]

In 2009, Lent Event will have programs helping needy people in:

• Papua New Guinea (clean drinking water).
• Timor Leste (East Timor) (health and agricultural development).
• South India (preschools in the Nilgiri Hills region).
• Sudan (water and education for the Nachipo villages^[3]—see photograph).
• Solomon Islands (health care, staff training, and health centres).
• Zambia (drop-in centre for orphans - Mwandi area).

The 2007 video promoting Lent Event featured leading Uniting Church figures Rev Dr James Haire and Rev Bill Crews, and Sarah White. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKtWFZvuFi8

External links

• Lent Event
• Uniting Church Overseas Aid (UCOA)

References

1. Living without so others can live, Kent Crawford, Insights magazine (online), accessed 2009-02-08
2. SHARE Community Appeal - Lent, UnitingCare Australia, accessed 2009-02-08
3. Water is just the beginning, UCOA, accessed 2009-02-08