Emmaus Village Carlton trustees Lucy Dryburgh and Dean Bourke are currently representing our charity at the Emmaus World Assembly in Uruguay. More about this here. This is their latest report…
“Never before have we experienced such a huge event with so many international delegates. The organisation of the event has been excellent – well done Emmaus International. A special mention must go to the unseen but vital cog of the tech team and translators (18 covering the 4 languages required- English, French, Spanish and Portuguese).
The days have been long, but extremely rewarding. It feels great to be part of laying the foundation for the future of Emmaus. Wherever you are from or what your position is within Emmaus, everyone’s thoughts and opinions matter.
Listening to the facts from Emmaus colleagues in countries such as Brazil, Bosnia, India, Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso where war, extreme poverty, natural disasters, corruption, refugee influx etc. are ongoing concerns, is truly inspirational. Despite these severe hardships, the Emmaus teams continue to provide support locally in different ways (e.g. education, food, clothes, a shoulder to cry on).
Particularly moving were updates from Emmaus Poland and a video link from Ukraine. The Polish operation have been inundated by refugees from Ukraine and have adapted their focus and priorities accordingly. As an international organisation, Emmaus is playing a very hands-on role in Ukraine in many ways. The presentation from Ukraine brought many close to tears.”