African penguins say 'Hi'

Three weeks ago when I was in England visiting our daughters, I went to Bristol zoo with Cam and we had a great time. Arent' they cute! Here is the story behind their presence in this zoo!

The African penguin is the only penguin found in Africa and the global population fell by 70% between 2001 and 2013. They are now classified as Endangered by the IUCN red list, with less than 18,000 mating pairs left in the wild. Without continued support and research, there is a substantial risk that this species could become extinct.

Why are these penguins endangered?
One of the primary causes of the decline in African penguins is overfishing, both near breeding colonies as well as in their key location, the Benguela ecosystem off the coast of Namibia. Ever increasing fishing pressure on the primary food source of the penguins (sardines and anchovies), has meant that traditional feeding grounds for the penguins off the Namibian coast have become severely depleted. 

This results in low adult penguin survival and poor body condition outside of the breeding season. One of the major ramifications of this, as well as low fish stocks near breeding colonies themselves, is that hundreds of penguin chicks are being abandoned by the parents in winter time every year. 

This is because adult penguins need to be in good condition prior to moulting (which they do when their chicks are young), as they are unable to swim, and therefore forage during this time. 

However, because of their condition and the lack of fish, they are not able to provide enough food for their chicks and they are subsequently abandoned and would normally starve to death.

What are we doing to protect African penguins?

Since 2006, Bristol Zoological Society has been working with a local conservation centre, SANCCOB, to hand-rear abandoned chicks. 

In 2016 alone, early 1,000 chicks were rescued and, of these, 83% have already been released back into the wild. SANCCOB also rescue and rehabilitate penguins that have been the victim of oil spills in the area. 

We are also involved with monitoring the penguin population on Robben Island with a number of national and international partners. This contributes to a critical dataset that allows scientists to evaluate the population change very closely and trial a number of strategies to improve survival and breeding success.

Read more, click here!

Have an orange!

Not sure why but in the last week or so, I found myself eating more oranges and I forgot how nice they tasted. I knew they were good for us in the winter but I found out that they had a wide range of benefits too. 

They are rich in Vitamins C and A, flavonoids, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, potassium, dietary fiber etc. Oranges have more than 60 flavonoids and 170 phytonutrients that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and anti-oxidant properties.

Here are some of the health benefits for oranges.

1 Relieves Constipation

The dietary fibre in orange helps in stimulating digestive juices and relieves constipation.

2 Regulates High Blood Pressure

Hesperidin, a flavonoid in oranges helps to regulate high blood pressure. Magnesium in oranges helps to maintain the blood pressure.

3 Prevents Cancer

The high amount of vitamin C protects the cells from damages by free radicals. Liminoid, a compound in oranges helps to prevent cancers like oral, skin, lung, breast and colon.

4 Protects Against Heart Diseases

The high amount of vitamin C and flavonoids protects against heart diseases.

5 Fights Against Viral Infections

Studies show that the abundance of polyphenols protects against viral infections.

6 Purifies Blood

The iron and Vitamin B6 in oranges help in the production of haemoglobin and increase the oxygen carrying capacity. They also purify the blood.

7 Protects Against Skin Diseases

Beta-carotene, the powerful antioxidant protects the cells from being damage. It also protects the skin from free radicals and prevents the signs of aging.

8 Keeps Bones and Teeth Strong

The calcium in oranges helps to keep your bones and teeth strong.

9 Prevents Kidney Diseases

The regular intake of orange juice prevents kidney diseases. It also reduces the risk of forming calcium oxalate stones in the kidney. But take the juice in moderate amounts. Otherwise it can cause the decay of bones and teeth.

10 Helpful in Many Diseases

Oranges are effective in both preventing and treating certain diseases like asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, rheumatism etc.

Source

A few days in London

street art, near Hackney farm

#green exhibition

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Drought Crisis in sub-saharan Africa

At the end of 2015/early 2016, Sub-Saharan Africa experienced very poor rainfall resulting in a widespread drought and food crisis. Across Africa this has resulted in a significant increase in price for staple foods. Hands at Work is currently assessing the severity of the need in the communities we serve, to ensure that the most vulnerable children continue to receive consistent access to basic services. 

Will you join us in our prayers for a speedy and wonderful response to help these communities. This is a time where we can give and help because we have and they haven't. 

Remember this passage in Luke 21:1-4 

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Please share too. 

For more information about Hands at Work’s response, visit http://www.handsatwork.org/DroughtRelief

Chibok: the Fathers' stories

In April 2014, over 200 girls were abducted by Boko Haram islamists from the Chibok High School for girls in Nigeria

The girls are still missing, their parents are grieving.

In this short film, three of the fathers of the missing Chibok girls talk about the pain of losing their daughters, and say thank you for the support they’ve received from around the world.

Thousands of Christians have been killed or displaced by Islamic extremists in Nigeria.

Militant Islamist group Boko Haram continue to terrorise the north and have declared their own caliphate (Islamic State), although President Buhari's campaign against them has had some success. 

However, Islamic Hausa-Fulani herdsmen, who frequently carry out cruel attacks on Christian villages in Nigeria's middle belt, are being given grazing land by the government taken from indigenous Christian communities, depriving Christians of their fields and livelihoods.

Read more about persecution in Nigeria