In September and October, The Salvation Army in Ukraine participated in the global Self-Denial Campaign 2016. The first ever self-denial collection was organised in 1886 by General William Booth.
The slogan of the 2016 Self-Denial Campaign was: “One family, one hope.” Funds were collected for projects of The Salvation Army in Jamaica, Myanmar and India. In total, The Salvation Army operates about 40 thousand social programmes that help more than 20 million people around the world.
These people include students at The Salvation Army school for the blind and visually impaired in Kingston, Jamaica. There are about 28,000 blind people in Jamaica, which is around 1% of the population. The school for the blind and visually impaired is the only one of its kind in Jamaica. It includes accommodation for children, a hostel for blind adults, The Salvation Army corps and an elementary school.
During the Self-Denial Campaign we learned how real individuals are benefiting from The Salvation Army’s work. We heard about Thein from Myanmar, who is overcoming poverty and deprivation with help from The Salvation Army’s Microfinance Programme. Thanks to the programme, Thein can feed her family and cover the costs of her grandchildren’s education.
God’s blessing reached Aruna through the work of The Salvation Army in India. Facing hard times, Aruna was forced to move to Mumbai and deceived into joining a brothel, where she bowed to prostitution. Her life changed after she met a social worker from The Salvation Army. She found direction for her new life thanks to the “Jivan Asha” Centre of The Salvation Army, which means “Hope for Life”. The Salvation Army helped to save Aruna’s emotional and spiritual health and provided her with a job in one of The Salvation Army’s shelters.
The Self-Denial collection is an opportunity to participate in The Salvation Army’s international campaign. It is also an opportunity to show solidarity in the salvation of the world and do God’s will, because “… whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12: 50).