11 September 2014

Today it is 150 days since 275 girls were abducted from the Chibok Government Secondary School by Boko Haram, on the night of 14 April. Although 47 of these girls have managed to escape, the others remain captive.

One of the girls was able to hide a mobile phone in her clothes and called her parents after she escaped with some others. The girls had no idea where they were. Their parents told them to continue walking west every evening, in the direction of the setting sun, and eventually they made it to the Cameroon border and were reunited with their families.

The escaped girls said that they were raped almost every day. Girls who do not cooperate face severe punishment.

Release sabotaged

Dr Stephen Davis, an Australian cleric, was appointed as presidential envoy in the negotiations with Boko Haram. Dr Davis was able to persuade Boko Haram to release some of the girls: “They told me they’d be prepared to release some as a goodwill gesture towards a peace deal with the government.”

The rebels brought 60 girls to a location in Cameroon as promised, but the release was sabotaged: “We travelled for four-and-a-half hours to reach them, but 15 minutes before we arrived they were kidnapped again by another group who wanted to cash in on a reward… I understand, from the Boko Haram commanders I spoke to, the girls eventually ended up back with them.”

Dr Davis has had contact with four girls who were able to escape the camp, with the help of a young man who was kidnapped by Boko Haram and forced to work as driver. However, when Dr Davis tried to make contact via text message with the young man, he got a chilling response: “The person you are trying to contact has gone on a journey from which there is no return. He was an infidel.”

The kidnappings will not end

After spending four months in Nigeria, Dr Davis returned to Australia. He says the kidnappings will not end. “It became very clear that if I was able to get 50 girls released then another group would kidnap 70 or 80 more.”

He told Open Doors that in April they were dealing with three separate factions of Boko Haram that had agreed to work together. However, Boko Haram has now unified and changed. The involvement of other groups such as Al-Qaeda, IS and Al Shabaab is further radicalising the group.

There are also allegations that high ranking politicians and international sponsors are in collusion with Boko Haram, further complicating any settlement.

Bridges into Work is an exciting project for economically inactive and unemployed people in South East Wales, with a £10million grant from the European Social Fund.

The project provides a boost to individuals and companies, providing opportunities for retraining or improving skills in subjects that are in demand by employers. The aim is to help over 5,000 people into sustainable employment by January 2015.

Where is it available?

Six Local Authority regions; Caerphilly, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taff have joined together to strategically develop and run Bridges into Work.

The main contacts for the six local authorities are available at the bottom of the page.

Who is it for?

It is available to all residents of the Bridges into Work region who are:

• Not in full time education and
• Either not working or working for less than 16 hours per week

  but who wish to move closer to the job market with the ultimate aim of becoming employed.

What can it offer?

• Free career guidance, advice and information as well as support with job searches, CV writing and personal presentation skills to help people succeed at interviews
• Free generic vocational courses such as food hygiene, first aid, health and safety skills training in generic transferable skills such as literacy and numeracy skills, confidence building, IT courses, formal qualifications
• Additional support for people facing barriers to working such as work limiting health conditions, childcare needs and transport barriers

Why is the scheme important?

The current economic situation in the UK is making finding sustainable employment much tougher. Bridges into Work is working with some of the most deprived areas in Wales where unemployment and incapacity are already high. Helping people move from economic inactivity to work can be a long and expensive process with many interventions required for each person.

The project partners are planning to use this last round of European money to help make a real difference for people in the region.

Main contacts for the six Local Authorities

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
Melanie Sacre – Bridges into Work Learners’ Mentor
Tel: 01495 309951
Email: melanie.sacre@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk

Bridgend County Borough Council
Catherine Powell – Bridges into Work Outreach Co-ordinator
Tel: 01656 642619
Email: catherine.powell@bridgend.gov.uk

Caerphilly County Borough Council
Catherine Brewer – Bridges Into Work Co-ordinator
Tel: 01443 833445
Email: bridgesintowork@caerphilly.gov.uk

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Neighbourhood Learning Centre
Enquiries Tel: 01685 727099
Email: nlc.enquiries@merthyr.gov.uk

Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council
Ceri-Ann Boyce
Tel: 01443 743968
Email: bridgesintowork@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk

Torfaen County Borough Council
Croesyceiliog CEC, Cwmbran
Tel: 01633 647740/647742
Email: bridgesintowork@torfaen.gov.uk

There are several verses in the Bible which specifically talk of thankfulness.

eg Give thanks for everything  Ephesians 5 V20

Always be thankful  Colossians 3 V 15

Sing with thankful hearts  Colossians 3 V 16

Have a thankful heart  Colossians 4 v 2

Be thankful in all circumstances  1 Thessalonians 5 v 11

Be thankful for the unshakeable kingdom Hebrews 12 v 28

The Question is. Can the Christian really expect to be thankful in ever circumstance given the bad things that happen in this world?