Page 1 - link magazine

West Swindon's Wakkies
agazine
No. 95 February 1990 Circulation 10,000
'Back to the Future' Let's not forget Ethiopia
Bus comes to Collection point at West Swindon Centre during February
West Swindon With all the media attention lately turned
Elizabeth Wood reports on the towards eastern Europe and the winter
chance for women to visit a hardships experienced by the peoples of
Romania, it is unfortunate that the plight of
mobile information and advice the starving in parts of Africa is being
service on 22 February ignored.
A national campaign has been launched in
conjunction with Job Centres and Radio 4's Why did
Woman's Hour to help women who wish to
return to work. As part of this campaign an Thamesdown's
Action Bus will betouringthe country during
the next few weeks and on 22 February the Mayor have a
bus is visiting West Swindon. Roman escort on
Brenda Lyle from Swindon Job Centre
said "In Swindon we are setting up a local 20 January?
service to act as a link between women
returning to work and employers. We are
setting up an information centre on training
available, childcare provision and so on.
Employers are already aware of the need
to attract women into jobs because of the
falling number of school leavers. We hope
that the Action Bus will stimulate interest
and act as a focus for the campaign. We
chose West Swindon in particular because
we feel that there is a large number of
potential women returners in this area."
The bus will be staffed by people from the
local Job Centre who can give advice and
information. Women who are thinking about
returning to work can register the details of
the kind of work they are looking for, their
training requirements and their needs for
childcare. These details can then be matched
to the jobs and facilities that are available.
The bus will be at the Asda Car Park, West
Swindon Centre from 9.00a.m. - 5.00p.m. on
22 February. For further details telephone
the Swindon Job Centre on 533601 and ask
for Job Link. Find out on page 12
Help raise £1,500 for West Swindo
children with special needs.
A local insurance broker is organising a grand raffle fo
Westlea School and offering £250 in prizes. On page i
we visit the school to look at their efforts to give eve
child the chance to develop their full potential.
4
Aff 1b
Leisure Suite
Blunsdon
House Hotel
Blunsdon
721701
ext 124
Monday to Saturday
But it is now, early 1990, that the famine
predicted a few months ago will be taking
hold unlessrelief suppliesget through. Large
areas of northern Ethiopia are affected where
the rains have failed, resulting in a 85% to
90% loss of the hoped for harvest. Some 4
million people in the Tigray and Eritrea
parts of the country are thought to be caught
up in the famine area, which is also racked
by a long running civil war.
Despite the lack of media exposure in
recent weeks, the television coverage at the
end of 1989 when severely malnourished
people were shown gathering in growing
numbers at relief camps has raised large
amount large amounts of money, according
to RogerJames, South West Area Campaigns
Organiser for Oxfam. "The Disasters
Emergency Committee Appeal raised over
£4.5 million during the Christmas period,"
he said. "Although Ethiopia is not in the
news at present, there is a huge basic concern
amongst British people for the people in the
camps.
"We're now in the danger period. The
harvest failed some months ago and what
little reserves were available have been used
up. Oxfam, working with several other
relief agencies, is providing large quantities
of emergency food aid. Money is also being
spent on long term help to try and get the
agricultural system ready for the next
harvest."
Mr James also said it was unfortunate that
there was more media coverage when people
are actually starving, rather than
highlighting the effort needed beforehand
to prevent famine. However he thought
there had been a magnificent response at the
end of last year, but the need for emergency
aid continues. He also wanted to point out
that Oxfam has donated £100,000 in medical
aid to Romania.
The Oxfam shop in Faringdon Road,
Swindon will take donations and cheques
can be sent to Oxfam, 67 Cotham Hill, Bristol
BS65JX.
There is also a container in The Mail at the
West Swindon Centre where donations can
be left during February.