It’s already Easter and living with covid has become part of day-to-day life. We have entered the ‘next phase’ of our world’s historic journey. 9/11 changed the world forever, the same is true of the covid pandemic. It is not possible to ‘go back’ to the way it was. Further instability continues with extreme weather events battering our nation and the distressing invasion of the Ukraine displacing millions! There is change and uncertainty everywhere we look, but we cannot give up, and we will not give up.
At such a time as this, we need to focus and ensure we remain relevant. At Entrust, we have been asking ourselves how we can best accomplish our mission while staying true to our values given the changing circumstances around us. We have coached and encouraged our overseas partners to adjust their course to accommodate restrictions. The majority have done well, many have thrived and grown as a result. But what does a fast-changing world mean for Entrust in 2022?
We have identified five keys to unlocking the potential 2022 has to offer……
1. MORE NEED THAN EVER. The world is a far needier place than it was two years ago. Pre-covid, there had been gradual but continual improvement in the poverty index across the globe. Now, that improvement has been put back five years and, in some cases, even ten years. Do we give up? No! We work harder to engage with and support the world’s poorest.
2. LOOK OUTWARDS! The pandemic forced us to look inwards with the Australian nation fractured by border closures, restrictions and lockdowns. We have started to reunite and move into 2022 supporting each other in rain and flood. Face-to-face engagement takes time, but we believe facilitates deep connection. Trusted relationships are at the heart of what we do. At Entrust, we are committed to meaningful engagement with our supporters in Australia and beyond.
3. ON THE ROAD AGAIN. Travel is back on our agenda! (yay!!) The face-to-face connection with our overseas partners will recommence this month! Our teams’ visits will allow us to listen to their challenges, see what they have accomplished and explore innovative ways to empower and improve communities. Plans are underway, countries to visit have been identified, safety considered, and risk mitigated. We know our physical presence will be a huge encouragement.
4. STRONG FOUNDATIONS are needed to support our growing capacity. Entrust has developed a strong foundation over our 13-year journey. We don’t chase size, we pursue faithfulness. We believe the foundational systems Entrust now has, enables us to do our best work. We have a talented and dedicated team. We have high quality local partners across Africa, India and Asia and we have YOU, our generous and engaged donors.
5. GROWTH IS VITAL so we can do more to help the world’s poorest. There is no shortage of opportunity, the limiting factor is available funds. We have the people, process and projects in place and we are doing all we can to enable donors’ funds to be used wisely and effectively. We stand ready for growth, to help more people in forgotten communities, in some of the toughest places on earth!
We cannot do this alone.
We offer trust and operate in partnership with our friends, partners, supporters, staff and volunteers and together we can make these five keys a reality in 2022.
The world can be a perilous and unpredictable place, but there is so much we can do to enable hope for the world’s most marginalised people.
Together with Entrust – it is possible.
