CAFOD'S new film on the Sahel drought, "The Parched Land" was given its first showing last Thursday evening to a specially invited audience in London which Included Mrs Judith Hart, the Minister for Overseas Develop ment, and the Ambassadors of Senegal and Switzerland. Afterwards Mrs Hart said that she thought the film was very good in explaining the problems, and praised the work done by CAFOD and in particular the way it centred on the two needs of the area — water and power.
Her Ministry now channels some £23,000 a year through CAFOD to poorer countries. Mrs Hart said that CAFOD was
able to experhnent with new types Of schemes and analyse results more easily than government agencies, and CAFOD was often better equipped to fulfil the Government's policy of helping the very poorest.
The film, a CAFOD Caritas Suisse production, was made by Kieron Moore of CAFOD, and shows the effects of the five-year drought on the lives on the 26 million people who live In the Sahel region of Africa.
• Mrs Judith Hart, Minister for Oversee Development, talking to (from left) the Senegal Ambassador, Mr Saliou Faye; Mr Robin Hood, Administrator of the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development; Mrs Faye; and Mr Kieron Moore, also of CAFOD, at the premiere of "The Parched Land".