Tear+fund

David Padgett

__Short history__
Tear Australia was formed as part of the Australian Evangelical Alliance by Dr. Leon Morris in July 1971. It was then the E.A.R.F. (Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund) but it grew fast and was then incorporated as a legally independent agency in 1979.

__Information about purpose of organisation__
Tear Australia works with local Christian organisations all around the world and with the Aboriginal people of Australia. Tear Australia works inspired by Jesus; call to love our neighbours, no matter how different they are from us. They strive to improve the lives of the poorest and most destitute, uniting communities and supporting people as they work together to direct their own future.

__ Brief description of work they do __
Tear does not have any offices overseas but instead works through local community christian groups like churches and relief and development agencies in Africa, South and South-East Asia, the Pacific and in Indigenous Australia.Tear Australia also "sells" gifts for families and communities overseas. When you donate you can chose a gift or service and pay for it's installation in a family or community.

__E____xample of work case:__
One of Tear Australia's overseas projects has helped a widow from Afghanistan with three children. Her husband died from tuberculosis and she was left in debt with three young children. She then became a part of a Tear/Serve project which identifies vulnerable families in a community and provides them with an animal like a goat or cow and training to handle them and training and marketing skills. The widow received one cow which had a calf. In time she was able to breed more and repay her debts.Now she supports her family and the whole community benefits from her business.

__TEAR Australia's Gift Catalogue__
Every item or service in Tears Gift Catalogue represents a contribution to long-term poverty-fighting project run by Tear Australia's Christian partners.These are a few of the things you can buy to help poorer communities overseas. This format of aid is a very effective marketing as you can see how much the item or service will cost and it's effect. For more information go to the Tear Australia website, http://www.usefulgifts.org/
 * Chickens-$5 || Goat-50$ ||
 * Pre-School Classes-$5 || Women's Community Group-$50 ||
 * Health and Nutrition Education-$5 || Trade Skills Training-$60 ||
 * Child Safety-$10 || Safer Birth-70$ ||
 * Vegetable Garden Kit-$10 || Community School class $100 ||
 * School Pack-$15 || Training Health Workers-$110 ||
 * Safe Water-25$ || Small-Scale Irrigation-$145 ||
 * Health Kit-$30 || Household Electricity-$55 ||
 * Tippy Tap-$35 || Classroom Teacher-$200 ||
 * Adult literacy-$35 || Disaster Preparedness-$210 ||

__Contact Information:__
Phone: 03 9264 7000 or 1800 244 986 Website: www.tear.org.au Twitter link: @TEARAustralia Check the website for separate state office contacts details.

__National Office contact:__
Adress:4 Solwood Lane Blackburn, VIC, 3130, Australia Post: PO Box 164, Blackburn, VIC, 3130, Australia Fax: 03 9877 7944 Email: info@tear.org.au