A Rocha is probably my favourite charity as it combines all of my interests into one! If you don’t know of A Rocha I would like to introduce and commend it to you in this short piece.
I first came across A Rocha back in the mid 90’s through reading an article in the mission magazine ‘Interserve’ I was impressed and inspired back then and continue to be so. I then read a book by Peter Harris the founder along with his wife and family of A Rocha, called ‘Under the Bright Wings’ which is a compelling story of A Rocha’s early days – reads somewhat like the book ‘A year in Provence’ but with an inspiring Christian and environmental conservation message as its backbone.
I was hooked! Over the years since then I have received their resources, attended weekend seminars, enjoyed weeks holidays (volunteering), met with the A Rocha family and participated in their activities. This has also had a knock-on effect in our family; helped us to think about and start in our own way looking after creation where we are at.
Now to A Rocha itself: The phrase ‘A Rocha’ comes from Portuguese for ‘The Rock’. Quinta da Rocha was the place where they started their first ever project; a field study centre in the Algarve region of Portugal. This project is still going strong.
Their projects are, to quote “frequently cross-cultural in character and share a community emphasis, with a focus on science and research, practical conservation and environmental education”.
A Rocha has 5 core commitments which bring me back to why they in my view are an organisation that I commend to you:
Christian
Underlying all we do is our biblical faith in the living God, who made the world, loves it and entrusts it to the care of human society.
Conservation
We carry out research for the conservation and restoration of the natural world and run environmental programmes for people of all ages.
Community
Through our commitment to God, each other and the wider creation, we aim to develop good relationships both within the A Rocha family and in our local communities.
Cross-cultural
We draw on the insights and skills of people from diverse cultures, both locally and around the world.
Co-operation
We work in partnership with a wide variety of organisations and individuals who share our concerns for a sustainable world.
[Core commitment definitions written by Rev. Dr. John R W Stott]
If you would like to know more about A Rocha I strongly recommend visiting and staying at one of their many projects to experience a taste of life in their community. You can also read more about them on their website A Rocha.org pick a country you like and see what projects there are. Or if you like, watch a short video: A Rocha videos