Tick… tick… why it’s time for Treasurer Scott Morrison to “stop the clock” on further aid cuts.

Meet 9-year-old Nisa: she lives in Chitrakoot, one of India’s poorest and least serviced rural regions where the impact of changing weather patterns is destroying crops and livelihoods.

Before EFICOR, an Indian development organisation (and long-term partner of TEAR Australia) visited the family’s village, Nisa’s father was forced to leave for up to 8 months at a time to ensure the family could afford necessities such as food and medicines.

Chunbad and Manju with four of their five children: Raju (15), Nisa (9), Manisha (7) and Rachha (2). Photo: Hailey Bartholomew

Being shown how to change their farming practice and adapt to the impact of climate change has made all the difference to Nisa's family who can now harvest fruit and vegetables to sell at the local market, providing them with a decent living.

Now, Nisa's father isn't forced to go away for months at a time to provide for the family and she is able to go to school and pursue her dream of becoming a qualified nurse.

Meet 12-year-old Quincy: her world was silenced overnight when she became one of the 278 million people around the world who is deaf or hard of hearing.

"I'm not hearing". Quincy sobbed these words to her grandmother, who will never forget when she first learnt how a case of the mumps would change her then 5-year-old granddaughter’s world.

Thanks to the support of CBM Australia and its local partner Socio Economic Empowerment of People with Disabilities (SEEPD), Quincy and her community are now communicating through sign language, meaning she is able to attend school and lead a life that is no different to any other 12-year-old in the region.

12-year-old Quincy from Cameroon. Photo: Erin Johnson, Room3 for CBM Australia.

These two stories reflect millions of others around the world and shed light about how aid helps children, regardless of where they are born, to realise their potential.

People such as you and I are making a difference thanks to Australian Aid because every second it plays a part in helping people in disadvantaged countries to rewrite their future.

Without Australian Aid, dedicated organisations such as TEAR Australia and their partners such as EFICOR, wouldn't be able to help families adapt to the reality of the weather changes that are impacting those working in poor and vulnerable communities most severely.

Without Australian Aid, CBM Australia wouldn’t be able to work alongside their in-country partners to dismantle barriers that exclude and restrict people living with disability from reaching their full potential in developing countries.

And yet, it’s uplifting and inspirational stories such as these we rarely hear about as we head into an early election and Treasurer Scott Morrison’s first budget.

With this in mind, Campaign for Australian Aid is shining the spotlight back to exactly where it should be: on people.

And that's why we're asking the Turnbull Government to "stop the clock" on the final $224 million scheduled cut to the aid budget.

For decades, Australia’s aid programs have helped our neighbours and those living in poorer countries to build a brighter future by assisting people to access immunisation, schooling, healthcare, food and clean water.

Australians have helped children like Nisa and Quincy to have the same opportunities as every Aussie child.

At the end of the day, this budget and election is about people, and creating a just world for all. This transcends party politics.

Do you want to stand by as Australia becomes the least generous we’ve ever been thanks to aid cuts originally made by the Abbott/Hockey Government?

Tell Scott Morrison to “stop the clock” and start reinvesting in Australian Aid here: https://stoptheclock.org.au

Sarah Cannata is the Communications Officer for Campaign for Australian Aid.