2023 Christmas Project: Providing for Family Through Farming in Burundi

aheckman — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 20:51:22 +0000

2023 Christmas Project: Providing for Family Through Farming in Burundi aheckman Tue, 12/26/2023 - 20:51

DECEMBER 26, 2023 ~ BARBARA ROBERTS

Across the world, food insecurity is an ongoing struggle that has been exacerbated in recent years by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and large-scale weather events. Between 691 and 783 million people face hunger and food insecurity.

When families don’t have access to food, they are more susceptible to malnutrition and other illnesses that can lead to chronic health issues. Children who experience chronic hunger are less likely to attend school consistently, and adults are less likely to be able to work, which makes access to nutritious food more challenging.

This year’s NCM Christmas Project supports compassionate initiatives that provide food relief in emergency situations and training and mentoring programs to help farmers find success. Whether in Ukraine, Malawi, Burundi, Armenia, Benin, Zambia, the Middle East, Sri Lanka, or beyond—when you give, you will stand with people who are hungry.

In Buganda, Burundi, a young man works a small plot of land. Stalks of maize reach toward the intense sun, ears weighing heavy, almost ready for harvest. Each ear is a product that will be sold in the market, generating life-changing proceeds for Eric and his family.

Eric and his siblings, two sisters and a brother, are lifelong members of their community. Years ago, civil unrest in Burundi forced Eric and his family to flee to the Congo as refugees. While there, his parents were killed by rebels, leaving Eric to care for his siblings. In 2021, they were able to return to Burundi and Eric made the difficult decision to leave school to provide for his siblings. “After the tragedy that struck my family with the death of my parents, life had become unbearable,” he shared.

Determined to take care of his family, Eric tried to make ends meet. “I went to the market of Buganda to be a shop keeper, but the salary I earned was not enough to get my family’s food and other needs,” he explained. “We even went for two days at a time with no food at home, and my brother and sisters were obliged to abandon school too, because of no food and no school fees. With the pressure of my brother and sisters to provide for, I didn’t know what to do.”

Despite a dire situation, Eric did not give up. He began working a farmer’s field, where he was paid in food grown on the farm. While there, he met a friend who invited him to join a youth association and community savings group (CSG), part of a church-led Nazarene Compassionate Ministries initiatives intended to increase food security in Burundi. Community savings groups provide a way for community members to save a portion of their salaries. The sum grows each month as members contribute a small percentage of their earnings. Members can then take out a loan, allowing them the necessary capital to start their own business ventures. Eric enrolled in the CSG and received business training through the initiative.

“We have food and I have paid for school for my two sisters and brother. I bought two rabbits and a goat with the profits acquired. During the dry season, I planted vegetables, and I am waiting for a good harvest in one month,” he said. With the profits from his farm, Eric plans to rent a larger plot of land.

Eric’s community also benefits from his involvement in the project. He is a testimony of transformation and a reminder that a better life is possible. As his business grows, Eric plans to pass the blessing on to others in his community in a vital way. When asked about his goals for the future, he shared that his first thoughts were for other children and young adults who have gone through the trauma of losing their parents.

“My goal is to help other orphans achieve the hopes that they dream of, help the youth in my community to join others in development, and tell them that change is possible. With hard work, and networking with others, we can achieve our goals and dreams as youth”.

When you support NCM’s Christmas Project, you support young adults like Eric as they work to provide for their families and transform their communities. Learn more: ncm.org/christmas.

Burundi

Christmas

Christmas Project

Food Security

Hunger

Economic Development

The Church Provides Hope: The Aftermath of an Earthquake

aheckman — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 17:49:38 +0000

The Church Provides Hope: The Aftermath of an Earthquake aheckman Thu, 06/16/2022 - 17:49

The Church Provides Hope: The Aftermath of an Earthquake

JUNE 16, 2022 · NCM STAFF

On August 14, 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook the lower peninsula of Haiti, affecting an area with more than 1.5 million residents. In addition to destroying thousands of physical structures and destabilizing the infrastructure of three provinces, the quake directly impacted more than 800,000 people—340,000 of whom were children—and left 650,000 Haitians in need of emergency relief. More than 2,200 people were killed and close to 13,000 were injured.

With your help, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries was able to partner with leaders of Nazarene districts and churches in Haiti to organize a well-orchestrated distribution of relief. Nazarene leaders and volunteers from two districts in Haiti—the Grand’Anse and South districts—drew from recent experience organizing a 2016 hurricane response to mobilize compassionate relief following the 2021 earthquake. Each district created a plan for assembling food kits and established distribution sites for getting essential items to impacted people.

Partnership with groups like Mission Aviation Fellowship and Missionary Flights International enabled the delivery of thousands of tarps that provided cover for damaged roofs or quick shelter for those who lost their homes. Church volunteers assembled 7,248 food kits for families in need, providing enough meals to feed 44,874 people.

The Madame-Juliene Church of the Nazarene in Les Cayes was one of 15 Nazarene churches destroyed in the earthquake. The loss of their building left all 77 families who belong to the church with no structure for gathering; many members also suffered significant losses at home. Due to heavy damage to the community, Les Cayes served as one of the sites for assembling and distributing food kits. Fortunately, church leaders have built strong relationships in the community and, as a result, local store owners allowed relief workers to use their stores as distribution sites.

Many people in the community experienced the love of God through the relief program carried out in Les Cayes. The following testimonies come from the Madame-Juliene church.

"My name is Pastor Louis. I am the church’s pastor of the Nazarene church of Madame-Julien. First of all, I [thank] God who, after the disaster of August 14, 2021, used the leaders of the Nazarene church to send us food supplies and tarps [for] distribution, which was a great success. As a result of the distribution, we have had four people who have given their lives to Jesus as they witnessed love inside the church."

"My name is Sister Manel. I really thank God that I have become a Christian at the Nazarene church of Madame-Julien. I am [thankful for] the Nazarene church leaders who sent us a great help after the disaster of August, 2021, where we ... lost everything and we did not have the means to overcome the situation. We thank God, as he had put in the church leaders’ hearts to assist us in a context where all families were crying out for help with no hope. The food supplies and tarps were really welcomed. We were able to share with our extended families and the pastor shared some with other people out of the church. So, everyone in the community was touched by the distribution."

Thank you for your sacrificial giving to provide relief to the people of Haiti. The Church of the Nazarene in Haiti will continue to provide care during the rebuilding and recovery process, and extend compassion and hope in the name of Jesus.

Hunger

2023 Christmas Project: Providing for Family Through Farming in Burundi

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