Food Crisis in the Sahel Region of Africa

Unusually low rainfall has devastated food crops across the Sahel, a vast African region south of the Sahara desert, affecting an estimated 15.5 million people in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal. As conditions continue to deteriorate, more than 1 million children under the age of 5 are expected to experience severe malnutrition in the Sahel this year, according to UNICEF.

Due to inadequate rains in 2011, the region's grain harvests are 2.6 million tons below normal. The prices of staple foods have risen across the region, and some of the hardest hit communities have only 15 percent of the grains they need.

Political upheavals in North and West Africa are also contributing to the food crisis. Conflicts in Ivory Coast, Libya and northern Nigeria have affected migrant workers who provide financial support to their families in the Sahel. A new outbreak of violence between rebels and government forces in Mali has displaced more than 220,000 people since January.
Week of Compassion, through its partner Church World Service, is helping to provide food and other emergency assistance to more than 83,000 people in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal through Christian Aid, a partner through the ACT Alliance. This includes targeted distribution of nutrition packs, with locally purchased food items, to malnourished children and their mothers.

We are also teaming with CWS to help communities supply their own food through projects led by Christian Aid. These interventions provide farmers with seeds, tools and animal fodder, support community cash-for-work projects to control erosion, subsidize rice sales by local farmers and promote sustainable livestock management. Assessments are underway to identify the most vulnerable households in the targeted communities, such as those with malnourished children or people with disabilities, and to provide them with further food assistance or cash transfers.

Relief efforts may be expanded to include people fleeing violence in Mali who are displaced within the country or in neighboring Burkina Faso.

As always, we will continue to keep you informed about this situation as it progresses. If you would like to reach out in Courageous Compassion and support this and so many efforts both in North America and abroad, simply follow this link.

We give thanks to God for the work of our partners making a difference on the ground, and we give thanks for your generosity and support. We are all part of the Body of Christ, working with communities to be part of the solution to hunger and food insecurity.

Masbore village, Zondoma province, Burkina Faso. Food shortages could leave as many as two million people at risk in Burkina alone. Photo: Christian Aid.

Call For Writers

The Call for Writers for the 2013 Week of Compassion Leaders Guide is now online!

Share your unique voice as a writer! We're looking for writers of liturgy, sermon ideas, activities for children and youth, and more for the special offering materials supporting the 2013 Week of Compassion. To learn about this Call for Writers, visit the link above, study the guidelines - then get writing! Deadline for entries is June 1, 2012.

Remembering Alabama and Nashville, Preparing for Disasters of All Kinds

In a time when our media-dependent attention spans are remarkably short, anniversaries might seem easy to forget.

A year goes by. People move on to other concerns. Another year goes by. People miss them.

But for communities affected by disaster, there is no forgetting.

The last few days have seen the passing of the first anniversary of the tornadoes that wreaked havoc across Alabama in 2011 and the second anniversary of the torrential rains that flooded Nashville and other communities in middle Tennessee.

Through our remarkable partners at Disciples Volunteering  and congregations from across North America, we have been able to make sure that these areas were not forgotten.   2010-11 saw significant Disciples presence in the rebuilding effort in Nashville, and though DV is no longer operating a mission station in the Nashville Metro area, Disciples impacted several recovering neighborhoods through our partnerships there.

Disciples Volunteers work on a Nashville area home as part of General Assembly Outreach

A year after tornadoes struck Alabama, Week of Compassion and Disciples Volunteering are supporting an ongoing response in Tuscaloosa, AL, where volunteers work with local partners to support recovery efforts, continuing to meet needs in communities impacted last year. 

Storm Damage in Alabama, spring 2011

Across the country, we are also continuing to support ecumenical responses in a number of communities, some of which never made the news. Through our partners at Church World Service, we are helping provide training for Long Term Recovery Committees, access to material resources for affected communities, and facilitating recovery in countless ways.

By pooling our resources together and reaching out with Courageous Compassion, we are making a difference in communities affected by disasters, and we are preparing for the next “expected unexpected,” knowing that needs will arise, though we know not where. We can prepare for the next time, though.

After all, God calls us to respond to people at their most vulnerable moments, often when they are lost in a pile of recovery-related red tape and wondering if they have been forgotten.

And this is a call we do not forget.

Even a year later.

Making a Difference this Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is approaching! Why not honor the mothers in your life by sharing a gift that makes a difference in the lives of women all over the world? Several of our partners are providing special opportunities for you to pay tribute to the women who inspire you this Mother’s Day.

Safe Motherhood Kits Save Lives Around The World

According to the World Health Organization, for every woman who dies in childbirth, 20 more suffer injury, infection or disease. That's 10 million women a year whose lives are at risk, and whose children suffer with them 

IMA World Health's Safe Motherhood Kits provide clean and sterile birthing supplies to expectant mothers in developing countries - areas where infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Too often, unsafe and unsanitary birthing conditions are to blame 

One $25 donation provides an entire Safe Motherhood Kit to an expectant mother, from the materials and packaging to shipping, delivery and training. Think of it-a $25 donation may be a matter of life and death for a mother and her baby.

Give a Beautiful Gift to Mothers in Your Life, Opportunity for Mothers Around the World

You can also support the work of Week of Compassion while shopping for Prosperity Candle gifts. Every Prosperity Candle gift helps a mother rebuild her life, while also giving your mom a beautiful gift. Choose “Week of Compassion” at checkout under the “How did you hear about us?” section so that a portion of your purchase supports the Week of Compassion Women’s Empowerment Fund.

To start, take a look at their gift guide for ideas! Order by May 7th to make sure your gift is delivered in time for the holiday! 

CWS Blankets+ Provide Resources for a Viable Future

Blankets+ is a special mission opportunity for all ages. Some 8,000 congregations and groups across the U.S. hold CWS Blankets+ events, providing funds to help people in need around the world, including the U.S. Blankets and Tents for vulnerable people following disasters, as well as wells, seeds, and other tools to help families build a foundation for the future. You can even send special Mother's Day cards and e-cards to promote Blankets+. 

Call For Writers

The Call for Writers for the 2013 Week of Compassion Leaders Guide is now online! 

Share your unique voice as a writer! We're looking for writers of liturgy, sermon ideas, activities for children and youth, and more for the special offering materials supporting the 2013 Week of Compassion. To learn about this Call for Writers, visit the link above, study the guidelines - then get writing! Deadline for entries is June 1, 2012.  

Week of Compassion in Partnership and in Action

Flooding in the Chaco Region of Paraguay

Three weeks of record-setting rains have caused floods affecting more than 40,000 people in the Chaco region of Paraguay. Week of Compassion supports the Chaco Program of Church World Service, along with Foods Resource Bank, in Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina to work with indigenous communities in the region to end hunger and promote sustainable community development.

 

In 2007, Executive Director Amy Gopp visited the program with Felix Ortiz, Area Executive for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The majority of those affected by the current floods are those living in indigenous communities, many of whom have seen their livelihoods destroyed due to the loss of animals and crops. Others are facing difficulties because the affected areas are isolated, and accessible roads have been cut off. 

The floods have prompted the Paraguayan government to declare a 90-day state of emergency; an official emergency response is being coordinated focusing on urgent evacuation and rescue work, as well as providing emergency assistance to flooded communities. The region most affected is located on the Pilcomayo River, which has burst its banks, flooding communities of more than 5,000 indigenous and non-indigenous families who live and depend on the river for their livelihoods. 

These families live in conditions of dire poverty. As a result of the flooding these communities have lost access not only to food sources but also to crops and livestock needed to earn income. Estate, farm and urban workers have also lost their jobs. "It is clear that this flooding will have a serious impact on the livelihoods and food security of indigenous communities for months, if not years, to come," said CWS staff based in the region.

Week of Compassion will direct funds to CWS who is working with several partners, including Mingara and fellow ACT Alliance member, Comité de Iglesias para Ayudas de Emergencia (the Committee of Churches for Emergency Aid), to coordinate a response.

Honor Your Mother, Connect with another Mother in Need

Looking for a meaningful gift for Mother’s Day? Now you can give a gift that gives back many times over. We have teamed up with Prosperity Candle this year so you can purchase Mother’s Day gifts that support our work while also helping moms around the world to rebuild their lives. Each gift arrives with the name and photograph of the woman who made it, enabling you to connect with her directly through the Prosperity Candle website.

To learn more and shop to support Week of Compassion’s Women’s Empowerment Fund visit www.prosperitycandle.com. Be sure to choose Week of Compassion in the “How did you hear about us?” section during checkout to send a donation to us! To start, take a look at their gift guide for ideas! 

Workshop to focus on helping Harrisburg, Illinois, recover from tornado 

Rev. Bryan Crousore, an emergency response specialist with Church World Service, will conduct a free workshop on "Long-Term Recovery from Disasters" for clergy and community members who are helping people affected by the Feb. 29 tornado in Harrisburg, Illinois.

The workshop will take place on May 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Zion United Church of Christ, 930 West Cherry St., in Marion, Ill. It will cover topics such as organizing a long-term recovery committee, identifying needs caused by the tornado and using appropriate resources to meet these needs. No registration is necessary to attend the workshop and all are welcome.

Rev. Crousore is an expert at helping communities get organized to meet local needs following a disaster. He began this work when a devastating tornado struck the town of Xenia, Ohio, in 1974, near  where he served as a pastor. Since then, Rev. Crousore has responded to many disasters as a pastor in the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and as a volunteer and staff member for Church World Service, a humanitarian assistance ministry of 37 Christian communions in the United States. Rev. Crousore has provided training in the "long-term recovery process" to Midwestern and Appalachian communities affected by floods, tornadoes and other disasters. He has also helped train staff members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, members of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters and other groups.

While each disaster is different, there are many lessons that can be learned from the experiences of disaster-affected communities, Rev. Crousore says. One lesson is that communities recover better when they have a shared vision of the future. "I hope faith leaders and social service agencies will come together around a shared vision of long-term recovery from the Harrisburg tornado," Rev. Crousore says.

For more information, please contact our colleague Tim Shenk at Church World Service,  tshenk@churchworldservice.org or 212-870-2728.

New Day for Christians - A Global Resource

Looking for an educational, global, and easy-to-use resource for your congregation, women’s group, youth group, or men’s group? The work, ministry, and stories of Week of Compassion and Global Ministries are highlighted in this year’s edition of New Day for Christians from Chalice Press. For more information, click here. 

Severe Weather in the Midwest, Food Crisis in West Africa, and Gifts that Make a Difference

Responding to Tornados

Following severe weather across the Midwest, Week of Compassion is responding to needs affecting Disciples communities in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa.  While no churches have been damaged, we have received reports of damage to the homes of church members. Though there are reports of a few fatalities, thus far, no Disciples have reported bodily harm or fatalities.

We have already responded to needs in several communities in Oklahoma and Kansas, but we are still collecting information from areas affected in Iowa.  For safety reasons, only trained emergency responders are currently allowed into the area.  As more information becomes available, we will respond, and we will keep you informed, as well.  

West African Food Crisis

A deepening food crisis is affecting an estimated 12 million people concentrated primarily in the West African region of the Sahel, with the fear that famine is imminent.

The governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Chad and Niger have already declared states of emergency and called for international assistance.

The United Nations reports that grain shortfalls leave up to 6 million people at risk of hunger in Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries. In Burkina Faso, the deficit could leave as many as 2 million people at risk. Pastoralists, mothers and children under the age of five are the most vulnerable groups.

“There is a sense of despair because people literally don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” said Paul Valentin, the international director of Christian Aid, a Week of Compassion partner through the ACT Alliance, reporting on his recent trip to Burkina Faso.

Cyclical droughts, severe flooding, crop failure, rising food prices, and depleted grain and livestock reserves resulting from previous years’ crises have all undermined people’s ability to survive the regular lean period that usually begins in May or June. This situation has been further exacerbated by the spillover effects of political turmoil and conflict in Cote d’Ivoire and Libya, including the displacement of thousands.

Week of Compassion partners’ responses include providing food to those most in need and treating malnourished children in Burkina Faso, cash-for-work programs in Mali where the most vulnerable receive seeds and prepare their land to withstand drought, as well as a focused response in Niger and Senegal. 

It is through your compassion and generosity that Week of Compassion is able to respond to storm damage and famine.  If you would like to reach out to these communities with Courageous Compassion, please consider a gift supporting relief and recovery.

Making a Difference this Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is approaching!  Why not honor the mothers in your life by sharing a gift that makes a difference in the lives of women all over the world?  Several of our partners are providing special opportunities for you to pay tribute to the women who inspire you this Mother’s Day.

Safe Motherhood Kits Save Lives Around The World

According to the World Health Organization, for every woman who dies in childbirth, 20 more suffer injury, infection or disease. That's 10 million women a year whose lives are at risk, and whose children suffer with them.

IMA World Health's Safe Motherhood Kits™ (LINK: http://www.imaworldhealth.org/medicines-supplies-and-care/safe-motherhood-kits.html) provide clean and sterile birthing supplies to expectant mothers in developing countries – areas where infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Too often, unsafe and unsanitary birthing conditions are to blame.

One $25 donation provides an entire Safe Motherhood Kit™ to an expectant mother, from the materials and packaging to shipping, delivery and training. Think of it—a $25 donation may be a matter of life and death for a mother and her baby

Give a Beautiful Gift to Mothers in Your Life, Opportunity for Mothers Around the World

You can also support the work of Week of Compassion while shopping for Prosperity Candle gifts. Every Prosperity Candle gift helps a mother rebuild her life, while also giving your mom a beautiful gift. Choose “Week of Compassion” at checkout under the “How did you hear about us?” section so that a portion of your purchase supports the Week of Compassion Women’s Empowerment Fund .

To start, take a look at their gift guide for ideas! Order by May 7^th to make sure your gift is delivered in time for the holiday!

CWS Blankets+ Provide Resources for a Viable Future

Blankets+  is a special mission opportunity for all ages.  Some 8,000 congregations and groups across the U.S. hold CWS Blankets+ events, providing funds to help people in need around the world, including the U.S.  Blankets and Tents for vulnerable people following disasters, as well as wells, seeds, and other tools to help families build a foundation for the future.  You can even send special Mother’s Day cards and e-cards  to promote Blankets+.

Call For Writers

The Call for Writers for the 2013 Week of Compassion Leaders Guide is now online!

Share your unique voice as a writer!. We're looking for writers of liturgy, sermon ideas, activities for children and youth, and more for the special offering materials supporting the 2013 Week of Compassion. To learn about this Call for Writers, visit the link above, study the guidelines — then get writing! Deadline for entries is June 1, 2012.

Responding to Texas Tornadoes and Food Insecurity in Central America

Tornado damage in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area

Multiple tornadoes struck the Dallas-Fort Worth area this afternoon, striking several communities. Early accounts report widespread damage in the Dallas suburb of Arlington.

In the midst of the damage and immediate confusion, Week of Compassion is already responding. We are currently collecting information in partnership with regional and local congregational leadership to assess needs and respond quickly and efficiently. If you would like to contribute to this response, please reach out with Courageous Compassion by clicking here. 

Reflections on Development in Nicaragua

Zebulon (Zeb) M. Whitehurst V is the 2011-2012 Intern for Week of Compassion. In his third year at Barton College in Wilson, NC, Zeb recently returned from a trip to Nicaragua with our partners Foods Resource Bank and Church World Service, where he was able to see food security and water projects first-hand as well as contribute his own labor. Here he offers his reflections on the trip:

As the Week of Compassion intern this year, I had the opportunity to travel to the Carazo area in Nicaragua on the week of March 4, 2012. This opportunity was made possible by Week of Compassion's partnerships with Foods Resource Bank, Church World Service, and their overseas programs in Latin America. It was my first international mission trip, so while my anticipation and excitement level were high, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Throughout the trip I encountered a number of things, leaving me with a mixture of emotions and many questions.  

 

I was struck by how Nicaraguans live at a much slower pace compared to the general hustle and bustle of the United States. Taking a minute to slow down was a great opportunity to enjoy the little things with members of the local communities and to get to know their stories.

Listening intently to our hosts, I quickly learned that the water quality and resources for delivery were poor but that there is a lot of potential for improving the existing water infrastructure. I was immediately concerned: water is essential for everyday tasks, such as agriculture, sanitation, laundry and even for general consumption!

With insufficient water, life is far more difficult than it should be. 

But despite the difficulties that face the Carazo area, I still saw so much hope.

It was encouraging to see that so many families were taking the initiative in the development of their communities through local programs such as seed banks, health kits, and education aimed at helping them improve their agricultural yield. It was amazing to see women empowered to take on key leadership roles in the development of their communities.

This trip also offered me more than learning about specific programs that encourage food security and develop access to clean, sufficient water. I feel that I've grown personally and spiritually. After a week in Carazo, I was able to see how many of the things I consider necessities are simply luxuries I've learned to take for granted. I have so many more questions about what a true "necessity" is.

My time in Nicaragua has been a time of spiritual growth for me, too. I have seen a community with so few material resources that always takes time to offer praise for the blessings in their lives. In contrast, so often those of us who experience so much material abundance forget to stop and thank God for the abundance of life and the m any joys that come with it. Again, this trip has given me much to think about.  

Before I left for Nicaragua, I was passionate about working to help communities develop access to clean, drinkable water. After having experienced this international trip, I am certain that each of us we all can connect our passions and talents to ways to partner with communities that have less access, fewer resources, and unrealized potential than our own. Everyone has something to contribute, whether it is through volunteering time, offering financial support or praying for our partners. 

We are grateful for Zeb's work this academic year. He has contributed skill, passion, curiosity, and above all, compassion to our work. We are proud to call him our partner and colleague. The church is fortunate to have such future leaders!