This week we’re focusing on hunger and the country of Niger.
In fact, you almost can’t think about starving people in the world and not have Africa
come to mind. It’s become cliche to tell our kids to eat their dinner because
“there are children starving in Africa!”
Which, actually, is quite true. There are children, whole
families in fact, that are starving. In Africa alone there are approximately 276 million
people without food. People who will have woken up without anything to eat and will
likely go to bed with no food in their stomachs.
And why is this? Is it because, as I’ve heard some argue,
people are lazy, unmotivated, or unwilling to do what is necessary to provide
for themselves and their families?
The answer, I believe, is simply no. After just a little
research, I found that Niger and its occupants have been the victim of drought
the past several years, followed by an increase in global food prices, pushing
many who are already poor deeper into poverty. With 90 percent of the people in Niger
depending on agriculture for their livelihood (and being so poor to begin with),
this allows them very little hope of anything to fall back on during hard
times -- no family to call, no savings account or even credit cards to tide them
over, no government programs -- they learn to do what they can to survive, selling
what little animals they have, eating seeds and sometimes clay-packed mud pies, and taking turns eating each day with what little they have.
So where do we start? With facts and figures so
overwhelming, what can we do?
Pray. This week, we will pray for the people of Niger. We will
pray for an end to their hunger. We will pray that this will not be a year of
drought, but of harvest, for the people there.
Fast. This week, we will fast two evenings. We will go
without food to remind ourselves of the hunger many around the world face on a
daily basis. Because my children are older, they will also join us this week by
eating two meals of just rice and beans: the staple for many poor people who
have nothing else to eat. We will tell our children of the needs around the
world during their meager meals and then we will pray together as a family. I
encourage you, if you have never done this before with your children, to try it.
I have been amazed and humbled by the compassion my children have for others once
they are aware of the need.
Give. This week we will take the money we would have used
for the two meals we fast from and instead give it to those who are hungry
around the world. World Vision is one of many wonderful organizations meeting
the needs of those who are hungry around the world today.
Do something. Did you know that there is actually enough
food in the world to feed everyone, including those who are starving? Did you know that last year
we wasted almost half of the world’s food? Wasted. Did you know there are
simple things to do to decrease the amount of food we waste each year? Ideas such as
planning meals, using what’s in our cupboards and refrigerators, requesting
smaller portions and using our freezers more often. For other great food saving
ideas click here.
I know that it is hard for me to wrap my brain around such
staggering numbers. I wonder: What can my little bit really do? I’ve
heard that if every person gave just $1/week this year, we could end world hunger for the year. Our giving, no matter
how small, matters. It all makes a difference.
“Then the King will
say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to
someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’”
Matthew 25:40
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