Growing Concerns for the Horn of Africa
Growing Concerns for the Horn of Africa
May 11, 2022
By Scott Nordstrom
This morning I am reminded of the growing challenges in three of the countries where we serve 1,711 children. In an area referred to as the Horn of Africa; peoples where we serve in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan are at risk with orphan children being especially vulnerable. It is estimated that there 10,100,000 orphan children in these countries.
Beyond the economic shocks that they are experiencing like the rest of the world, there are several other changing variables in which these people are having to negotiate.
The indirect effect from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is worsening an ongoing food and security crisis in parts of East Africa—with Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan forecast to be hardest hit, said the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), as reported by FP.
Ethiopia women distribute food to orphan children.
Now there isn’t much that we can do in reference to the conflict in Ukraine, but we can increase our urgency in terms of these needs. I imagine that anyone reading this has not missed a meal lately. In fact, I doubt that you have ever wondered where you next meal was coming from. The most stress we experience is in terms of what we will eat, not regarding where we might find the food to consume.
What of the orphan child? Have you ever met a hungry child? Sadly, I have. In fact, at some of our feeding centres in South Sudan there were at times over 1,000 children queuing for food. In addition to many being malnourished, most were in tattered clothes. We have had reports of children coming to the schools for food without any clothing. They are that hungry so that at any costs, or any level of embarrassment, children will come to our feeding centres for food.
For many of us situations like this are foreign. It is difficult to imagine for most of us.
African leaders are struggling to control rising inflation and tumbling currencies. For example, in Ethiopia, amid a war in the northern Tigray region, the price of fertilizer has shot up 200 percent in the country. As the Ethiopian Reporter tells it, April’s food item inflation reached an unprecedented 43 percent, as reported by FP.
Rudimentary food distribution in Ethiopia helps saves thousands of orphan children.
For me, it is difficult to not to consider how we might provide some level of relief for some of these children. Yes, we are doing this today, but what of the children without proper nutrition? It also not safe for us to assume that we will have the required resources to continue our work let alone grow the number of children we serve. It is certainly easier to take note of all that we are accomplishing today and leave it at that. This would be the easy road…
I am thankful that we have partners in place in these countries. Arising Christian Ministries, Christ Mission to the World, Fortune Learners’ Centre, GO! Kenya, & Life Center Ethiopia that are His hands and feet in this area of the world. In addition to being blessed with these field partners, we have many relationships that we have established throughout the region that can assist with the distribution of aid to orphan children.
Drought in Kenya had already caused a 70 percent slump in crop production, and more than 3 million people in the country faced acute hunger, according to FP.
So what might you do? Of course there are many options, but I am going to outline four things that you can do today to help these children:
Pray -yes, pray for these children. Pray for provision and their care.
Call your government representatives. How might an increase in food production in our country benefit the rest of the world. Congress Directory can be a good resource. Ask this to pressure the Department of Agriculture to release land from the CRP into production. It is a start.
Give Today to our Nutrition Initiative that feeds hungry children throughout the world, but with a concentration of this work taking place in the Horn of Africa.
Join us for our Feeding the 5k/5k event later this month where we will advocate for orphan children. All proceeds will go to feed hungry orphan children.
So now there are things you can do! You can pray, pick-up the phone and call your representatives, give to fund the effort, and or join us for the 5k in May. I would encourage you to do something today; maybe even right now. I am afraid that the clock is ticking for millions of orphan children.
The U.N. said up to 20 million people in the Horn of Africa could go hungry this year, as referenced by FP
If each of us do something some will be saved. What will you do?
You may access the FP article that outlines the situation in the Horn of Africa here: War in Ukraine Is Worsening East Africa’s Food Crisis
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Global Orphan Relief (GO) has been serving orphaned children since 2005. We have accomplished this work to date through local partners in each country that provides oversight and distribution of care. As of April, we served 2,366 orphan children in DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, South Sudan, and Zambia within our Home-based Care, Nutrition, and Scholarship Initiatives. In February, we launched our fourth initiative; Church Mobilization which involves our Great Commandment Workshops.
Scott Nordstrom leads GO! today and was a co-founder when we launched in 2005. Scott has served with GO! for 16-years. Scott has been instrumental in deploying 163 volunteers on 26 teams to the mission field, and has personally served in DR Congo, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, South Sudan, and Zambia. Scott has also spoke in the United States, as well as, internationally regarding child welfare and matters of faith, hope, and love.
You may send support or other correspondence to Global Orphan Relief, 16352 Prairie Farm Circle, Parker, CO 80134 or you may give also give electronically at Support the Global Orphan Relief Children or give on this website at the upper righthand corner under ‘Donate’.
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Global Orphan Relief (GO!) is a Christian relief agency serving vulnerable children and is a recognized U.S. public charity, tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). All donations to GO!, or any charitable contribution processed through Network For Good Donor Advised Fund, are tax deductible to the extent of the law. If you prefer, you may provide gifts of support by sending via mail to the address above.