Help In Hunger
The Challenge - Widespread Hunger
Diminishing areas of family land, impoverished soil and erratic climate, all contribute to a poor maize harvest—the staple diet. Most families rely on what they can grow in the short annual rainy season, and inevitably their reserves run out long before the next crop has even been planted!
Maize Food Programme
So, families assessed at most risk and within our target group (those caring for orphans, the elderly, those living with disabilities and the AIDS-affected), are invited to our site just before Christmas, and again at the end of Jan and Feb. They receive maize, enough for about 100 meals, packs of dried soya, and soap – if you can’t afford to buy food, you certainly can’t manage soap!
This is likely the only food their family will have until the next harvest.....
This story begins in about June, when our team set out to locate and buy in enough maize of suitable quality. Not always easy – during 2022, due to the poor local harvest, we had to buy and transport the grain back from Mozambique. It’s then processed by hand – each of the 30,000 kgs sorted, dried, winnowed, and weighed into our special grain bags to protect from weevil devastation, without toxic chemical treatment. Bags are checked regularly and stored ready for the first distribution at Christmas – so even the most vulnerable can enjoy a seasonal meal. The main maize basis for well over 100,000 meals is distributed during each 3-month “hunger period”.
Processing maize—drying, winnowing, weighing, packing into special grain bags that keep the grain in prime condition without chemical treatment
Crowds wait patiently as the maize is distributed to hundreds of families.
Distribution over—families will eat tonight!
Elderlies' Luncheons
Older folk are particularly vulnerable and at risk, so each month we host an Elderlies' Luncheon. Undoubtedly, this will be the best meal each has had that month and to make sure they don’t miss the fun, some start arriving on site in the early morning. Animated chat, enthusiastic singing and even a little bit of dancing usually follow, so it’s a special social event as well!
It’s daunting to realise that these frail, hungry folk, usually without income, support dozens of orphans at home, so we’re eager to appreciate and affirm the older folks’ value in this fragile society.
Helping on a daily basis...
We also issue Food Tokens to the most needy, grow and give away fresh vegetables, and provide moringa powder (a highly nutritious food supplement prepared on site) to the malnourished.....
