(From the American Baptist International Ministries Update, July/August, 2008)
American Baptist International Ministries has launched a Global Food Crisis Fund, which will provide desperately needed money to help our partners in poor areas deal with the rising costs of basic foods. The fund began with $100,000, with $50,000 coming from International Ministries. The other $50,000 came from the One Great Hour of Sharing, an offering raised by American Baptists each year. “Places around the world where hunger has been a big problem, have now seen it become a bigger problem as food prices have increased dramatically,” said Reid Trulson, IM executive director.
An immediate $50,000 grant went to the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, to help them with the rising cost of rice, which is the primary staple food given to hundreds of thousands of displaced people living in the refugee camps. The remaining $50,000 grant has already been approved for Jean Rabel, a region on the northwestern tip of Haiti, where missionaries Kihomi and Madubiga Nzunga serve. Madubiga said, “The situation there is critical.” He said families are reportedly selling their children in hopes that where they are taken they will be able to eat and survive. Partners in the Philippines and North Korea have also applied for support during this critical period.
The food crisis is blamed on many factors. The rising cost of oil, which makes food more expensive to transport; government subsidies that in some countries have made staple food more expensive; and ongoing poverty, where people simply cannot afford to pay the cost of the food that is available have all been blamed as causes.
The Global Food Crisis is ongoing and needs assistance. To make donations, go to www.internationalministries.org/give.
American Baptist International Ministries has launched a Global Food Crisis Fund, which will provide desperately needed money to help our partners in poor areas deal with the rising costs of basic foods. The fund began with $100,000, with $50,000 coming from International Ministries. The other $50,000 came from the One Great Hour of Sharing, an offering raised by American Baptists each year. “Places around the world where hunger has been a big problem, have now seen it become a bigger problem as food prices have increased dramatically,” said Reid Trulson, IM executive director.
An immediate $50,000 grant went to the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, to help them with the rising cost of rice, which is the primary staple food given to hundreds of thousands of displaced people living in the refugee camps. The remaining $50,000 grant has already been approved for Jean Rabel, a region on the northwestern tip of Haiti, where missionaries Kihomi and Madubiga Nzunga serve. Madubiga said, “The situation there is critical.” He said families are reportedly selling their children in hopes that where they are taken they will be able to eat and survive. Partners in the Philippines and North Korea have also applied for support during this critical period.
The food crisis is blamed on many factors. The rising cost of oil, which makes food more expensive to transport; government subsidies that in some countries have made staple food more expensive; and ongoing poverty, where people simply cannot afford to pay the cost of the food that is available have all been blamed as causes.
The Global Food Crisis is ongoing and needs assistance. To make donations, go to www.internationalministries.org/give.
No comments:
Post a Comment