John Orchard, our WORLD VISION contact, who came and spoke at our 'Lunch for Pajule', has been in touch with the Mission and Outreach Team to call attention to the desperate situation facing many countries around the world. John writes:
To put things in perspective World Vision has drawn up a list of 25 priority countries where we are focusing relief efforts. 9 of those 25 are in East Africa, including Uganda.
We have started making short videos to show how hunger is having a knock on effect in other areas of children’s lives, such as this one:
The issues of missing school in order to work or help source food is certainly one that is affecting parts of Uganda.
I’ve also attached a document which gives a more detailed global picture of the situation.
The document is entitled 'Global Hunger Response' and it gives the stark facts about the crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
This is the link if you would like to see the document for yourself: Global Hunger report
John wrote to us because Uganda is facing a food shortage and he has raised specific concerns for the area of Pajule in Uganda that we're supporting through our 'Church in Partnership' scheme with World Vision and he has sent us an update and call for prayer from Noah - World Vision's Field Worker in Pajule. Noah says:
“We appreciate the care and concern about how people in Pajule are living.
It's true that due to the drought that hit the area which hence led to very low / no yields, this left families with no option but to adapt to the situation by dropping the number of meals per day.
The Ugandan Economic situation has led to a high cost of living with high prices for everything required as basic needs in families. This too has led to poor affordability of food stuff and other requirements across many communities.
Based on the above.
1. We pray for stability in rain patterns to enable farming.
2. Children are now home for holidays and this is the time children are vulnerable to abuse as they become redundant. We pray for protection upon them and good adoption skills by parents to positive parenting as we engage them throughout.
We do hope that you find time to read and digest this BLOG and that in the coming days and weeks you will remember the people of Pajule in your prayers.
We hope too that you will find World Vision's document a helpful update of this dreadful situation. Too often we get caught up in our own internal politics and day to day worries, which is understandable given our own cost of living crisis, but the plight of poor countries goes way beyond what we ourselves face.
The Mission Outreach Team will be meeting in early September to consider a more direct response to this call for action and prayer and we'll keep you updated.
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