Meeting Nutritional Needs In Rwanda
A team of Lahash staff from the U.S. and Kenya traveled to Rwanda for the first two weeks of March. Visiting our Lahash partner ministry ERM-Rwanda gave them a chance to see how the economic challenges there have a direct effect on the vulnerable kids in the Sponsorship Program.
Even before traveling to Rwanda, we heard from the ERM staff that it has been getting harder and harder for families to afford food. We saw this for ourselves right at the beginning of our trip. On our way to the home of a child in the Sponsorship Program, the car pulled over on a busy street full of shops. John, the ERM-Rwanda Sponsorship Director, negotiated with a shopkeeper to purchase some rice, maize flour, and sugar to give to the family we were heading to visit.
He was visibly frustrated by the size of the bags, explaining that even a year ago, the same amount of money would have purchased nearly twice as much food. He recalled the food deliveries their team made during the height of the pandemic, when families were near starvation. The funds they received through Lahash went a lot farther to help keep families fed. Food costs have risen dramatically since then. They just can’t stretch the funds as far as they used to even though the needs are so great.
When our team arrived we were welcomed by Josiane, the mama of the house. After a short walk with beautiful views of the city of Kigali, we entered the family’s compound. The house has three tiny rooms, and there is a small courtyard where they do their laundry by hand. Josiane cares for her own three kids and her husband’s niece. Recently they also took in Dieu Merci, a nine-year-old boy who is sponsored through Lahash. Seeing their humble home, it was easy to understand the need for nutrition support.
As a family of seven, their main source of income is the occasional work Josiane’s husband can get as a day labor mechanic. Dieu Merci and three other small kids shared one ragged foam pad for sleeping, and they cook all their meals on one small charcoal stove. Dieu Merci was so proud that he was strong enough to lift up the bag of flour John brought, and those same nine-year-old muscles haul water each day from a nearby community well.
As we spend time here in Rwanda, we are getting to meet many of the kids and their families. We can see the need for increased nutritional support and feel the struggles of the staff members as they work to stretch funds as creatively as they can. Nutrition is the foundation of holistic care - kids with full stomachs sleep better, learn quicker, stay healthier, and become stronger both physically and spiritually. Food fuels growth.
Families like Josiane’s are opening their humble homes and doing what they can to care for children like Dieu Merci who have no one else. The support of our Lahash global community means the world to them! The food John brought when we visited might not be as much as he would like to be able to give, but it still makes a critical difference for this vulnerable family.
Visiting Dieu Merci’s home gave us the chance to see firsthand how your generous giving translates to the physical representation of love in his life. Even with food costs rising in Rwanda, a recurring donation of $10/month has a huge impact in helping feed kids like Dieu Merci. Even small donations add up! Join in with a recurring donation or one-time gift in any amount. Take part in Rice & Beans as a way to eat in solidarity and save money to give toward nutrition support. It all makes a difference for families in need.
As we commit to increasing food security for kids in East Africa, our love and care becomes as warm as a plate piled with rice and beans. It becomes as fragrant as stew cooking over a charcoal stove. As heavy as a bag of flour in the arms of a nine-year-old boy. No gift is too small to make a difference! Click here to donate today.