To quote Matthew 25, Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

The first family I helped to sponsor was from Iraq, and I learned so much about what the family had gone through as they fled their home country– it broke my heart. As I’ve continued to help refugees, other people have joined me to help welcome these displaced people to our country.

FH staff sponsors a refugee family

World Refugee Day is on June 20 – to bring honor and awareness to the millions of people who have fled their homes from fear of death and persecution.

FH Staff and spouses gather for a photo following the furnishing of the apartment.

A  team of Food for the Hungry staff have partnered with Refugee Focus to sponsor a family from Myanmar, a country formerly known as Burma. Last weekend, we set up the apartment in preparation for their arrival from Malaysia. The family has been recovering in temporary housing in Malaysia from issues of ethnic cleansing and genocidal action from within their home country.

The Syrian conflict

Refugees around the world are marginalized, being forced to leave the safety of their home to flee to the unknown.  Some of the most marginalized people are women and children.

Children have been separated from families, which puts them at risk. Women are finding themselves having to sell their bodies to survive.

Food for the Hungry seeks to work with refugees in relief settings, inspiring hope and bringing life-saving supplies. Working through partner organizations with boots on the ground and churches, FH is offering assistance to Syrian refugees by bringing food aid, hygiene kits, blankets and other household items, and medical assistance.

Women and children make up 80 percent of the refugee population.

What you can do…

Read: Many of  FH’s staff have been affected by the plight of the refugee. Check out FH staff Beth Allen’s recent blog.

Hear directly from FH relief staff such as Director of Relief Response Peter Howard as he shares his inside perspective.

Pray: There is a prayer team within the borders of Jordan who pray every Wednesday morning. Join them in prayer to end the conflict in Syria and to provide comfort for those most affected such as the women and children.

Give: The International Rescue Committee said that the Syrian conflict is “the greatest crisis since the end of the Cold War” from a humanitarian perspective. It was also said that help is in short supply. Please consider a gift to bring relief to the hurting refugee population surrounding Syria.

The post Welcoming refugees to our cities appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

Leocaide training mothers about nutrition.

My guest blogger today is Alex Mwaura, communications specialist for Food for the Hungry reporting on FH’s work in Africa. Alex recently visited Burundi and shares his experience during a care group training where mothers’ learned to care for their infants.

The sound of rain on iron roofing sheets drowned out the voice of care group leader Nyinyireko Leocaide, forcing the women in front of her to crane their necks to catch her words. Leocaide now delivered her message in an even higher pitch.

“If you notice your baby is not too well, take them to the hospital, don’t take them to the traditional healers,” she told the group of 10 mothers, many breast feeding babies.

Leocade’s job is to train young mothers on good nutrition and hygiene for their infants and toddlers under age 2.

In rural Burundi, the women often take their babies to the farms with them. They strap babies to their backs or lay them on a blanket in the shade as they get on with their work of planting, weeding or harvesting. With no running water nearby, the mothers are more often forced to handle their babies with soiled hands when the little ones demand a feed. The most common illnesses, many connected to bad hygiene, are: diarrhea, vomiting, worms, malaria and other communicable diseases.

Feeding babies with unclean hands is one of the behaviors that Leocade wants to put a stop to.

An additional behavior is feeding children nutritious foods. To support children from getting sick, Leocade taught mothers about nutrition.  Many times mothers weaned their babies with what food was easiest available – which is often not a balanced diet. Mothers were taught about what foods to combine in meals so children get important nutrients.

Another is visiting a traditional healer, or witchdoctors, when illness strikes. With dilapidated health care systems, avoidable deaths do happen. Those unable to access health care due to the distance to the facility or simply lack of money turn to witchdoctors and traditional healers.

This is changing according to John Rusatire, FH Care Group Supervisor, “They (mothers) have learned what to do when a baby is ill. And that is to do all they can to quickly take the baby to hospital.”

Kaburu Concilie, a 25-year-old with three young children says she’s grateful for FH care groups in her community. “The benefit of this program is good health. My children have good health today. We also were taught about hygiene and are practicing more hygiene than before. We have good toilets and compost. So I am benefiting a lot.”

Her children have good health and a better chance at life. During the government’s deworming week, she also takes her children for treatment and vaccinations.

FH’s efforts, deep in the heart of Burundi, are paying off. Communities are now healthier and a step closer to living as God desired them to.

The post Care groups help save children appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

The conversation came out of a terrible tragedy that occurred last week in Bangladesh. An eight-story garment factory building crumbled, killing at least 300 workers and injuring over 1,000 more. On Wednesday afternoon, my friend Eileen called to tell me the news. “It has me thinking about purchasing habits,” she said. “There’s a connection between American consumers and this factory. Most of us don’t think about it.”

Shagorika, age 12, is waiting for a sponsor in Bangladesh.

The TV ad

Eileen got me thinking. And then, in a stroke of irony stranger than fiction, just minutes after hanging up the phone I saw this TJ Maxx ad on TV.

In the commercial a woman quips, “Is it wrong to buy an entire outfit to match your mani-pedi?”

Her response to her own question: “Not if you find something amazing for less than the price of it.”

The ad reinforced what had long been true of my own shopping habits: price was my primary consideration, and justice was not even a thought. Truth be told, I wouldn’t have thought twice about the TJ Maxx ad if I hadn’t heard just moments before of the disaster in Bangladesh. And that’s the problem. We don’t give it a second thought.

Here’s an excerpt from my blog on Her.meneutics.

Even after the tragic collapse, the news that such a factory would be making our clothes didn’t come as a complete surprise. We knew it already. Most of us have heard of sweatshops, where labor laws are violated, wages are unfair, or conditions are hazardous. For decades, clothing manufacturers that supply the U.S. fashion industry have been accused of relying on unethical working conditions for the cheap products we buy. We feel aghast when we hear such reports… at least initially. We might even share a news article with friends. And then, with our most powerful voice—our wallets—the majority of us simply pretend as if we had never heard the news.

You can read the rest of my post on Her.meneutics.

Don’t click away

For any of us hearing a story like what happened in Bangladesh, the most dangerous moment is the split second between our sense of horror and our realization of helplessness. It has happened to me countless times. I feel a spark of outrage, but then I start questioning my ability to do anything to help. The issue seems to far away, too large scale, and too complicated. As a result, rather than drawing near, making a small dent, or seeking to understand a solution, I simply turn away.

Sponsoring a child like Ramjan Ali helps to end poverty for children and their parents.

It doesn’t have to be that way. In the Her.meneutics article, I offer some daily choices that anyone can make to move toward justice in the garment industry. One of those solutions is to support work that fosters entrepreneurship among the vulnerable in Bangladesh.

The more you learn about Food for the Hungry’s work in Bangladesh, the more convinced you will be about its effectiveness in ending poverty.

Before you click away, please look at the photos of children available for sponsorship in Bangladesh. Say a prayer for these children and their parents. Give thanks that through sponsorship their poverty will end!

The post Grieving the seamstresses we never knew appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

Women and children in developing countries often have limited opportunities because they must spend their days fetching water to survive.

Women in developing countries often aren’t thought of as leaders. Food for the Hungry (FH) helps communities reverse that thinking. An example of a woman becoming  a leader is Yubo Boru, a 35-year-old mother of four children living in Kenya.

Rather than going to school when she was a girl, Yubo would carry as much water as she could from a nearby water source to her home. For most of the year, the nearest water source would be dried up, so she had to walk nine miles across the border into Ethiopia to get water. It was a dangerous and arduous three-hour walk – each way. With five gallons of water (40 pounds) on her back for the return trip. For a child, it was difficult labor.

As an adult, she continued carrying water and used it for drinking, cooking, sanitation and gardening. Sadly, the water contained waterborne diseases. Yubo had no choice but to give it to her children—it was all there was.

The entire community pitched in to build a rainwater catchment system in Yubo's community.

Since Yubo’s husband could only find work 472 miles away, he was unable to help her with their family garden. So, after her six- hour walk to get five gallons of water, Yubo then did her best to tend the garden so her children would have enough to eat. They rarely did.

The children were hungry. Their mother was exhausted. Their father was absent. They were often sick.

Then FH entered Yubo’s community, and things changed dramatically. FH worked with community members, including Yubo, to identify the key challenges they faced. Water topped the list.Yubo and others worked with FH to build a system for catching and storing rainwater. Yubo started an irrigation project, turning her floundering garden into a thriving farm where she now raises enough potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, kale and various fruits to both feed her family and sell the surplus.

Her business was doing so well that her husband was able to quit his job and work in their community to expand the irrigation project.

Yubo led the way to bring water to her garden, transforming her family and community.

Yubo is what FH calls a mother leader in her community. She was instrumental in bringing water to the community and in starting the irrigation project. Both have transformed her family’s lives.

Additionally, Yubo trains other mothers about health and hygiene. Those mothers take the messages to other mothers. Through this method of social networking, Yubo’s efforts have transformed not only her own family, but also the lives of more than 2,000 community members.

Now, because of all the changes, Yubo’s children attend school rather than spend their days carrying water.

So the answer to the question posed in the headline of this blog post—what happens when women lead—is that children and communities are transformed and thrive.

Watch a short video on the challenges that lack of water causes in the lives of many people in developing countries.

The post What happens when women lead? appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

Rhaki is my sponsor child (right) with her best friend Lota.

On my first trip to Bangladesh in 2008, I met a woman who was married at the age of 11.  She was a frail, young woman who was 22 when I met her. I can’t imagine how her small frame could possibly have given birth at the age of 12.  Her story changed me for life.  I met with her in her one-room house built with clay, mud and straw.  Standing next to her was her 10-year-old daughter who was born unable to hear or speak because her mother’s body wasn’t ready for child birth.

Stories like this one keep me motivated to make a difference.  I want to put an end to the injustices that occur every day against women and girls in this world.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 14 million adolescent girls become mothers every year.  Of these young mothers, 90 percent are found living in developing countries.    The impact on a woman’s young life and health is staggering.  The leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 in developing countries are due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth.

Early pregnancy not only harms the young mother but also the child.  When a young mother gives birth under the age of 19, there is a 50 percent higher chance it will be stillborn or die early, than if the mother were to wait until she was in her twenties.

Together we can put an end to the poverty caused by early childbirth that puts millions of women’s health at risk around the world.  One way I am fighting for this cause is by sponsoring a girl child. https://fh.org/give/sponsor   My sponsored child, Rhaki, is at risk — she faces her twelfth birthday this year.  But, due in part to my sponsorship and the work of Food for the Hungry, I sincerely believe that she has a better chance at life.  With her marriage postponed, she is at less risk of dropping out of school.

My daughter serves her community through the American Red Cross

My hope for this little girl is the same as it was for my own daughter, Jess.  My dream for her to pursue a higher education, earn a degree and be involved in work that fulfills her.  Jess did just that and now serves an at-risk population with another non-profit relief and development organization.  She makes her mom proud and I hope that one day I get the chance to see Rhaki graduate college too. And that will make both her real mother and I very proud!

If you’d like to sponsor a child or find out more information, click here.

The post She couldn’t hear her mother’s voice appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

Francis and Edith Schaeffer. Photo courtesy of Covenant Seminary's Francis Schaeffer Institute. Used with permission.

The irony of hearing the announcement of her passing Saturday is that I had just listened to a recording of one of Edith’s talks a few days earlier. It’s been years since I listened to a talk by either Edith or her husband Francis, with whom she co-founded L’Abri Fellowship.

Two points of wisdom that Edith shared came to mind almost immediately upon the news of her death. These are points that help me along the journey to work to end poverty globally.

How can we balance prayer and action?
It’s no secret that some of us easily move into prayer and others quickly move to action. I can easily go the activist route.

However, in listening to Edith’s talk called “Mary’s Part” just a few days ago, I started overcoming the Martha and Mary (Luke 10) either-or assumption. In her teaching, Edith pointed out to the fact that Mary did work, but she worked at the proper time—when, after sitting at Jesus’ feet, she was ready to work. Her whole life was not lived in contemplation, but rather Mary models the blending of prayer and action in balance.

What’s God’s job and what’s mine?
I have no idea how many books and sermons I have heard in my life, but there are a few tid-bits that have stuck. And one of those bits was from a message by Edith. She told of a time she was deeply, deeply struggling with divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

In her unrest, she went out to the nearby forest and lay on the ground.

At some point in her rumination, she looked up above her. She could see two tree trunks on either side. At the top of the trunks, the tree branches came together to make one single canopy. In that place, she began to rest about working out divine sovereignty and human responsibility. She said that somewhere up above, those branches came together and made a whole. Likewise, it is so with divine sovereignty and human responsibility. They come together in a mysterious way. And she found calm. When I struggle with this issue, my mind quickly goes to the two tree trunks and the think canopy of branches, and I can acknowledge mystery.

Learning from woman, learning from an artist
What you may be able to see from the above is something that I didn’t learn from Edith in an explicit way, but rather “by demonstration” (to use a term used commonly at L’Abri). She was very much a woman and also a deep theological thinker. Neither of those things out-did the other. Both were retained. She was also practical, attending to the needs of those who stayed with her and her husband in the early years of L’Abri.  And she was true to her artistic leanings in living out her faith. These are all things that hearten me as I consider living out my faith today.

What about you?

When you consider the issues of poverty globally, are you able to sit at Jesus’s feet until it is time to work?

Do you get stymied by the issues of divine sovereignty and human responsibility when you look at our world?

Finally, who do you look to as role models? And who do you think is looking to you as a role model—with your ups and downs and need for God’s mercy—to see you live your faith “by demonstration”?

The post Wise words from Edith Schaeffer (1914-2013) appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

Jean Mesidor is a small business owner in Haiti.

Preachers have often observed that entries in one’s checkbook are the best indication of our true values. Today, the role of that checkbook has been replaced by the online transfers you run through your bank account. Still, the point is the same: We spend money on things we care about. They show our priorities.

That’s true at Food for the Hungry. As I’ve traveled to our field operations, I’ve been impressed by the number of women and children who we serve with our programs. We prioritize assistance to the most vulnerable.

In many cultures, women occupy a status lower than men. In addition to domestic roles like family cook, house cleaner and daycare provider, women also take on roles that Westerners assume men might do. They’re farmers. They’re merchants. They’re traders. As I have seen women in these active physical roles, over and again, I’ve asked with some exasperation, “Where are the men?”

But I’ve made my peace with my frustration. I’ve decided I don’t need to know what the men are doing. What matters is that we’re helping the women.

Re-reading the gospels, it seems to me that Jesus’ ministry is ever more remarkable. By our standards, he treated women the same as he treated men. But by the standards of His day, He was a pathmaker, treating them far better than His peers at the time.

International Women’s Day

FH wants to highlight the importance of working among women and is participating in the International Women’s Day movement on March 8.

We’re walking in Phoenix to publicize the needs of women around the world. Come join us on Sunday, March 10.

But FH’s support for women is more than a walk in the park – it’s something we do daily in our programs around the world.

Jean Mesidor's little shop.

Women are the economic engines that make families run around the world. When I visited Haiti last year, over and again, I asked women how I could pray for them. In addition to their concerns for their families, they often would add shyly, “Pray for God to help me with my business.”

I’d ask, “What kind of business do you have?”

Sometimes they’d show me. A booth with vegetables. A table with miscellaneous toiletries.

These women earn cash for their families as entrepreneurs. Simply inspiring.

That’s what we’re doing around the world. Meeting these brave women around the world encourages us to do more. And it helps their children, who surely are the most vulnerable.

The post Inspiring women entrepreneurs appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

First, it’s my oldest daughter’s birthday. Andrea was born on March 8. She’s turning ten years old. She wrote her birthday list last night.

Our almost-10-year-old collected acorns recently, possibly to feed to the hamster that she's not getting on her birthday.

Andrea’s Birthday List

• Jean jacket
• The latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book
• Smelly markers
• Case to hold my art supplies
• Hamster

(In case you were wondering, the hamster isn’t happening.)

March 8 is also International Women’s Day. I didn’t know much about International Women’s Day until I met Heidi Hatch, my friend and colleague who fills my Facebook feed with her passion for women around the world. Thanks to Heidi, I’ve been awakened to the importance of this day. We take this one day to remember the tremendous potential of every woman and to speak against injustices that women around the world face daily. (Check out this slideshow from Reuters of women around the world.)

A birthday list for my daughter

As Andrea turns 10, I’m thinking about the wish list I would make for her and for every girl around the world.  Andrea’s reality seems worlds away from children like her in Bangladesh or Bolivia, but can’t we pray these prayers for every little girl, no matter where she lives?

1. Live free from violence.

May no one ever hurt your body, my precious daughter, whether it’s a husband, a boyfriend, or anyone at all. Use your brain to avoid danger, but don’t blame yourself if it comes looking for you. You don’t deserve to be hurt by anyone, ever. Never accept it.

If my daughter could meet these girls in Peru, they would find that they share common hopes, dreams and prayers.

2. Live free from fear.

You will soon discover that the world is more dangerous than we have let you believe. Be careful, but don’t be afraid. Look the scariness of this world in the face, and speak against it in Jesus’ name—especially when it means defending people who are weaker than you.

3. Marry when you choose.

Believe it or not, some girls are forced to get married at your age. At age 10. Pray for those girls with me. Fight the injustice of child marriage with me. And relish your freedom to marry at the age you choose, whether you’re 20 or 40 or never.  

4. Learn.

Study hard. Algebra is cool. Calculus is even cooler. Many girls can’t go to school at your age. You are blessed to be one of the girls who does. Treasure the opportunity. Then, use what you’ve been given to help the world.

5. Get up again.

Someone might hurt you. Someone will disappoint you. You might be the victim of crime or injustice. But you are a survivor. You will get back up, repay evil with good, and pray for your enemies. You will overcome.

6. Follow Jesus.

Trust Him. He’s the one who made you a girl. He knows what He’s doing. God made you in His image. You are lovely. You are His. And, by His grace, you are mine.

I’ll read this list to Andrea on her birthday. What items are on your wish list for your daughters?

Heidi, whom I mentioned above, is hosting the International Women’s Day Walk in Phoenix, Arizona on March 10. If you’re in the Phoenix area, please join her!

The post My daughter’s birthday list appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

Liliwen (second from right) poses with some friends from her village

Tornadoes, earthquakes, blizzards and hurricanes. In the United States, we certainly experience our share of natural disasters. But most of us also have well-built homes, steady jobs and decent savings accounts. Often, when a blizzard heads our way, we wait it out and are able to resume our normal lives after the storm has passed. Even if our house has been damaged or altogether destroyed, we are typically able to recover because we have the resources to do so (with some exceptions). But for a woman living in a developing country, who already faces an array of daily struggles — a cyclone is a major crisis.

A struggling family

This was the reality of Liliwen and her mother, Machan. Their family was discriminated against because they were an ethnic minority in their region. This discrimination made it difficult for Liliwen to get an education, as her teachers assumed she lacked intelligence and talent. Machan’s skills and training were sparse, and her husband had health issues, so neither one was able to make an income for the family. Then, Sidr — a category-5 cyclone — struck the community, demolishing their home. How would this family survive their hardship?

Education gives power

Food for the Hungry provided new homes and latrines to those who had lost them in the storm, like Machan and Liliwen. After completing the initial relief work, FH worked to empower both mother and daughter to rise above the challenges they faced.

Because of FH, Machan now participates in a local savings and learning group, which enables women to meet together and learn skills such as literacy and leadership. Machan received training on fish cultivation and gardening; she then took a loan from the money pooled by her savings group.  Now she makes a living for her family by growing produce, farming fish, and raising hens.

Through the child sponsorship program, Liliwen has learned about biblical principles, health practices and positive relationships with her peers and family. FH staff worked with the teachers at Liliwen’s school to combat the prejudice she had endured there. Liliwen has become very active in her school and community; she loves to serve others and help younger children with their schoolwork. This young woman now dreams of a future as a teacher — one who will not discriminate against her students.

Bring hope to women

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, will you join us in serving the women who are faced daily with issues of poverty and gender-based injustice? You can make a lasting impact for these women by sponsoring a child like Liliwen or a Women of Action savings and learning group like Machan’s. Let’s spread hope to the women of Bangladesh and so many other countries where women are desperate for the education and empowerment that you and I are blessed with.

The post How sponsorship saved a family in the wake of disaster appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.

As I wake from jet lag at 3 a.m., the girls in the Wari slum of Dhaka are just getting out of school. I can’t help but wonder what else I can do to help them finish their education and grow up to become thriving young women.

So, how can we help girls half way around the world reach their God-given potential? The goal is not to make them more like us or change their culture, but I think there is value in looking at what makes us thrive as a nation. What mindsets do we possess that help us as women in America reach our God-given potential?

One thing that hits close to home for me is the worth we place on the lives of people; my female friends in Bangladesh have pointed out to me that women in America are valued as contributing members of society.  In my generation we have been blessed by women who wanted to make a change from the ground work laid by generations of women before us.

Because of their efforts, I can vote. I can get an advanced degree. I can excel in the work place. I can give back to my community.  Sure, I can’t do everything I want, but I can do nearly anything I choose to do—because the society I live in supports the value of life regardless of race, gender or religious beliefs.  That hasn’t always been the case…

So, as a global aunt to the girls of Bangladesh, I find it my responsibility to speak out on their behalf. I want to amplify their voice, for the change they want to see.  If our daughters can finish high school, why can’t young women succeed there?  They can’t do it alone. They need the voice of others to stand by their side and encourage them in their efforts.

Bangladesh ranks third in child marriage in the world, and there are many factors that play into the decision to marry young. There are economic implications to waiting for marriage, such as the dowry goes up as girls get older. In this male dominate society, it is the eldest brother (the uncle, if the father is not the eldest) who decides when a girl is to marry. There are great risks to waiting for marriage; if a girl waits past puberty and is raped, she becomes a shameful burden on the family.

Food for the Hungry is working in communities in Bangladesh to change mindsets through savings groups. Women learn their value, to read and are trained to start or extend small businesses, such as sewing, basket weaving and chicken farming. Women become income generators for their families.

In savings groups, which are made up of 18 to 20 members, women find strength in numbers.  Last week, I met a grandmother who told me, “I was married at 12. My daughter was married at 12, but my granddaughter won’t marry until after she finishes her education and when she is ready.”

Change is happening!  Consider this your invitation to join in!  Here’s how:

1. Sponsor a child. Your relationship with a girl or boy will give them courage to continue their education.

2. Walk with us. International Women’s Day in Phoenix on March 10!

3. Pray for women around the world. Start with one! 

The post Bangladesh: Girls reaching their God-given potential appeared first on Food for the Hungry Blog.