Dear Sudan Advocate, Thank you!
On behalf of Lutheran World Relief, I'd like to thank you for your advocacy in support of a lasting peace for Sudan – especially for the people of south Sudan and Darfur. If you are receiving this special update, it means you helped LWR take action for Sudan by signing our 2009 "Moved by Faith" clergy petition – or worked with your pastor to obtain his or her signature. The Moved by Faith petition was presented to the White House by LWR's Deputy Director for Africa. It was well received and LWR was proud to have contributed more than 1,400 signatures to the effort. Your hard work made it possible! Given your interest in this issue, I am also pleased to share with you a story from my report on food security and hunger in south Sudan - as well as some pictures from a recent trip to the region. I hope LWR can continue to count on you to support the Sudanese people as they tackle the many challenges before them. If you are not already receiving regular action alerts from LWR, please sign-up now. Help us work for peace, justice and development in Sudan – and around the world. With much gratitude, Krista Zimmerman ___________________________________________________________________________ Challenges Ahead: Food Security
I met Sarah in a small clearing about a mile from the town of Nzara in southern Sudan. Sarah, her parents, and seven siblings live in a small semi-permanent structure stitched together with thatch and fraying tarps. She is the eldest child and, like many in Sudan, an "internally displaced person" (IDP). Sarah used to live near the town of Sakure, where her parents were farmers. They grew a variety of crops, including ground nuts, cassava, oranges, pineapples and bananas. They grew enough to make ends meet, had a solid house and the children were able to attend school and access healthcare. But Sarah's life changed dramatically in April of 2009. A violent group of rebels from neighboring Congo came into Sudan and forced her family off their land. They didn't know where to go so they simply walked until they reached a place that seemed safer – and had vacant land available. Now in Nzara, the family is safer but is struggling to make ends meet. They have a small plot of land but it is too small to provide enough food for everyone. And Sarah would like to grow cassava but it takes years to mature. She says her diet has become monotonous and limited without access to the fresh fruits and vegetables she enjoyed before. She worries most about the nutritional impact on her younger brothers and sisters.
While the whole family is thankful for the food and shelter assistance they've received from several agencies and non-governmental organizations, what Sarah wants most is for her family to become self sufficient again. "It is better to cultivate than to receive food," she told me. Sarah is not the only one who feels this way. The number of hungry people in Sudan is rapidly increasing. Conflict, poor rainfall and high food prices are all factors. The World Food Program recently warned that it is cutting important food programs in Darfur to respond to emergency conditions in the south. Thankfully, the U.S. is leading the way in the fight against hunger in Sudan. It provides more food aid to Sudan than any other nation in the world – but more needs to be done do help people like Sarah and her family become self sufficient again. You can help. Tell Congress to do more than provide handouts. Tell them toHelp Farmers Help Themselves!! Together we can make sure that the U.S. uses all the tools it has available to help fight hunger.
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WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945. Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility. |
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Rev. Linda Anderson-Little
St. Mark's Lutheran Church
6325 Clayton Road
St. Louis, MO 63117
314.721.6974 (w)
314.581.6365 (cell)
www.stmarkselca.com
