Helping Save Lives in South Sudan

Our emergency relief team dared to travel to South Sudan, Ethiopia and areas close to Somalia delivering life saving meals to children, refugees and displaced families earlier this year. War and violence wages on in this tragic area of Africa with no mercy or haven for the babies, toddlers and young children. These children have seen nothing but violence and suffering their whole lives, their parents have taught them life is only about surviving. These children have seen nothing but violence and suffering their whole lives One of Children’s Hunger Relief Fund’s long-time Board Members joined our team on their dangerous trip to Africa in order to help donate and distribute life-saving meals to children, families and villages that no other organizations have been helping. The villages that our teams went to visit have been extremely dangerous and the residents have been the victims of attacks and violence this year. Consequently most aid agencies have been forced to pull out of these villages. But that is exactly why our team wanted to risk their lives so that they could reach children and families that haven’t had any help in weeks or even months. Families that have been completely cut off from supplies, families that lost their homes in the senseless fighting, families that have had to hide in the swamps for days and days at a time to hide their children from armies that wanted to hurt them. Our Board Member shared his story. “Talking with many of the mothers and children I am amazed at their grace and courage, they have gone through such horrific events, and yet they are still fighting for their lives. I talk with the rest of our team, we are not sure we could survive the events that many of these people have had to endure. I can see why we are the only organization to come to these villages. The conditions are harsh and desperate, the families are destitute and young men with weapons are everywhere, trying to protect their people from the next attack. It is well over one hundred degrees and the obvious signs of malnutrition from the children is heart-breaking.

I give some children a few tennis balls; I always bring some with me. They love to play and go crazy for the bright green balls. It is great to see them smile despite all of their suffering, it is also humbling to see their mothers watching them and also smiling. They probably haven’t seen their children happy and playing in a long time, maybe ever. As we go from shack house to shack house delivering rice, wheat and other meals you can see the gratitude on everyone’s faces. The mothers are in tears as I hand them food and meals that together we helped to provide. They cannot find the words to thank you, the donors who helped make this moment possible, and neither can I.

How do you thank someone sitting tens of thousands of miles away for the support that you have given that has now helped to create a miracle for these children and their families who are struggling to survive in war-torn Africa? I wish you were here with me to see the smiling faces, to experience the grateful tears and to hear the sounds of children coming back to life and health once they have received the meals they need to survive. It is an incredible day, one that is only made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors like yous.

I cannot wait to come back with more food for these babies, children and families. They desperately need our help, and thanks to CHRF and our supporters this miracle of providing life-saving meals to these people has become a reality . This desperate situation is real, it’s not a TV show, children and families are dying by the thousands in South Sudan. But, with help from our supporters, Children’s Hunger Relief Fund and our team is working to make a real difference in these children’s lives. Together we have given these children and families a reason to smile, a hope for a new day, a reason to believe that someone out there cares for them. Please continue to let them know you care with your prayers and your support. And may God continue to bless you.