Burundi
Burundi ~ Africa
LeSEA Global FEED THE HUNGRY August 2008You can't hear it. You can't see it. The media has called it "the silent tsunami."
It respects no borders. It simply crushes and kills.
It is the worldwide food crisis -- an astronomical increase in food prices -- making it literally impossible for the poor to buy food even when it's available.
And directly in the path of this silent tsunami are 8.7 million souls that most of the UK have never heard of...in the nation of Burundi.
Say "Burundi" and people think you're talking about someplace in Asia or South America. Yet Burundi is actually tucked between the African nations of Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Congo.
When someone speaks of the "poorest of the poor," they should be thinking of Burundi -- it is officially designated the poorest country on earth. The population consists of peasant farmers, completely dependent on good weather for growing crops and international prices for selling them.
Despite this, Burundi has recieved little help from other nations. Rwanda has been flooded with aid and investment -- and we thank God for this. Many have given to meet needs in various African countries, as the U.S. media has focused on the crushing problems in these areas.
But Burundi is forgotten. Burundi is unknown.
We have an incredible opportunity to change this!While in Myanmar and other countries throughout the world, it takes great effort to gain access to the people and provide the vital aid they need, in Burundi the President openly and gratefully accepts outside assistance.
President of the nation of Burundi, His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza and Stefan Radelich, Executive Director of Feed The Hungry, June 2008.
The President of Burundi and his First Lady are both people of great faith. They have made public education for primary school children free, which is extremely rare in Africa. This has created a flood of new primary students in school, children who otherwise would be unable to attend school because of poverty.
However, none of the schools have lunch programs. With your help today, we will rush more than 270,000 meal packs (see above, with 6 servings in each pack) to our partner ministry, African Revival Mission. They have long been committed to Burundi and are pleading with us to provide food for their children's outreach program. We can acquire the food. We just need to pay for shipping.
This heartbroken country could begin to experience a kind of joy its people have never known. Imagine what happens, in the midst of such darkness, when someone arrives on the scene with Light...the love of God -- and food! Let's turn back the silent tsunami and show the children of Burundi, the children of God, that they are not forgotten.
