I was
hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink... -Matthew
25:35
When the most recent war struck Congo, tens of
thousands of displaced persons flooded into Kamina, seeking refuge with
relatives or anyone who could help. Among these were hundreds (if not
thousands) of orphaned children. Distant relatives and church members
took most of them into their households. This was a act of great love
and courage, since they already struggled to feed their own children.
To help keep these severly overstretched new family units together, The
North Katanga Conference and UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on
Relief) partnered to start the External Feeding Program. About 500
children, selected based on need (orphans, children in single parent
homes and other high-risk situations), were fed multiple times per week
thanks to this partnership.
With the coming of calm to the region and humanitarian disasters in
other parts of the world, UMCOR shipments of food have ended. The need,
however, has not. In recent months, the external feeding program has
suffered dramatic cut-backs and even sporatic suspensions of operation.
There is currently no sustainable funding source for this program.
Finding one is among our top priorities.
