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                        Food for Starving Children Update

   

Update September 2015

    In September a 40-foot container of food from the USA was received by
the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood (CPS) in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It
was your donations that helped pay for this food to feed hungry children and
their families, especially those at St. Francis Tshitshi School. Sr. Clareta
Antonetta, CPS, at the school wrote of the first recipients of this food as
follows. 
       "The school invited two families from Bambanani Village who had requested
food assistance. Generally there was no way one could deny that these families
were in an advanced stage of indigence. All but one member of each family was
barefoot and clad in the remains of clothes. It was indeed a sorry sight.
       “Josephine Ncube, the bread winner of one family, shed tears as she
narrated her miserable life. She is in charge of four orphans who are all
attending school. Unfortunately she cannot manage to do any physical work
because she is very old (78 years), and in 2013 she had a stroke. ‘I am very
poor! I don’t have either donkey, cow or goats,’ she remarked, wiping tears.
       “To worsen her plight, her only hut was struck by lightning a year ago and
caught fire. It was indeed a great catastrophe because she lost practically all
her meager property. As if on a cue, all her children went to South Africa,
never came back or have been heard of; they are believed to be dead.
       “Another story was of Khethani Moyo. She gave an even more sorrowful
account. She and her family of five children also come from Bambanani village.
A couple of months ago she lost one of her children, probably due to starvation-
related sicknesses. She too is very ill and cannot manage to perform any hard
labor. To add fuel to the fire, all her children but one attend primary school.
       “As a result of abject poverty, they have only one meager meal a day,
enough just to keep them alive. Some merciful primary school teachers extend a
helping hand and provide the kids with a few basics - food stuffs and uniforms.
       “In response, the school donated two cartons of MannaPack Rice meals to
the families. Our school kitchen staff demonstrated to the families the ways in
which the food is prepared. It was indeed a heart-warming situation to see
smiles illuminating their faces as they received the gifts. It is our hope that the
food provided will go a long way in assisting the families to fight starvation.”
      
You can continue to support this feeding program in Africa with your
prayers and monetary gifts. The children and families there will
appreciate them very much. Please mark your donation “Hungry
Children” and mail it to us at:

LEAVES, PO Box 87, Dearborn MI 48121-0087.

     Or click on the donate button to donate by credit card. 

May God reward you for your generosity - the Editors.