Several different Christian groups over the years have chosen October as a Hunger Awareness Month to call attention to the global hunger crisis and raise up action to fight it. This year as a youth group we are joining that special focus in our lessons, our worship, and with a special offering. BWAid, the relief and community development ministry of the Baptist World Alliance, is encouraging member churches to give to its special hunger-related ministry projects around the world. I’m challenging each one of you to bring a portion of your allowance, job income, or spending money each Wednesday and Sunday to raise at least $100 for a project of your choice (see the project list below).
We also get to participate in a few events this month, as a youth group or as a part of the whole church, that respond to the challenge of hunger:
YAM JAM! – Saturday, October 11: see my previous post…sign up today!
World Hunger Soup Luncheon – The Roxboro Baptist WMU will sponsor a soup luncheon in the fellowship hall after the worship service on Sunday, October 12. Pay by donation and all proceeds will to towards hunger relief!
NC Missions Initiative – for those of you signed up to help in this day of service, one option includes working with a soup kitchen.
God cares for the poor and hungry and calls us to serve them and respect them as fellow human beings made in God’s image. As we learned last night, the words of Jesus that he said to the twelve apostles are also addressed to us today: “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:34).
BWAid Projects
1. Domestic Gardens
Country: El Salvador
Convention/Union: Baptist Federation of El Salvador
Amount Needed: Year 1: $5,121, Year 2: $5,121, Year 3: US$5,121
The Baptist Federation of El Salvador has developed this project to help meet the need for food security for 100 families. In rural life, the “family” concept is extended. It is usual to have families with 7 to 10 persons living in one home. The project should lead to improved health and economic opportunity for the families.
Working with 15 FEBES churches, divided into three regions, the 100 participants have been chosen. Training will be done in three churches in each region to enable the participants’ easy access. The practical administration of the program will be done by an Agricultural Engineer with experience in this type of project.
The program will make it possible for families to consume vitamins (fruits and vegetables) which would normally be unavailable to them. They will also be able to improve their income with not having to buy these foods. Any surplus above the family need could be sold to bring in additional income.
American Baptist Churches, USA has agreed to support this project for the next three years. BWAid is being asked to fund the remaining portion of the project budget.
2. Deeds of Love Ministries Agricultural Initiative-Campbell
Country: South Africa
Convention/Union: Baptist Union of Southern Africa
Amount Needed: $17,245
Campbell is a small Northern Cape township that faces the challenges of unemployment, famine, low literacy and the like, but it is also a place of available resources such as good agricultural land and manpower on which to build upon in order to enable the community to reach a point of self-help and sustainability. The project in Campbell has two phases: a) home poultry production and b) food gardens.
· The poultry project will involve mainly families, especially those with small children. Fifteen interested families will be take part annually for two years. There will be training, construction of caging, acquiring fowl and feed and then the production. Each family will be expected to develop a small reproduction unit to supply chicks for the next season. It will lead to self reliance as far as meat supply for the family is concerned and it is anticipated that the sale of surplus poultry production will be an incentive for the members to see this as an opportunity for a small business and eventually lead to self employment of some kind.
· The Campbell Baptist Church has made available 1 hectare of good agricultural land. This will be developed as a community food garden. Families will be allocated a plot on which to raise their own organic vegetables. A portion of the land will be used as a demonstration garden where members will be taught hands on. Members will be encouraged to sell surplus vegetables to raise funds for seeds for the next season.
3. Krasnodar Agricultural Program
Country: Russia
Convention/Union: Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of Russian Federation
Amount Needed: $27,775
The Russian Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists has a homestead for a rehabilitation ministry to drug and alcohol addicts and for people recently released from penitentiaries in the Krasnodar region in Southern Russia. This project will help the union to produce farm products to help feed those undergoing rehabilitation and produce income to assist their general ministry to the poor.
The homestead has 19 hectares of land, cow and pig barns, a pond for cultivating fish and a residential building for patients and personnel.
It is hoped that one portion of the farming products will be sold and the financial income used to cover the expenses and development of the homestead. Another portion will be used to feed the rehab patients and a third portion will be used in humanitarian projects, assisting people.
Baptist World Aid has already been able to assist them with $11,300 for seed for planting the garden and strawberry fields, as well as cultivating fish in a pond and acquiring farm animals.
Financial Needs:
Sapling fruit trees $2,000
Strawberry starter plants $3,000
Vegetable Seeds $1,000
Cows & Goats for milk $3,000
Breeding stock $1,800
Hatching Fish $500
Remodeling and expansion of residence hall: $5,000
Tractor $17,000
Rototiller, mower, pump and watering hose $3,000
What Your Dollars Can Do:
US$100 will buy starter chicks
What Your Dollars Can Do:
US$100 will buy starter chicks
