Grants have gone to several ministries in Africa and Haiti from two
funds of the Church of the Brethren, the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF)
and the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF). The four grants total $49,330.
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have directed an EDF
allocation of $23,000 for response to major flooding following three
days of rain in the far western edge of the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC). In the poor neighborhoods of the city of Uvira more than 980
homes were destroyed, leaving families without most of their belongings,
access to drinking water, stored food, clothing, and shelter. The
recipient of the grant, Shalom Ministry for Reconciliation and
Development (Shalom Ministry), is a ministry of the “Congolese Church of
the Brethren,” which while in relationship with Global Mission and
Service staff is not yet recognized as an official Church of the
Brethren body. The money will provide emergency food, household
supplies, and tools to 300 of the most vulnerable households, including
1,000 children, 300 infants, and 800 women. It also will support
construction of shelters for two widows.
A GFCF additional allocation of $10,000 supports agriculture work in
the DRC. The recipient of the grant, Shalom Ministry for Reconciliation
and Development (SHAMIRED), is a ministry of Eglise des Freres au Congo
(Church of the Brethren in the Congo). The grant will fund tools,
agricultural inputs, training in agricultural techniques, and monitoring
activities as part of SHAMIRED's continued work among the Twa people.
The Twa are historically a hunter-gatherer society that was evicted from
traditional lands in recent decades and brought into conflict, often
violent conflict, with its farming neighbors. The new grant request will
expand the work to include new Twa families in the cultivation of
cassava and bananas/plantains. Twa families that have received training
in past years would begin a new vegetable raising initiative, together
with Congolese Brethren families who are in need. Previous allocations
to this project include: December 2011 $2,500; March 2013 $5,000; March
2014 $5,000.
Rwanda
A GFCF allocation of $10,000 is supporting agriculture work in Rwanda
among the Twa (Batwa) people. The project is being administered by
ETOMR (Evangelistic Training Outreach Ministries of Rwanda), a ministry
of the Evangelical Friends Church of Rwanda. Funds for agricultural
inputs and land rental will be used for the expansion of the project to
include 60 new families in both an existing potato growing effort and a
new maize (corn) growing initiative. A major benefit of the project
beyond the potatoes grown for consumption comes from the sale of
potatoes to buy annual health insurance for participating families.
Previous GFCF grants to this organization in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014
totaled $14,026. Since 2011, Carlisle (Pa.) Church of the Brethren also
has been supporting this project.
Nigeria
A GFCF allocation of $4,900 supports the attendance of six staff
members of the Rural Development Program of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria
(EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) at an agricultural
development forum in Accra, Ghana. Participants will represent EYN's
Agriculture and Integrated Community-Based Development Programs. The
conference, organized by the Educational Concerns for Hunger
Organization (ECHO), will be geared toward “enabling networking related
to alleviating hunger and poverty by those persons serving Africa’s
poor.” Funds will cover the travel and lodging costs of these six
participants.
Haiti
A GFCF allocation of $1,430 pays for an engineering study in Acajou,
Haiti. This study is for a combination drinking water and irrigation
project jointly undertaken by the agricultural staff of Eglise des
Freres (Church of the Brethren in Haiti) and the Haiti Medical Project's
community development staff. Future expenses related to the drinking
water portion of this project will be supported through the Haiti
Medical Project.
For more information about the Global Food Crisis Fund go to www.brethren.org/gfcf. For more information about the Emergency Disaster Fund go to www.brethren.org/edf.
Source: 02/03/2015 Newsline
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