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Hunger Appeal
For 25 years the Greater Milwaukee Synod has partnered with our Sisters and Brothers in the Diocese of Meru. They are experiencing a drought that has continued over the past three years, and they need our help.
Bishop Kitoi shares a message about current conditions in the Meru area.
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Below are more slides with information about how we can help. Asante sana.
Since the spring of this year we have been focusing on providing hunger relief to the people of Meru, a critical need brought on by three years of drought. This has coincided with worsened food shortages caused by the war in Ukraine, as well as worldwide inflation. These cascading events have produced a hunger catastrophe in the Diocese of Meru, hitting the Southern, Northern, and parts of the Eastern Districts especially hard. This has obviously impacted tourism, businesses, schools, churches, and families.
Note the shocking change from a photo taken in 2018 and 2022 in the same location in Meru
We are so very grateful to report that the people of the Greater Milwaukee Synod have responded generously. Between May and November of this year we have received gifts from well over 100 contributors totaling over $95,000.
All funds have been wired to the Diocese of Meru. $85,601.62 have gone to purchase corn, beans, and cooking oil. Since August they have focused on corn and beans and eliminated the cooking oil. The price of these items continues to rise. The remaining $10,000 have addressed other needs stemming from the above challenges.
The gifts we have sent to Meru have surely had an impact, but the crisis is not over. While the area has had some rain in recent weeks, the main benefit may be to gradually regrow some grass for goats and cows. Large numbers of them have already died from starvation. Planting season is in February and March. If rain is received during the critical growing season, there may be some relief some weeks after that.
Mr. Joseph Kaaya, General Secretary of the Diocese has written, “We thank our friends in the Greater Milwaukee Synod for their great effort to help our people. The catastrophe is still dwelling. We still appeal for more food aid and probably for seeds to be planted next year.
God bless all who donated this time and those who will donate in future.”
So, we join him in appealing to you to continue to give whatever you can to provide food for our sisters and brothers in Christ! Here are some things to consider:
$10 provides over 6 meals
$20 provides 13+ people with a meal
$50 feeds 33+ people
$100 feeds 66+ people
Giving is easy! You may send a check made out to the Greater Milwaukee Synod, ELCA indicating in the memo line that it is for Meru Hunger Relief. The address is:
Greater Milwaukee Synod, ELCA – Meru Partnership Committee
P.O. Box 341695
Milwaukee, WI 53234
The need is ongoing. Online giving is possible through the Greater Milwaukee Synod Website, through their Vanco app.
Scroll to Meru Diocese Gifts,
the 4th option is Meru Hunger Relief Crisis.
Many Greater Milwaukee Synod congregations are accepting donations and will forward to the synod office for the wire transfers. Contact a local church to donate via check or email us at pwminfo2@gmail.com for more information.
Asante Sana!
Food distribution - August, 2022
Thanks to contributions received, food was put into the hands of people who need it the most.
