The World Food Program reports:
“…conflict and insecurity, extreme weather events, and high food, fuel, and farm inputs prices will drive 26.5 million people across the country into acute food insecurity by the next lean season in June-August 2024.” (Nigeria Country Brief, 2024)
As the report suggests, this crisis is engulfing the entire nation with rural areas being hit the hardest. In fact, HEAL’s food service program for our 418 students at our two K-12 schools has been jeopardized.
Nkechi is a teacher who also works in preparing food for students, a critically important role in the present adversity. “Preparing daily meals for the children supports my job as a teacher because I realize I must feed the body before I can effectively feed the mind”, she says.
While purchasing sufficient quantities of rice and poultry at local markets has become impractical, our teachers and students continue to farm staple crops like Cassava, which is processed and consumed as part of the daily diet.
Nkechi explains, “For each cassava tuber, we peel off the skin, grind it into flour, mix the flour with palm oil, and then fry it until it is ready to be served as garri.” Garri looks like mashed potatoes on the plate and is an excellent source of carbohydrate calories.
Unfortunately, greater reliance on self-grown staple crops is not sustainable. Rev. Leo Okonkwo notes how the doubling of food prices has crippled our services. “Hyperinflation has forced us to cut back from three meals to only one meal per day for our 68 boarding students”, he says.
As a six time visitor to our mission in Nigeria, I have witnessed how bravely and skillfully our teachers, students, and other missionaries survive through hardships while always manifesting the “Joy of the Lord” (cf. Neh 8:10).
However, I can not close my eyes to the heavy burden laid upon our children at this time nor run from my responsibility to help them! St. Paul says, “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).
HEAL’s core services including proper nutrition, basic medical care, and education cost only $2,000 per year or $6 per day per child.
Whatever portion of that you can cover, please help by making your best one-time or monthly gift today!