Janet was already struggling to meet the daily needs of her family before coronavirus. The single mother of three had been doing household jobs around the village when the virus hit. Soon, work came to a halt. As poverty in the country got worse, Janet’s worry about her children left a dreadful pit in her stomach. She knew that they would soon be totally destitute.
As Janet prayed for help, John, a father of 6, was also looking for a way to feed his family. He had been able to put food on the table through doing manual labor on farms. “I was living hand to mouth, but at least we were living. What we are doing now, is surviving and hoping that life gets better.”
Through the two recent food drives that Open Arms has facilitated, over 200 people in the Mlango community were provided food. The food did not just help nourish them, but it brought their spirits back to life. “I have never met the people who donated the money to buy us this food, but I consider them my family”, said Janet.
“I am the man of the house. I am supposed to be able to provide for my family.” said John. "My inability to do so made me feel less than human. But seeing that someone out there decided to help me has given me another chance to help my family. I even planted some of the maize and beans I got on a very small piece of land around my house. It may be small, but I want to show my children that there is always hope. Thank you!”
Your generosity is doing more than filling stomachs…it is filling hearts! Thank you for giving!
