wfn.org | Lutherans Respond to Food Crisis in Malawi

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 27, 2002

LUTHERANS RESPOND TO FOOD CRISIS IN MALAWI
02-065-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, based in Rice
Lake, collected $39,000 this month for food distribution in Malawi,
after cyclones and floods destroyed crops and livestock in the
southern African nation last year.
     "People in Malawi are dying from starvation," said the Rev.
Robert D. Berg, bishop of the ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin.
People in the rural areas of Malawi "cannot afford to buy food and
some 'had resorted to eating roots and leaves,'" Berg said, citing a
newspaper article.
     The Northwest Synod of Wisconsin is one of 65 synods in the
ELCA and includes 211 congregations with 105,545 baptized members.
     After learning about the food crisis in Malawi in a local
newspaper Feb. 20, members of the synod organized the "Malawi Relief
Fund" as a way for congregations to respond to food needs in Malawi,
and "because the synod shares a companion relationship with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi," Berg said.  The Rev. Joseph
Bvumbwe, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi,
endorsed the synod's plans, Berg reported.
     "We got word out about the fund electronically.  About 97
percent of our congregations are accessible via the Internet," Berg
said.  Monetary gifts to support the fund were collected during
worship on March 3 and March 10.
     Gifts collected under the Malawi Relief Fund were sent to the
International Disaster Response, ELCA Division for Global Mission.
"The division provided additional funds to make the ELCA's total
contribution $50,000 to International Disaster Response," said
Ishida.  Funds sent by the ELCA for food aid in Malawi were delivered
to Action by Churches Together (ACT) for implementation by the
Evangelical Lutheran Development Program (ELDP).
     Coordinated through the ELCA Division for Global Mission,
International Disaster Response helps relief agencies provide funds
for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other
materials and supplies.  Funds are also used to rebuild communities
and to repair structures destroyed by major disasters.
     ACT is a worldwide network of churches and related agencies
that meets human need through organized emergency response.  ACT is
based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) in Geneva, Switzerland.  The ELCA is a member of
both the WCC and LWF.
     The ELDP and other church-related agencies will distribute food
in several Malawi districts, said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida,
director for international communication, ELCA Division for Global
Mission.
     "Maize will be distributed to about 37,500 families.  ELDP will
distribute a highly nutritious food mix called Likuni Phala to about
17,000 malnourished children under five years of age," he said.
     The ELDP reported that "most people in rural areas of Malawi do
not have adequate income to purchase the little food available on the
market.  This has forced many households to stay without food for
long periods of time.  Some families have tried to survive on wild
fruits and roots and, at times, that has led to deaths.  Some fruits
are poisonous.  In their desperation some people did not realize
this," said Ishida.
     In the last six months, the Malawi government has considered
making maize imported from South Africa available on the market.
"The transportation of this maize into Malawi has been problematic
and most selling points do not have the maize.  At some distribution
points people have been waiting in long lines for hours," Ishida
said.
     "Women and children are the most vulnerable groups because, in
some cultural set-ups, women and children are the last to receive
food after the men have had their share," he said.

INTERNATIONAL DISASTERS:
Editors:  When listing organizations receiving funds for aid to
survivors of major disasters outside the United States, Puerto Rico
or the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include:

ELCA International Disaster Response
PO Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
1-800-638-3522

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html