To the Lord, every life is precious—black, white, yellow, brown, green, red, and all sorts of colors. He loves them equally and unconditionally. Reflecting on the massive destruction of life and nature in Ukraine, it is inconceivable that sane humans can commit such atrocities. This conflict has not only claimed innocent lives in Ukraine but also has, directly and indirectly, affected those who are already vulnerable and living in developing countries.
In Uganda alone, fuel prices have gone up so far. A liter of petrol that used to cost at least 3700 UGX is now 5500 UGX; this has affected food movement from one region to another, culminating in high food prices. In Kenya, it is now 400 KES. Worse still, the Natoot farm in Kenya that feeds many vulnerable families in the Turkana region in Kenya is supplied by a motorized water system that runs on diesel.
As if inflated gas prices are not enough, all this is happening when many countries are just healing from COVID-19 lockdowns. Many vulnerable families barely pulled through these lockdowns. Their food reserves were depleted, and many are now depending on food bought from markets. Even though some may have had a surplus during the lockdown, most of it was perishable, and since there were no transport means to the markets that take up all this food, vulnerable families lost it all.
But as the Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Second Timothy, God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control. As Bright Hope, one of our most cherished works is keeping families self-reliant in terms of food security. We teach them to harness the environment and work symbiotically with God’s work through “Mother Nature.” We teach them to use their surrounding environment to their advantage. You, our allies, support this noble cause with a spirit of love. We are powerful together; we cast out fear by embracing what He has given us and sharing it with the less fortunate.
The many families that received animals from Bright Hope in Uganda are making use of their animal waste as fertilizer and growing food for themselves. As the world goes into hard times and fear, we still can see that those who are vulnerable stand secure with food. God’s economy has not stopped giving. The sun still shines, rain comes down, and we are still alive. Here, we stand to put all our fears aside and focus on what we can do.
We have seen many families pull out of extreme vulnerability and create their own food security with your support. You are still a beacon of hope because every time we lean in and ask for your help, you stand and share whatever you have. It is this courage that has given hope to so many vulnerable families in Africa. As the world goes on to face this threat, we know for sure that we are going to overcome this with you by our side.
We cannot appreciate you enough. We only pray that the Lord will continue to supply His abundance to you and your families. Let us pray for Ukraine and the rest of the world to overcome these fearful times.
Read more by Julius Caesar
You Cannot Give What You Do Not Have
https://www.brighthope.org/blog-stories/zambia-is-a-peculiar-place/
