Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) issues emergency appeal for East Africa drought victims
Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) is appealing for funds to provide relief for drought-affected people in East Africa. Donations received by September 16, 2011 are eligible for federal government matching funds.
UPDATE, August 30, 2011 : Have a ration meal for East Africa. more...
UPDATE, September 21, 2011: CLWR's supporters have raised over half a million dollars for East Africa! more...
UPDATE, October 18, 2011: CLWR Executive Director Robert Granke and Community Relations Director Tom Brook are witnessing the benefit your support is having on drought-stricken Ethiopians:
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VIDEO: Reflections from Robert Granke, Tom Brook, and Dr. Lemma Degafe, the LWF-Ethiopia Country Representative; a welcome from Abichu Gna villagers
The lack of rain in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya has created food and water shortages that threaten the lives of 11 million people. The World Food Program reports that tens of thousands of Somalis have died from starvation. Thousands more Somalis suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, and exhaustion arrive in Kenyan and Ethiopian refugee camps every day seeking aid, swelling the camps far beyond their capacity and causing a major strain on resources.
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An adult helps an infant drink water in Borena, Ethiopia ACT/DCA/Binyan Mengesha |
CLWR is providing support in the region in five different ways.
- We are distributing over $1.5 million of food (1,900 tons) in Ethiopia in partnership with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Ethiopia. This large-scale emergency food aid project is responding to immediate needs for relief in the drought-stricken district of Goro, a district in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Over 18,000 people will benefit from the distribution.
- CLWR began leading a second food distribution project in Ethiopia in August, where over 8,000 children will receive four months worth of Famix, a nutritional supplement, and vegetable oil. This project is worth $200,000 and is being carried out in partnership with Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Support for Sustainable Development.
- CLWR, also through our partnership with the LWF, is supporting refugee camps in the region. The LWF–managed Dadaab camp in Kenya is hosting over 1,300 new arrivals per day, most from Somalia. LWF camp interventions include the distribution of nine tons of flour mix for supplementary feeding of children and the elderly; the distribution of clothes, slippers, and sanitary wear for women; and regular water deliveries using a 7,000–litre truck. To learn more about the LWF's work visit http://bit.ly/lwf_dadaab, and learn how dedicated staff, including Moses Mukhwana, Faith Kagwiria, and Soraya Musau make sure desperate Somali refugees get what they need most, including food and water, shelter, psychosocial support, and transportation from the Kenya/Somalia border.
- We are also providing assistance to people still in Somalia, specifically to newly displaced people in Mogadishu and to those affected by drought in the Gedo region. This support is administered through our partnership with the ACT Alliance and will include the distribution of food, water, sanitation, and shelter. Learn more about relief work in Somalia here.
“We have extreme confidence in our experienced partners on the ground in East Africa,” says Robert Granke, CLWR’s executive director. “We know every donation sent to CLWR will be used wisely and will save lives.”
CLWR has worked in Africa for years on food and water security projects and will continue to work toward sustainability in the region. Our five year development goal in our Africa programs is to provide safe water supply, storage capacity and/or irrigation to over 150 communities in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Zambia. We train African farmers in sustainable agriculture and livestock management, and provide them with the tools they need to feed themselves and their families. CLWR’s ongoing development work in the region helps to mitigate the effects of crises such as drought and famine by building food and water security that lasts.
You can donate:
- By making a designated offering donation at any Lutheran Church congregation in Canada.
- Online at www.clwr.org/donate. When completing the form, you will come to a pull-down menu that allows you to designate a specific project. Choose “2011 East Africa Drought.”
- By calling our toll-free number: 1.800.661.2597 or locally at 204.694.5602.
- By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate that you wish to contribute to East Africa drought relief.
