Crisis
Prolonged lack of rain in 2015 and 2016 threatened millions of people with malnutrition in many parts of the Horn of Africa. Rural areas, where families depend on their small plot of land for food, were particularly affected. In response to this crisis, CNEWA sent just over $540,000 to the northern part of Ethiopia (the Tigray region), and also to some parts of its northern neighbour Eritrea.
CNEWA’s Response
Our program focused on reaching out to children in Catholic schools during the school year and summer months — establishing feeding programs for preschool children; offering health care and feeding programs to pregnant women and their babies; as well as attending to the elderly living in precarious situations.
Reaching out to School Children: You provided students one meal a day during the school months (from January to June and September to December of 2016). With your help, absenteeism and dropout rates decreased. Some children even brought extra food home to their families.
Summer Program: You helped bring together children from remote villages to experience summer camp. They were led in activities, catechesis, tutoring and fun, all while receiving important supplementary food.
Health Program and Feeding Program: During the harsh summer months, we were able to feed at-risk children between 6 months and 5 years of age; assist with health care of pregnant women and nursing mothers; and care for many elderly people through two health facilities in coordination with local parishes.
With your help, the local church was able to provide a very efficient intervention plan reaching out to the most vulnerable. Lives were saved, and children received hope of a better future through continued education.
What’s Next
Hunger remains a threat, particularly in the remote and inaccessible mountainous areas. While recent rains have reached some parts of the Horn of Africa, many regions, like the Tigray region, remain dry. Human suffering is of great concern to the local Church. CNEWA has made it a priority in 2017 to extend help to these suffering areas.
We extend our deepest gratitude to CNEWA’s generous donors; your support enables the local Church to act quickly in responding to crucial needs.
How You Made a Difference in 2016
You Helped At-Risk Hungry Children
School feeding program:
- 8400 students from 41 schools received nutritious food and vital education. 4124 preschool kids under the age of 5 were fed.
- School children were absent less, drop-out rates decreased, and were more able to focus in class.
Summer feeding program:
- Over 6000 malnourished children, age 5 years and older, were fed through 34 parish programs during the hot summer months.
- Rural parishes created these programs to feed hungry kids and teach them about their faith.
You Reached Out to Vulnerable Pregnant Women and Nursing Mothers
- 2,200 mothers with child received lifesaving milk and food.
You Helped Feed the Lonely and Deprived Elderly
- 1,010 elderly people received much-needed grain, oil, sugar and eggs.