18 November 2009
Poor communities facing hunger in Ethiopia are finding a powerful advocate in the form of the local church. Tearfund's Joanna Watson reports.
Every year, millions of Ethiopians plant their crops and pray for rain. When the rains fail, the harvest fails.
Livestock dies because of pasture and water shortages. Annual food production falls and people are left chronically food insecure. Food prices soar and limit access to food for the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country.
In recent years, consecutive seasons of poor rains have created exceptionally dry conditions, with drought and hunger becoming all too common.
Most at risk
As a result, the Ethiopian government has created a policy which commits them to providing food aid to the poorest, most vulnerable people, when the rains consistently fail. It also sets out guidelines for how those people should be identified, using rapid relief support assessments.
The northern district of Kewet is prone to drought and famine and one of Tearfund’s partners, the Full Gospel Believer’s Church (FGBC), is heavily involved in promoting nutrition and livelihoods.
Every year, FGBC identifies which communities in Kewet are most at risk.
Recently the rains failed in Kewet – again. Government policy kicked in and officials were sent by the district council to assess the situation. They concluded four communities in Kewet were entitled to food aid.
Speaking out
Unfortunately, FGBC disagreed. Their assessment was seven communities needed help and the three communities the government had missed out were the most in need.
As each community comprises four or five villages, with up to 50 households in each village, and an average of six people per household, this was a significant amount of people.
FGBC realised the need to act quickly and to speak out on behalf of the communities that had been ‘forgotten’. They compared it to Joseph in the Bible, speaking out to Pharoah to provide for the people affected by the famine.
As a result, they shared their findings with Kewet District Council and used it to influence its decision-makers via meetings and telephone calls.
Petition plea
The price of food, such as maize, has rocketed. Picture: Eleanor Bentall/Tearfund
FGBC also mobilised people to sign a petition, which they presented to the council.
Their message was loud, clear and consistent: All seven of the communities needed to receive government food aid, not just four of them.
FGBC convinced the council of its case but the authority needed government approval for extra funding to supply the food to the three forgotten communities.
Prayer support was mobilised while these discussions took place.
It was time-intensive and challenging work but it proved worth it with the government confirming the extra budget.
Ultimately the local church in the form of FGBC had brought transformation to some of the poorest, most vulnerable, most food insecure people in Kewet District.