Yesterday was our 2nd Food Distribution at our Chikondi Community Center. If you’ve been around here for more than a minute, you know that we are incredibly passionate about development. Teach a man how to fish (or teach a woman how to run a small business). We don’t give things away. We empower. We teach. We train.

But that model can only thrive when the individuals in our program have their basic needs met: food, water, shelter, safety. When one or more of those needs aren’t being met, the brain cannot absorb teachings on profit maximization, and it fails that individual greatly. When basic needs aren’t met, survival is the only focus. I’d imagine that would be heightened times 100 when children are involved.

And that’s where we are. Thankfully COVID-19 as a virus hasn’t affected much of Zambia in the way it has here in the US. But the ripple effects economically have devastated those who were most vulnerable to begin with. Inflation is sky-rocketing. Food prices are rising daily. It’s nearly impossible to run a micro-enterprise right now.

Our women and their families are hungry. Add on power cuts and dry season and they’re also struggling to find clean water in their own communities. Times are harder than I have ever seen there in the 10 years I’ve been going to or living in Zambia. And when those suffering are our dear friends, sisters, and staff, it’s just awful.

Thus, food distributions. We have seen over 300 women come through our doors since we started our training classes in 2012. Through the years we’ve been able to help a few individuals in their personal crisis thanks to the generosity of our CiH family. But now it’s not just a select few. It’s the majority. The majority of our women are hungry. And when people are hungry and desperate, things can get even harder.

We don’t want women to fall victim to sex trafficking or prostitution to get money. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want to children risking their lives by begging around communities. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want any more women to be left by their husbands due to no food in the home. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want women to have to choose between feeding themselves or feeding their kids. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want immunocompromised women to expose themselves to a deadly virus by looking for a few cents to buy some scraps of food for the day. So we’re going to show up.

We don’t want any women to struggle alone. So we’re going to show up.

The stories we’re hearing at each food distribution are heart-breaking. We are cycling women through based on greatest needs, but the need is still so overwhelming.

Just yesterday, one graduate said that this distribution has come at the perfect time to keep him from starving. (Not our “starving” but truly, starving.) He is jobless, and he shared with the group that this help as come when he was about to lose it all. “Thanks for everything you’ve done for us and for where you have brought us,” he shared.

Just yesterday, a previous student came and fell to her knees in gratitude. Her husband just left her because she couldn’t keep food on the table for him (though he was the one employed). He sent his brother to steal her sewing machine and loot her entire store, leaving her with absolutely nothing. She had been searching up and down her street for any food that people could spare. When we heard her situation, we brought her in. Tears of relief. Tears of exhaustion. Tears of pain.

I wish I could say that was it. But friends, these days are hard. These stories are excruciating. These women and their families are suffering immensely, more than I can ever fathom. It hurts me to hear and not be there.

But I am SO PROUD of our Zambia staff members, also facing their own hardships, who are stepping up to hold these food distributions in the safest ways to keep our families alive. They are doing hard and holy work, and it’s an honor to partner with them.

Right now our plan is to hold weekly food distributions, cycling through women in our program. We will stay aware of the greatest needs in the community and try to meet those as quickly as we can. Women will keep coming back for distributions for the immediate future, as long as the situation remains so dire. We are also distributing clean water for free for any of our women + any members of our community who cannot find it, which is turning out to be a lot. THANK YOU for making it possible to show up. THANK YOU for loving big, for giving big, for keeping hope alive in this challenging time. We know it’s hard for everyone in their own way, and we know that the only way we can all get through it is to stick together. I’m honored to do this together with you.

With Chikondi (Love),
Amy

We are so very thankful to have enough funds to keep this going for the next couple of months. We have no idea how long this struggle will last. If you’d like to contribute to our relief fund for food distributions and emergency assistance, you can give below:

Give to our COVID-19 Relief fund

(Thank you to our Head Caretaker, Eddie, for these powerful photos.)