Starving from COVID-19?

Every morning I am confronted with heart break that makes me want to just weep. The coronavirus pandemic lock downs threaten African nations as much as any. All across sub Saharan Africa, governments have imposed and enforce very strict lock downs.

In Uganda, for example, not only were all schools & churches shut down indefinitely, but a strict curfew (7:00 PM to 6:30 AM) was imposed. All public transportation (buses, taxis, Uber, Lyft) were all cancelled. Even private cars are forbidden on the streets. The concept of working from home is useless, because there are very few knowledge workers. Most jobs are blue collar. Essential workers were allowed to work - but required to camp at their workplace. Traveling to & from work is forbidden.

People in these countries live hand-to-mouth, meaning if they don't work today they don't eat tomorrow. Few have refrigerators for food storage. Most have insufficient funds to stock up on non perishable foods. So immediately they became more fearful of starving than of dying from COVID-19. Sadly, what they fear is now happening. People are starving.

I first realized the extent of the problem in May. I was speaking to one of our pastors, Daniel. His household of nine (9) people - six children and three adults - had not eaten in three (3) days! He had managed to get a stalk of sugar cane, and cut that into chunks for the children to suck on. We wired him money the very next day for food. Then I started the "COVID-19 Hunger Campaign" to raise money to feed these starving people.

As we began raising money, we reached out to a network of 60 pastors whom we have trained and trust. I asked them to work with our African and American staff to identify and prioritize the needs, so that when money came in we would know exactly where to send it. I don't want any money lying in the ministry's bank account. (It can't feed anyone there.) So far we've raised about $18,000, which we've wired back out just as fast as it has come in.

The funds we've raised were enough to feed literally hundreds and hundreds of people for several weeks. But now the matter seems to have dropped from people's radar. Donations are down to a trickle. Meanwhile, we need to keep feeding these people. They're not beset with COVID-19 cases or deaths. But starvation is literally killing them and stunting the growth of children.

If this breaks your heart as much as it does mine, and you can give any amount, I'm asking you to do so TODAY. Just go to https://www.leadershipvistas.org/ and click on COVID-19 Hunger Campaign at the top of the page. You can give any amount using your debit or credit card. We have starving people identified and prioritized, so we'll put your money to good use just as fast as we receive it.

If you'd rather give by check, or have your bank send money, make payable as follows:

Leadership Vistas COVID-19 Hunger

2001 West Plano Parkway, Suite 3436

Plano, Texas 75075