Giving Back to East Africa

Hello everyone, as some of you know - this will be my 3rd trip to Africa. I have previously done similar distributions at refugee camps on my last trip out of pocket. However, with the high price of gas and food that also exists in Africa, I am hoping this Gofundme will help me reach more families than I can reach alone. Below is a list of how I plan to use the money raised.

 

July 10th or 13th: Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, there recently has been renewed conflict in North Kivu due to M23 rebels. This has sent many families fleeing south to Goma. I plan to distribute staples including rice, beans, cooking oil, pasta, potatoes, etc, and soap. The goal is $1,000 for this distribution.

 

July 17th - July 18th: Kigali, Rwanda, School supplies will be distributed to a poor area of Kigali that will include notebooks, pens (blue and red), pencils, coloring supplies, and mathematical sets. My friend knows families in need in the area she lives in. Families in Rwanda have to pay school fees and purchase uniforms. Getting students prepared with supplies helps alleviate the stress of families when they return to school in September. The goal of this distribution is $1,000.

 

July 22nd: Gulu, Odek region of Uganda, This distribution will target the people of the Acholi tribe who have a history of being marginalized. I will specifically be targeting Acholi families who have children with Nodding Syndrome. Most of these children are now young adults, but with severe physical and developmental disabilities, this is a huge responsibility to look after those family members when you have to tend to the crops. Due to seizures, many of these Acholi with Nodding Syndrome have fallen in cooking fires and have severe hand and facial burns. I plan to distribute nutritional supplements in addition to staples like rice, cooking oil, pasta, sugar, and flour. The goal for this is $1,000.

 

August 2nd: Jig Jiga, Ethiopia, I will be partnering with my Somalian friend for the last 2 distributions. Jig Jiga is a small town near the border with Somaliland in which many Yemenis and Syrian refugees have randomly been placed. Many of these families are mainly comprised of women and children. My friend is compiling a list of refugee families that we will deliver staples, feminine products like pads, school supplies, and some toys and balls. The goal for this is $1,000.

 

August 6th: Somaliland, My friend and I will be distributing to families in Somaliland between Hargeisa and Saylac which is very remote. Hut homes can be seen falling apart with gaps and plastic used to fill the gaps. We are going to look for tarps in Jig Jiga and Hargeisa to see if we can bring to these families for their homes. We will also be delivering to them staples and learning toys if we can find and balls.

 

 

Although you may be thinking "How will these distributions have long-term impact?" What I have learned by doing The Healing Corner on the west side of Chicago is that these kind and thoughtful gestures give HOPE and give people struggling day to day a chance to make it to the next day with less struggle. These people are most often surviving without government support and are completely on their own. Letting people in these more remote regions know that the international community has not forgotten them is a critical component of building world peace. Especially in places like the Congo which is seeing renewed violence, providing them their next meal may prevent people from hunting bush meat and help continue the conservation that so many have worked hard to protect.