CAFOD’s Harvest Fast day appeal is on 7th October
The cost of food and the cost of living continues to bite. Things are increasingly difficult. All around the world – including here in the UK – ordinary families are finding it harder than ever to put food on the table. It’s a crisis that’s been created by other disasters. Climate change, coronavirus, and the conflict in Ukraine, are causing food prices to skyrocket.
It is affecting people around the world in different ways and to different extents. In northern Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan, four years of unbearable drought mean that up to 20 million people are fighting for their very survival. It’s so severe that schools are closed and people are forced to keep moving to find places where food is available.
People like Galgallo. Despite all of his efforts the drought is now life-threatening in his village of Marsabit, Kenya. He had to make a distress call to Isacko, our local expert who’s well known to Galgallo’s village. ‘When I made that call, I said: “Today I am going to die. And not alone. I am going to die with all the people of this village. Save that life.”
‘To be honest, I was just staggering for help. I was surrounded by a mass of children almost fainting, elders who could not wake up. Not a drop of water.’
Isacko quickly sent four water trucks and vital aid. Galgallo said, ‘If those trucks hadn’t got here, you’d have come here and there would be no one left. There would be no one left at all. Or if there was anyone, they wouldn’t be able to wake up to talk to you.’
Galgallo’s story shows that together, as one global family, we have the power to help.
Across the world CAFOD works with local experts who know how best to respond. CAFOD’s Harvest Fast Day is on 7th October. It is a day when we eat sparingly, pray for people struggling in poverty and donate to CAFOD’s work. Collections will be held across churches or donations can be made at cafod.org.uk
Your donations, your prayer, your solidarity is powerful. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to support CAFOD’s work – both with your donations and through your prayers.
As Pope Francis says, “In God, no act of love, no matter how small, will ever be lost”.
