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NEWS: FOOD SECURITY FOR ZIMBABWE
More than 2.2 million people in Zimbabwe are expected to be food insecure at the peak of the 2013-14 consumption year, according to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee Report. This reflects an increase of 32 percent over the previous reporting period.
The report also indicates that 47 percent of children between the ages of 6 months and 59 months consumed fewer than three meals a day in 2013. This poses a threat to a child’s optimal health, growth, and development.
In response to the crisis, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is partnering withthe United Methodist Church Zimbabwe Episcopal Area and Green-Agri to reinvigorate the Nyadire Mission Farm to improve food security and increase livelihood opportunities in surrounding communities.
“The Nyadire Mission Farm is a social enterprise model that can be replicated in other areas of Zimbabwe. In this model, the church works with private sector business partners to serve the community,” says Daniel Tripp, head of mission for UMCOR Zimbabwe.
Reinvigorating the mission farm will involve building construction; rehabilitating the irrigation system; providing management support for a poultry/broiler business; purchasing agricultural equipment; and training or extending services for surrounding small-holder farmers.
A share of the net profits from the revitalized Nyadire Mission Farm will be used to support the work of Nyadire Mission schools, hospital, and orphanage.
You can support this work with your gifts to Sustainable Recovery and Development Projects, Advance #3021951.
PRAYER: SAFE WATER
In the United States, a person taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country uses in an entire day, according to a UN Development Programme report. As we observe World Water Day, March 22, let’s be mindful of the water we use and remember those who lack access to safe water and sanitation facilities around the world.
Let us also remember those in West Virginia who still are coping with the after-effects of water contamination due to the January chemical spill which affected about 300,000 residents.
MEET UMCOR STAFF: NICHOLAS JAEGER
Nicholas Jaeger is a program manager with UMCOR’s International Development unit, supporting UMCOR’s country offices in Georgia and Armenia. He also works closely with UMCOR’s Relief Supplies program, connecting UMCOR’s offices and partners with critical relief supplies.
“Working with UMCOR’s oldest field offices is a privilege,” says Jaeger. “UMCOR entered the South Caucasus region 20 years ago, when we were primarily implementing humanitarian relief activities. Today, the Armenia and Georgia offices very capably implement projects in multiple sectors.”
Jaeger continues, “I’m proud that these offices have such strong national staff. They have keen insight into community-level needs. Time and investment have led to high-quality, community-led programming.”
Jaeger joined UMCOR shortly after receiving his Master’s degree from Columbia University, an educational opportunity that involved a career change. “I worked in the performing arts and in special events for eight years before returning to academia,” says Jaeger. “When I finished my Master’s degree, I was searching for an opportunity to positively impact the lives of people affected by disaster, conflict, or poverty. My work with UMCOR has granted me that opportunity.”
RESOURCE: WORLD WATER DAY BULLETIN INSERT
Around 1.1 billion people globally do not have access to safe water. As a result, many children around the world die needlessly.
UMCOR supports the work of partner Engineers-in-Action (EIA) to improve water supply and protect communities in Bolivia from waterborne diseases.
Download and share Bolivia: Improving Water resource and consider collecting a special offering in observance of World Water Day, March 22. You can also contribute to this work with your gifts to Water and Sanitation, Advance #3020600, which support community-based water projects around the world.
MEDIA: ECO-PALM HARVESTING
Watch this informational video about Eco-Palm harvesting. It explains all you need to know about Eco-Palms—why we purchase them, the benefits of Eco-Palm premiums for small-farmer communities in Guatemala and Mexico, and the socially responsible harvesting techniques that protect the environment and the health of the palm.
Palm Sunday is April 13. Place your order for Eco-Palms by the March 21, 2014, deadline. Visit www.ecopalms.org to learn more.
