Every week, 10 new orphaned infants are carried through the doors of the nutrition clinic overseen by Lane and Lisa.* Death of the mother in childbirth is a very common occurrence in their region.
“80-year-old grandmothers are often given a newborn baby to care for in the death of the mother. These grandmothers are already living meal to meal, often only eating every other day, so finding the means to provide for an infant is totally beyond their reach,” said Lisa, an missionary living in one poorest parts of the continent of Africa.
The missionaries oversee a nutrition clinic supported in part by Global Hunger Relief in a country where chronic malnutrition is rampant and one out of every ten children die before their fifth birthday, according to the United Nations Development Programme. Their clinic distributes a grain-based nutritional mix weekly to approximately 300 starving and malnourished children.
“We have a very high rate of children being brought back to health and have saved the lives of hundreds of babies,” said Lisa.
In addition, they distribute goats to families to help feed newborns and children through their clinic.
“We are not trying to create ‘orphans’ with our feeding project,” Lisa said. “We are trying to help those who have lost their mother to have the opportunity to stay with their family and receive the care that is needed for their growth and health.”
Lane and Lisa spend much time outside the doors of the clinic and in the villages, following up with the families who have visited, checking on the progress of the children and the care of the goats. Their work has built relationships and opened many doors for the Gospel.
“We are with them day in and day out,” Lisa said. “We are loving them, praying with them, cheering when their child gets better and crying with them when their child passes away.”
Lisa issued a call to the mothers in the United States who could partner with them in their work by giving to Global Hunger Relief.
“Please don’t ignore this reality. There are babies crying from hunger and thirst. There are moms trying to nurse who have not seen food in days. Pray for them. Earnestly pray for these needs — both physical and spiritual.”
Gifts made to Global Hunger Relief can change the lives of families and children around the world, and can be made in the honor or memory of a mother. Give today online or through your local Southern Baptist church.
*names have been changed for security purposes
Published July 15, 2019