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ger children are not learning sustenance

food growing. And for those who do try

to grow at least

enough food

for their own

families, the

ever-present

threat of

drought pre-

vails. This situ-

ation is similar

to people who

live from pay-

check to pay-

check: one missed check (or growing

season) spells disaster for the family

who has no resources to purchase food.

When the famines occur, all of the

other issues poverty presents are multi-

plied. Starving people are more suscep-

tible to disease, including AIDS,

malaria, and intestinal parasites. The

number of orphans in Africa is now

over seventeen million, and these chil-

dren do not know how to grow food.

With no parents, no money and no edu-

cation, what will happen to them? I

think we all know the answer to that.

With each successive famine, more of

them will perish.

What can be done about this circle

of death and suffering? Of course, the

most immediate need is to provide fam-

ine relief when it is needed, with an eye

to what can be done in the future.

There are many small steps that

can be taken by individuals. The

Greenbelt movement in Kenya was

started by one woman, Wangari

Maathai. (See Spotlight on Orphans,

March 2005, “The Power of One.”)

She saw the vicious cycle of forest lost,

desertification, and the inability of

families to feed themselves. Her simple

solution was to plant a tree for each tree

lost. She has been beaten, jailed and

tortured for her efforts, in a country

where women are often expected to re-

main silent. She persevered, encourag-

ing other women, and finally men, to

take responsibility for their own future

and that of their children. Since her

first tree planted in 1977, she, and the

over six thousand groups who have fol-

lowed her lead, have planted over

twenty million trees.

The huge na-

tionaldebtofKenya

presents another is-

sue. Money that

could go for social

programs and devel-

oping infrastructure

in rural Kenya is go-

ing to industrialized

nations to pay off

national debt. For

each dollar that is

used for internal development, four dol-

lars are going to pay back debts to coun-

tries that are already rich. It has been

urged that the United States, Great Brit-

ain and other European countries forgive

this debt on the condition that the money

be used for developing resources such as

solar electric, roads,

fresh water resources,

irrigation, and storing

grain for famine relief.

On a more per-

sonal level, citizens need to relearn

how to grow food to sustain them-

selves. They must return to growing

crops that thrive in their particular area,

be it tropical or arid. The old methods

of composting, saving seed for the next

crop, and learning other organic meth-

ods of growing must be revisited, free-

ing small farmers from depending on

the government, orseed companies, for

expensive pesticides, fertilizers and

seeds. Even a family that lives in pov-

erty can survive if they know how to

grow their own food as their ancestors

did. The African spirit is strong and

resolute, as is witnessed by their sur-

vival against continual hardship.

The children at our orphanages are

being taught how to farm and grow what

thrives in the soil. For instance, the rocky

and pebbled soil at Hope Center and

Good Samaritan is perfect for pineap-

ples. Hope Center, Glory Center, Good

Samaritan and Bridge of Hope have

large gardens of vegetables, including

maize, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, greens,

and beans. Of course, it is not possible to

grow all foodstuffs needed for our large

families on the land we own, but the chil-

dren are learning how to grow food from

planting through harvest.

Think of

this, and imag-

ine the differ-

ence these

four hundred

children might make in the future of

Kenya and Uganda with what they are

learning. They will have the skills to

grow food for their families and per-

haps others. Imagine if even a few of

them become a person like Wangari

Maathai, who has been responsible for

the planting of twenty million trees!

Imagine…

?

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(Continued from Page 1)

that we have fixed up. I used to look

down on our home but I have come to

realize that it really is a mansion. There

are so many people there who don’t

have a place to call a home and many of

those who do, live in a small mud hut.

I visited a widow who had ten chil-

dren and lived in a mud hut that was

around ten feet by eight feet. Some of

her children had to sleep at the neigh-

bor’s house because of lack of room.

Seeing how this family lives really

makes me realize how rich I am. I wish

everyone could go to Africa and see

how these people live so they could see

how much they have to be thankful for.

I know this trip has changed my

point of view on life and I can’t take for

granted all the things I used to. So, this

holiday season I hope we all remember

to thank our heavenly Father who has

chosen to bless us so much by allowing

us to live in this wonderful country.

And please, try not to forget all these

precious people who are not as fortu-

nate as we are. God bless, and have a

wonderful holiday season this year.

Sincerely,

Logan Harvey

The children at our orphanages

are being taught how to farm and

grow what thrives in the soil.

Citizens need to relearn how to

grow food to sustain themselves.

They must return to growing crops

that thrive in their particular area,

be it tropical or arid.

The old methods of composting,

saving seed for the next crop,

and learning other organic methods

of growing must be revisited…