“The ministry in the past six months has been difficult,” shared Celestin Bahizi, Mercy Network Coordinator for Rwanda. “Churches are closed, many families are hungry, and you can’t feed everyone. It’s a big challenge.”
Reports like this were much the same throughout the twenty-six international Mercy Network countries where Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF) partners.
But thanks to a rise in generosity from faithful CHF donors and corporate partners, emergency food relief grants were provided to each of our Mercy Network countries. Church partners shared stories about their ability to extend their reach to even more families in need.
One of these families was the Asiimwe family.
Felix and Chantal Asiimwe are the parents of seven children, ranging in age from twenty-three down to five. They live in a two-bedroom house in Kigali, Rwanda.
With little more than a primary education, Felix and Chantal struggled to find work. Even casual jobs were hard to get—made even more difficult during the lockdown. The limited income their adult children were able to provide was barely enough to cover the cost of a single meal per day. Often, the children went to bed hungry.
When Pastor Godfrey of a local church knocked on their door with a delivery of food, the family was surprised and grateful for the help. Though Felix and Chantal were a part of another church in the past, they never felt as though anyone truly cared about them.
“We didn’t know that pastors visit church members in their homes,” Felix shared. “It was our first experience. We feel loved and respected.” The monthly visits from Pastor Godfrey do more than provide the Asiimwe family with much-needed food; they provide the family with encouragement and deeper discussions about their growing faith and God’s purpose in their lives.
