A Prayer for Africa
Heavenly Father, bless all children and families in our sites in Africa. Help us to continue to provide the means through which children and their families can access adequate nutrition, school support, and medical care. Help us also to help communities thrive through improved agricultural practices, resulting in better harvests. We pray for the wisdom and guidance to help build and strengthen families in this difficult time. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
The Radiance of AFRICAn cuisine: GHANIAN JOLLOF RICE
If you ask a West African where to find the best Jollof rice, be prepared for a spirited debate between team Nigeria and team Ghana. In 2015 the introduction of Jollof Rice Day (August 22) only increased the competitive fervour, with Nigerian and Ghanian Jollof rice dishes squaring off at various festivals around the world. Make this tasty version from our staff in Ghana and let us know what you think!
Did you know? Chalice ensures children have balanced and nutrient-rich diets by implementing school feeding programs through the support of the Chalice Nutrition Program.
Stories of Inspiration
Annie is a hard worker. She is an attentive single mother to a teenage boy sponsored through our Serenje sponsor site in Zambia. She is also a loving sister and aunt. Last year when she was visited by a Chalice staff member, it was obvious that something was wrong. She was despondent and in a lot of pain.
Something you should know about Annie is that she suffered from polio as a child and lost the use of her legs. At the time of our staff visit, Annie's wheelchair was in obvious disrepair. She was sitting on a plastic patio chair covered in dirty foam, which was very uncomfortable and caused sores to develop.
Annie lives with her younger sister who is also a single mother of a young boy. The four of them lived together in a small house with no inside toilet. Their pit toilet was located 100 meters from the house and Annie required someone to assist her to use it, which was especially difficult during rainy weather.
Both Annie and her sister work diligently to provide for their children. Annie sews clothes using a sewing machine given to her by a well wishes some time ago. Her sister has a small business selling fritters. They had begun to build a new home recently with an inside toilet and a bathtub to make life a little easier for Annie. However, the business had been slow for them and they were struggling to meet the basic needs of the two families, meaning progress on their new home had ground to a halt.
The Challenge in AFRICA
Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and poor soil conditions cause food insecurity to millions who rely on subsistence farming throughout the African continent. School fees, as well as the expense of books, supplies and uniforms, make receiving a quality education unattainable for many. In rural areas it's also difficult to attract and retain qualified teachers.
Little government funding for roads, hospitals and schools are also major barriers. Other ongoing problems include regions with high HIV/AIDS infection rates, orphaned or abandoned children being raised by grandparents, extended family, orphanages or other care institutions; men leaving to find work (sometimes sending money back, sometimes not), leaving women to manage the household expenses and child rearing responsibilities alone.
The Change in Africa
The love of our supporters and the dedicated staff at our sponsor sites have improved the quality of life for families in our sites.
Chalice's family funding sponsorship distribution puts money directly into caregivers' bank accounts to buy the items their children need to succeed. From school fees, to uniforms, school supplies and nutritious food.
Projects and programs make a significant impact in the communities where we work. Water projects deliver a reliable source of clean water for consumption, farming, and sanitation and school, housing and community center repairs and new builds improve day-to-day life.
School farms and lunch programs keep children nourished and energetic. Skills training, family enrichment and support for small business start-ups give people critical life skills to build a sustainable future. Chalice programs are intended to work together to create lasting change over time.
Countries
Chalice has been serving children in Ghana since 1997 in three sites in rural communities in the far northern region of the country, which is highly under-developed when compared to the southern regions. Communities in the rural north have little to no access to schools, transportation, or public services, which contributes to an existing feeling of disenfranchisement among the rural populations. The erratic climate consistently threatens agricultural output and leads to food insecurity. The majority of young adults move to the prospering southern regions, leaving behind communities that are disproportionately elderly and vulnerable.
Learn more about our work in Ghana.
Chalice has been serving children and seniors in Kenya since 1996 in nine sites in both rural and urban communities. Primary education is free in Kenya; however that does not include mandatory items such as books and uniforms. School infrastructure is poor and there is little investment in other public infrastructure, including hospitals and road networks. Agricultural output is poor because the country relies on rain-fed agriculture, despite increasingly arid climates, which leads to widespread food insecurity. The country struggles with tensions among ethnic groups, which can lead to violence and displacement.
Learn more about our work in Kenya.
Chalice has been serving children and seniors in Tanzania since 1998 in two sites in rural communities. The average rural Tanzanian family is quite large, and parents often struggle to afford school fees for all of their children. Children are at high risk of dropping out, which increases high rates of unemployment and out-migration of men to urban mining centers. Women are left to run their smallholder farms for food and livelihood; they have no access to modern techniques and information, and yields are poor. As a result, more nutritious foods are prioritized to sell for profit and nutrient-poor foods (eg cassava) are kept for families to eat. Malnourishment and stunting is endemic among the children.
Chalice has been serving children in Zambia since 1997 in two sites in very rural communities. Chalice has built schools and continues to run them in areas where there are no other educational opportunities. Schools in Zambia are located in major cities, but there are very few in rural communities, forcing children to travel long distances to attend any kind of formal education. In the communities where Chalice works, there is very little access to any health care because most doctors are unwilling to work outside of urban centers. Chalice works with primarily female-headed households, because men travel for mining work. Domestic responsibilities keep women from pursuing education, creating a cycle of under-education with their children.