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Hungry Times in Niger
by Lisa Felch, Staff Writer
1 December 2006
Every year, the people of Niger look to the sky—hoping for rain. When the rain is too little or too late, the harvest will be lean, and hunger will stalk the land. This, sadly, is not an unusual circumstance in Niger. On average, only three of every ten years yield an adequate harvest for the nation. Low productivity in one harvest results in shortage of food for four to five months before the next harvest. Most people do not die of starvation, but they eat very little and still sink into debt buying grain at exploitive “hunger season” prices. In many cases, they must sell most of their new harvest immediately to pay off their debts, leaving little money or grain for the year ahead. The result is a cycle of hunger and indebtedness. Breaking the Hunger CycleSometimes, as in 2005, global awareness stimulates a generous outpouring of funds and grain to quell the hunger—a temporary fix at best. SIM workers in Niger are partnering with the church and with other aid organizations to stimulate economic and agricultural development with the goal of ending the cycle of hunger. Since marginal harvests result not only from drought but also from poor farming practices and infertile soil, the problem of hunger needs to be addressed from all angles.
In some villages, the church development committees are training the people to dig pits one spade deep and fill them with organic material. After the rain soaks in, farmers are given seed grain to plant, and it is expected that these patches will out-yield the regular fields. Along with the training, the committees also have permission from the local officials to show the JESUS film and give the Gospel.
Compassionate CommerceThe SIM Niger team has purchased advance supplies of grain with funds remaining after the 2005 relief efforts. They have stored nearly 500 tonnes (551 American tons) of millet and corn in grain banks around the country in preparation for the next hungry times. The grain will be sold at a fair price when the market price becomes unreasonable. The compassionate sale of low-cost grain is a strong demonstration of the love of Christ, stark contrast to the exploitation of the poor by the El Hadji, wealthy merchants who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca. “Simply showing the love of Christ is the primary outcome; however, we expect there to be greater openness to the Gospel through running the grain bank,” comments Steve Brown, one of the leaders of the Gouré food bank project where SIM is partnering with Food for the Hungry. This organization offers valuable training for local grain bank committees based on previous experience in neighboring countries. PrayAs SIM and its partners in Niger work for an end to hunger, please pray for:
 
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