Phil and Dalene Hamer: Famine... what do we do?

hey there!

Thank you for checking out our blog! Stop by regularly and keep up to date with what we're up to! Here we will be sharing our adventures, heartaches, insights, challenges and probably really random stuff. Phil is a filmmaker with a gift of storytelling. Check out R4P.co to see more of what he does. And Dalene will be writing most of the posts! Ha! We have a passion for bringing awareness to injustice, and spend our days learning and contemplating how to empower the voiceless. With our family and friends, we work through Until Then to help street kids, and are continuously seeking relationships with organizations and individuals who we can join arms with. We hope you enjoy our blog!
Dalene and Phil

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Famine... what do we do?

Phil and I have been reading and hearing everywhere about the famine that is occurring in Somalia. Famine was predictable there and will more than likely spread to Kenya soon and then there's Sudan which seems to always be screwed. Of course there are also the neighboring countries that are setting up refugee camps for survivors to help alleviate the crisis. Basically, its really bad.

The UN's World Food Programme estimates 11 million people are directly suffering from the famine in Somalia, and World Concern states its closer to 12 million and that 29,000 children have died.

Can you visualize those numbers? I can't; its overwhelming.

What we've been stumped is how to help. We want to donate money, as that seems the most direct and effective thing to do... but who do we give to? There are so many great organizations doing relief work that we're not sure which one to give to. Do we give to the World Food Programme who can feed one person a day with 50 cents? Or to World Concern where 94% of every $1 goes directly towards relief efforts? Or do we join efforts with orgs like One Day's Wages who pull monies together and then give to which ever organization they work with? Or there's organizations like Fruited Plains, that teaches widows and displaced families in Kenya how to cultivate land and grow enough food for a sustainable income.

There are so many options.

But we shouldn't let that stop us from giving. Phil and I believe there are many ways everyone can help alleviate the crisis in Somalia. Any action from creating awareness, advocating and/or donating will help those suffering famine in the Horn of Africa.

I encourage you to talk with at least one person today about the famine, and then if that was pretty easy (and it will be), try doing something else.. maybe put it as your status on facebook, or link an aid organization and create awareness that way. The options are limitless. Use your voice to help the voice less.

I'm off to donate, and it doesn't matter to which organization. Every little bit helps.

Thankful for what I have,

Dalene