11/24: Cholera, Crises, and our Opportunity

Friends - 2 days ago I promised to get back to you regarding some new challenges that are beginning to emerge in Zimbabwe and the opportunities we are seizing to get involved in partnering with our church brothers & sisters in Christ.

1) Cholera crises. Cholera is defined as "an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food." With the range of economic and health problems hitting Zimbabwe, a chlorera outbreak was bound to happen. So far, an estimated 300 people have died from this infection. Hospitals do not have much at all, if they are open at all.

We are working with 1 rural hospital in southern Zimbabwe to help meet some of the health needs. We also recently helped with the construction of a new well to provide clean water for drinking/farming to a semi-rural community. We praise GOD that all of the funds needed were raised by a church in New York. AWESOME!

However, we are being asked to do more to respond to these health needs. Our projects now reach over 140 churches in Zimbabwe and all of them are being impacted by these latest health crises and economic challenges. Please be praying for the people of Zimbabwe, our partners at the hospital, and the people completing the construction of the well during these difficult times. To make a gift to Forgotten Voices to support our local church projectsl, please DONATE HERE.

2) Food Crises: We are taking 2 approaches.

• Long-term: Farming God's Way partnership that is helping over 100 local farmers plant crops that will yield 300% over traditional farming. We are actively raising money to help these efforts. Please contact Jesse Schwamb at JSchwamb@ForgottenVoices.org or make a general gift online here.
  
• Short-term: In addition to providing support for long-term solutions that will take months to build farms reaping food, Forgotten Voices is working with a local church and community group in southwest Zimbabwe in a rural community to provide emergency food relief to orphans and vulnerable children, as well as their caregivers (around 650 of them). The project, which was developed and is run by local Zimbabweans, also extends its reach to help some handicapped individuals (around 50). The project provides a meal a day for these 700 people, 7 days a week, over a 20 day period at a cost of $1500.

Forgotten Voices provides a bridge between American donors like you and local church run orphan care projects in Zimbabwe and Zambia. We are often overwhelmed by the stories we hear and are excited about the opportunities to provide you all with ways to practically respond.

I encourage you all to TELL a friend about Forgotten Voices and our efforts to help local people, leading local projects to meet the physical & spiritual needs of AIDS orphans in their communities. To give to this effort and other food efforts, make a general gift to Forgotten Voices at www.ForgottenVoices.org.

THANK YOU!

-Ryan and the Forgotten Voices Team