Her Husband Went Missing, and so did her Hope
After the loss of her husband in a worsening climate, Tearfund’s emergency food relief helps a single mother find hope
With calloused hands and a burdened spirit, Elizabeth* holds out for any spark of hope in the ashes.
The sun is high and the water is scarce in South Sudan. With no rain and a worsening climate, any farmland yields little and inflation makes buying the necessities nearly impossible. The nation is currently experiencing record highs of food insecurity and malnutrition. Lives are on the line.
In desperation to provide for their three children (and soon four), Elizabeth’s husband travelled north to Sudan for work. But with the recent crisis that has started in Sudan, it is no longer safe. She explains that, “because of the conflict that broke out, I have not heard from him and I’m not certain about his whereabouts,” she laments. “And what becomes more painful is when you realize you are alone, that your husband has really left you, with a child not born yet. And even still, sadly, their father is nowhere to be seen.”
Now grieving the absence of her husband, Elizabeth must figure out how to provide for her children and newborn baby. She was living off of foraged firewood to sell, but with no other animals to sell or fertile land to farm, any spark of hope was extinguished.
“I am the only mother to my children. I don’t have any other person to help me,” Elizabeth mourns.
The future seemed hopeless.
In her moment of deepest anguish, she gained support from Tearfund through the local church: “Coming monthly,” Elizabeth explains, “it was 105 kilograms a month of sorghum, 11 kilograms of wheat, 6 litres of oil, and 1 kilogram of salt, in a month. That’s something that I relied upon because I didn’t have any other options.”
Elizabeth could sustain her family for a year because of the food kits that Tearfund provided. She explains gratefully that, “the food assistance, in effect, saved my life, and I felt like this was a year of fortune for me.”
You can help families like Elizabeth to make it through the most extreme situations, allowing for life transformation. Through local churches and international partners, Tearfund not only provides emergency food assistance but teaches sustainable farming techniques to help people lift themselves out of poverty with dignity.
“I don’t know what life ahead entails, but I’m optimistic seeing people like you around here,” Elizabeth says.
Will you join Tearfund in demonstrating God’s love through providing for those in need in prayer and generosity?
*Pseudonym
