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Hope evaporated with the rain

Through prolonged dry seasons, Tearfund is providing hope for families in South Sudan

David* doesn’t have much left.

At nearly 80 years old, David lives on barren land in a small, battered thatched-roof house with his family in South Sudan. He is weak, weary, and desperate. Nevertheless, he still must help provide for his 6 children and their mother. 

David is left scrounging the forest for any firewood to sell in order to support his family. Due to the extreme conditions, David’s two eldest children left home to attempt to find better opportunities, leaving him with 6 children at home. Living on arid, infertile land ridden with drought, farming is unfeasible for his family. We rely on hope,” David says. “I’m tired.”

South Sudan hut in desert
Droughts followed by torrential rains made life difficult for David's family, but Tearfund's food assistance helped.

Due to a changing climate, South Sudan’s dry season is fiercer and longer, and rains have become torrential, causing flooding. This unpredictability makes farming nearly impossible, and with the desolate land that David’s family is living on, cultivating their own food is no longer an option. Hungry, the children are too weak to help on the land, and David in his old age therefore has very little energy to continue to help provide for his children. “We must ask for help from our neighbours and relatives, if they can support us, to keep us going for a few days,” he laments.

Food is scarce, inflation is high, and hope evaporates with the rain.

Furthermore, there is no living to be made in these conditions — all food is for survival. This is where Tearfund steps in. In 2023, Tearfund worked through the local church and was able to provide emergency food assistance to David’s family. “If it weren’t for the assistance, life would have been terrible, but because of the assistance, it was able to circumvent our food needs,” David explains. He gives glory to God for the help Tearfund provided in the most dire of times.

Because of you, David’s family received hope — they were able to survive the extreme dry season last year through generous donors. However, the need is still ongoing, and it is dire.

At Tearfund, we follow Jesus where the need is greatest. Like in South Sudan, many families are in critical need of this help. Along with emergency food assistance, Tearfund provides training to farmers to allow for long-term, sustainable impact. With your aid and prayer, we can continue to give hope to families in South Sudan living in hopeless situations through the love of God and the local church.

*Pseudonym

Give hope to those in dire situations

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