A Salvation Army response to flooding in Nigeria has received a positive response from beneficiaries and excellent coverage in the local media. The floods affected several council areas around the capital city, Lagos.
More than 500 families (over 3,000 people) were assisted, with funds provided through International Emergency Services, which is based at The Salvation Army's International Headquarters in London. Each family received enough food for a month and non-food items including clothes, babywear, wellington boots, slippers and toiletries. The total relief effort cost about US$60,000.
The internally displaced people and local government officials were thankful to The Salvation Army and its donors. They were particularly grateful for the way in which everyone had been treated with dignity. One local newspaper reported that The Salvation Army 'appeared on the scene like a matador and wrestled the bull of deprivation to submission, giving these people a new lease of life'.
The emergency response moved on to the city of Ibana, around 100 miles to the north, where 2,000 people have been displaced by floods and more than 100 have lost their lives.
Comment
On Friday, September 30, 2011, John Umasanthiram said:
You are doing great work. Keep up the good work. Where there is a need, there is The Salvation Army. We praise God for the many committed people who are willing to give their time, talent and money to help when people are in need. The motto and the spirit of The Salvation Army is the same all over the world. God bless you.
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”—1 Corinthians 12:12 Across the vast and diverse continent of Africa, The Salvation Army’s ministry—faithful service through corps and community development projects such as hospitals, health clinics and schools—is inspiring. Over many
In Malawi where a significant portion of the population experiences economic hardship, nearly 70 percent of the population live on less than $2.15 a day, and most families depend on small-scale farming plots smaller than a hectare. Droughts, soil degradation, crop disease and lack of access to improved farming practices have long left many vulnerable to hunger and poverty.
In response, The Salvation Army, in partnership with Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), is implementing a three-year sustainable agriculture and food security (SAFS) project in Malawi’s Mangochi District.
John Umasanthiram
Indonesia