Church donates to 300 families in Napak

NAPAK– The Christians of Pentecostal Outreach Ministries International Uganda has donated food relief to 300 families in Napak district, Karamoja Sub-region.

Currently, People are dying of hunger in Karamoja Sub-region.

The donation mainly targeted breast-feeding mothers, child-headed families, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and those suffering from Chronic diseases like Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS respectively

The beneficiaries gave a moving testimony on how they have been surviving on hot water, wild fruits, and meat from the wild animals.

Veronica Kodet a mother of four and a resident of Kanaitakomol village Lorengechora parish in Lorengechora Sub-county, commended the church for extending the relief food.

“We had run short of milk to breastfeed my two months twin babies,” she said.

Kodet says she had been earning a living from selling firewood but unfortunately, she became incapacitated after her two other children fled home to unknown destiny hence rendering her lonely.

”I give thanks to God because I thought I and my children would die by this week, however, what I have received has saved me and will push me for another one week,” she said.

She said her children’s health had deteriorated and she had nothing to do apart from praying to God.

Anyose Longes another mother of six says the current hostile situation in the area forced her to abandon taking her TB medication.

“The doctors advised me to take medication after having a meal. I decided to abandon the drugs. I welcome the relief,” she says.

She expressed concern about how she is going to copy up with her medication after skipping it for one week.

David Putin,12, who serves as a breadwinner in the family of four after losing their parents, says the situation has been so hostile on his side.

“Because on daily basis I and my other two siblings have to vend water at Lorengechora town council to get want to eat. But the situation was worsened by the dry spells that left most water boreholes dry, leaving no alternative sources of water for home use,” he said before starting to cry.

While handing over the relief food to the beneficiaries at Lorengechora town council and Lorengechora Sub-county in Napak district, the Napak district LC5 chairperson John Paul Kodet applauded the Christians for coming to rescue the situation that he said has continued to claim lives.

He said they anticipate the situation to worsen especially early next year because most of the crops planted were affected by the drought, leaving little or nothing to harvest.

He attributed the hostile situation to insecurity caused by the continuous cattle raids.

According to him, families abandoned gardens so as to protect their cattle from the cattle rustlers.

”We expect no harvest yet at the same time cattle rustlers have continued to stage raids,” he said.

He said as a district they have embarked on sensitising communities to plant both short- and long-term drought-resistant crops to save them from recurring food shortages.

He identified the most hit sub-counties as Iriiri and Lorengechora.

The Deputy RDC Napak, Moses Barasa described the donated food relief being an exhibition of patriotism.

He requested other religious institutions to do the same.

”Besides feeding people souls with the word of God you also need to feed them with physical food so what you have done as Christine is practical because the Bible said even Jesus fed the hungry,” he said.

He said they have written to the Office of Prime Minister to consider giving physical food and farming inputs like seeds.

However, the senior pastor at Pentecostal Outreach Ministries International Uganda, Bishop Girado Olukol consoled the affected families.

“We as a church were soliciting for support to ensure that enough relief food is extended to other sub-counties in the district. The church will also solicit for support to help repair non-functional bores in the district to address the challenge of water crisis in the district,” Olukol said.

https://thecooperator.news/biting-hunger-charity-donates-food-aid-to-napak-families/

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