Can you imagine what you may feel like when you’re running on an empty stomach. A really empty stomach. You do not have access to a quick snack or any food to satisfy your immediate hunger. Not only are you completely distracted by how hungry you feel and cannot focus on anything else, but you have to go to school or work all day long. Without food and water, we cannot reach our full potential. Our ability to think clearly and be productive is limited. Having access to food is something that many of us take for granted.
Did you know between the years 2013 and 2015, “it is estimated that more than 500,000 young Ugandan children died. And, of these deaths, nearly half were associated with undernutrition which is responsible for 4 in 10 deaths of children under five.”* ROTOM is currently providing monthly groceries to 242 (28%) of the 858 seniors currently under her care. Senior Veronica Buyinza, who is 82 years young, is one of the many seniors receiving monthly food support from ROTOM. Thanks to friends like you, one thing that she doesn’t have to worry about anymore is having enough food to feed her grandchildren.
Thankfully for the past 5 years, Veronica and her 6 grandchildren have been receiving a monthly food package from ROTOM to supplement the little food they grow around their home. Now more than ever, Veronica is so grateful for this support because many households are unable to put food on the table because of the increasing prices of food. Your donations help feed ROTOM Seniors’ households like Veronica’s, all year long.
Relief and gratitude overwhelm senior Veronica, she says:
“I have received food from ROTOM every month for a very long time now. It always comes in the same quantity and they have never missed a month. The food has helped me a lot because I am now very weak and sickly. I can no longer till the land like I used to. Also, I have a very small plot of land and the food it produces is not even enough to last my grandchildren and me through one month. Sometimes, we have no harvest because of the bad weather and pests which destroy the crops. The increasing prices of foodstuffs these days has worsened the situation for many older people like me. We cannot afford to buy anything now with the little money we may have.
I love the silverfish very much because it’s very nutritious. It produces a good aroma and makes a delicious soup for my grandchildren and me. It also doesn’t require a lot of firewood to cook which is a blessing since firewood is also very hard to find these days.”
At times, the need seems overwhelming. Starting one senior at a time, you can make a difference for a senior like Veronica and help them begin their journey toward healing. Their grandchildren deserve a healthy place to grow, learn and have a brighter future, too. As the seniors we love and hold dear to us, these reminders of the rampant food crisis are all-consuming but I know we can count on you to help. Being servants who want to help, the question we should ask ourselves, “What can I do to help?”
Our video of seniors receiving the kindness you’ve supported is sure to bring joy to your hearts.
