by Kathyrn Sime

"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." (Matthew 1:23)

At Christmas, we celebrate God made flesh, God with us. On that first Christmas, Jesus, Emmanuel, was found among the poor and lowly. Today, Jesus is with the 800 million people who suffer from chronic hunger and poverty. Jesus is with the 5 million children under five who will die this year of hunger related causes. Jesus is with all those who live with the silent disaster of chronic hunger and poverty, and Jesus is with all those who walk with the poor and hungry on their journey to health and wholeness.

Jesus is with Rose
Rose Makimwero, 31, of Rakai, Uganda, is living with HIV/AIDS. She contracted HIV from her husband, who has since died. Rose is bringing up their four children all alone now. She had HIV for several years before the symptoms of AIDS emerged a few years ago. Until then, Rose had been able to support her family by growing and selling bananas, but this labor–intensive work had to stop as she became weaker. The family home was in poor repair and the roof leaked. The health of Rose’s family was at risk and their future looked bleak.

Fortunately, Rose found a connection to the community AIDS program of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), supported by gifts from ELCA World Hunger and its Stand With Africa efforts. Counselors provided the funds and labor to build a better home for Rose’s family. "I was overwhelmed with joy," Rose told us. To help supplement the family’s income, Rose received the gift of two goats. The goats’ first offspring will be given back to the LWF to help support another family living with AIDS. Goats are particularly helpful because they are easy to care for, so Rose’s children can take care of them and still attend school.

"Now, when I am sick and weak, I have hope and know that even when it rains, I can sleep comfortably," said Rose. "I am grateful for the LWF and pray for my dear God to bless them and continue supporting them.

Jesus is with Joyce
Joyce proudly met us at the entrance to her home in Lyonatide, Uganda. Joyce, over 80, is guardian of her daughter’s three sons. Her daughter and son–in–law both died of AIDS years ago. At first, the family lived in a poorly constructed house. "During the rainy season, I gathered the children in a corner and held them so it wouldn’t rain on them!" Although she had few resources of her own, Joyce did her best to take care of her young grandsons.

But Joyce had more resources than she knew. Joyce sought help from the LWF, who helped rebuild her house and brought gifts of household items, including beds and mattresses. In a joint Lutheran World Relief (LWR) and LWF project, supported by ELCA World Hunger and Stand With Africa, the family received a water tank and rainwater catchment system, which her grandson Alex, 15, demonstrated. With this new, more efficient way to conserve water, the family is better able to meet the challenges of seasonal drought.

"We don’t have parents, but as we are in this comfortable house, we have hope for the future," said Alex. "We are very grateful because life has improved." Alex is able to go to secondary school through a fund set up by LWF–Uganda staff. He wants to be an engineer and takes his studies seriously.

Jesus is with Ahmed
Every year, when the rainy season arrived in Ethiopia’s northeastern Afar Desert region, the Wama River would overflow its banks. In the dry season, residents lived as nomadic pastoralists, roaming the arid countryside with their herds of camels, cattle, goats, and sheep in search of water. This way of life meant limited access to health care and education for many in this region already beset by drought and poverty.

But today, said Ahmed Datto Lalli, a community spokesperson, life in the Wama River valley has greatly changed. With support from the LWF–Ethiopia, and through gifts from ELCA World Hunger Appeal, this community now benefits from a river diversion project: a concrete dam that reroutes some of the river’s water to irrigation canals. Now, water is available for agriculture through most of the year, allowing more than 600 households to build sustainable livelihoods.

LWF’s Wama River diversion project means more than just saving water; it has transformed the people’s lives, explained Ahmed. LWF trained leaders in more effective agricultural practices, gender equity awareness, natural resource conservation, and more balanced farming strategies.

"In the past, we just counted herds. Now, we are told that it is better to have fewer animals and more crops," he said. With more permanent homes and other structures, this once roaming community has taken root and is building its own stronger future. "You have taught us how to live together instead of being scattered," said Ahmed.

Ahmed was visibly excited about the future of his people. "In the future when you come, you will see big crops here. You will be amazed!"

As we walk with those who live with chronic poverty, hunger, and disease, we are blessed by their courage and perseverance, knowing that Jesus is with them. Gifts to ELCA World Hunger and Stand With Africa are gifts of the heart that let our neighbors know that they do not walk alone. Through your generosity, we help bring food to those who hunger, clean water to those who thirst, and we stand with those who struggle to survive.

Kathryn Sime is director of the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal.

Stand With Africa
In 2001, Stand With Africa began as a three–year campaign of the ELCA World Hunger Program, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod World Relief, and Lutheran World Relief. It is now an ongoing emphasis within ELCA World Hunger.

You can donate to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and Stand With Africa through Women of the ELCA. Make your check out to "Women of the ELCA" and note "ELCA World Hunger Appeal" or "ELCA Stand With Africa" on the memo line of the check. Send your check to Women of the ELCA, P.O. Box 71256, Chicago, IL 60694. You can also donate with a credit card on–line at www.elca.org/giving, or by calling  800–638–3522.

Photographs courtesy of Kathryn Sime/ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal.