The world is living through unprecedented
times. The coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing anxiety, uncertainty, and
disruption. As is often the case, people living in hunger and poverty are
likely to suffer the most. Though we may feel powerless and overwhelmed, we are
not. Now is the time for the Church to heed God’s call to care for the “least
among us.”
COVID-19
has been slowly creeping into South Africa. As we seek to ensure our families’
health and safety, to many people, food has never seemed so important, both as
a source of nutrition and, for many, of comfort. The question is whether, as
economic disruption continues, we can stave off a pandemic-related food crisis.
What and
how we eat affects our health and wellbeing. We depend on farmers to continue
working their fields, on supermarket cashiers to show up at their jobs, and on
drivers to deliver our food to markets or front doors. But there are strains.
In some places, food is becoming scarce. Among other concerns, food is being
hoarded, leaving little on shelves for most of the poor, vulnerable and
marginalised people. In some places more especially in the township we see long
queue in shopping malls.
All of us
must act, the church included. We must work together to save lives, meet
immediate needs through emergency responses, and plan for longer-term solutions
to support recovery and build resilience. Governments and the Church need to
promote and protect reliable, safe, and affordable food supplies, especially
for the most vulnerable.
Before the
coronavirus outbreak, food insecurity was already a severe problem. More
than 13 million people – one in every four – did not have enough to
eat. Of these, four million households were
coping with hunger so severe that it poses an immediate threat to life and
livelihoods. The pandemic’s economic impact will cause these numbers to rise.
The most vulnerable groups are mostly member of the church, the urban poor,
people in the remote areas, migrants, the informally employed, and other
vulnerable groups.
Any
effective response to a COVID-19-related food crisis requires examining how to
restructure our national food systems. The goal is to ensure political and
financial stability, protect our communities from poor health and environmental
degradation, and ensure economic vitality. Like medical care, food must be available
and accessible to the most vulnerable all over the country. Food producers and retailers must ensure that
healthy, nutritious foods are available and not wasted.
Government
is expected to establish or strengthen social protection mechanisms to protect
the most vulnerable. The elderly, people living with disabilities, pregnant and
breastfeeding women, infants and school children who depended on the feeding
programmes. Currently, the South African government has developed strategies to
address the shortage of income and vulnerabilities the citizens might
experience sooner. Some of the strategies include utilizing UIF grants to make
it available for the workers who are not receiving their wages, ensuring social
grants are paid on time and that food is available.
Government
at local and provincial levels including business are rolling out a massive
food parcel programme and campaigns.
This is to mitigate temporarily the hunger in many communities. However
the biggest challenge will soon be the shortage of income and money to buy
food, shortage of the food in the tables and that might send the people to the
street.
The big
question is what is the church putting on the table to partner with Government
and Business? Would it not be best for
the church to pledge and start putting together a number of food parcels it
want to raise collectively.
The church
must understand the efforts and interventions by government including possible
risks and challenges that may pose as a threat. The church must show solidarity
with both Government, business and food producers to transport, and sell food
without being threatened. Many people are worried about having enough to
get through the current crisis.
The church and its communities are vital in overcoming and
mitigation hunger and promoting justice in South Africa today. The church is
the most relevant, trusted networks and messengers in every society. They have
a constant and uninterrupted presence, even in the most remote community. If
hunger is to be overcome, faith communities need to be taken into confidence
and be working with the governments, international agencies and the broader
society.
The church can be active in organising, and accompanying
communities, to face the ongoing challenges, to keep the communities in urban, rural
and remote areas sustainable and dynamic. They are actively assisting
communities in facing hunger and loss of livelihood. Faith communities
contribute to the strength, solidarity, hope and resilience. The church is reminded
“For I was
hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a
stranger and you welcomed me” (Matt 25:35), so the way Jesus sees it is,
“whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me” (Matt 25:40). James brought attention to this area when he
wrote “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not
have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed
and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed
and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is
that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James
2:14-17).
During the Covid -19 The church is called to be practical by
1. Identifying, profile and supporting the most vulnerable households its community
2. Pledge a number of decent food
parcels to contribute to a collective basket.
3. Use its tithes and
offering to buy the food for the poor
and vulnerable household in its
community
4. Being available to assist
Government and business to distribute
food parcel to the most vulnerable
households
5. Offer to use its facilities to be used for packaging
and storing the food parcels
6. Avail its members
to volunteer to assist in the packing and delivery of food, and
also provide security services
7. Join other initiatives by
donating funds toward procurement of food parcel to serve the community
8. Continuing to support the
government’s efforts and mission to address COVID- 19
May the Lord continue to bless and heal our country
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