India (MNN)
— Rising food costs are making it very difficult for child sponsorship
ministries to obtain rice, vegetables, eggs, and other staple foods in India. The situation is forcing partner agencies with India Partners to make some difficult decisions.
"Either the amount
of food fed to the children has to decrease, or the number of children being
fed will have to be decreased," said Brent Hample, President and CEO of India
Partners. "So, that's more children
going hungry in a country that's already very, very hungry."
250 children in India receive food, shelter,
clothing, medical care, education, and vocational training through orphanages
and schools affiliated with India Partners. However, many more very needy children also need help.
"India has more
malnourished children under the age of 5 than any country in the world," Hample
said. "In addition, more children under
the age of 5 die in India
from preventable diseases and malnutrition than any country in the world. And that totals almost 6,000 children every day
die from preventable causes."
To make matters worse, India's economy suffers from high
inflation. The food crisis is taking an
already difficult situation and making it worse.
"So many people in need, so many people needing food, so
many children just begging for some small food or some small meal, and so it
just made things much more difficult for many, many people in that country,"
Hample said.
Sponsorship programs not only meet the physical needs of
children, they also introduce them to the love of Christ — a life-changing
introduction for children who may have received very little love in their
lives.
"A child may grow up with a parent or parents
who neglect the child and do not feed him," Hample explained. "If someone comes to them in the name of
Jesus and gives them some care and some love, and helps provide for their daily
needs, they can believe that there is a loving God. And that opens the door then for them to
accept Jesus."
Hample believes that the Bible teaches the importance of
caring for orphans and widows. He urges
prayer for the food supply and the economies of the world.
"Pray that the global cost of food would stabilize and that the
economies of the world would stabilize," he said. "Pray that food production would be increased
and that other types of crops, like tobacco, which are becoming very popular would decrease."
Also, many more children need sponsors. Click here to learn how you can sponsor a
child.
