By Ernie Gritzfeldt, secretary
April 21, 2023
Kelvin Schapansky, our chairman, welcomed everyone and gave a brief history of our 20 years as a project. He stated that it has produced $550,000.00 for world hunger projects and, with government matching, would near 2 million dollars. He introduced the local group but also thanked all the other individuals and businesses that had helped out over the years. He told the meeting to expect a new large double-faced sign at the Highway 20 junction. We will be growing about 100 acres of peas a mile west of there. He then introduced Rick Block, the Saskatchewan Representative to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Rick thanked the local group for their many years of contributions. He spoke of the interdenominational cooperation in the project, the community spirit it reflects, as well as the enthusiasm and continuity of it. He said that in 2022 the CFGB had handled $52 million in programming and was projecting handling $76 million in 2023. He then introduced Pamela, a Kenyan lady from the Winnipeg office who is the coordinator there that facilitates Canadians visiting sponsored projects overseas as well as workers on projects who visit here to describe their work. She spoke of the Christian love of all the brothers and sisters sponsoring and working on the projects. She then introduced Mary Obiero from Kenya and the projects that she is involved with that are sponsored by CFGB.
Mary said that she works with Christian World Service (CWS) which is a cooperation of 7 denominations. She described the drought emergency in the Horn of Africa as the worst in 40 years. She said in many areas of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, there is no water or feed for the animals and little for the people who eke out a living herding animals. 22 million are in food need, and 3 million are internally displaced. Her project feeds about 81,000 in the Marsabit region of northern Kenya. Most of them are women and children.
Mary also spoke of a long-term refugee program called “Seeds of Hope,” which they sponsor in a refugee camp. They try to grow vegetables to supplement the grain via a retained seed bank. She said a lot of their work involves helping people adjust and adapt to new conditions brought on by a shift in the climate. Examples given were the conversion of food sources such as goats to chickens and cattle to bees. They also try to foster ‘conservation’ agriculture. All these projects are done with the goal of retaining the dignity of the participants and their involvement in the decisions made.
A question period followed. She spoke of women hauling water on foot for as much as 15 miles round trip on a daily basis. Water is being hauled into these cisterns and wells at an expense of $600 per 20,000 litres by the non-governmental organizations.
Rick returned to thank Mary for sharing her first-hand experiences. He mentioned that the best way to help in this work was to get involved with the local project. Donations in funds or in-kind can be receipted. CFGB is in the top 10 charities for low administration costs with only 5-6 percent expenses. It also has one of the highest multiplier effects with $1. becoming $7-$8. in social benefit.
Darryl Kerr thanked everyone for attending, especially the speakers who traveled so far to attend.
