Critical Needs
Once a widow and her family have been profiled by Sister Connection, we begin to monitor their needs, even before a sponsor is connected to them. Contributions to our Critical Needs Fund ensure that emergency situations for both unsponsored and sponsored widows can be accomplished.
Sister Connection widows who have been connected to a sponsor are able to purchase the basic necessities for their families. However, there are times when certain circumstances create a need that exceeds the sponsorship monies. The Sister Connection Critical Needs Fund is for such times.
Famine Relief
Persistent drought, insect infestation, and torrential rains and flooding, throughout 2006 and early 2007, resulted in one of the worst famines in Burundi’s recent history. Since Burundians are predominantly subsistence farmers, losing one harvest can be devastating to families. Recently, they lost two harvests in a row. Reports indicate that nearly 85% of Burundi’s crops were lost, leaving millions hungry to the point of starvation. Many Burundians died in the first three months of 2007 as a result of the famine.
In early 2007, contributions to the Sister Connection Critical Needs Fund allowed us to send $8500 to Burundi for famine relief. These funds were distributed first among the unsponsored widows, allowing each unsponsored widow to receive funds that were equal to one month of sponsorship. The remaining funds were distributed to sponsored widows so they could purchase food and seed to plant for the next harvest. These additional funds were needed by sponsored widows because food prices had doubled and tripled during this crisis. The faithful and generous contributions to the Critical Needs Fund allowed Sister Connection widows and their families to survive this crisis.
Medical Fund
Chronic hunger and extreme poverty are major contributors to poor health. As widowed families are sponsored, their health improves, but many need treatment for conditions resulting from too many years without enough to eat. We often have reports of eye disease, stomach pain and blood pressure trouble. Sponsorship enables widows to seek routine medical care for themselves and their children. But without the benefit of insurance and government assistance, they have no way to pay for unexpected or major medical needs such as surgery and hospitalization. The Critical Needs Fund assists both the sponsored and unsponsored widows and their children in these situations.
Orphan Care
Sister Connection is committed not just to the widow, but to her children. Our Critical Needs Fund provides for orphan care when children within Sister Connection lose their mother. As sad as this sounds, it does happen, and Sister Connection locates foster care for these children, offering financial assistance to those who foster. In the case of a sponsored widow, we personally contact the sponsor to share the sad news and offer them the opportunity to continue providing for the children by connecting to the foster parent who take in the children. Typically, this is another widow.
