By Robert Dilday
A week after Baptists around the world responded to a West African request to pray for victims of Ebola in the region, Baptist groups in Virginia and Texas are addressing another critical aspect of the epidemic — the depletion of food supplies.
Recent reports by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank warn that Liberia — hardest hit by the virus — is descending into what the Washington Post called “economic hell.”
As people abandon fields and factories, food is becoming increasingly scarce, and restrictions on public transport and internal travel are making it difficult to distribute food that is available. Worst case estimates of the impact on the economy as a whole are catastrophic, the Post reported.
“People are terrified by how fast the disease is spreading,” Alexis Bonte, a representative in Liberia for the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, said in the FAO report. “Neighbors, friends and family members are dying within just a few days of exhibiting shocking symptoms, the causes of which are not fully understood by many local communities. This leads them to speculate that water, food or even crops could be responsible. Panic ensues, causing farmers to abandon their fields for weeks.”
That’s consistent with reports received by Dean Miller, team leader of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s glocal missions team.
“Liberian leaders have told me that while many people are dying of Ebola, many more may die of starvation,” Miller said.
After a recent conference call initiated by Baptist World Aid — which included Liberian Baptist leaders — confirmed the growing crisis, Miller decided to act. “This was something we could actually do,” he said. “We can’t cure the disease and we can only do much medically. But we can provide food.”
Miller contacted Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief agency which partners with the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. The organization told Miller its stockpile of meals in the United States had already been sent to Sierra Leone. But their warehouse in South Africa still had nearly 145,000 meals, none of them assigned. What’s more, transporting them to Liberia would take only three weeks, about half the time it would take to ship from the U.S.
Several Baptist General Association of Virginia congregations provided funds to ship the meals, which should arrive soon in Liberia. They’ll be distributed by representatives of the Liberia Missionary and Educational Convention.
Also contributing to shipping costs was Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery, a component of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. That contribution was part of a much larger effort launched by the TBDR which has arranged for about 570,000 meals to be sent to Liberia.
The effort was prompted in part by a visit to Texas by Olu Menjay, president of the Liberian convention. TBDR director Chris Liebrum began talking with Menjay several weeks ago about ways to respond to the growing food crisis. He discovered food packets were available from Convoy of Hope, a faith-based, international humanitarian-relief organization in Springfield, Mo. Liebrum secured funds to ship the meals, which are now en route.
“It became clear that what we can do is help the secondary crisis, by providing food, which is becoming the primary crisis for many in the area,” Liebrum said in a press release.
Menjay said Liberians are grateful despite their fear.
“The crisis is huge, and the needs are huge. I think this initiative is helping us reach the grassroots people in a real way because we’re using our churches. This partnership is putting hands and feet to what God has called us to.”
Meanwhile, the Washington-based Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention is coordinating an additional effort to distribute food in Liberia, where the convention supports a mission school it founded in 1908. A recent “Heart for Liberia” event in Philadelphia collected more than seven tons of food and medical supplies.
The convention’s executive secretary-treasurer, David Goatley, said in a press release Oct. 17 he and president Gregory Moss are working with leaders of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, National Baptist Convention of America and National Missionary Baptist Convention of America to provide financial support to distribute food and sanitary equipment in Liberia.
“The Ebola virus outbreak is an exceptional crisis which calls for extraordinary action,” Goatley said.
Liberian expatriates in Virginia also are taking steps. Earlier this year they organized Virginia in Action for Liberia Against Ebola (VALAE), which describes itself as a “movement to mobilize and consolidate support for Liberia.” Chairing the group is Calvin Birch, pastor of African Christian Community Church, a congregation which worships in facilities provided by Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church in Richmond, Va.
VALAE is partnering with both the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and First Baptist Church in Richmond to ship supplies to Liberia.