Little Odette is virtually alone in the world. She rarely says a word or cracks a smile. Her clothes are dirty and torn. They’re too worn to be mended, even if she did have a mother to patch them.
Odette lives in Mutarara, an area of Mozambique devastated by flooding in January 2008. Crops were wiped out, and thousands of families were left without a harvest or enough money to buy grain.
CRWRC responded to the need, working with development staff in Malawi and partnering with the Reformed Church in Mozambique to coordinate a food aid program. Despite the flood and rising global food prices, more than 11,000 people in Mutarara have been eating at least one meal a day with CRWRC’s help.
When CRWRC delivers food to her community, Odette waits by the delivery truck as large bags of beans and maize are unloaded. She gathers any fallen grain into a little cloth. She cannot afford to buy the grain, so she waits for the bags to split so she can collect one small meal.
A few months ago Odette found a home. With support from CRWRC and her community, Odette has been living with her pastor’s family until a long-term solution can be found.
About the Author
Stephanie Tombari is a senior writer with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.
