The Sahel region of Africa is in crisis. Erratic rains and an attack of pests and locusts have created a drought and food crisis, destroying entire harvests and leaving families with nothing to eat through this year’s hungry season. Nearly 13 million people are facing hunger or starvation in the region, where the worst-affected countries are Niger, Chad and Mali.

United Nations childrens’ agency warns 1.5 million children risk severe malnutrition if famine warnings are ignored. In the Sahel, rainfall is scarce, river basins are uneven and have low water tables for crops and livestock. Nearly 13 million people face a serious food crisis that threatens to balloon into a large-scale humanitarian emergency in the Sahel, Oxfam aid agency has warned.

The children, women and the elderly often suffer the most during food crises. This year alone, 1 million children will become malnourished, placing them at risk for permanent disability and an early death. Children in Niger and the entire Sahel region will be forced to drop out of school to help search for food for their families, or because they are so hungry they can’t get to class.

That’s why we’re trying to contribute to their financial goal, which can provide 800 children with warm, nutritious lunches at school every day for three months. Not only will these children be guaranteed a meal every day, but they’ll be able to stay in school. Children who get their education are more likely to grow up with the knowledge, skills and access they need to develop long-term solutions to hunger and poverty for all.

Please consider making a gift to Messiah Missions today, in care of Sahel Children. A donation of just $30 can provide five hungry children with lunch at school for three months. What better way to fight global poverty than by empowering the next generation to reach their full potential?

When hard times come, our outreaches look to Messiah Missions to provide both immediate relief and long-term programs to help people rebuild their lives and create a brighter future for themselves, their families and their communities.

With the support of generous donors like you, we can continue to help children get the nutrition they need to grow healthy and strong, and help many of the world’s most vulnerable people escape poverty in our generation.