I n the first year of food.gives Barnabas Aid has sent more than 1,000 tonnes of food and other essential aid around the world, reaching a million households.
The creation of Barnabas Aid’s food.gives programme – launched in June 2021 – represented a new addition to our long-term mission.
Barnabas Aid has for many years sent funds to support local feeding projects for Christians around the world – and we continue to undertake this vital ministry. But now we are also sending direct aid – food and other supplies – to our global Christian family.
As well as food.gives we have also started a medical.gives programme, providing urgently needed medicalaid and support to Christians around the world.
50 Million Pieces of PPE for Christian Hospitals
As part of medical.gives, around 50 million pieces of life-saving Covid PPE, donated by the Irish government, have been shipped to Christian hospitals in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The consignment is worth around £25 million ($33m; €30m). Barnabas supporters have covered the cost of £12,000 ($16,000; €14,000) to ship each container to its destination. This worked out at just one penny for each piece of PPE.
“This PPE initiative by Barnabas Aid is of immense importance for survival of both health workers and their patients,” said one African church leader.
Medical support for Christians in Ukraine
Barnabas Aid has also received a substantial donation of medical equipment and work clothing from another Western government, which medical.gives is shortly to transport by lorry to Ukraine for Christians fleeing the conflict. The donation includes around 200 generators and a number of defibrillators.
In February the conflict in Ukraine triggered an urgent call to help Christians fleeing the country or internally displaced.
Global food.gives response to the Ukraine crisis
As part of our global food.gives response four containers of dry foodstuff have been shipped from the United States and Canada, with – as of July 2022 - two more scheduled. A container of aid from New Zealand is due to reach Ukraine in September.
More than 300 tonnes of food and other supplies, including blankets and clothes, were delivered by road from our warehouse in Swindon, UK. Through food.gives, Barnabas created a supply line direct from our supporters in the UK to the epicentre of the crisis.
Your generous donations are ensuring that PPE reaches the Christian healthcare workers who urgently need it
Barnabas feeds Christians worldwide through food.gives
Overall Barnabas has transported food and other practical supplies from seven countries to believers in many parts of the world, including Eastern Europe, the Middle East, southern and eastern Africa and South Asia.
Nearly 500 tonnes of ePap – a porridge made from maize and soya beans with added vitamins and minerals that combats the effects of malnutrition – is being delivered from South Africa to our brothers and sisters in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Following a series of devastating natural disasters in Tonga, thousands of Christians received food.gives aid from supporters in Australia and New Zealand – bottled water, rice and other non-perishable foodstuff, cleaning equipment, hygiene supplies and building materials.
A 40ft container loaded rice, white flour, lentils, dried chickpeas and salt from the UK reached hungry Pakistani Christians in April 2022.
“This container will feed so many persecuted and suffering Christian families,” said our partner in Pakistan. “Thank you Barnabas Aid and food.gives.”
Learn more about food.gives
Visit www.food.gives to find out more
Project reference PR1555 (food.gives)
