I received a message from a friend that she wanted to donate money for a special cause through Sakamana.

At this time of the year, the maize has been planted, but not yet harvested. Because of this, the obvious dilemma is a shortage of maize and a price increase. There are nine families in the village, and the money that was to be donated would almost completely cover buying a bag of mealie meal for each family.

Zambian store with price board.

A 25 kg bag of mealie meal will provide food for a family of four for a month. That is a little over $6. It is not much money in dollars, but here it is one of the main expenses (outside of school fees) for a village family.

Stacks of supplies in a Zambian village for the Sakamana mission.

It was nice to see the shop fully stocked with bags of mealie meal. Some years, there is a shortage and then customers have to get to the shop early in the morning to hold their place in line. It can be a half day ordeal to buy a bag of mealie meal when there's a shortage. Not so this year which is a blessing!

As I drove back to the village, I began to think of the impact this would have on the families. Some families are able to harvest enough maize from year to year to feed their families. Others are not. It depends on the price of fertilizer and whether or not we have had good rains.

It was so overwhelming to give each mother a bag of mealie meal for her family. Your support is making a huge difference in the lives of these families. Thank you!