Global Compassion Fund

Updates

October 14, 2024

Distributed: $15,029

Malawi has faced unprecedented challenges: three devastating cyclones in four years, a 44% currency devaluation, and a severe regional drought that impacted the 2023-2024 growing season. Maize (the staple food) production has sharply declined, food prices have soared, and the UN estimates 2.8 million Malawians are facing hunger.

This distribution helps fund food distributions facilitated by BIC Malawi in three of the most affected districts: Chikwawa, Machinga, and Phalombe. Three hundred households in most critical need will receive two, 25kg bags of maize (55 lbs) over two months, helping to sustain them through the famine.

Sadly, we anticipate this famine across southern Africa will continue some months until the next harvest. We maintain open communication with BIC workers in the region to assess needs and coordinate ongoing relief efforts.

July 2, 2024

Distributed: $15,000

In rural Zambia, where most people are subsistence farmers, good rainfall at the beginning of the year is crucial for food security. Those rains did not come in 2024. Mass crop failure ensued, and now famine is expected through the first several months of 2025.

Thanks to the Global Compassion Fund, this distribution supports a community-led feeding program based at Macha Mission Hospital. These funds will purchase bags of roller meal (corn meal, a regional staple) to serve families in need.

We expect the famine across southern Africa to continue for many months, and we maintain open communication with BIC workers in the region to assess needs and coordinate ongoing relief efforts.

May 28, 2024

Distributed: $10,329

Much of southern Africa is facing a season of famine following severe drought and subsequent crop failure. In Zambia, Macha Mission Hospital is preparing a feeding program to help their community. However, supplemental food will also be necessary.

To help families access more food, Macha is transforming a large field and unused water bore hole into a community garden! The field is large enough for more than two hundred 10ft-by-10ft plots where local families can plant gardens with guaranteed access to water.

Thanks to the Global Compassion Fund’s generous supporters, this distribution will cover startup costs for the garden, including installing water pump infrastructure and fencing.

May 16, 2024

Distributed: $2,955 

In collaboration with the BIC Church in Zambia, this distribution assists the widows of BIC pastors who have gone home to Jesus. Ten women and eight of their children will receive support for housing, university fees, medicine, school tuition, food supplies, and economic empowerment through farm animals. Together, as the body of Christ, we can meet God’s call to “take up the cause of the fatherless [and] plead the case of the widow” across oceans and borders. (Isaiah 1:17)

April 25, 2024

Distributed: $4,200

In March, an electrical fire in a small Nepali town got out of control and destroyed more than twenty homes, including five belonging to BIC families. By the grace of God, no people or animals were injured, and rebuilding is already underway.

Several local groups – including the Nepali BIC Church – have partnered to construct 23 new homes for impacted families. The BIC were asked to provide funds for half of the windows and doors needed; this distribution meets that request and brings reconstruction one step closer to completion.

March 21, 2024

Distributed: $6,635

In 2023, a severe storm with heavy rains badly damaged a girls’ SPICE hostel in Odisha, India. The roof, dining hall, four bedrooms, a boundary wall, and the property’s well were left in disrepair, and part of the building sank into the ground. This distribution is being sent to assist with extensive repairs following the destruction caused by the storm, restoring the building so BIC India can continue to use this SPICE hostel to support girls’ academic education and spiritual development.

January 23, 2024

Update to the $10,642 distributed on July 27, 2023

During the first week of 2024, the Terai region of eastern Nepal experienced an unusual cold snap. These lowlands south of the Himalayas generally experience mild winters and hot summers, so many – especially children and elderly people with limited economic resources – were left unprepared for the extreme weather. Reports say several people died due to the temperatures.

In July of 2023, we distributed funds to BIC Nepal for flooding aid. Some funds remaining from that distribution were reallocated to provide practical help for people struggling with the cold in January. Thanks to the Global Compassion Fund, 160 school children received sweaters and wooly caps and 160 families received thick, warm blankets.

November 1, 2023

Distributed: $10,000

Tropical Storm Freddy – which devastated Malawi and other parts of Eastern Africa in March 2023 – struck at the worst possible time: “hunger season.” Hunger season refers to the time right before harvest when crops aren’t yet ready for harvest and food stores are running low. Storm Freddy’s flooding and landslides wiped out nearly ripe fields and caused widespread food insecurity across the country.

Since the storm, we have been working with the local BIC church and others to address the resulting food crisis. We sent funds in April and July to create food packs for nearly one thousand households.

This $10,000 disbursement funded another distribution for 516 families still facing food insecurity; they each received a 25 kilogram bag of mealie meal (maize) to help sustain them as recovery and rebuilding continues.

October 26, 2023

Update to the $10,641 distributed on July 27, 2023

Thanks to this timely aid, the SPICE centers in Nepal have been repaired from the flooding damage and 87 children have resumed their education. The dengue fever awareness program equipped 60 healthcare professionals and public safety officials to manage the illness, and water filtration systems were set up in nearly 40 locations. 

October 17, 2023

Distributed: $10,000

These funds will support local aid efforts in Israel and Palestine. Our hearts break at the violence unfolding in the region, and we pray for the preservation of human life and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

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July 27, 2023

Distributed: $10,641

Continuous rains in July have created emergencies in eastern Nepal. Homes and recently planted rice paddies were destroyed, and rising flood waters damaged SPICE buildings. In the aftermath, dengue fever is spreading rapidly, and many are facing food insecurity.

A portion of this distribution is being sent to support two medical camps in caring for sick and injured people; funds are also being sent to facilitate health awareness campaigns on dengue fever. Other planned expenses include purchasing water filters for 50 schools and health posts, providing food for 75 struggling BIC families, and repairing two SPICE centers that were damaged in the flooding.

Thanks to this funding, the local church can meet practical needs in their communities as a way of showing God’s love. “People will get to know that God loves everyone without any discrimination of cast or creed,” shares a local church leader.

July 25, 2023

Distributed: $1,685

Schools are an important part of the BIC church’s ministry in Bihar, India. Along with the school curriculum, children are presented with biblical truths in an environment that helps them grow in faith.

A large cyclone hit the area earlier this summer and destroyed the roof of one of the school buildings. We quickly distributed funds from the Global Compassion Fund to rebuild the roof so students can return to class as soon as possible.

July 11, 2023

Distributed: $8,000

In Malawi, the effects of Storm Freddy – a cyclone that tore through Eastern Africa in mid-March – are still acutely felt. More than 650 thousand people were displaced, and much remains to be done before life returns to normal. “As we go deep into the year, the victims of Cyclone Freddy also go into [a] lean period,” reports Bishop Francis Kamoto of BIC Malawi. “This translates to intensified hunger and poverty levels in the areas where fields have been swept away by the flooding waters.” To help BIC families weather this instability, these funds purchased maize (corn) meal and soya packets (a plant-based protein source) for more than 350 households.

July 5, 2023

Update to $4,000 sent on March 17, 2023

In March we reported on $4,000 we distributed to aid victims of Cyclone Freddy in Malawi. As a result of this distribution, BIC Malawi was able to provide food for 130 households facing devastating situations.

Many Malawian communities are still recovering and are in need of ongoing support. “Since they lost everything including their farmlands, food insecurity is the main immediate evil they have to deal with,” writes Bishop Francis Kamoto of BIC Malawi. “Continued [food] support will enable them to focus on recovery activities and have time to prepare their gardens for the next growing season.”

Thank you to generous donors who gave to the Global Compassion Fund so we were able to quickly respond to initial needs in the wake of Storm Freddy.

June 7, 2023

Distributed: $52,592

Last year, intense flooding impacted many vulnerable communities around the world. These distributions provided food, sanitation, and other supplies to people in Malawi, India, and Pakistan as they rebuilt and recovered.

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May 1, 2023

Distributed: $7,164

In Amazonian cultures in Ecuador, indigenous widows and their children are acutely vulnerable to food insecurity. Through this distribution, our workers in the region prepared and distributed food packs containing shelf-stable essentials and necessities like rice, cooking oil, and bath tissue.

These food kits came at just the right time. One woman expressed her gratitude: “You are an answer to prayer. We didn’t have any food and were crying out for help. Thank you for being obedient to God.”

April 28, 2023

Distributed: $10,000

This distribution contributed to ongoing Storm Freddy relief efforts facilitated by BIC Malawi. More than 630 households received aid.

March 24, 2023

Distributed: $30,000

Macha Mission Hospital (Zambia) recently renovated the male and female patient wards and needed basic furnishings to complete the renovations. This distribution from the Global Compassion Fund was sent to purchase everything from wheelchairs and stretchers to hand washing buckets and spoons.

“Bed pans, dust bins, and gallipots aren’t glamorous; but they are essential to patient care,” says Dr. Mark Roth, a hospital administrator and BIC U.S. missionary. “These funds will allow us to provide better care for patients in our newly renovated wards.”

March 17, 2023

Distributed: $766

Storm Freddy devastated the Eastern coast of Africa in mid-March, and in Mozambique, the aftermath was sobering: homes were destroyed and churches and classrooms collapsed. Local churches that were not damaged became places of refuge, and church leaders opened their homes to shelter people who needed safety. These Global Compassion funds were used to purchase food, blankets, clothing, and other supplies in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Money from this distribution also enabled BIC church leaders to purchase cell phone data to connect with local pastors to monitor and evaluate the situation.

March 17, 2023

Distributed: $4,000

Tropical Storm Freddy struck the eastern coast of southern Africa this month with massive rainfall. In Blantyre, the hilly economic capital of Malawi, raging flood waters and sudden landslides have destroyed homes and taken hundreds of lives.

This early distribution from the Global Compassion Fund supports the initial emergency relief efforts of the Brethren in Christ Church in Malawi.

March 15, 2023

Distributed: $1,800

Helping Hands (a partner ministry in Athens, Greece) provides supplemental shelf-stable foods to refugees in a nearby camp. Meeting practical needs like these creates an opportunity to build relationships and share the love of Christ with those often overlooked and marginalized.

This distribution from the Global Compassion Fund will cover three months of food, petrol, and road tolls for this weekly outreach.

March 15, 2023

Distributed: $400

Maize (white corn) is an important staple food in Zambia. Due to disappointing crop yields in recent years, the maize supply has decreased while the price of available maize has increased. This distribution from the Global Compassion Fund was sent to purchase maize to help staff and students at Sikalongo Bible Institute make it through the lean times until harvest.

March 2, 2023

Distributed: $10,000

In February, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the border of Turkey and Syria, causing extensive devastation in both countries. This distribution from the Global Compassion Fund was sent to assist one of our local partners in providing food, clothing, hygiene items, water resources, and psychological care to Syrians recovering from the aftermath of the earthquake.

November 21, 2022

Distributed: $15,000

Over the past four years, Malawi has been struck by multiple cyclones that resulted in severe flooding and agricultural damage. In a country where 80% of the population are subsistence farmers, ruined crops and soaring food prices have left many Malawians hungry and surviving on what little food can be foraged. Through this distribution, the local BIC church provided 525 individual households with 50kgs of maize – the staple food in the region.

“The food relief aid also stands as an evangelistic tool in all the areas reached. [It] made the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ relevant by also touching people’s physical needs,” report Malawian church leaders who organized and facilitated the distribution.

October 27, 2021

Distributed: $7,164

In the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, many indigenous widows and their children face food insecurity. Thanks to the Global Compassion Fund, we provided 12 months of basic food and hygiene packs to a group of vulnerable women and children. Each pack contained rice, oatmeal, cooking oil, bath tissue, and other necessities to share the love of Jesus in a tangible way.

While distributing the packs, BIC U.S. global worker Yosuel Medina encountered a woman who had fasted for several days so her daughter could eat. Through teary eyes, she told him she had completely run out of food earlier that day. “These kits testified that God is real, and the church is more than a building,” says Yosuel.

September 30, 2021

Distributed: $26,482

In 2020, we reported on several distributions from the Global Compassion Fund sent to international BIC communities struggling through the challenges and aftermath of the pandemic. As the virus continues to disrupt routine life around the globe, we have distributed additional funds from the Global Compassion Fund throughout 2021, meeting practical needs for our brothers and sisters in India, Nepal, Kenya, and Liberia.

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May 3, 2021

Distributed: $65,089

Years of natural disasters punctuated by insurgent violence have led to a food crisis throughout northern Mozambique. We have partnered with local BIC Church leaders to provide food for nearly 800 families facing starvation.

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December 16, 2020

Distributed $6,000

In November 2020, two Category 4 hurricanes slammed Honduras in the space of two weeks, flooding neighborhoods and triggering mudslides. Homes, churches, crops, and infrastructure were destroyed, and thousands of people were forced into crowded shelters.

We were able to partner with BIC churches in the affected areas to support their communities. Global Compassion funds were used to provide furniture, household items, appliances, and construction materials to rebuild churches and homes. We thank our donors for helping us support our brothers and sisters recovering from this tragedy.

December 2, 2020

Distributed: $27,578

As the COVID-19 pandemic continued through 2020, we listened to our global community for ways to provide aid. In the second half of the year, we sent funds to meet practical needs in El Salvador, Mexico, the Navajo Nation, Spain, and beyond.

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November 24, 2020

Distributed: $6,000

Many refugees in the Middle East live in poverty, and certain schools in the region have restricted their hours because of the pandemic. Most students only receive five hours of instruction each week with little support from their teachers. This limited access to education has put refugee children at increased risk of falling behind in school.

Our workers in the region have partnered with a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides tutoring to refugee children three times a week. Money from the Global Compassion Fund has enabled the NGO to expand the program and assist more children in furthering their education, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty. Thanks to this partnership, our workers have been able to build new relationships and further share the love of Jesus within the refugee community.

September 30, 2020

Distributed: $5,000

On September 8th, the largest refugee camp in Europe was destroyed by fire. We’ve partnered with an organization on the ground to provide much needed relief during this time of crisis.

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May 29, 2020

Distributed: $36,590

Amidst the global COVID-19 crisis, we provided essential supplies and equipment to Brethren in Christ churches and hospitals in six different countries, equipping the Church to meet physical needs within their communities.

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April 15, 2020

Distributed: $6,571

In November 2019, a heavy windstorm swept through the Mboole Primary and Secondary School in Southern Zambia, ripping the roofs off two classroom buildings and destroying the library, computer lab and an administrative office.

Thanks to funds from the Global Compassion Fund, the BIC church in Zambia was able to repair the roofs at Mboole, allowing classes to resume in the previously damaged buildings.

April 9, 2020

Distributed: $41,873

A severe drought left many in Zambia facing extreme famine. From September 2019 through April 2020, we provided much needed relief to at-risk families throughout Southern Province, where Macha Hospital is located.

To date, we’ve distributed 1,850 bags (over 50 pounds each) of corn meal and 450 bags (over 20 pounds each) of corn seed across the region. These supplies helped alleviate immediate hunger needs and provided resources for next season’s harvest.

May 7, 2019

Distributed: $39,000

Following the devastation of Cyclone Idai, we helped over 500 families in the hardest-hit areas of Mozambique and Malawi by providing emergency aid.

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