Diambu*’s hand trembles as he lifts the chikwangue to his mouth. He hasn’t eaten for hours, and it seemed like his mom would never finish grinding the grain and fashioning it into the mound of starch that now sits before them. As he leans against her leg and chews absently, he hopes his stomach will stop hurting.
Six-year-old Diambu and his family just arrived in Chad after fleeing their village in the Central African Republic (CAR). Though he is too young to understand, danger and violence from the civil war and tribal in-fighting happening around them threatened his family’s safety, and Diambu’s father wanted to get them out of the area.
Diambu is only one of hundreds. As violence continues in the CAR, many families are fleeing into the surrounding countries of Chad and Sudan. Some are Christians from Charis churches in the CAR, but most, like Diambu and his family, are Musl*ms.
When refugees arrive in Chad, Charis church members are striving to meet each refugee family with relief supplies, such as tarps and blankets, and a sack of grain. Diambu’s parents used these tarps, along with the nearby grasses waving in the heat, to build a temporary shelter for their family.
In Sudan, violent militias are preying on refugees there, so many are fleeing to Chad instead. Since the Chadian churches assisting these refugees are often connected with American partners, the militias see the risk of international political fallout and are afraid to attack.
Diambu doesn’t yet realize that God is using these churches to spare him and his family from harm and even death—that the tarps, blankets, and grains offer double protection.
At this point, the UN and other government entities are not getting involved, and local authorities have expressed their gratitude for the churches’ assistance.
You can help us in this effort. For $60, you can send a bag of grain that will feed one of these families for two months!
Most of these refugee families are Musl*m and have never experienced Jesus’ love for them. They need our help, and this could be their first encounter with the overwhelming love of Christ—through you!
Will you help us?
Click here to give to this project. Please share this story with friends and family, and with your church, pastor, or church members you think may be interested in helping these African refugees!
*For the refugees’ safety, Diambu is a fictional boy who represents the hundreds of children fleeing the CAR with their families in the hopes of finding welcome and safety in Chad—and perhaps encountering Jesus for the first time!
Watch this video to learn more!