Email: - ernestgelder@lightcliffe.freeservr.co.uk

To all Wakefield / Mara Link Parish Representative

Over the past few months, it has become apparent that lack of rainfall in the Mara region of Tanzania during 2003 resulting in the failure of the crops to grow to maturity, has led to hunger in many parts of Mara Region / Diocese.

90% of people living in Mara are subsistence farmers, they live of what they grow, and people do not normally have any cash in their pockets. They live in a ‘Barter Economy’.

Our visitors from Mara last September were the first people who reported that the price of GRAIN had doubled, and that there would be real problems when they returned home, if the rains failed in October / November 2003.

Some Parishes here in Wakefield that have links with Parishes in Mara, received letters from their Link Parish during the last 3 months of 2003 hinting at the problems which they faced. Although there was some rain at the first, and seed was sown and it had began to sprout, the rains then failed resulting in the shoots being scorched and withered by the sun, thus dying back.

As we moved into 2004, it has become apparent that the problem of hunger has now becoming a major problem. Money sent out to Mara Diocese at the end of January 2004 from Wakefield was used to buy food to take to the worst affected areas. The monies which were kept here in Wakefield to support Mara Diocese in an emergency, has now been sent out to buy more food.

Please Remember MARA in your prayers, and pray that the rains which are due this March, April and into May will fall.

Download and read the whole story here in .pdf format ~ More pictures:

If the rains fail, then the Mara Region with be facing Famine.

Even if the rains do fall and seed is sown, there will be several months of hunger to be faced before there is a harvest to be gathered in.