Does anyone know of Catholic agencies which gets aid to Somalia.. aid that isn’t diverted to some faction but actually gets to people?
Catholic Relief Services is functioning in Kenya, which is taking in refugees from the famine in Somalia.
From CRS:
A Catholic Relief Services team is on the ground in the Eastern Kenyan town of Dabaab, home to a sprawling refugee camp that sees some 1,300 people arrive each day from drought-stricken Somalia, only one of the countries in East Africa where hunger and the threat of malnutrition are the daily reality for 11 million people.
I saw a couple stories on the famine and they are enough to tear your heart.
Pray for rain. There is a Mass formulary in the Missale Romanum for prayers for rain. When I have an open day, I will use those texts.
If we don’t pray for miracles, ask God for miracles, they won’t happen.
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If I send a donation to CRS with a note on it that it is for Somalia will the money get to the people of Somalia? I wish I could trust CRS.
Africa is so sad…I feel like I left part of my heart there. The people were so lovely and it was really beautiful. I was in Ethiopia, but I hear similiar stories from other African countries. It breaks my heart. I will pray for these people and for rain. SO much to pray for these days. (Praying for your intentions, Father. Will try to remember to offer up not sleeping when I am up with little one.) God bless, Liz
I have been looking to make a donation to Caritas, here is the web page. But I do not know how effective they are able to be to get relief to the people who need it past the armed thugs controlling things and obstructing or preventing relief workers. I decided to go ahead with the donation anyway because an emergency is an emergency, but it is extremely worrisome that things are being orchestrated by those in power which is a death sentence to innumerable innocents. I will pray for rain and also that the hearts of the armed factions in the way of relief can be changed or have some sense talked into them.
http://www.caritas.org/activities/emergencies/food_crisis_in_east_africa.html
@KAS, why do you not trust CRS? You can direct where you want your donation to go. They have a general “East Africa” fund they are trying to support now. So, I don’t know if they would promise that your donation would go specifically to Somalia/Somalians. Clicking on the link Father provided will take you to the needed contact info.
–Dan
Why wouldn’t CRS be trustworthy? Please do say. They are the international charity under the USCCB. Their website describes wonderful things they do for the poor around the world. An elderly friend of mine is re-doing her estate plans, with the help of a lawyer, to give much larger share to Catholic Relief Services and to the Church. (Remember, those of you who have enough to need a will or trust, you can do a lot of good by giving generously to the Church or to charity–and make sure everything is in good legal order so your intentions will get carried out).
I went and made a donation, thanks for encouraging us to do so Fr Z. We have a real responsibility to do what we can for the poor and hungry and in so doing we know from the Gospel that we help poor and hungry Jesus.
I don’t know about Somalia specifically, but I saw an EWTN interview of Bishop Gassis from nearby war-torn Sudan, and you can donate directly to his relief fund.
http://www.bishopgassis.org/
Perhaps KAS confused “Catholic Relief Services” with ‘Catholic Charities”. I know I did.
Sadly, donation to Catholic Charities was heavily promoted by CCHD, so the fact that a charity is “under” the USCCB is no longer a good indicator that the donated money will be appropriately spent.
That being said, CRS, from all I have been able to learn, is an exemplary, Catholic organization.
O God, in Whom we live and move, and have our being, grant us rain, in due abundance, that, being sufficiently helped with temporal, we may the more confidently seek after eternal gifts. Through Christ, our Lord.
Is this it?
I don’t know about Somalia, but CRS is in Kenya and Ethiopia. I understand that most of the need is in Kenya and Ethiopia. The problem with Somalia is aid agencies are having their access limited or denied.
Anybody know what portion of donations actually goes to aid for CRS and what this is compared to other aid agencies?
Solomons: charitynavigator.com helps somewhat.
Thank you, Father, for touching on the importance of due diligence in charitable giving. Five of our children are adopted from Haiti & it broke my heart after the earthquake to see people throwing millions into the UNICEF/Red Cross Land Rover fleet fund instead of NGO’s that actually care about the people & are helping. And here we are 18 months later with thousands still living under tarps, cholera still raging (thank you UN troops for dumping your sewage into a main water source), & hurricane season revving up… :o(