May Updates – Mothers Day

Together we are making an incredible difference in the lives of desperately poor children and their families in Africa and India.
Mother’s Day is a day when we recognize and thank someone who is very special. Someone who puts her children before herself. Someone who cares for her children, guides them, and loves them. In rural Africa, the care that a Mother provides to her children is often at the expense of their own. When there is not enough food, the children eat, and Mothers often go hungry. When there is a shortage of medication, Mothers often go without. On this upcoming Mother’s Day, let’s “Honor your Father and your Mother” as the Bible instructs us. One way to do so is to help us protect Mothers and their children from the ravages of Malaria.

In Africa, malaria is one of the most serious health risks. The most recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that there were 213 million cases of malaria in Africa during 2018 leading to about 400,000 deaths. Children under 5 are the most vulnerable group accounting for 67% of these deaths. Another highly vulnerable group is pregnant women as malaria often causes low birthweight and anemia in the child. The best protection from malaria is insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

The International Children’s Fund has been shipping tens of thousands of nets each year for several years. The nets are used to cover a sleeping area which often protects multiple people – often a Mother and her children – like Nakagwa and her two children Rebecca (5) and Naomi (3) who are pictured here. The mosquito net in the background protects them from mosquitos (that transmit malaria) throughout the night.
ICF recently shipped 32,000 mosquito nets to Uganda. As you can see from this picture, the children were thrilled to be able to take a mosquito net home for their family. You can only imagine how important this program is for the children and the families that these nets protect.

Mosquito nets protect children and their families from the ravages of malaria. Please help us to help them lead healthier and happier lives.

A generous donor has offered to match all donations in May that are earmarked for Mosquito nets.

If you would like to participate in this matching program, please write “mosquito nets” on the remittance form that you mail with your donation or please visit our website, make an online donation, and in the field “which fund would you like to support?” please indicate “mosquito nets”.

Through this matching program, you can literally double the help that you are providing. Please also consider sharing this information with family and friends who you think would be interested in helping. You can do so by going to our website (www.icfaid.org), sign up for email and forward a link, or “like” and share our page on Facebook. Any donations made in May from you, your family, or your friends that is designated for “mosquito nets” will qualify for matching.

Any donations made in May from you, your family, or your friends that is designated for “mosquito nets” will qualify for matching.

We are pleased to report that our new fish farm project in Togo is progressing well. They have filled the ponds with water and will introduce the fish in the coming weeks. Pastor Geoff has also completed the drilling of the new water well and is pictured here with the fresh, clean, safe water that will now be available to orphanage and the local village. Your support for ICF is truly making a difference.

Regular giving helps us support projects like the fish farm/water well projects in Togo and the distribution of mosquito nets in Uganda. We call these donors Hope Ambassadors because they help ICF to provide hope to those who truly face life and death needs in Africa and India. If you would consider becoming a Hope Ambassador please click the button below.

Please know that every gift, no matter how large or small, is an answer to our prayers and an investment in the life of a child. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your continued prayers and financial support.