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Teach a Man to Fish, Feed Him for a Lifetime…

 Nearly half of all childhood deaths in Africa are due to starvation.

Starvation has long been a major problem in sub-Saharan Africa, however in 2020, the situation has become a true crisis. First the COVID pandemic disrupted internal supply chains and halted food production and then came the locust. The World Economic Forum reports that 2020 has the worst locust outbreak in more than 70 years and that it could cause the loss of as much as 70% of the cereal harvest. The situation is dire…

Our Feeding Programs

As you may know, ICF supports extensive feeding programs through the shipment of food from the US and the purchase of local rice, beans, and meat products. Through this program, our missions deliver several million meals to desperate children and their families each year. This program is essential to help stave off starvation (particularly amid the current crisis) but it is not a long-term solution. Our long-term goal is to help our missions and the villages that they serve become self-sufficient. As such, providing sustainable sources of food is a core activity. We believe in the ancient proverb:

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.

ICF supports extensive programs for farming, animal husbandry, and even aquaculture within our missions. Our programs are uniquely tailored to the specific needs of the mission. Some examples include:

At our mission in Togo, ICF supported the construction of a fish farm.  The farm consisted of two fishponds, one stocked with tilapia and one with catfish.  Pastor Geoffrey faced some unexpected challenges, but all have been addressed.  The mission and the local village are now benefiting from a large supply of fresh fish which with proper care, will be self-sustaining.  ICF had previously supported a similar fish farm project in Ghana which has proven very successful.

At the Open Gate of Hope Farm in Machakos, Kenya, ICF supported the purchase of land, the drilling of a well, and an extensive farming/animal husbandry program. Our mission grows corn, bananas, onions, tomatoes, spinach, kale, garlic, and papaws and also raises dairy cows. The farm products are used to feed the children at the Open Gate of Hope home and the primary school located in the Kibera slum. They also sell farm products to support other financial needs. This farm has and will continue to be a sustainable source of food and income for our missions in Kenya.

In Liberia, ICF supported the purchase of land and development of an extensive farming and animal husbandry program.  This program provides a sustainable source of food for our missions and farm products to sell to support other financial needs.  It also allows the children to gain valuable work experience that will be beneficial as they become adults and are faced with supporting not only themselves but others.

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. 

Thank you and God Bless,

Dr. David Bruenning Founder/Int’l Director

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