Churches That Rescue: Hanna’s Story

“I’m hungry, Mama!”

“Yes, I’m hungry, too.”

The distressed whimpers of Hanna’s two young boys echoed in her ears as she rushed out of the house to look for a job. Halfway to her destination, a sudden, pressing kick in her womb slowed her down. At seven months pregnant, she was familiar with these startling movements.

Hanna fought back tears as she remembered something: she hadn’t had dinner or breakfast. It was almost as if these kicks were her baby’s only way of demanding food. She gently rubbed her belly, hoping that somebody would hire her so she could feed her children — and herself, too.

The global food crisis has made feeding little ones harder than ever, disproportionately impacting mothers and children like Hanna and her family. Ever since her husband left them, Hanna struggled to support her children. As her pregnant belly grew, the possibility of her being hired shrank.

“People refused to hire me when they realized I was pregnant. I begged and tried to convince them, but they just told me I was not fit for the job. I lost all hope,” Hanna shares.

Hunger Causes Pain

A mother’s heart can hardly bear the pain of watching her child go unfed. “A couple of times, I left the boys and stayed on the streets because I didn’t want to see them cry for food. I decided to leave them as their father did, rather than see them starve,” says Hanna.

Exhausted and with nowhere else to turn, Hanna was giving up on life altogether. “I also decided to end my life,” she says.

Desperate, Hanna turned to churches, mosques and large shops in her neighborhood, seeking support. However, the little money she received could only last for a couple of days.

Hanna struggled for as long as she could until the moment she stepped into the compound of Asko Kale Hiwot Church. For her, the church was just another building to visit to ask for some assistance — anything she could get — for her children.

Unexpected Blessing: A Church’s Response

What she found inside surprised her. “The people were compassionate. They treated me with dignity and respect. I felt heard and understood. I felt hopeful for the first time in months,” says Hanna.

It was not just the way she was welcomed that impressed the desperate mother, but the way the staff at Asko Kale Hiwot Church were concerned for her young boys and her unborn child. She only wanted daily bread, but they spoke about a rescue plan.

Nothing could have prepared her for the news staff delivered a few days later: Hanna was welcomed into Compassion’s Survival intervention. The mother, who had decided to abandon her boys and end her life, was suddenly given a lifeline. The support she started receiving was more than she’d ever hoped for.

“Without her telling us her situation, we knew just by looking at her sunken eyes and her frail body that she needed urgent support,” says Munaye, a Survival staff member.

“We have done all we could to help her deliver a healthy baby and support her family,” says Munaye.

Hanna started receiving prenatal care, food supplies and medical care. Not only were her physical needs taken care of, but she also had people who prayed for her and gave her valuable counseling and training.

“It was all more than I could handle,” says Hanna. “I never thought I could have a healthy child. I was hungry most of my pregnancy, let alone getting the necessary nutrition I needed. The support I started receiving, especially the food supplies, helped me feed my children. The church became my second home and the people there a family.”

Hanna’s New Opportunities

Short-term relief isn’t all our church partners are equipped for. While Hanna desperately needed immediate relief for a time, she was now ready to take hold of something she’d wanted all along: the opportunity to provide for her children.

Compassion’s church partner came alongside Hanna by facilitating an income-generating training to help her and other mothers find new ways to support their families.

“During this special season, in addition to availing food supplies and paying rent for some, we thought it is only wise to think of a sustainable solution that enables mothers to earn a living and support themselves. Especially new mothers, like Hanna, who needed additional support, were given priority," says Munaye.

“I have always believed in working my way out of struggles. Now that I have my child, I wanted to go back to work and support my family. However, the pandemic made it hard for me to find work. Hence, I was excited to hear the proposal of the project staff to start a small vegetable business so I can earn a living and feed my children,” says Hanna.

Hanna quickly set up her vegetable stand with the seed money the program provided for her. Every other day, she carries her baby on her back and takes a bus to a vegetable market to buy potatoes and garlic to sell. Her only break is when she goes back home to check on her boys, give them lunch and feed her baby boy.

Since Hanna joined the Survival intervention, her boys have not cried for food. Not only has she delivered a healthy child, but her mindset has also completely changed. “I feel confident when I go back home, at the end of the day, with food items for my children. A lot has changed in my life ever since I stepped into the church at that desperate time,” she says.

Not only has Hanna experienced freedom from hunger, but she’s gotten a taste of something even more powerful: hope.