In 2013, Joyce Meyer Ministries introduced a program called Hand of Hope which helps to provide food for needy children in Africa. We are so thankful for Hand of Hope as they have partnered with Ministério Arco Íris to provide juice, a bread roll, and a ‘bajia’ (a local form of savory doughnut) during school hours to all of our children in our Iris Pemba School. For many children, this is the only food they will have besides dinner. This has contributed to the increase in school attendance as the students are no longer too hungry or weak to come to school. Having full tummies helps with the student’s energy and concentration! Our team member, Nasimo, organizes the distribution of the meals for our 3,500 children every school day.

Nasimo also developed a program to train eight local single mothers to start a small business cooking and selling the bajias to the school. This program helps them earn an income to support their families! There are also six distributors, all local young men, who help with the distribution of the meals each day. Hand of Hope finances the food and Arco Íris blesses the distributors with a small donation, so many people benefit from this program.

Nasimo’s dream is for this program to be implemented in other schools throughout Pemba. He personally has seen how a meal can save a life when a small child fainted in front of him. Nasimo gave the child some bread and juice he happened to have as they rushed the child to the hospital. The doctor later told Nasimo he had practically saved his life since the child was totally dehydrated and literally starving! Nasimo recalls this incident and emphatically states, “No child should have to go through that experience!” We praise God as this will not happen at Escola Comunhão Arco Íris, as two great ministries are working together to fulfill Jesus’ call to feed the hungry.

You can watch Nasimo's share his story in the video below.

To learn more about Hand of Hope, visit our website at https://www.stopfortheone.org/our-friends/