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Dear friends

According to the World Health Organisation, Burkina Faso is the second to last country on the human poverty index with more than 45% of its 12.6 million inhabitants living below the national poverty line.  For the last three decades this country has been suffering chronic food shortages caused by economic crisis, poverty and desertification.

The Daily Telegraph reported on 12 April 2008 that because of the drought and rising food prices in the global market people in Burkina Faso, who by nature are peaceful, mild mannered and accepting, took to the streets in protest, causing riots in many towns.

RevJean Kone, our partner based in Bobo-Dioulasso, tells us that the situation is 'very, very desperate' with the lack of food literally causing starvation.  He has real concerns about the most vulnerable members of society; the elderly, the sick and the children.  Jean is constantly being asked for help and it breaks his heart to have to turn people away.  The local church in Bobo is doing all it can to help but they have very limited financial resources and so Jean is asking us for help. 

In our relatively prosperous society, starvation is not something that we usually have any first hand experience of, so when the problem is brought to our attention like this we often cannot even imagine what it must be like.

I understand that the present uncertain economic climate can make it hard for us to donate money when we are all having to 'tighten our belts' but these are people who have absolutely nothing: can we not afford to help them?

Of course this is a hugely complex issue and needs governments to step in and help on a massive scale.  The help I am asking you for is to enableJean Kone to assist families and ordinary villagers in Bobo so that they can purchase very basic essential food supplies ... today ... this week ... this month.

Please do consider this request and help now as the need is immediate and very urgent.

Thank you for considering this request, please make your donation through this site.

PETER STALEY, National Director, International Needs

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