During the holiday season, most people look forward to opening presents under the tree, laughing and catching up with loved ones, and indulging in a fabulous celebratory feast (or three!) With so much joy all around, it can often be hard for us to stop and think about how fortunate we really are to be able to enjoy such pleasures while the World Hunger Organization estimates that there are as many as 800 million people in the world who do not have enough food to live a healthy life.1
At LifeSeasons, we are passionate about life. We want everyone in the world to be able to live their best lives, and that goes beyond simply helping people through our supplements. We recognize that in order to lead happy, healthy, fulfilled lives, people need all of their most basic needs met, which is why we’re so passionate about ending hunger throughout the world, starting in South Sudan.
Famine in South Sudan
In February 2017, the U.N. reported that nearly 5 million people in the South Sudan were urgently in need of food, agriculture, and financial assistance 2 as a result of a civil war and unrest.
“Famine has become a tragic reality in parts of South Sudan and our worst fears have been realised. Many families have exhausted every means they have to survive,” Serge Tissot, Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. Representative in South Sudan, said in February. “The people are predominantly farmers and war has disrupted agriculture. They’ve lost their livestock, even their farming tools. For months there has been a total reliance on whatever plants they can find and fish they can catch.”
In June 2017, the U.N. released reports that South Sudan is no longer in famine, but that 2 million people are facing starvation while a total of 6 million people are facing food insecurity.3 However, the U.N. continues to stress that people are in desperate need of help. As reported by the BBC, one risk now is that funding for humanitarian aid will slow down because donors believe the worst is over.4
Goat Charity: Helping End Hunger in South Sudan
While sometimes such serious crises in the world can feel insurmountable to the rest of us, in this case, there is something you can do to help decrease the suffering of the South Sudanese people. There are many worthwhile charities that enable those of us in the U.S. to help sustain those suffering in South Sudan. At LifeSeasons, we’ve partnered with the charity Goats for the Old Goat, which provides people in South Sudan with female goats and sorghum, one bag of which can feed a family for 3-4 months.
Why female goats, you might ask?
The female goats can thrive by eating the natural grasses found in South Sudan, and as they grow, they can provide the following necessities, year over year.
- Milk. The goats produce 1 liter of milk per day.
- Fertilizer. The goats also produce fertilizer, which is a necessity for the South Sudan’s agricultural communities to farm.
- Education. A female goat, on average, will produce two baby goats each year. One goat will pay for a child’s education every year.
- Small Dairies. By pooling their resources, neighbors can become micro-businesses as small dairies.
The most amazing part is that helping provide a family with a sustainable source of milk and cheese only costs $60 through Goats for the Old Goat. That one off donation is a life altering gift that keeps giving every day. Even if you would like to make a smaller donation, the organization will pull these donations together to equal the amount for a goat donation. Every little bit counts.
How to Make a Goat Donation?
To make a tax deductible donation, simply head to the website for Goats for the Old Goat.
If you’d like to learn more about how to end hunger in the South Sudan through the Goats for the Old Goat Charity or if you’d simply like to find out more about LifeSeasons’ “Passionate About Life” perspective, watch Darrin Peterson, LifeSeasons’ CEO & Founder, interview with Fox News to hear him talk about why he’s so passionate about the lives of the South Sudanese, how we all can help; and why LifeSeasons is matching the first 100 goat donations with their own 100 donated goats.
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