David Israel Sunday is five years old and one of a family of four children. He has wide brown eyes and he loves to sing and play games at school. He lives with his parents and siblings in a mud house with a corrugated tin roof. The mud walls keep the house cool in the hot summers that are common in Akwa Ibom in Nigeria which is home to this small boy.

Like many of his friends David is responsible for collecting daily water from the unprotected springs, streams and rivers around his home, there is only enough safe drinking water for half the families who live in the village and that is in the good times when there is no drought. The family depend on subsistence farming, barely producing enough to eat, let alone any surplus to provide an income. They also keep livestock and own about an acre of land. Staple foods are cassava cooked and served with vegetable soup, plantain and occasionally rice and beans.

Inheritance (the average life span is 47 years) passes between males, so women, even if widowed have no rights to ownership. Men make all family and community decisions, leaving women to care for the family, collect firewood, prepare meals and work in the fields. Few women are literate, in fact 40% of the population are illiterate. David goes to a nursery school, but his future is uncertain as the many families cannot afford to pay the school fees. If David becomes ill it is most likely his mother will rely on herbal remedies and prayer as the area lacks qualified medical personnel and medicines.

How very different is David’s life from that of the five year olds we see around us each day. My young family was shopping today and they bought fresh meat and a variety of vegetables, fruit juice to drink, fresh milk and fruit. And I slipped a packet of sweets into the bag, which we all shared!  Then we went to the toy shop to buy a present for a young friend and found some things to buy later for the boys to have at Christmas. – A toy shop would be beyond the wildest imagination of David Israel Sunday!  That is so unfair!

But organizations like Action Aid are working to change the situations in many developing countries and the village where young David lives is one of those places – which is how I know about him – though I also know about young Hadiza Lawai who contracted a fever and sadly died. Had there been a properly staffed medical centre she might have been saved. We really do have to do whatever we can to help bring about change in these young lives.
Action Aid is the charity which Barnack School are supporting this Harvest Time. Let’s all help to make this a special Harvest in our villages by supporting the school’s efforts. On Friday October 7th the children will be holding a Harvest Service in church, please come along and give generously towards their charity or leave a donation in church or at the school office. Every penny helps!

But beyond that, if you feel you could sponsor a child each month then go on to the website – www.actionaid.org or ring the development team during office hours on 01460 23 8000.
I long to hear that David is happy and thriving.
Margaret

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