Photo via mnnonline.org

Haitians eating dirt to stave off starvation

Meals these days in Haiti consist of dreams and dirt. With food prices out of control and staples scarce, people are taking desperate measures to trick hunger, reports MNN.

A two-cup portion of rice costs 60 cents--up 10 cents from December and 50 percent from a year ago. Beans, condensed milk, and fruit have gone up at a similar rate. That leaves many only able to afford edible clay which is shaped into a patty and baked in the sun.

Bright Hope International's Craig Dyer explains, "There's always been a medicinal 'cookie' that people would make out of clay or dirt. And now people are using these to fill their stomachs." According to recent news stories, pregnant women in Haiti initially created the cookies as an antacid and a source of calcium.

Yet a constant diet of these will cause severe malnutrition, intestinal distress and other harmful effects, particularly for nursing women.

There are few options left. A dirt cookie only costs a buyer five cents, and since most Haitians live under $2 a day, a dirt cookie is more affordable than other staples.

The cookies suck all the moisture out of the mouth and leave a dirt-covered tongue behind. To bring home the reality of what survival tastes like, Dyer says, "What Bright Hope is doing is asking people to make a donation, and we'll send you six of these cookies, along with some information. Take those to your church, to your office, and show people."

The dirt cookies are a symbol of poverty. Tasting them, handling them and seeing them will bring home the point that there are thousands who are using these to stay alive. While 100% organic and edible, they are salty, and the taste stays with you--just like the Haitian version.

Dyer says they're also to encourage others to join the cause of relieving suffering. Funds raised will go toward food aid and startup funds for vegetable garden micro-loans.

More than that, Dyer says, it's "seed money" to pave the way for ministry. "As training happens with the micro-loans, the love of Christ is shared because people are wondering, 'Why and how are you helping me?' They come back to you and say, 'This is a blessing to my family. What is it that made you want to do that?' And that's where you can share the message and love of Christ."

Through Bright Hope's partnership with a network of 23 churches in Pignon, Haiti, they have identified the most-needy families in their communities.

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[04/10/2008]

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