Disaster Response
Child Development
Clean Water
Hunger Relief
Medical CareHelp Families in Burundi
In Makombe Refugee Camp, children and families are facing starvation. Hunger is rampant causing some to be weakened by days without food. Families fled unimaginable violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, only to find more suffering waiting across the border in Burundi. The camp is overcrowded and under-resourced, with little food supply and no clear end in sight. Every day without help means more children will go to bed starving.
The solution is within reach—but only if friends like you step forward. Operation Blessing is launching a fully equipped central kitchen in Makombe Refugee Camp, designed to serve two hot, nutritious meals each day—with vegetables and proteins to fight malnutrition and restore strength. Local residents will help cook and serve the food, creating jobs and dignity alongside nourishment.
The cost of the community kitchen and feeding program is $58,000. Right now, we have a generous $25,000 match, so we need to raise the other $33,000 to make this effort possible! This kitchen could even be fully operational by early November—if compassionate friends act quickly. And thanks to the matching challenge, the first $25,000 will be MATCHED dollar-for-dollar — meaning you can make twice the impact and offer twice the hope for starving Congolese refugees.
* Anything raised above the goal amount will be used for other projects at the Makombe Refugee Camp or to assist with other disasters and crises around the world.
Main Needs
- New camp kitchen and nutritional food support
- Deep borehole for water access
- Sanitation units improvement
- Safe space for kids
- Soap-making microbusiness initiative for longer-term financial security
Objective:Â To equip and operationalize a central kitchen for the Makombe Refugee Camp that is capable of providing two nutritious meals per day. A special emphasis will be on including vegetables and proteins to help fill nutritional deficiencies.
Objective:Â To enhance the sanitation conditions at Makombe Refugee Camp by renovating showers and toilets, and installing multiple handwashing stations to reduce disease transmission.
Objective:Â To drill and install a deep-water well to provide a reliable and sustainable water source for the Makombe Refugee Camp. This will address the current issue of water scarcity and lay a foundation for better hygiene and sanitation.
Objective:Â To create a secure, stimulating, and child-friendly environment for approximately 600 refugee children living in the Makombe Refugee Camp. The safe space will foster emotional resilience, creativity, learning, and social bonding among displaced children.
Soap-Making Microbusiness
Objective:Â To empower refugee families by providing them practical soap-making skills, startup supplies, and technical support, enabling them to launch small-scale, microbusinesses. This will empower families to earn and sustain income.
Drew Friedrich, President