YWAM Mercy Team Brings Hope
"The people we serve in this community are not rich, and they still have problems, but they are able to live in the Kingdom of Light, and are learning to find the abundant life God has for them."
(Dhaka, Bangladesh)—In the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh a small but dedicated team of Youth With A Mission workers is tackling extreme poverty head on through their vital work.
Currently, the Dhaka Mercy team has only eight volunteers who have been working in the area since 2001. Regional Mercy Ministries leader, David Johnson estimates about 50 children have benefitted from the feeding program and there are regularly 20 children in the day care program, but much more could be done with additional help, particularly in the administration of the ministry.
Shumi & Ruma: A Story of Hope
The 8 foot by 10 foot corrugated tin house which is called a clinic by the YWAM Mercy team in Dhaka, Bangladesh, was buzzing with activity when one of the team noticed a thin young woman squatting in the dirt path outside.
When asked where she lived, she replied vaguely, "relatives". A few more questions revealed that Ruma's husband had left her with nothing but a baby. To keep herself and her daughter, Shumi, from starving, Ruma's only choice was to beg for food. (Photo: Shumi)
Soon after this, the YWAM Dhaka Mercy team started a feeding program. Shumi was one of the first children to participate. She was severely malnourished, weighing only 5 kilos (11lbs) at 18 months of age. Although children are usually kept in the feeding program for three months, Shumi stayed in for 6 months before she fully recovered.
Transforming communities
A major part of the feeding program is educating mothers about nutrition. Training on how to cook, how to feed and care for a baby is new information for many parents. Ruma responded to the teaching, and as Shumi began to recover, the team also saw a spark of life in Ruma and were able to help her find a job which pays a survival salary.
Dhaka Mercy's goal is not simply to provide health care for people, but to transform communities. Single mothers like Ruma desperately need child care, so they began a day-care center. Shumi was one of the first children to be part of this program and she flourished under the love and care of volunteers who have seen her grow into a thriving kindergarten student, enthusiastically reading books in the Dhaka Mercy after-school program.
Regional Mercy Ministries leader, David Johnson, reports, "Shumi is a delight to all who see her! Not only has the team been Jesus' hands to Ruma and Shumi, they have also come to know Him through the fellowship group which meets in the community."
"It is a job worth doing," says David. "The people we serve in this community are not rich, and they still have problems, but they are able to live in the Kingdom of Light, and are learning to find the abundant life God has for them."
