suomi

Social action reached the most needy families on the nine inhabited islands of the African country,

On Saturday, 30/03, the day before the most important date in the Christian calendar, Cape Verde hosted Solidarity Easter, an initiative promoted by Unisocial and Youth Group (VYG). The objective was to distribute 3,310 basic food baskets across several cities, spread across all nine inhabited islands of the African country: Santiago, São Vicente, Sal, Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Santo Antão, São Nicolau and Fogo.

According to the World Food Programme, linked to the United Nations (UN), Cape Verde had already been seriously suffering from food insecurity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The scenario worsened with the war in Ukraine, starting in 2022: the African nation depends on imported electricity, and its price has soared.

All over the country

Bishop Arlindo Delgado is responsible for Universal in the territory,  highlights how was the action spread throughout the country, which today has a population of approximately 600 thousand people. “Only in the city of Praia, which is the capital, for example, we visit needy communities such as Santana, Salineiro, São Francisco, Praia Baixo and many others,” he says.

The Church’s initiative benefited more than one in every two hundred citizens of Cape Verde. Arlindo shares part of the effort that made everything possible: “Many of the volunteers took donations directly to families in need. Even for those who, for some health reason, were bedridden,” he explains.

One of the 519 volunteers involved in Solidarity Easter was Maria da Graça Lima, 38 years old. It was her first experience: “I helped in the Salineiro community and I found it very rewarding to be able to support these people who needed it so much. In addition to food, we were also able to provide emotional comfort,” she recalls.

Another Maria, Tereza Gomes, 51 years old, was one of thousands of beneficiaries. The woman says that the help came at a good time: “At home, my children are unemployed and only I have been working in sales. So, it helped a lot. I made Easter lunch and still had leftovers,” she says.