Coping with the Economic Crisis:

Feeding a Family

When Sophie's husband and sister passed away, she was left with 13 kids to care for. These are three of her sister's children. Photo: Mercy Corps

Every morning, Sophie Gbellet arrives at her open-air market stall to sell bottles of palm oil, homemade peanut butter, onions, mushrooms and caterpillars — a local delicacy in Bouar, one of the largest cities in one of the poorest countries on the planet.

No fewer than 13 children depend on Sophie's income from her food stall. Five of them are her late sister's; the others are her own. They've been her responsibility — and hers alone — since her husband died three years ago.

Families like Sophie's need your help to survive the lean times. Among her challenges are two most of us can relate to: the rising cost of food and fuel.

More difficult times in one of the world's poorest countries

Even in normal years, two-thirds of Central African Republic's population can afford only the most bare food essentials required for survival. But times are worse than normal. A liter of cooking oil that a year ago cost $1.66 now costs $3.57. The price hikes haven't boosted profit margins for resellers like Sophie; they've only increased the cost of living.

We're all impacted by rising food costs — today's food prices are 60 percent higher than in 2006 — but the impact is felt more in poorer countries. Residents of wealthier nations spend about 10 to 20 percent of their income on food; those in poorer countries already spend 60, 70, sometimes 80 percent of their budget to feed themselves. Any cost increases are extremely hard for them to absorb.

Mix in the more recent global credit crisis and you've got a recipe for real economic hardship.

"The financial crisis will only make it more difficult for developing countries to protect their most vulnerable people from the impact of rising food and fuel costs," World Bank President Robert Zoellick said recently.

Tough living, tougher choices

Living in Bouar isn't easy even on the best of days. There is no piped water and no electricity. Schools are staffed not by professional teachers but by parent volunteers. And hospitals are grossly under-funded. Workers at Bouar's main hospital, for example, haven't been paid in nearly two years.

Sophie's family must skimp on most everything — like medicine and clothes — just to afford the food they need. It's getting nearly impossible to cover school tuition costs for the children, including Sophie's eldest son, who is enrolled in a seminary.

But there is hope. Thanks to a grant from the Gates Foundation, Mercy Corps is helping 8,000 residents of Bouar — providing the help they need to survive the crisis and build a better future.

Immediate solutions

Mercy Corps is employing more than 400 people to repair roads, shore up dams and clear land for cultivation. We're helping farmers buy the seeds and tools they need to grow more corn and peanuts. We're bringing together both residents and displaced people to fix water points, providing everyone with reliable access to clean, fresh water. And we're making small loans to shopkeepers like Sophie.

Sophie wants to borrow money to expand her zinc-roofed stall, expand her product range and buy in larger quantities to improve her profit margin. She is more than capable. Very few of us could care for 13 children and run our own business, much less sell food from a zinc-covered stall all day.

Help us deliver more hope to hard-working people like Sophie in these tough times.