Actually, it wasn’t porridge, it was ugali, a pale, paste-like substance made from maize that has been pounded and then boiled. But what a feast it was for the dozens of women who came to participate in Sr. Kathleen’s health promotion workshop at Loolim Village! Word spread quickly that Kathleen would be serving ugali at the end of the day, and that there would be a sprinkling of sugar (a nearly unimaginable treat) to top it off. The women came from miles away. We’d like to think that their motivation was to learn about health and hygiene, but we know it was really to enjoy a solid meal. There is widespread hunger in the villages now, because the rains have failed. In such a world, it is no small thing to get a bowl of porridge. The women danced! And Mercy Beyond Borders rejoiced with them.

I have hot cereal every morning—along with toast and coffee and perhaps some orange juice. I think nothing of it. The mere sight of it has never caused me to dance. If I need more, I go to the grocery store two blocks away. What would it be like to not have food? What would it be like to live with the sharp pain of hunger? What would it be like to hear the exciting news, “They’re serving ugali this afternoon, just four miles east of here!” and eagerly round up the toddlers to make the trek on foot for a share in such abundance? What would it be like?

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