By Jennifer Hosler, director of the Global Food Initiative of the Church of the Brethren

Bread. Naan. Chapatis. Injera. Tortillas. Arepas. Tuwo, Oatmeal. Porridge. These foods are staples around the world, made from diverse grains (wheat, teff, maize, rice, oats, and others). Grains are the “staff of life” – central to almost every culture on earth. Grains are often used as the first solid food for babies, mixing rice or oatmeal or ground up maize to make a porridge. My own child started solid food with a blend of oats, amaranth, and quinoa. In northern Nigeria, small children sometimes eat kunun gyada, a rice-based porridge with groundnut (peanut) butter and tamarind, for a nutritious and protein-filled breakfast.

Since grains are crucial to diverse cultures and nutrition around the globe, the GFI deals with grains in many ways when working to end hunger and promote food security. Grants equip farmers to grow food (including staple grains) sustainably, using fewer resources and methods that benefit the farmer and the environment. GFI also funds grinding machines and mills, to help local communities grind and utilize the grain that they grow. For many places around the world, subsistence farmers grow their own grains and take that grain to a local grinding machine or mill when it is time to use it.

The Church of the Brethren in Burundi is seeing the ministry benefits of a local mill funded by GFI. At the 2024 Annual Conference, founding pastor Expert Bukene, president of the Church of the Brethren in Burundi, shared about the Abavukanyi Porridge or “Brethren Porridge.” Using the new grinding machine, the church leadership has developed a nutritional blend of grains that they are selling as Brethren Porridge in the community and also using it in the church’s nursery school. Brethren Porridge is known for its nutritional value; the proceeds from its sale go to support the church ministries. Beyond the Brethren Porridge, the grinding machine provides affordable grain grinding to the surrounding community, meeting a community need while also providing income to help sustain the church’s ministries.

Jesus declared himself to be the Bread of Life (John 6:35)—that which is central, nourishing, fulfilling, and empowering. Jesus also told his disciples to feed hungry people, saying, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16).

When we eat oatmeal, bake some bread, or otherwise use grains, nuts, or seeds in our households, we can consider our neighbors around the world who are subsistence farmers, whose livelihoods and nutrition depend on the grain that they grow by hand and grind in their local mill. I am grateful for the ministry of GFI, that we can walk alongside these neighbors—neighbors who may be across the globe, neighbors who may differ by ethnicity, language, or religious practice—and help give them something to eat. Thank you for supporting GFI through prayer and financial donations—we are doing this work together!

This reflection was originally featured in the newest issue of Sustenance, a publication of the Global Food Initiative. Learn more about this ministry of the Church of the Brethren at www.brethren.org/gfi or support it today at www.brethren.org/givegfi.

(Read this issue of eBrethren.)