Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. All donations over $250 will receive a tax-valid receipt. 

According to the UNHCR (UN refugee agency) Dzaleka is a camp with a monthly average of 300 new arrivals (Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda and other nationalities). 45% of the PoCs (persons of concern) are women, and 48% are children. The camp was initially established to host between 10,000 to 12,000 PoCs but now hosts over 52,000 individuals. (Source: UNHCR)

Ideally, when refugees flee a crisis, they would receive emergency assistance and then would be offered a pathway to reintegration into normal life. In practice, however, the default long-term response to refugees has become to create an indefinite dependency on aid. Long-term responsibility is on the international humanitarian aid system (UNHCR), host states have invariably restricted refugees’ participation in labour markets to prevent an uprise in their own permanent residents against labor and wages being "stolen". The denial of the right to work has had catastrophic consequences for many refugees, leading to a long-term erosion of skills and aspirations, and often exacerbating a sense of alienation and hopelessness. It has left refugees less able to contribute to their host states or to eventually rebuild their own societies, should they eventually return home.

The Dzaleka refugee camp has very few jobs available, and a hesitancy to create long-term jobs because everyone there is trying to find a new home in a safe country rather than establish roots in a refugee camp. (Source: The Guardian)

No, Malawi does not provide lunch. Most refugees are heavily reliant on external food assistance. The UNHCR (United Nations Humanitarian Aide), World Food Programme and others help to provide 75% of food assistance. However, from June 2022-current date food prices have increased 100-300% with no guarantee the rise will end in the near future. People are literally starving. Government restrictions on freedom of movement, local integration and wage-earning opportunities have a negative impact on the refugees’ ability to become self-reliant. (Source: WFP)

In May 2022, the Malawi government devalued the Malawi Kwacha (MWK) by 25 percent, resulting in relatively higher import costs and a general increase in prices across the country. Further, the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) has twice increased fuel prices in the previous three months, with a 31 and 20 percent increase in the price of diesel and petrol in April 2022, followed by a subsequent 31 and 45 percent increase in June 2022. The devaluation of the MWK and increased fuel prices coupled with expectations of below-average crop production have added inflationary pressure throughout 2022. Since May 2021, Malawi's inflation rate has risen from 8.9 percent in May 2021 to 19.2 percent in May 2022, including a 7 percent increase in January 2022. Overall, the high inflation rate continues to decrease both urban and rural households' purchase power, limiting household financial access to food. (Source: IMF)

Once admitted to a camp, refugees usually do not have freedom to move about the country but are required to obtain Movement Passes from the UNHCR and the host country government. (Source: Wikipedia)

No one! The teachers, headmaster, and cooks are all volunteers. The books and learning supplies are donated.

Pre-K through Elementary school age.

Yes, there are other charities each with their own goals and focus. Additionally, each of the charities have their own limitations. At this time, Feeding Hope and Hunger is focused on one school, feeding one large group of children consistently will provide the children with hope and confidence that their bellies will not be empty five days a week. With your donation you are literally saving children's lives.

In July of 2022, Bret and his son Dexter Gundersen joined a group of volunteers to help build a chicken farm to provide jobs and food to refugees in Malawi. They met and became dear friends with people who are hard working, honest, and looking for ways to feed their families. Since that time, worldwide inflation and currency fluctuations caused food prices in Malawi to spike, in some cases doubling or tripling in cost. For refugees already struggling to put food in their stomachs, this created a life-and-death crisis.

One elementary school in the refugee camp is run completely by volunteers, with little or no resources for books and learning materials. In 2022, over 350 children attended this school, but some families were keeping their children home to work to earn money for food, while other children left school during the day, hoping to find food at home. In an effort to keep these children in school, and healthy enough to learn, we started Feeding Hope and Hunger to provide a nourishing school lunch to each of these kids, every day they're in school.

For just 65 cents one child can eat a meal. For $400 USD the entire school can eat lunch. Help these children stay in school by providing a meal, thus building their hope for the future through education.