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South Africa

Lenten Meal Series

Spotlight on South Africa

Population: 50,133,000 (2010)
Literacy rate: 89%
Urban population: 62% of total population (2010)

Printable Table Tent

Download and print this table tent, designed for the South Africa meal. This table tent includes conversation starters and information about your gifts to ELCA World Hunger in action.

Placemats

Download, print and use different placemats during your Lenten meals to raise awareness about hunger, poverty and related issues.

Table Prayer

A person at the table takes a beverage, lifts it, and says: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of all creation, for you give us the fruit of the vine. Amen. The glass is passed and each person at the table drinks from it.

The same person, or another, takes bread, holds it up for all to see, and says: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of all creation, for you bring forth bread from the earth. Amen. The bread is broken and passed to those around the table for each person to eat of it.

(Prayer is based upon a Christian table blessing. Source: The Book of Common Prayer.)

Story: Sarah
Sarah has been a baker with the Tshixwadza Bakery Project for its 11 year history. Gifts to ELCA World Hunger (eleven years ago) served as the yeast that helped give rise to this successful small business.
Read the full story.

Download and share this bulletin insert: PDF | DOC

Local Recipes

Popular foods in South Africa include yellow rice, bobotie (lamb or beef dish) and blatjang (apricot and raisin side dish). Try these dishes and experience a taste of South Africa.

Skip the Coffee. Feed the Hungry.

Many are familiar with the tradition of giving something up during Lent. Last year, Pastor Steve Biegner of Zion Lutheran Church in Clarence Center, N.Y., decided to add something to his Lenten tradition. For 40 days, he stopped drinking coffee. And in its place, he gave whatever money he normally spent to support ELCA World Hunger.

“What does giving up coffee have to do with my relationship with God?” Pastor Steve asked. “Nothing. But focusing on the problem of hunger does. It helps ‘enlighten my eye’ to the ongoing problem.”

He placed a large, empty pickle jar outside the sanctuary of his church and asked others to join him. Each day, members of the congregation would sacrifice their favorite morning beverage and save the money they would have spent. By Easter Sunday, the pickle jar was full of donations to help end hunger and poverty.