As hundreds of thousands of people starve, and the famine in the horn of Africa shows no signs of stopping – many Canadians are rising to the challenge of overcoming a crisis half a world away.
She spent less than a year and a half held captive in Somalia, but journalist and now humanitarian Amanda Lindhout has just returned from another trip to the region.
"The place where I had lost my freedom for [more than fifteen months]," Lindhout said about her work in the impoverished nation. "[Somalia] was also where I discovered my life's purpose."
Her journey this time was with her foundation, and she was working to deliver food to more than 14,000 people.
"The emergency in Somalia is so great; I didn't really feel I had a choice."
Her foundation has raised another $200,000, which will go towards their next food convoy – Lindhout said the convoy would feed about 50,000 people.
A church in Edmonton is following the same path, as part of a goal shared by catholic parishes nation-wide in raising $10 million for famine relief.
The congregation may have started small, raising a few thousand dollars, but it's a start – and it goes a long way.
"We have raised $9,700 so far," Bernadette Gasslein with the St. Michael Resurrection Parish said of their efforts. "[That's] enough to buy 19 tonnes of rice, which is enough to feed 34,200 people for one day."
"It seems like such a little drop in the bucket, but we figure if every person can do a little bit, we can make a big difference."
Relief for the people of Somalia has been slow, and makeshift refugee camps are still overflowing.
Some estimates suggest about 400,000 children are starving.
Aid organizations have more than the tasks of getting food to the people who need it most to deal with, terrorist groups pose a significant threat, but Lindhout knows its work that must be done.
"Security, the customs documents, negotiating food prices, booking the trucks," Lindhout said. "There is a lot involved in putting together a food convoy, but it is the single most important thing inside of Somalia right now."
"Food is needed."
With files from Sonia Sunger