Zimbabwe

I just wanted to post about Zimbabwe. I'm sure it is getting some coverage in western press, but it really is desperate there. Some estimates of the inflation there are around 1700% (the highest anywhere in the world).

Practically, this means that if you don't buy the loaf of bread in the morning... it will cost you twice as much to buy it in the evening.
That is all well and good if your wages double every day. But they don't.

This economy has been in a bad way for a while, it can only completely collapse at this rate. Many people (up to 30% of the population in some estimates) are attempting to flee the country.

In "Operation World" (2001), the book about world mission, it was estimated that 10% of the countries population were orphans. That is so hard to imagine any country dealing with that, let alone the power hungry dictator that Zimbabwe has.

It just seems to be a terrible situation, people fleeing their homes in desperation, to South Africa and surrounding countries. The outlook there is pretty bleak too, which just goes to show how desperate these millions have become are to flee there.

I definately think coming to Uganda has helped me understand more of what real poverty actually looks like and the desperation that it induces and I have to say please keep praying for this country and its struggling people. There is no point in "President Robert" dying just to let a worse leader in there either.