Lenten Recipe: Kenyan Chickpea Curry

Photo via MasterClass

If you’re abstaining from meat over the Lenten season, here’s another wonderful meatless dish you can make! Or, you can just make it because it’s delicious.

This is a vegetable curry typical to the Kenyan Indian community. The soaking step is a must if you desire soft and crunchy chickpeas, and to fully release the nutrients! In Kenya, this deliciously spicy dish is commonly referred to as “Chole” and is eaten with fried bread called “Bhature” made from soft wheat flour. Chickpea curry is eaten as part of a main meal during lunch or dinner and is savoured by the entire family.

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Meatless Red Ukrainian Borscht

Photo credit: The Culinary Couple

Borscht is a delicious and famous traditional Ukrainian dish. In Ukraine, this frugal dish can be made with a number of low-cost fresh ingredients grown in home gardens. It’s versatile, easy to make, and packed with essential vitamins and nutrients!

“There’s green borscht and other variations, but red borscht is by far the most popular,” says Halyna, our Pochaiv site director. “There’s both meat and meatless variations of red borscht. Meat is expensive, so it’s usually saved for special occasions. For Lent, we cook the meatless version. It’s also a must-have meatless dish for Holy Eve dinner.”

Meatless Red Ukrainian Borscht

Sent by: Halyna, our Pochaiv site director

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium onions
  • 4 carrots
  • 3-4 celery stalks
  • 1 leek stalk
  • 2 red beets
  • 2 cups of white cabbage
  • 5 medium potatoes
  • 2-3 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2-3 whole peppercorns
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 3 litres of water
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2-3 tbsp oil for frying

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Five-year-old girl healthy after heart surgery

When Harichandana was born five years ago, doctors immediately noticed something unusual with her heart. They diagnosed her with a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a hole between the heart’s lower chambers. Her parents were heartbroken. Their newborn baby was referred to a children’s hospital in Nellore, India, for a rigorous round of tests. Having studied the case thoroughly, doctors recommended to wait for surgery as Harichandana was still too small to undergo an operation. The family decided to forgo the surgery and take their daughter for health checkups every year on a regular basis.

Weeks rolled into months, and months into years. Suddenly, on September 25, 2019, Harichandana suffered from severe breathlessness and a terrible cough. She was rushed to the hospital, and doctors advised Harichandana’s parents to prepare her for an immediate open heart surgery. Unfortunately, the family was barely making ends meet on their income of $55 CAD a month. They couldn’t afford the hefty cost of the surgery, adding up to nearly $4700 CAD.

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A closer look: Pochaiv site, Ukraine

We’re going on mission! From July 6-20th, 2020, we will be travelling with a team of Canadian volunteers to our Pochaiv site in Ukraine. This incredible mission of love, well being, and prosperity will allow volunteers to serve and support our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, all while learning about Ukrainian culture and customs. Let’s take a closer look at our Pochaiv site and all of the ways mission volunteers can get involved.

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Smashing misconceptions in Kodaikanal, India

Gender discrimination happens no matter where you live. Despite the efforts of the United Nations and many other organizations all over the world, this form of discrimination is still persistent in all areas of public and private life around the world today.

Our partners at our sites work diligently in their communities to break the many barriers caused by gender discrimination. Through workshops, information sessions and resources given to parents of sponsored children, progress is being made, especially in improving educational opportunities for girls.

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Vulnerable students can now attend school safely

St. Odilia’s School, a part of Chalice’s Kawambwa site, is located in the remote community of Mporokoso, Zambia. Community members must travel to access basic amenities, such as the hospital and retail district. This is a challenge for St. Odilia’s students, because of the 172 students enrolled, almost a quarter of them are blind or partially-sighted. Another 15% of the students have albinism. These children are vulnerable because there is a rare but prevailing traditional ritual in the region that involves harming albino people.

Since it’s too hazardous for the students to rely on walking or public transit, they must be shuttled to any daily activity. It was a profound blessing when generous donors covered the cost of a 30-seater bus for the school! They also covered the cost of insurance, fuel, and tires. As soon as the bus was registered, the Sisters and children had a celebration and blessed it in gratitude!

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How sponsorship supports the whole family

Child sponsorship is not just designed to benefit a child in need; it benefits their entire family. Our approach is all about sustainability. With the right support, families can gain the tools and knowledge necessary to take steps towards a better future. The Bustamente family is an inspiring example of the lasting effects that sponsorship has on each member of a family!

Gladys and Reynaldo have five children, and live in the rural mountains of La Paz, Bolivia, a fair distance from the urban bustle of the city. Raising five children on Reynaldo’s income as a carpenter proved to be impossible. It was incredibly difficult for Gladys and Reynaldo to provide enough food for all of their children. This, in turn, affected the children’s ability to attend and succeed in school.

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“If love is in your heart, you are in the palms of God”

Katya, a young woman from our Ternopil site in Ukraine, has a favourite quote that she often reflects on: “If love is in your heart, you are in the palms of God.” Katya’s been sponsored for the past 11 years, and tries her best to spread the love of God with others. “The main calling of each person is to love others and be ready to help them, therefore fulfilling God’s will,” Katya smiles.

Looking at sincere, balanced, and thoughtful Katya, it’s hard to believe that she’s lived through so much tragedy and sadness. When Katya was just two years old, her mother passed away in a car accident. Katya and her siblings were left orphaned and heartbroken. Their loving grandmother adopted the four children, and tried her best to provide for a good life for them.

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Families spread Christmas cheer in Peru

In Peru, Christmas is the one of the most cherished times of the year. Sponsored children and families at our PINIFE site in Peru eagerly anticipate the Christmas season and joyfully celebrate together. During this time, they share love and warmth not only with each other, but with those in need throughout their community through thoughtful gifts and acts of service.

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Gifts of love bless families in Bolivia

Since 2012, Chalice has worked with partners in Sucre, Bolivia to offer care and services to vulnerable children and families. In addition to sponsorship, our Levántate Mujer site is also involved in our gift catalogue program. At Christmas (and throughout the year,) kind Canadians can purchase gifts through our catalogue to be given to those in need. Thanks to our generous supporters, many children and families from our Levántate Mujer site were blessed with a variety of gifts this year!

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