Fish feed faithful in El Salvador - 28th August 2020

A priest in El Salvador came up with a fishy plan to combat Covid-induced food shortages through the pandemic.

Santa Ana priest Moises Rutilio Moran had initially been gathering provisions in a bid to relieve the hardship faced by Salvadorans, thousands of whom were in dire need of fresh produce.

However, he soon realised he no longer had the means to cover basic utilities and other necessities required to keep his church running.

Determined for the church not to become a drain on the community’s resources, the innovative priest and his staff excavated a pond to farm and sell tilapia fish to parishioners.

Moran: "The project was born from the need to earn an income that we were no longer receiving because people can't come to the church, and the fact that churches are closed, and with the goal of supporting the church."

While many priests had to let employees go due to lack of resources, Moran’s venture has seen him actually taking on additional staff.

Despite finding pleasure in his new labours, Moran’s impatient for the church doors to reopen and eager to shepherd his flock through such troubled times.