Friday, April 22, 2011
Hunger
To reach the least known and indeed, forgotten of Kenya’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), I travelled north to Samburu County, enduring the bandit infested bone breaking 110km stretch of ruts and furrows that pass for a road between Rumuruti and Maralal town.(..)Unlike other IDPs who receive food and even money from the Government, through the Ministry of Special Programmes, the little relief food that trickles into the camp.
Experts argue that unless the government and relief organizations move in to save the situation, thousands of livestock will die and hundreds of pastoralist communities will stare starvation in the face.
In an early warning signal, the Meteorological Department is asking the people from northern Kenya- prone to drought - to brace themselves for the worst drought in as many years.
Consequently, the Meteorological Department has also put the government on notice, on the need to start stocking up and boost food supplies by seeking help from world food organizations in preparation for hard times ahead.
The arid and predominantly pastoral North Eastern province in addition to drought and insecurity due to cattle rustling and general banditry that have significantly affected the marginal farming activities in the area suffers from a deplorable lack of infrastructure. Lack of sufficient water resources for both humans and animals is a major problem in the region as the few water wells dry up immediately drought sets in.
Predominantly inhabited by the ethnic Somali, and whose residents cite lack of infrastructure as an example of deliberate neglect by the government, the region is still haunted by insecurity dating back to the early days of independence when a secessionist war raged, and more recently, spillover banditry from neighbouring Ethiopia and Somalia.
With insufficient rainfall and limited water sources, subsistence farming is negligible, with the major income for food purchase being livestock. But persistent drought and livestock diseases have significantly reduced the livestock population. This, combined with lack of a structured livestock market after the demise of the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC), has eroded the purchasing power of the residents, leaving them susceptible to food deficit situations.
Early last month, the North-Eastern Provincial Commissioner Abdul Mwaserrah issued an alert saying a severe famine a result of many months of drought in the area was looming large. Mwaserrah was taking the cue from eleven Members of Parliament from North-Eastern province, who had earlier put the government on alert, warning that the region was already reeling under a severe drought.
Stanslaus Gachara, an agricultural meteorologist cautions that this year and the season that runs to 2004 has and will continue to experience one of the worst rainfall deficit years for the Arid And Semi-Arid Lands [ASALs] since the year 2000.
The coming drought is as a result of cumulative prolonged drought that has persisted since 2000 , he says. In some parts of Kenya, the drought that commenced in mid 1998 after the El Nino rains continued unabated to this year, even with recent heavy rainfall in late April and early May , he adds.
It is worth noting that after the El Nino phenomenon, the north-eastern and north-western parts of the country were severely affected by drought. The Meteorological Department s Assistant Director of forecasting Peter Ambenje observes that the rainfall data collected through the year 2000, were on average the lowest on record since 1961, which, though not known to many Kenyans, was worse than the rain shortage of 1984 .
The year 1984 will be remembered as one of the worst famine years in contemporary Kenya, in which the government was forced to import yellow maize to heavily subsidise acute staple food shortages, occasioned by failed rainfall and drought.
Ambenje observes: The drought season in the ASALs is a pattern that repeats itself after every four or so years . According to him, the north-eastern and north-western parts of the country should expect acute short rains that were supposed to have started in mid-October.
The north-eastern and north-western regions, says Ambenje, both of which consist of ASALs, exhibit annual rainfall patterns that range from as low as 230mm to 700mm .
While food shortages are always blamed on drought, experts apportion the blame to the government for its poor agricultural policies. According to Dr Hezron Nyangito, a researcher with the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research [IPAR], poor policies are to blame for the perennial food shortages.
Government records show that since independence, the country has had major nationwide food deficits in 1980/81, 1981/1982 and 1984/1985, which, though mainly caused by drought were also partly due to negative effects of poor agricultural policies , observes Nyangito.
Support us in any way possible to bring back life in this people, if the government can support this people, we can.
Experts argue that unless the government and relief organizations move in to save the situation, thousands of livestock will die and hundreds of pastoralist communities will stare starvation in the face.
In an early warning signal, the Meteorological Department is asking the people from northern Kenya- prone to drought - to brace themselves for the worst drought in as many years.
Consequently, the Meteorological Department has also put the government on notice, on the need to start stocking up and boost food supplies by seeking help from world food organizations in preparation for hard times ahead.
The arid and predominantly pastoral North Eastern province in addition to drought and insecurity due to cattle rustling and general banditry that have significantly affected the marginal farming activities in the area suffers from a deplorable lack of infrastructure. Lack of sufficient water resources for both humans and animals is a major problem in the region as the few water wells dry up immediately drought sets in.
Predominantly inhabited by the ethnic Somali, and whose residents cite lack of infrastructure as an example of deliberate neglect by the government, the region is still haunted by insecurity dating back to the early days of independence when a secessionist war raged, and more recently, spillover banditry from neighbouring Ethiopia and Somalia.
With insufficient rainfall and limited water sources, subsistence farming is negligible, with the major income for food purchase being livestock. But persistent drought and livestock diseases have significantly reduced the livestock population. This, combined with lack of a structured livestock market after the demise of the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC), has eroded the purchasing power of the residents, leaving them susceptible to food deficit situations.
Early last month, the North-Eastern Provincial Commissioner Abdul Mwaserrah issued an alert saying a severe famine a result of many months of drought in the area was looming large. Mwaserrah was taking the cue from eleven Members of Parliament from North-Eastern province, who had earlier put the government on alert, warning that the region was already reeling under a severe drought.
Stanslaus Gachara, an agricultural meteorologist cautions that this year and the season that runs to 2004 has and will continue to experience one of the worst rainfall deficit years for the Arid And Semi-Arid Lands [ASALs] since the year 2000.
The coming drought is as a result of cumulative prolonged drought that has persisted since 2000 , he says. In some parts of Kenya, the drought that commenced in mid 1998 after the El Nino rains continued unabated to this year, even with recent heavy rainfall in late April and early May , he adds.
It is worth noting that after the El Nino phenomenon, the north-eastern and north-western parts of the country were severely affected by drought. The Meteorological Department s Assistant Director of forecasting Peter Ambenje observes that the rainfall data collected through the year 2000, were on average the lowest on record since 1961, which, though not known to many Kenyans, was worse than the rain shortage of 1984 .
The year 1984 will be remembered as one of the worst famine years in contemporary Kenya, in which the government was forced to import yellow maize to heavily subsidise acute staple food shortages, occasioned by failed rainfall and drought.
Ambenje observes: The drought season in the ASALs is a pattern that repeats itself after every four or so years . According to him, the north-eastern and north-western parts of the country should expect acute short rains that were supposed to have started in mid-October.
The north-eastern and north-western regions, says Ambenje, both of which consist of ASALs, exhibit annual rainfall patterns that range from as low as 230mm to 700mm .
While food shortages are always blamed on drought, experts apportion the blame to the government for its poor agricultural policies. According to Dr Hezron Nyangito, a researcher with the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research [IPAR], poor policies are to blame for the perennial food shortages.
Government records show that since independence, the country has had major nationwide food deficits in 1980/81, 1981/1982 and 1984/1985, which, though mainly caused by drought were also partly due to negative effects of poor agricultural policies , observes Nyangito.
Support us in any way possible to bring back life in this people, if the government can support this people, we can.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
SIGN OF RELIEF
The latest news is that the heavens has openned and some sign of relief started to b felt after the seasona rains came down hence shortenning the span of suffering to those that have been affected by the issue of hunger, this means that after a few months there will be food with the countinuity of the rains. BUT, still with this sign of relief, a lot need to be done before the actual relief comes in, i.e the people needs to be fed until when the food is plenty in the country at large. As our role in the society, we are pleading with well wishers and people who would like to bring an impact to a life, to donate a little of what they have to go towards this project while still praying for heavenly intervention upon Africa.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
"LETS MAKE HUNGER A HISTORY"
Hello guys it has been a long time since i posted any update but am back with a new project, according to the current status in our country, it has gone to a black point of people dying out of hunger. As a result of a prolonged drought, famine has strike kenya especially in the northen part and it has been declared a national disaster. We as an internatinal community has declared an 'END HUNGER CAMPAIGN' where we are requesting of your participation in this campaign. Make it happen by donating 10% of what u have and passing this information to a friend. We already have a few sucks of maize which we wil add more with your assistance. Donations can be sent to us via M PESA number, 0721268201 OR through bank account which is 0130190730732 Equity bank, gate house bank, Nakuru. Lets MAKE IT HAPPEN and give a life to some one. Thanks.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thanks!
Hi People,we have good news to all of you who participated in prayers and every thing else for our girl Sandra, she is now in school and doing well.
We were in school to see how she is coping with the new environment and surely the girl shown a lot of happiness and wore a smile on her face when she saw us approaching.
We have not yet found a sponsor and anyone who think he/she can help is very welcome just call us or email us and we'll give you more details about the girl.
This is one of the pictures of her in school having lunch.
We were in school to see how she is coping with the new environment and surely the girl shown a lot of happiness and wore a smile on her face when she saw us approaching.
We have not yet found a sponsor and anyone who think he/she can help is very welcome just call us or email us and we'll give you more details about the girl.
This is one of the pictures of her in school having lunch.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sandra Akomwa
This week we also have a special case of a small kid that is orphaned and comes from a semi arid area along the northern rift of kenya (Turkana). the girl dropped out of school after her parents died of AIDs and now we have taken her in, she will report to school on Wednesday of this week.
She is supposed to be in class three but because of the fate that befell her, she will report in class one. We as a community has seen that she gets back to school but we are requesting for any one who can sponsor the kid in order to see the continuity of her Education, Any kind of assistance is most welcome.
She is supposed to be in class three but because of the fate that befell her, she will report in class one. We as a community has seen that she gets back to school but we are requesting for any one who can sponsor the kid in order to see the continuity of her Education, Any kind of assistance is most welcome.
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