Dear brother Don & WFR folks,

As you are aware, the current food shortage in Kenya has several reasons: Violence following the disputed Presidential election in December 2007 severely affected the planting season... In 2008 a massive drought struck the Eastern and Coastal Provinces, leaving farmers with failing crops following the failure of the short rains in October-December 2008. There has been some rain in the past few days in some parts of the country, but too little and too late to ensure a harvest this season. Visit: http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158357~A_global_food_crisis%3F

See attached pic 5 & 6 where Yovensiah (one of the widows at the Nyamue church) is working on her maize plantation. On Pic 6, Yovensiah is showing me how her maize crops have dried up because of the long drought. It is highly unlikely that she will have a good harvest.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Kenya, food prices have increased by 33% within the last year. The economic situation is deteriorating through livestock diseases, crop failures, conflicts in the pastoral areas and the general lack of an overall food security plan for Kenya.

On the attached pic 9, 10 & 11, young Hezbon, Ann, Dickson, Brian, Juma & Edwin (both Sunday school kids at Nyamue and some NJCA pre-school kids) are out to look for world fruits in the forest, now that it is a weekend and they won’t get the porridge & snacks that they offered  in school. It is sad but a matter of fact  what we offer at school is what most kids, especially those who are orphaned, live on.

On the attached Pic 7, Teresia Bochere (widow whose husband died of HIV/Aids, who is also infected, whose story and need I shared a few weeks ago) is with her last born child Kerubo at their small garden. They resorted to planting sweet potatoes and cassava for food as the crop is drought resistant. But the concern is: When will the potatoes (planted where they are standing) and the cassava (appearing from the side) grow for them to have food? Several months of course and that is IF we get some rains.

The current Government of Kenya measures intended to provide subsidized maize flour to low income areas have not adequately cushioned the poor groups, due to lack of enough flour to go around and eroded purchasing capacity of the majority of the affected families.

Compared to a few years ago, the price of a bag of rice, beans or maize is three times as much than it was two years ago, yet a majority of Kenyans live on an extremely tiny income of less than a dollar a day. They simply cannot afford the food that’s on the shelf.

On pic  4, Josephine is with her hungry kids Peril,  Ann & Dennis. “How are you this morning Jesephine?” I greeted the lady, Nyamue church member, at her home this morning. “Doing fine. God is good to us. My younger kid Peril did not cry much last night even though we had nothing to eat” she responded. This really broke my heart! Situations such as Jesephine’s are what I have to face every day I go around visiting church members. It becomes very difficult for my wife Bassy & I to look the other way and assume all is alright. We always don’t have a choice – we have to feed the hungry from the little funding meant for personal expenses.

For the Kenyans who keep livestock, the sale of one goat used to buy a 90 kilogram bag of maize. And now, it takes four goats to get the same amount of maize. The livestock are not nearly as valuable as they were in the past because of the long drought. Visit: http://practicalaction.org/east-africa/drought-kenya

On the attached pic 13, a 10 year old Sangaro is grazing her pet goats as Dennis Otanchi (a 15 year old youth) has brought the goats water all the way from  the river… On Pic 1, 2 & 3, Josephine, Gladys, Evalyne & Peris are fetching water at the same river and guess how far they will travel with the water on their heads to get home? More than 2 miles!

Just like one Kenyan church minister reported, “In some parts of Kenya, it is easier to find people who want to be baptized than water in which to baptize them, due to severe drought… ” (The Christian Chronicle, Oct 2009 issue, International news, Kenya)

Health issues have also arisen in some parts of Kenya because of the drought, which has left farmers with barren fields and caused grazing lands to be littered with the carcasses of dead cattle.

Now is the time for the international community to act and I am making a really urgent (but humble) appeal to WFR Relief Ministries to kindly make a special contribution to help safe the lives of the millions of desperate orphaned children and poor widows staring starvation on the face with biting drought in Kenya.

While we can’t control disasters: We can help people adapt to the environments they live in… We can help people build a more sustainable and secure future… We can make a long term difference!

Thanks and may God bless you.

In His service & yours,

David Marube

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 September 8, 2009

Brother Don,

As you know, reasons for the lack of food in Kenya are many and varied… Violence followed the disputed presidential election in December 2007; this severely affected the planting season and stalled maize production across the Rift Valley, the country’s breadbasket — including Kenya’s Western and Nyanza provinces. In 2008 a massive drought struck large sections of Kenya’s Arid and Semi Arid Lands, leaving farmers with failing crops. Failure of the short rains in October—December 2008 followed a succession of poor rainy seasons.

Please continue in prayer for all who have been affected by the drought and famine situation here. Thanks for your willingness to help Teresia, Agnes and the orphaned children at Nyamue. Please let me know when you are able to find some funds to enable us attend to their humanitarian needs. There is need for immediate intervention and assistance.

In His service and yours,

David

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 07 November 2009 - Brother Don: Thank God we now have some rains but a majority of people in the village still have a problem accessing clean water. Attached find more pictures that speak volumes about this situation. Am still looking for ways to filter water. If I fail to get a local solution, I'll ask for the HHI filters. Will distribute relief food tomorrow. God bless - David

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Dear brother Don & WFR folks,

 

Last Sunday (Nov 8, 2009), we distributed food – gave 4kg of maize floor to 300 people, both young and old, at Nyamue (attached find pictures) -- thanks to WFR folks for their generous contribution.

 

“Hunger at its most severe, invades every part of your body and your mind. Sometimes it creeps through your limbs leaving you so weak and dizzy, you can't do the most essential tasks - collecting water or firewood. At other times, it affects you more lethally so that your mind is full of desperate thoughts. With an empty stomach, It is even hard to concentrate in worship.... Give our heartfelt appreciation to all who donated the food” remarked Bosibori, the oldest member in our congregation, on behalf of other Nyamue members... I concur with them.

 

A few months ago, President Kibaki made an international appeal for food aid to help alleviate famine affecting 10 million people. He said an assessment from Kenya Food Security Steering Group indicates that Kenya requires Sh37 billion to meet all the needs of the current food emergency, caused by the failure of the short-rains throughout most of the country and the cumulative effects of four consecutive poor rain seasons in the last two years. 

Of course inflation has played a part in the famine. The average inflation for 2008 was 26.2 percent compared to 9.8 percent in 2007. Food prices rose by 35.3 percent while energy prices increased by 21.5 percent. Other household expenses also grew by between 15 and 20 percent last year, with the lower income groups being the most affected.

The above factors were responsible for the sharp rise in prices of maize and maize products as well as other foods that form the staple foods of most Kenyans.

Once again, thanks to WFR relief for their recent grants that has been enabling us to feed the hungry here. If there are any more funds to donate, I urge you to respond in a timely and urgent manner, because the need is still overwhelming – the emergency is still with us now.

God’s blessings!

In His service & yours,

David Marube.