Kenya harvest fails

Kenya harvest fails


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Published: 17 September 2009

Millions of families in Kenya are facing starvation and urgently need food relief and water aid, and help to address long-term food security issues. Mothers' Union 400,000-strong membership across rural Kenya is at the coalface of this huge need, working to do all they can for their neighbours and communities.

A national crisis was flagged up in January by the Church World Service. 2008's rainy season had failed to materialize, and the people had eaten all the food they had by January, many were going hungry and all hopes were pinned on 2009's rains. But the rains failed again in April, and the land has stayed dry. The harvest couldn't grow and thousands of families, who were already desperate and going hungry daily, suddenly found themselves facing long-term hunger, which, if unalleviated, can only lead to malnutrition and its related diseases and collapse, and eventually starvation.

Mothers' Union Kenya began receiving calls for help from sixteen dioceses across Kenya. An estimated 10 million people are now living with serious food shortage. In one of the biggest Relief Fund outlays ever sent by Mothers' Union, over £74,000 has already been sent.

Bondo Diocese wrote to Mothers' Union, "The drought has resulted in severe famine and diseases of which many people have lost lives. People have been preparing their farms for the long rains season and have planted at least three times awaiting for rains to come, but in vain"

Not only does this leave people without food, but crop seed has also been wasted, and livestock, which provide milk and meat, are dying or already gone.

Mothers' Union Kenya have requested urgent help. Three of these 16 dioceses are linked in prayer to Manchester - Maseno South, Maseno West and Southern Nyanza.

Please help today. Donations can be given to Mothers' Union Manchester at 90 Deansgate or online at www.themothersunion.org.  Alternatively, donations can be sent direct to London - Mothers' Union, Mary Sumner House, 24 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3RB.

Please try to gift aid where possible.


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