Advantage Africa is Responding to the Food Crisis in Kenya
This newsletter is also available on CD and by download from our website www.advantageafrica.org. Since our last newsletter in June, a humanitarian emergency emerged across large parts of East Africa and the rapidly spiralling costs of provisions threatened many families in our partner communities with serious malnutrition.
Burgwin Muthoka wrote to us from Kibwezi District in eastern Kenya, the area most affected by the drought amongst our partner communities. He said: ‘Rivers are drying up and schools are closing due to lack of food. Food prices have gone up dramatically and maize has increased from 20 shillings a kilo to 50. If we don’t get urgent support, people are really going to suffer’.
Advantage Africa has always focused on reaching the most vulnerable people and particularly those affected by HIV and disability who are often overlooked in times of crisis. So in July, we launched our food crisis appeal and sent a copy of Burgwin’s letter to many of you, with a request to help those most in need.
The appeal has since raised nearly £3,000 and we are so grateful to everyone who made a donation. Your support is enabling Rescue Team to provide nutritious food to 140 orphans and 50 people with HIV, the Kibwezi Disabled People’s Organisation to reach a similar number of vulnerable people with protective rations, and the Sikizana Trust to ensure that 300 malnourished children identified by local clinics can regain their health and strength.
We’re still receiving reports of malnourished children from the Kibwezi District Nutritionist and the needs remain great. We have therefore decided to keep our appeal open at: www//uk.virginmoneygiving.com/advantageafrica.
In this issue we highlight some of the people who are being assisted by the appeal and focus on how our work in Kibwezi District is also building the longer term resilience of vulnerable people to improve their health and livelihoods.