Drought in Samburu
Posted on April 2, 2009 - Filed Under General News | Leave a Comment
A LITTLE HELP
I’ve been hungry, but I’ve never been starving. I’ve never been so desperate
that I picked up individual pieces of spilled dried corn and beans out of
the dusty ground. I’ve never held out a plastic container and begged for
“just a cup” of corn. You probably haven’t either. But as food was
distributed at the Baptist church in Maralal, Kenya and greed overtook some
people who grabbed and pushed, others sat in the dirt with their plastic
cups and bags and winnowed the remains in the hopes that it might be enough
to make a meal. I couldn’t see how such a little amount could make a
difference to anyone, but I suppose that is the difference between want and
need. I beginning to believe there is a certain psychology accompanying
extreme hunger that affects people in a way that most of us will never
understand. In the Samburu district in Central Kenya, we have not seen a
drop of rain fall for over 4 months. If drought persists, conditions will
worsen. As grasslands dry up there is no pasture for livestock. Cows no
longer provide milk which is vital as a source of food and also money to buy
other food staples like flour, tea and sugar. This is the life of the
pastoralist. The water holes where women walk daily have become little more
than cracked and dried depressions of dirt. They now must walk much further
and in some areas must wait for elephants for to have their fill before they
dare draw their own daily supply.
Many Samburu are having a difficult time these days; some more than others.
While some are still able to walk and wait and survive on a little, others
are in real danger. They are sick with HIV/AIDS, elderly, widowed, orphaned.
These are the ones we sought out as we gave food provided by Baptist Global
Response. Over a period of 4 days, we were able to give 31,680 pounds of
beans, 63,360 pounds of dried corn and 3,520 pounds of fat. Each person
received enough food to get them through the next month. Purchasing goods
and transport through local vendors with whom we have relationship allowed
us to provide adequate nutrition for one month for approximately 5,760
people. Living and working in the area allowed us to utilize local pastors,
church members and community leaders who worked (without pay) to distribute
food with honesty and fairness. At the same time, we demonstrated the
incarnate love of Christ as we gave to the “least of these”. Thank you for
your prayers and support of our work, our ministry and the Samburu people of
Kenya. Continue to pray for rain.
www.imb.org
www.baptistglobalresponse.org
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