Food Security Kenya Project #19788

Feed 1,800 orphaned children in rural Kenya.

by Makindu Children's Program

Feed 1,800 orphaned children in rural Kenya.

Project Report | May 26, 2024
Flood damage brings more children to the Center

By Diana Richardson | Executive Director

This hut was destroyed by the recent rains.

Devastating Floods Wreak Havoc on Makindu Community, Displacing Families and Destroying Infrastructure
The recent torrential rains and subsequent floods in Kenya have caused widespread devastation, particularly in the Makindu community. Over the past few weeks, relentless downpours have destroyed homes, outbuildings, crops, roads, and bridges, leaving the area in a state of crisis. Food shortages loom as the community grapples with the aftermath of one of the most severe weather events in living memory.

Impact on Homes and Infrastructure
The pounding rains, lasting for six hours at a time and accompanied by strong gusts and occasional hail, have obliterated most shambas, the small-scale farms crucial for local sustenance. The flooding has washed away vital roadways and bridges, severing essential links for transportation and communication. Three households have been completely displaced as their homes were swept away by the deluge. Tragically, many people have lost their lives, especially those caught in the mountains, children playing near the rivers, and livestock grazing nearby. Fortunately, no one associated with the Makindu Children’s Center (MCC) has perished in the disaster.

Food Shortages and Emergency Response
With the destruction of crops and infrastructure, the community faces imminent food shortages. As such, the Makindu Children's Center is serving more children who have been displaced or whose shamba has been destroyed. The Center lunch program will be crucial in preventing starvation and ensuring the well-being of the community members during this critical time.

A Silver Lining: Increased Goat Milk Production
Amid the widespread destruction, there is a small but significant silver lining. The floods have resulted in an abundance of vegetation, providing ample food for goats. This surge in available forage has led to an increase in milk production, enhancing the nutritional intake for the children. The increased milk supply from the goats offers a glimmer of hope, contributing to better health and nutrition despite the otherwise dire circumstances.

MCC Shamba: A Beacon of Resilience
Remarkably, the shamba maintained by the Makindu Children’s Center has fared well through the extreme weather. The crops, particularly kale, remain healthy and thriving. This resilient plot will be instrumental in providing a steady supply of fresh vegetables to the community, bolstering their food security in the face of broader agricultural failures.

Conclusion
The Makindu community is enduring an unparalleled natural disaster, with the recent floods causing significant loss and hardship. The efforts by the Makindu Children’s Center to feed those who lost have lost so much are vital to addressing the immediate needs of the displaced and affected families. While the overall outlook is challenging, the increased goat milk production and the resilience of the MCC shamba offer rays of hope, underscoring the community's strength and determination to overcome this adversity. Please continue to support these children who face such extreme obstacles.

Food lines swell after floods

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Jan 30, 2024
Long Food Lines Continue

By Samira Lobby | Project Assistant

Heaping plate!

We continue to feed over 1,800 children, their guardians and some of the other children living in those households, all through a number of nutritional programs we offer:

1. All households receive essential relief food every other month. This is a collaborative effort made possible by the donations of unimix and beans from the county and discounted and delivered grains and cooking oil from a local food supplier.

2. Hot nutritious meals at the Center are available for daily lunch. Many children bring other kids living in their households to eat and we are glad to have such a positive impact on the community. The food lines are something to see!

3. Egg-laying chickens and dairy goats have been given to every household and contribute to the nutritional well-being of the children and their guardians. The eggs and goat milk serve as valuable sources of protein and other essential nutrients, providing a sustainable and locally-sourced solution to nutritional needs. Public schools do not provide lunch, so many of the children take a hard-boiled egg for lunch, fresh from their hens at home.

4. The acre garden is lush with fruit trees and vegetables which we serve as fresh and healthy supplements to the childrens diets. This is made possible by the solar-powered irrigation system.

Food security is one of our main focus items as the guardians constantly face water scarcity and the nation remains plagued with high fuel prices. The last planting season yielded a small amount of green grams (a type of bean) and enough rain to green up vegetation for the goats, thereby increasing the production of the wonderfully nutritious goat milk. We are hopeful the next planting season will provide some relief as well.

Even though perennial challenges remain, we are proud to report that none of the children in our program are malnourished. Thank you for helping us feed the kids!

Kids line up for lunch.

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Sep 29, 2023
LONG FOOD LINES CONTINUE

By Diana Richardson | Executive Director

Meet Mwangi:

Mwangi developed servere brain damage during birth, as a result of prolonged labaor. His mother is HIV positive and always sickly. She struggled to put food on the table. The damage in Mwangi's brain affected several other body parts, including his leg, backbone and hands. The family's lack of resources has contributed to a slow decline of Mwangi's condition. Mwangi was admitted to the program, and he and his mother began eating on a regular basis. Additionally, Makindu Children's Center scheduled Mwangi with physio-therapist sessions to regain proper use of his limbs and correct the anomalies.

Since Mwangi was recruited into the program, his health has drastically improved due to consistent nutritional and medical support they get from the Center.

Many others in the Makindu region also suffer from the continued food shortage, with still no significant rain in years. Add to that the rising inflation - especially with fuel costs, keeping the basic necessity of daily meals financially out of reach for the children and their households in our program. This means the food lines at the Children's Center continue to be long, as hundreds of kids visit daily for breakfast and/or lunch. Saturdays continue to be our busiest days with kids out of school, doubling and sometimes tripling the amount of meals served. During the August school break, most weekdays were as busy as Saturdays. With the support of our donors we were able to afford and supply plenty of food for all in queue.

We are pleased to report that no child in our program suffered from malnutrition, over 500 children received multivitamins, and all our households received two rounds of food relief in the form of maize, beans and cooking oil.

Thank you for helping us keep these kids alive and fed. You are helping us make a HUGE difference in hundreds of lives.

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