Kenyan hunger worsens over drought
Millions of Kenyans are going hungry because of a severe drought that has devastated harvests and caused food prices to more than double. Jennifer Collins reports.
Children in a community outside of Lodwar, Kenya, more than 300 miles northwest of Nairobi. Many of these children survive on one meal a day --- if that. (Aaron Nee)
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Margaret Akai lives in the community outside of Lodwar. She has nine children. They sleep in the huts behind her. One of her children shows visible signs of malnutrition.
John Githongo, a former anti-corruption chief in the Kenyan government, at a press conference.
Stella Nabibia is the head of the catering department at Turkana Women Conference Center. She's had to skip lunch as the price of food has skyrocketed because of drought.
Peter Etesiro is the village elder in this community of about 300 on the outskirts of Lodwar, more than 300 miles northwest of Nairobi. He says this drought has been one of the most difficult experiences of his life.
Jennifer Collins responds to readers' questions after story below.
TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: In Kenya today the director of the government's Anti-Corruption Commission has resigned. Maybe because after 5 years in office, he hadn't successfully prosecuted a single case. Corruption was one reason the U.S. threatened to stop some Kenyan politicians from coming here this week, and also to take a closer look at some planned aid programs.
All of this attention to corruption comes as Kenya is suffering through its worst drought in a decade. A drought that has basically broken the agricultural economy there. Marketplace's Jennifer Collins reports now from Northwest Kenya.
JENNIFER COLLINS: In the searing afternoon heat, a couple dozen women sit in the shade of a tree and weave baskets.
They make about 30 cents a day. That's if they can sell those baskets. Even in this dusty rural community about 300 miles from Nairobi, 30 cents isn't much. Margaret Akai worries about feeding herself, her husband and nine children.
MARGARET AKAI: The kids are really starving and if there is no intervention, they will not survive. They're becoming weak and susceptible to illness.
The drought has devastated agriculture and killed off livestock, so men like Akai's husband can't find work as herders. She says everyone depends on her now.
AKAI: When I see my kids going hungry, I try to weave very fast. So I can then go to the river and collect firewood to sell in town.
But even this extra money doesn't put enough food on the table. Residents here say hunger contributed to the deaths of some of their neighbors. The World Food Program warns more Kenyans may die if food isn't soon shipped to the nearly 4 million people who urgently need it. Another $230 million is needed for emergency rations. But because of the global financial crisis, donor countries are slow to give. And some Kenyans are outraged to see their country in this dire situation.
JOHN Githongo: For even one Kenyan to die is not acceptable.
John Githongo is an anti-corruption official in the Kenyan government. Now, he runs a couple of nonprofits. He says Kenya used to be known as a breadbasket. It should have the resources to handle this crisis.
Githongo: The Kenyan government collects over $4 billion in tax every year. The civil service and provincial administration in this country has the capacity to distribute food around the country. So Kenya is well placed to deal with these kinds of problems.
Githongo says the government is wracked by graft and infighting. There are also reports that corrupt officials sold off some of the country's grain reserves at the beginning of the drought. Now there's not enough left to feed the hungry. Restaurant manager Stella Nabibia says corruption is exacerbating the affects of this drought.
Stella Nabibia: It makes the prices to go high.
Nabibia runs a restaurant that's popular with tourists and aid workers -- even here there are problems.
Nabibia: You can see there are stickers.
Stickers, because food has to be shipped in from more fertile regions -- things like tomato and kale are five times as expensive as they used to be. So new prices cover last year's menu. Nabibia says she's also had to cut back on the food she cooks for her 8-year-old son. They have tea for breakfast everyday and skip lunch. But on her walk to work she sees people who are far worse off.
Nabibia: You just seem them. Sometimes they just come asking for water, just for water to keep them going. It's not new here if somebody tells you I've gone for four days without food. It's real. Yeah, it's real.
Faced with this reality, Margaret Akai and her neighbors weave their baskets and pray that help will come soon --- from inside or outside Kenya. But village elder Peter Etesiro is pessimistic.
Peter Etesiro: I'm used to hard times. But this time is the worst because I see only darkness. There's just no solution.
In the Turkana district, I'm Jennifer Collins for Marketplace.
Comments
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From Fort Worth, TX, 10/06/2009
Thanks to Marketplace for airing stories about Kenya. Manya are asking why a woman has nine kids in Turkana, well the man has all the say,and the woman does the feeding of the children.More cows,more kids.When the drought strikes, the man is miserable.Lasting solutions to the woes of African problems is the answer but not handouts.
From Los Angeles, CA, 10/05/2009
For those of you who commented: Thank you -- Your feedback means a lot to us at Marketplace.
For those who would like to provide assistance to Margaret Akai and the community on the outskirts of Lodwar, Kenya, Share International has already provided some food and other assistance to this community. Director Sammy Murimi has Kenyan roots and lives in Louisiana. He tells me he's willing to work to make sure the aid gets directly to Akai and others. Here's a link: http://www.shareinternationalinc.com/SITurkanaInfo.html
Be sure to note that you are giving in response to this story and would like to provide assistance to the IDP Camp near Napatet, on the outskirts of Lodwar.
Also, for those requesting baskets. The aid organization Serv has a small program buying and reselling the baskets. Here's a link: http://tinyurl.com/ybe3cj4
I've emailed several other organizations, but I haven't found others working in that community yet. I'll post again if I find something. As always -- be sure to ask lots of questions to make sure you are satisfied with the organization and the way they spend your dollars.
There are others working in the Turkana region. They include (but are not limited to): The UN's World Food Program, World Vision, International Rescue Committee, etc.
From Coral Springs, FL, 10/01/2009
Thank you for airing this piece. I can attest first hand the problems that part of the world is facing. I am from Tanzania (neighboring country to Kenya) and the same problems depicted here persists... I do something about it... since my parents still live in tanzania, I visit each year, during the holidays, and take donations with me. Once I reach there, my mother (and other family memebers) we buy goats, flour, beans rice and oil, adn distribute to the people. One goat costs $25 and it yields 10-12 kilos. That means, that day, 10 families will eat meat from that one goat.We have it slaughtered in the yard, my mother cuts it up, and we distriubute to the women. Since they know we have been doing it for 3 years now, there is a long line early in the morning, and it is not uncommon to see 400 women waiting. I know it's not much, but I do whatever I can... All the money is used dollar for dollar, and no funds are used for "administration"
IF anyone is interested in donating funds for this December visit, pls contact me at: murt.hasham@gmail.com. Pls add goat doantion in the subjet line. Thanks,
From Brooklyn, NY, 10/01/2009
I think this can’t be stressed enough - Though there is an urgent need for emergency aid, we ALSO need to start exploring long term sustainable development solutions. . . Education is needed, we cannot continue to JUST rescue - in deeper respect for humanity we need solutions to the roots (of poverty) for survival, and for their further un-dependency.
From Charlotte, NC, 10/01/2009
How can I get in touch with Margaret Akai?
From Brooklyn, NY, 10/01/2009
Turkana is a hot and unforgiving environment where people have to work very hard for basic sustenance even in a good year. When we returned this July to review development projects we have supported and assess future needs, we were again met with amazing hospitality and wonderful song and dance by these very proud people. The situation was tough then but is now dire in Turkana and the rest of Kenya. The drought is wreaking havoc on the human population as well as on domestic and wild animals. The strained resources also increase the chance of violent conflict with neighboring tribes. We must hope for good rainfall these coming weeks. Right now there is an urgent need for emergency aid, but in the long run development of water infrastructure and alternative sources of income is needed. Our US based nonprofit organization Friends of Turkana (www.friendsofturkana.org) supports sustainable development in the region and we are trying to find avenues for sale of crafts from the region at a fair and just price.
From Enfield, CT, 10/01/2009
Greed and graft work very effectively for whoever is holding the purse. There are a few who are very, very smart and many who don't have even a basic education available to them to protect themselves from these people. In the community of Kisumu, one group has taken in 250 orphans and struggles to feed and educate them. In response to the food shortage, they have managed to get a commitment for a greenhouse to start growing there own food. If you'd like to see more, check out Fr. Tom's Kids at www.frtomskids.org
From Nairobi/San Francisco, CA, 10/01/2009
This piece highlights two very big problems in Kenya today - corruption and too many people. Addressing these two is the only way to deal with the ills facing our Kenya today. Those of you that have been Nairobi lately can attest to the fact that uncontrollable population growth is indeed a ticking time bomb. Although I am not opposed to sending food to the needy, this is only a temporal solution. A permanent solution to these two problems is the only long term answer...
From Boise, ID, 10/01/2009
A very evocative report focused on a pressing need. I found some of the above commentary very disturbung, however. Criticism is so much easier from our standpoint of wealth. We need to explore the roots of the poverty and the circumstances that yielded large families with less prejudice and without judgement.
From Bow, WA, 10/01/2009
In this part of the world strong family ties encourage relatives to rescue abandoned children to the peril of their own children. An organization desperately working hands on in this town can be found at http://unembraced.org You’ll see more struggling children orphaned by disease and abandonment. Thank you Ms. Collins for your wakeup call to reach out to these unembraced.
From Raleigh, NC, 10/01/2009
Before you blame the women with a lot of children, realize there is more to it. The reporter went to a rural place - most of the people here have always been poor though with rain it would not be as bad. Most of the women may never have heard of family planning and if they did, they could be in major trouble with their husbands. Most are likely to have never gone to school - either no fees or not allowed by their families or it was not common to go to school in their area. Originally and possibly even now, most of the people in this area are nomadic - that is all they know. No rain, no feed for their animals therefore no food and no money to purchase it. I am a Kenyan and understand how hard it is for people in these areas and situations. Don't assume they made bad choices please. For those of you willing to help be very sure your have a legit well established charity - corruption is so rampant in Kenya it is the root of all problems. Thanks to those of you trying to bring to light famine and curruption problems in Kenya - majority of Kenyans are peaceful, hard working people. Please help, even if it is learning more about the country or "sending" kind thoughts to the needy.
From Birmingham, AL, 10/01/2009
Am a kenyan living in the U.S and this story hits home hard. Corruption is the key ingredient to the overall problem though lack of rainfall for prolonged periods of time does not help the situation. The Kenyan govt is able to cater for it's citizens needs but no one in power seems to care about this souls. My heart goes to them. This are my brothers and sisters we are talking about, literally.
From Irvine, CA, 10/01/2009
For those here implying that the poor in this story are completely at fault for their situation, recall they didn't grow up with the same opportunities and education as we did in the US.
What level of education do you think the women has? Do you think a lot of funds were devoted to sex education in Kenya? Do you think contraceptives are readily available and affordable to a family earning $0.30 a day?
From Irvine, CA, 10/01/2009
For those here implying that the poor in this story are completely at fault for their situation, recall they didn't grow up with the same opportunities and education as we did in the US.
What level of education do you think the women has? Do you think a lot of funds were devoted to sex education in Kenya? Do you think contraceptives are readily available and affordable to a family earning $0.30 a day?
09/30/2009
I know that ADRA.org is a very reputable relief agency that already work in Kenya by bringing food and takes donations (not sure if they take tangible food donations or it is just funds) The organization works in over 120 countries, so you need to specify to them where exactly you want your donation to go and they will do it. They even have a "Do Something Kit" you can download on PDF from their website.
09/30/2009
Thank you for sharing this situation. There must be a way to get around the greed and corruption to get help to these people. I know that an outpouring of love and support would come if a channel was opened to get food and medicine to those suffering.
I saw some other comments which referenced the high number of children these families have. It almost seems like some viewers are blaming the fact the children are starving on the irresponsibility of the parents in family planning or something. There are cultural, historical, and spiritual reasons why the families are commonly so large families in Kenya, not to mention a lack of knowledge about taking precautions and the fact that women do not have the same rights and freedoms that they have in more developed countries.
From Anchorage, AK, 09/30/2009
It sure is a shame that so many People suffering starvation,while the World looks away,and bails out the Wall-street Bilionars.What can a Single Person do to help? Klaus
From Chino Hills, CA, 09/30/2009
Can you suggest an organization to support to help alleviate Kenya's hunger problem, Thanks, David Craig
From Davie, FL, 09/30/2009
Yes, how can we purchase baskets and will the money actually get to these women?
From Washington, D.C., 09/30/2009
Am I missing something? In one breath Ms. Collins mentions that the basket-weaver has nine children, and then in the next implies that the west urgently needs to send more food shipments to subsidize this patently unsustainable population. What happens when these children are grown up, still hungry, and still unable to feed themselves? Just look to Rwanda, Somalia or Darfur for the answer.
From Warrior, AL, 09/30/2009
I'm very glad Market Place is focusing on Kenya. However, I have liked for the reporter to ask the woman with nine children why she has so many mouths to feed. It seems the poorer the country (Iraq, Kenya, Mexico, etc.), the more children people. Too often reporters tackled tough problems without asking the simple ones.
From west orange, NJ, 09/30/2009
How can someone in the U.S. purchase some of the baskets (or more than 30 of course)or send food to the village?
Please offer suggestions. Thank you.
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