Washington DC --> Amsterdam --> Nairobi

Similar to my prior post, I've embedded a short film about the challenges WFP is facing in alleviating hunger throughout Kenya.

Nearly four million people are hungry right now, because of the devastating droughts, which have dried up agricultural production, picked off the herds, and left Kenyans fighting for their lives.

The "little rains" have started to arrive, which have alleviated the most immediate fears, but it is expected that these rains will lead to devastating flooding, as the parched earth is unable to absorb the water.

I've traveled to places suffering from disasters and poverty before - most notably, working during the Tsunami reconstruction effort in Aceh, Indonesia. It never ceases to amaze and humble me, the strength and resolve of those who are suffering the most. Their faith, their community, their family - these are the priorities, which deliver life's greatest joys and provide somewhat of an antidote to disaster and hardship, which, quite frankly, would snap me in two.

We can provide food and assistance, but the gifts of perspective and humility that I receive from these experiences cannot be underscored enough. I always find myself thinking about the words "want" and "need."

I leave for the airport in an hour. This will be my first trip to East Africa.

Rains Arrive in Kenya But Food in Short Supply

From the United Nations World Food Program (http://www.wfp.org/)

Rains Arrive in Kenya But Food in Short Supply

Seasonal rain has brought some relief to drought-stricken areas but it will be months before the harvest comes. Almost four million people are depending on WFP help to stave off hunger.

After months of bruising drought, rain has finally come to Kenya. The cracked earth is changing to red mud, the air filling with the smell of rain and green things, and frogs are singing again in riverbeds that have started to gradually fill with water. The much-needed rains have begun to rejuvenate pasture for those cattle and goats that have survived through the long dry period. It also provides a welcome relief to people who have had to trek up to 20 kilometers in search of water.

But although the rain has satisfied the need for water in most areas in Kenya, it has not helped the food shortages caused by the drought. Farmers have begun to plant their fields, but harvests will only come in February next year.

Nolkitemu Lelesara (see photo) is among the 3.8 million drought affected Kenyans who are receiving food assistance from the United Nations World Food Program. Lelesara is a pastoralist in the Samburu region of Kenya. Here, much of the famed wildlife has died from lack of water, and pastoralist livestock has also been similarly affected. Now, for the first in many months, the skinny goats and cattle are able to graze on emerging green grass. But Lelesara is only cautiously optimistic.

“We need this food assistance to continue,” Lelesara says, “It will take some time for us to be able to get food for ourselves, and our animals will take time to grow healthy and produce milk and cows.”

But, alongside the relief that comes with the rain, there are fears of flooding, particularly in north eastern parts of Kenya. El Nino, the periodic temperature change in surface waters that affects regional weather patterns, is the cause of these heavy rains. In 1997, the El Nino phenomenon caused severe flooding in Kenya. Water borne diseases, and more deaths amongst people and livestock followed. Climate experts estimate that there is a 70 percent chance that floods could occur in the next few months.

WFP has already pre-positioned food for its refugee and drought operations to ensure that those most in need will not go hungry, when rains make the roads impassable. In a land that has been parched by the sun, boats are now on standby to distribute emergency relief.

On the Road with WFP Kenya

WFP produces a short film series about their work on the ground around the world, and the unique challenges faced in providing food assistance to the more than one billion people who are now suffering from extreme hunger every single day.

Here's what's happening in Kenya...

Next Stop: Kenya and Tanzania

Next week I leave for a two-week trip to East Africa; one week to Kenya (for work) and one week to Tanzania (for holiday). The work portion of the trip will consist of bringing a delegation of seven individuals to Nairobi, Mombasa, and the villages along the Indian Ocean coast, to observe WFP programs on the ground. I've been working on this trip since August, and have worked with WFP Kenya to revise the itinerary several times, as a result of the crippling droughts the country is now facing. Hundreds of thousands of people are left with failing crops, no way to feed themselves, creating extreme humanitarian and security conditions throughout the region.



I will be conducting a "WFP Behind the Scenes" conference call, interviewing Burkard Oberle, the Country Director of WFP Kenya, and the delegation, about the trip and the food security challenges faced throughout the country, on Friday November 6, at 12:00pm (eastern time). Feel free to call in if you'd like!

WFP Behind the Scenes Info
When: Friday, November 6, 12:00 –12:45pm (eastern time)
How: Dial (888) 537 7715
Passcode: 702 307 69#

After the trip, I will continue, in my typical fashion, on a weeklong, unplanned journey to Tanzania where I will ... well, I have no idea what I will do. Current thoughts include a visit to the capital Dar es-Salaam, Zanzibar, and perhaps the Serengetti. But I figure that I'll figure that out when I get there...

Stay tuned!