Don’t drop the ball – Postcard from Kenya

back-to-back droughts in Kenya are leaving people destitute.

Back-to-back droughts in Kenya have worn away people’s ability to cope and left them destitute. Communities are working flat out just to survive, and we fear climate change will only mean there is worse to come. “If drought comes again” says Hassan Uban, an elder in a nomadic community, “it will finish everything here, there would be no life”.

Let the government know we can’t afford to drop the ball on climate change>>

CAFOD’s partner, the Diocese of Marsabit, has been working alongside Hassan’s community and others like it, to enable them to cope with drought rather than depend on emergency aid. Sindio Kiberi and her husband depend on their livestock for survival. When drought hit in 2007, they lost three quarters of their goat herd. “The drought really affected us. My children nearly died of hunger,” she said. Now, with CAFOD’s support, Sindio attends small business training, where the women come together to find their own solutions to their often hostile climate, selling provisions such as sugar, batteries and tea.

Taking steps to prepare for the drought saves both lives and money. With funds from CAFOD supporters, we have built a huge underground tank to catch rainwater. Before the tank, women and children had been travelling 15km for water. The tank has transformed their lives, giving them water for an additional three months, and freeing up their time for further training with us.

With the right support, anything is possible.

Yours,

James

James Jirm Galgallo works with the Diocese of Marsabit, Kenya.

CAFOD is campaigning on climate justice during 2011. Find resources and take action at cafod.org.uk/dontdroptheball