Ndunga Katumo sold his four goats and all the chickens he had but it was not enough. As the drought in southeast Kenya worsened, he had to start borrowing from his neighbors just to feed his household of 8. “Skipping meals was normal at my home,” he says. After the failure of the critical “long rains” from March to May and on the heels of recurrent droughts across the country, Kenya declared a national drought emergency earlier this year with millions of citizens not getting adequate food. Ndunga Katumo is one of these Kenyans.

After the failure of the critical “long rains” from March to May and on the heels of recurrent droughts across the country, Kenya declared a national drought emergency earlier this year with millions of citizens not getting adequate food. Ndunga Katumo is one of these Kenyans.

In partnership with Anglican Development Services (ADS), World Renew has been providing relief to communities across Kenya, including Ndunga’s. “Within one month,” he says “I started paying my debts, as family members could rely on relief food items for at least two weeks. This has really helped us breathe in my family.”

Ndunga is hoping, along with all of Kenya, that the “short rains” of the fall will come and that the seeds they received from World Renew and ADS will yield a harvest. Until then, he wonders how he and his neighbors will manage when food assistance ends. “The farming activities can be aggressively undertaken if people have food,” he says. “Without food to eat, we have no strength to farm.”

For now, the Kenyan government has shipped in maize and is expected to assist with controlling prices. World Renew staff report that their joint food distribution with Anglican Development Services may continue for another three months as communities are clearly still in dire need. 

Blessings, 

Stephan Lutz

Program Consultant
World Renew Kenya