Relief food finally reaches Samburu

Written By:Wangari Kanyongo,    Posted: Sun, Aug 28, 2011


Over 9000 children in Samburu County have been having uji courtesy of the Kenyans for Kenya campaign
For the past two months the media has highlighted the hunger situation in Northern Kenya like never before this being the worst drought recorded in the past 60 years.

Heart wrenching pictures and video footage of malnourished children and elderly people drew Kenyans together in the largest ever food campaign dubbed ‘Kenyans for Kenya' which was successfully concluded on Saturday after raising close to a billion shillings.

We can now tell the other side of this story, one of hope, smiles and full stomachs following the goodwill and patriotism of Kenyans and well-wishers.

The faces you have been seeing on screens, newspapers and internet the past two months after the reality on the ground hit home are faces of desperation, hopelessness, dejection, hungry faces of people who live in this country who seemed to have been forgotten.

The distended stomachs of ailing children, empty breasts of lactating mothers, hollow eyes of men who would want to protect their families but do not know how or where to start, these faces jolted the whole country into action.

The Red-Cross society and the government soon began ferrying foodstuff to the worst hit areas and Kenyans dug deeper into their pockets daily to save a starving soul.

The rough terrain in Northern Kenya has not made things easy.

Redcross vehicles heading to Samburu got stuck several times following heavy downpour and sometimes it has taken days to ferry the food. But eventually the food reached its destination.

There is excitement in the air at the Wari primary school in Wamba, the children each carrying a container seem uncontrollable maybe because there is some action and a nice smell emanating from the school kitchen.

The cooks busy at work perhaps prompted by the noise outside. Soon enough the nutritious porridge is ready for serving.

Then one by one their little containers are filled up.

The look in these children's eyes is enough gratitude for the well-wishers who gave wholeheartedly and so they eat it with relish and scoop every drop in the container before licking it clean.

Over 9000 children in Samburu County have been having uji courtesy of the Kenyans for Kenya campaign which specialized in uji-mix and other special foods for the worst affected people.

The uji is made and served in various primary schools.

And as the children enjoy their uji and make merry, kudos to everyone who gave towards the noble course, at least now we can tell the good side of this story.

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