Orphans Rescued Once More!

"Thank you for saving our lives once again,”. These were the words of pastor Amos Ndunda of Kiuwanzukini church in Machakos.  The church had just received a donation of 27 bags of 90kg beans, 60 bags of 90 kg of maize, 100kg beans seeds and 700kg maize seeds donated by the World Relief Disaster Response team. 450 Orphans and Vulnerable Children received the food , and 150 care givers. More than 4421 caregivers received seeds for planting. 

The World Relief team stepped in to rescue the orphans and vulnerable children after a server draught hit Kenya. This is the second time World Relief has supported this community in Machakos. The seeds that were distributed in the 2007 draught did very well and the community was able to donate 20 bags of maize to assist a neighboring community in western Kenya, Mt. Elgon.   Unfortunately this time round the rains failed and they are back to looking for food.

 

Grace Dhamba is one of the beneficiaries of the food rations and seeds that were donated.  She is now 69 years old and has been widowed for 21 years. She lives with 4 of her late daughters’ children, 3 girls and 1 boy.  The first-born is 32 years old and 

disabled. He can neither speak nor walk. The second born is 23 years old, the third born is 10 years old and the last-born is 6years old and is epileptic.  Grace works hard to support her family. She digs and weeds other people’s farm to get food. She         also has her own farm but she has no tools to dig

When the planting season comes she digs other peoples farms with hoes in exchange for oxen to plough her own land. “ Sometimes it takes awhile before I get the oxen to plant in my own farm and I miss the planting season. My grandson would have helped me if he wasn’t in this state,” Grace laments. Grace and her family have one meal a day, which is not guaranteed every day. ‘I’m thankful to God for sending World Relief to us. The seeds and the food really helps,” says Grace. Grace is one hopeful widow. She draws her strength from God who she says is everything to her and the giver of  her joy despite her situation. 

Alexander is one of the orphans who was present during the distribution. He is 8 years old. He was at the ceremony on behalf of his mother who stayed at home because she was too ill to come for the food and seeds for planting. He mentioned that his elder sister who is 13 years old was at home cooking and taking of their mother. Alexander missed school and this was usual for him whenever his mother fell sick.

The food distribution exercise has just begun and 2000 orphans and vulnerable children and 1000 care givers in Nairobi, Eastern, central, Kajiado and Western provinces in Kenya will benefit from this exercise. In mathare, Nairobi, 450 orphans have already benefited from the exercise