Feed 1,800 orphaned children in rural Kenya.

The Corona virus has arrived in Kenya. International borders are now closed. Schools too are now closed. Gatherings of 50 or more people are prohibited. Therefore Makindu Children's Center is now closed. All of this directly impacts how program services, especially feeding the children, can be delivered to the 570 kids we serve.

We must feed the children. Providing proper nutrition is critical for our extremely vulnerable population. So instead of daily feedings at the Children's Center for the 200+ children who visit regularly, we will distribute a months worth of groceries to all 310 households. With an average household size of 5, this aid will reach around 1,550 needy hungry people. This will also help ensure that these 1,550 people will be able to remain socially distant from others in the community, to help flatten the curve of COVID 19 infection rate. Distribution will take place with a staggered schedule, ensuring we stay under 50 people present at all times. Soap and water handwashing stations will be set up and monitored at the entries, to help slow the spread of any virus. 

Food included in this emergency relief package is maize, beans, rice, cooking oil, cowpeas (for the HIV infected, for added protein), and salt. Vegetables grown on campus are also being delivered to HIV infected households.

This round of support, the month's worth of groceries, will cost $50 per household. Thank you for your continuing support of these children. You are making a HUGE impact in the health and wellness of these innocent orphaned children.

Good nutrition is key to good health, but difficult to access for the vulnerable populations. The drought has been rampant in this region for well over a decade and famine has persisted. Crops are difficult to grow without adequate water supply, and children often go hungry. Over half of the MCC kids live too far away from the Center to access the daily meals served there and so rely on supplemental bulk food provided to cook at home for proper nutrition. Sometimes this just isn’t enough for adequate nutrition.  We need help being able to provide for the children so they can be strong and healthy enough to get out of the poverty cycle their families are a part of. Asante for all your help. 

We are really happy because in the next few years we will have a large amount of students going to high school or vocational school. However, concentrating on studies is nearly impossible to do without the right nutrition which is why we are in need of providing unimix to these hardworking students. Unimix, which is a nutrient dense food has recently gone up in price. To continue giving the kids and their families these meals we will need major donations. We currently serve 46 kids and 66 guardians with HIV who are in extra need of this highly nutrient rich food. The need for them to have this nutrition for their immune system is incredibly important so that their anti-retrovirals can work properly and efficiently. Thank you for being a constant support to the many kids and guardians who are in need of the help so they can attempt to escape the poverish cycle in Kenya. 

Unfortunately the drought in Kenya is treacherous. They cannot catch a break. Last year at this time, there was intense flooding which ruined the soil for food and this year, Kenya is experiencing an intense drought. This drought is ruining the lives of many Kenyans and livestock. Animals are suffering tremendously which means that Kenyans aren't even able to use their small amount of  livestock as a resource. Chickens aren't laying eggs while goats and cows aren't producing milk because the animals are also suffering from hunger and thirst. Anything we can donate to the center will be a massive help to the many starving people and livestock. Thank you for your support. We wish this was a better report but the climate is changing and it is effecting Kenya very badly.