An update on drought and hunger in Kenya.
(This information reports from what our local staff tells us and also information provided by Kenyan news broadcasts.)
Many regions of Kenya are now reporting severe drought, reduced rains and loss of crops. This approaching rainy season is predicted to bring less rain than past seasons.
Some of the areas most affected by the drought are those traditionally dependent on nomadic animal husbandry, and considered more desert and open savannah rather than agricultural areas. There has been some significant investment by development groups in these areas, for example building green houses in Turkana. However the greener, usually more productive agricultural areas such as Bungoma county are now suffering from a hotter drier climate. The farming families depend on rain and local water sources for their water. The drying up of rivers and bore holes are problems many years in the making exacerbated by the warming climate.
Small Solutions Big Ideas and our partner One Planet Education Network have been implementing programs to improve soil and water retention for almost 4 years. Traditional practices wear out the soil through over use of fertilizers and an absence of organic soil additives. Our region (Bungoma) has suffered from shorter rains, which has reduced crop volume and quality. If one drove down the hills to the flat lands the crop failures are even more severe. Our job is to continue to educate the community and spread better agricultural practices, as well as advocate for government measures to restore clean water sources for this community.
Sandra Thaxter President Small Solutions Big Ideas.
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Small Solutions Education Projects 