Posted by In the country where I live, we have a passion for nation building. We struggle as a people to contribute to our nation as much as we possibly can, but sometimes, it all seems to go to waste. If you sit long enough with me, you will understand exactly what I am saying. I live in the capital city of Nairobi in Kenya, but I was born in the western region.
Just recently, I went on field work–funded by the organization where I work–on a project that encourages farmers who are frustrated by the ever falling prices of tea and coffee in the international market, to turn their hands to dairy farming for increased income. We encouraged the farmers to rear dairy animals, including dairy goats besides cattle, since milk prices had increased over the years thanks to a resurgent dairy sector. That was last year between July to September 2009.
Kenya’s food stocks will run out in April 2010, resulting in increased inter-ethnic conflict over land and water and more people going hungry, warns the Kenya Food Security in a recent study blaming poor rainfall, high food prices, and environmental degradation for this new crisis.
We travelled to the rural areas talking to the farmers on a one-to-one basis, encouraging them to increase the number of dairy animals as a way to raise more income. Having satisfactorily done this, we went back to Nairobi (the capital city) with the data we had collected for analysis. We would get all manner of positive feedback from the farmers in calls and letters. To say the truth, we felt like we had accomplished a major feat. We knew we had impacted positively on one or two lives.
However, in January 2010, I was sitting at home watching the prime-time news and what I saw shocked the living hell out of me. Apparently, there was a milk glut in the country. This coming after pastures improved sparked by the heavy rains we had experienced across the country.
But this was not my cause for alarm. What terrified me was the fact that thousands upon thousands of litres of fresh milk were, and is still, going to waste after farmers were barred from delivering the commodity to the government factories. It is now emerging that some of these factories cannot handle this large amount of milk production. In fact, some factories have even been closed in certain parts of the country. Every day there is an excess of about 130,000 litres of good fresh milk pouring down the drains. These same farmers we had encouraged to produce more milk are asking us why the government cannot contain and make use of this milk. Why after all the sweat they had put in to get more income from milk production, they are now being turned away?
Freak floods along the coast and in north eastern and eastern regions of Kenya have brought with them mudslides while severe droughts ravage other parts of the country, potentially affecting some 750,000 people and contributing to increased incidence of disease among humans and animals, according to both government and humanitarian agencies.
Let me digress a moment, and take you on a walk to the northern part of Kenya, about 380km north-east of Nairobi is a region better known as the forgotten part of our country. This area has experienced failed rains and, as a consequence, drought. This is where pastoralists keep livestock in large numbers, toiling in the scorching sun all day to get their animals to pasture. This part of Kenya suffers from food insecurity, characterized by poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, and a harsh climate.
Towards the end of 2009, however, there came the sudden arrival of rain after a long period of drought. This prompted floods and affected the livestock amounting to a large number of deaths. The trouble with this North eastern part of Kenya is that it has a very poor drainage system, the terrain is flat and therefore water is in abundance–it just stagnates.
So, ironically, in parts of Kenya there is a surplus of food that is going to waste, while in Northern Kenya there is a an impending famine waiting to happen. My worry is for the pastoralists, as well as the farmers who have done their part, and both need reciprocal action from the government. While we wait for the snail-pace of government to deal with this crisis, my organization is striving to enable farmers to set up new chilling plants all over Kenya.
I am but a citizen who wouldn’t know or have much to bring to the table except the little knowledge I have to share. But it is with great passion that I still commit to the betterment of our great nation. For you in your country, an inspired gift from UNICEF can save an African child. But for me, it’s much harder to do that here. Give inspirationally.
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