[ [link removed] ]Mercy Corps

Dear friend,

I joined the Mercy Corps team two years ago to serve the very communities
in Kenya where I grew up. That time has been filled with emotion — both
hopefulness and sorrow — as the people here grapple with a devastating
drought and hunger emergency.

Consecutive failed harvests, due to unprecedented years-long drought that
gave way to torrential rains and flooding, have caused food prices to
skyrocket. The grain export crisis due to war in Ukraine threatens to
worsen food insecurity in the region.

Resources are stretched thin across Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia with an
estimated 43 million people requiring aid. Humanitarian response in the
region has become further strained by the outbreak of violence in South
Sudan. As another rainy season approaches, I am praying it will bring
relief to this crisis.


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Last year, I joined this group of women as they made a four hour
round-trip pilgrimage across the parched landscape to make offerings at a
dry reservoir, praying for rain.


It is a sad reality that my home may never be the same again. Yet, I
remain optimistic. I have seen the power and strength of the people we
serve — the people I grew up with — and the determination of communities
to thrive.

Mercy Corps is providing immediate lifesaving aid, including food, water,
and cash assistance, to families most acutely affected by the hunger
crisis. But we are also working with communities to build long-term
resilience.


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Mercy Corps helped Abdia and a group of women in her Kenyan community by
providing a grant, which allowed them to open a local shop, where they
sell cloth, maize, and household items.


We are supporting farmers, especially women, who have lost their crops and
livestock due to the drought. With training and grants from Mercy Corps,
young women are launching small businesses like grocery shops to diversify
their income and provide a service to their communities. This is just one
of our longer-term efforts to help people adapt and thrive in the midst of
this crisis.

As a member of our community, thank you for your
compassion for families facing crisis in Kenya. I am confident that with
your support, the work of our teams, and the strength of the communities
we work with, we can build a more resilient future.

In thanks and partnership,

[4]Florence Nasieku Lesoloyia Florence Nasieku Lesoloyia
Sr. Private Sector Engagement & Financial
Inclusion Officer


P.S. Here are some things you can do today to learn more and make a
difference:


    [ [link removed] ]Sign our petition by 9/29: Urge Congress to fund global
humanitarian aid ▸
 
    [ [link removed] ]Watch the video of our Samburu community’s rain ceremony in Kenya ▸
 
 
  [ [link removed] ]Give $7 monthly to Mercy Corps — like every drop of water, every
dollar can help ▸


[ [link removed] ]DONATE

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P.O. Box 37800, Boone, IA 50037-4800

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