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.
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.
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,
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Florence Nasieku Lesoloyia
Sr. Private Sector Engagement & Financial Inclusion Officer
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P.S. Here are some things you can do today to learn more and make a difference:
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