Helping my home village cope amid a severe drought crisis, as the risk of hunger is growing ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌







Dear friend,

I recently joined a group of women from Ngilai Village in northern Kenya as they made their daily, two-kilometer trek to a dried-up reservoir. Three failed rainy seasons have led to a catastrophic drought — this reservoir hasn’t had water for years. We came to sing and pray for rain.

Here at the Lesepe Dam is the same place where I came to fetch water as a young girl living with my grandmother in a nearby village. Returning now, as a Mercy Corps Kenya team member 15 years later, is an emotional experience for me.

I invite you to please take a moment to watch and listen to these women from my home country, as they sing and pray together for rain to fall.
Watch the video ▸
I feel the pain of the women as they sing and cry for rain. These are mothers who cannot find water for drinking, cooking, and washing at home — or for their valuable livestock. There is no smell of water and not a single blade of grass. I see parched earth stretching in every direction and it breaks my heart.

The drought crisis has devastated the lives and livelihoods of so many in Kenya. More than 3.1 million people are experiencing chronic hunger. Primary sources of food and income have disappeared as crops and livestock die and grazing land dries up.

Here in northern Kenya, Mercy Corps has helped more than 3,000 families who have been deeply affected by the drought. To meet their immediate needs, our team is providing cash assistance so families can purchase essentials like food and water.

What heartens me most about our work here is Mercy Corps’ commitment to helping communities adapt to climate shocks over the long term, so that they can build back stronger and more resilient to future disasters.

For example, we are expanding access to water by making repairs to the water infrastructure. We’re empowering women to start small income generating activities. And we work with farmers to improve the health of their livestock and grazing lands.

Thank you for being part of our Mercy Corps community. I’m proud of the work that we do together to help people build brighter futures.

With gratitude,

Florence Nasieku Lesoloyia Florence Nasieku Lesoloyia,
Sr. Private Sector Engagement & Financial Inclusion Officer

Florence believes that nothing is more satisfying than serving the community that raised you. In her home country of Kenya, she supports communities by providing them with tools to proactively manage risks and adapt to stressors to build more prosperous lives for themselves.


P.S. Please click here to watch the short Instagram video of me as I joined in the songs and prayers for rain. It was a moment that brought back childhood memories of this place and challenged me to impact my community better.