Kenya

Kenya is been suffering one of its most serious food crises, with almost 10 million people at risk of starvation.

Political unrest, high food prices, high energy costs, drought, outbreaks of animal disease and the global economic downturn have combined to devastating effect. 

Latest blog posts

• At the Coalface of climate change
• Kenya on the brink: video
• Drought in Kenya: media coverage
• Kenya’s “lush land dries up”
• “Hard lessons” in Kenyan slums

The people most affected are pastoralists, the urban poor, people living with HIV and AIDS and those affected by the 2008 election violence. Watch the video below to find out more about the effects of the crisis.

Using mobile phones

In 2008, we gave emergency cash transfers to 7,000 households using mobile phone technology. Click here to watch a video about this.

This allowed us to reach people in a more effective and environmentally friendly way. The 2009 emergency programme will operate in a similar way.

Recognising slum schools

Concern and our education partners recently ran a successful media campaign that persuaded the Kenyan government to fund and recognise schools run in slums. This is just the beginning of a campaign to ensure that all Kenya’s children can, at the very least, get a primary education.

HIV awareness

We continue to work with out-of-school youth and community groups on HIV and AIDS awareness. Where possible, we work with groups such as the bicycle taxi drivers, fishermen and bar workers. Life skills training, peer education and interactive theatre encourage young people to seek counselling and testing.

Water projects

In the drought-affected areas, access to water for humans and animals has become a huge problem. People and herds need to travel large distances for water; this is affecting their health.

Serious conflict has also increased in the drought-affected areas. In some cases, this has resulted in deaths.

Since 2005, Concern has been working in arid regions of Kenya, improving and rehabilitating water sources already in place.

Resources

For more in-depth information, follow the links below:

• Falling short: the right to free primary education
• Kenya’s emergency – an overview