Day Two, Northern Kenya

By David Bull, Executive Director, UNICEF UK

Today we found one young boy for whom the severe drought currently afflicting northern Kenya and four neighbouring countries has provided an opportunity to change his life, though at some cost to himself and his family.

Michael has his first day at school

Michael Eporon is about 12 (he doesn’t know his age). Today was his first day at school – ever! His family were living in Kerio division, the part of Turkana worst affected by the drought. He once ran away from home to go to the nearest primary school, but his parents said they needed him to herd the family animals so he couldn’t stay. Now the animals are all dead, so Michael decided there was nothing to prevent him going to school. He says he has “so much hunger for school” that he walked for three days, with no food and just 5 litres of water to reach the primary school in Lodwar. The school will try to find his family but he hopes that this time they will let him stay at school. The school caters for a nomadic population so nearly half of the 2,459 pupils are boarders, and the provision is free since Kenya abolished school fees a few years ago. Children don’t lose the right to education if they come late, even 7 years late as in Michael’s case. Despite his ordeal, his yearning to learn burns very brightly in Michael.

The school provides meals and 60 additional children have enrolled this term as their families struggle to survive the loss of their livestock to drought. At the nearby hospital, I saw how this school feeding programme is saving children’s lives. I met two families in the “stabilisation centre” where the most severely malnourished are brought back to life using therapeutic feeding supplies from UNICEF. In both cases it was the children too young to go to school who were in the worst condition. For their older siblings, the school lunch was a life saver.

Atabo (20 months) is recovering from severe malnutrition

First I met Atabo (20 months) and his mother Margaret Asinyeni. Like so many others the crisis began for Atabo when the family’s animals succumbed to the drought, leaving them with no livelihood except what they can scrape together from collecting and selling firewood. Atabo arrived 10 days ago suffering from severe malnutrition, aggravated by pneumonia, diarrhoea and vomiting. He was seriously dehydrated and his chances of survival uncertain. He was given the three stage treatment for malnutrition, combined with the magic salt and sugar solution known as ORT (Oral Rehydration Therapy) for diarrhoea. These, together with his mother’s milk, have helped him improve. Although he still looks very ill, his life has probably been saved by these very simple items which UNICEF supplies to the hospital.

Edonga (27 months) gains weight in hospital

Then I met Edonga Lodeya (27 months). His mother Inok brought him to the hospital 5 days ago and he is now on the mend and his prognosis is good. His weight is up from 67 per cent of normal to 71 per cent and he is going home today, where he will continue to receive support. His aunt, father and sister have all come to collect him.

It is a happy day for Michael and for Edonga, despite the ordeals they have already suffered in their short lives. We must try to feed both kinds of hunger: the hunger for food and for education, because the two are intimately related here.

UNICEF’s response to the current emergency can also help build a better future for Turkana’s children, if we are able to develop the schools as an integral part of our response, providing a focus for food distribution in the short term and the skills for a new future in the long term.

But first, we must face the fact that the food needs of the children affected by the present emergency are very far from being met. If the rains due in April don’t come, and the forecast is looking very bad, and if we cannot secure a dramatic increase in funding – and soon – the situation for northern Kenya, and its neighbours, is sliding inexorably towards catastrophe.

Donations to UNICEF’s East Africa Children’s Crisis Appeal can be made by calling UNICEF on 08457 312 312 or online with a debit or credit card.