Dear Friends and Partners,

Our children's crisis in Kenya has just begun - I don't know if you have heard, but the Famine Early Warning Systems Network has predicted severe food shortages for many countries in Africa in 2009, including Kenya.  It has already begun and will become worse as time progresses.  The causes of this are many, but in Kenya it is still an after effect of the violence which occurred a year ago and disrupted the crop cycle.  Additionally, food prices have risen 25% and continue to climb.  On top of this, the rains which should have started around the end of October have not occurred, leaving the entire fall planting at risk of complete failure (The crops we planted at Mercy Child are destroyed – our only option now is to purchase more seed and plant again).

I tell you this to let you know we need to give immediate assistance to the children we support and be ready to reach out to them during 2009.

To help this sink in, please read the following that came from Pauline Malinda, wife of Gideon Malinda (Director of Nice View Academy/Orphanage):

"Still praying for rains for it has not rained and in most parts of the country crops are drying up. We went visiting our first born sister over the weekend and it was sad to see even the wettest part of our country crops withering. We pray that God will shower us sooner than we expect coz our hope is dying with time"

To further emphasize the urgency, below is a quote from an article on USAID’s website dated December 10, 2008:

“Unprecedented escalation in the price of maize, Kenya’s key staple food, threatens to deepen already serious food insecurity among the country’s most vulnerable groups – the urban poor, pastoralists, and marginal agricultural households.”

Now the above is bad enough, but in addition a tragedy took place yesterday which is detailed in another e-mail from Pauline:

"Today the family mood is bad for we lost one of the cows yesterday after it received some shots due to neumonia attack. The most affected in Your brother Gideon and i am encouraging him to take it easy. It was expectant and i think thats why we are feeling that bad coz we were awaiting for calf from it. another one from the other cow which is also heavy and the sheep. You know we were not created to be loosing but sin brought death which is the greatest human enemy. We have to admit that the cow left us and wait for other blessings without much mourning that wont help"

The loss of a cow is devastating.  The cow was producing milk for the children to drink and was going to birth a calf, bringing hope for the future.

As you can see, the situation is not good and help is needed.  I ask that you prayerfully consider how you can help over the next few days to reach out to those God has brought to us to serve.  What we would like to do is fill the food storage area at Nice View so we can use it to feed the children there and those at Mercy Child (the situation at Eldama Ravine should remain stable into January).  The store for the food is large (you helped build it and you can see it on the website) and can hold a large quantity of food.  We would also like to replace the cow which died with one that is with calf so the children can continue to have life-saving milk….all this is possible with your help.

We estimate that it will take around $4,000 to fill the store and replace the cow.  I know this is not a good time for another crisis to hit which includes a monetary need, but the timing becomes irrelevant when children’s lives are at stake; our responsibility is simply to determine how we will respond to the need.  Please join me in prayer on how to proceed and give as generously as you can.

I will keep you informed of the situation and the progress being made.  We trust in God’s sovereignty and know that He will move those He wants to help…please simply respond if He calls on you.

Serving the children of Kenya with you only through His grace,

Chuck McDonald

Executive Director