16 February 2006
Kiwis asked to dig deep for the children of Kenya
ChildFund launches nationwide emergency appeal -
International children's charity, ChildFund, is warning that the drought and famine in Kenya is worsening by the day
and that emergency food supplies are predicted to be totally depleted by the end of this month. ChildFund New Zealand
has today launched a nationwide emergency appeal in an effort to help the more than 40,000 children at risk of dying
from dehydration and lack of food.
National Director of ChildFund New Zealand, Paul Brown, says, "We need to act now. The Kenyan Government has declared a
national emergency as 4 million Kenyans face death by starvation. The World Food Program is warning that without new
donations it will run out of food by the end of February."
Paul Brown says, "It's crucial that Kiwis who want to make a difference to the children of Kenya act today. Donations of
money are urgently needed to save their lives. If you are intending to make a donation, please do it now. Any delay may
mean your contribution is too late for many of Kenya's children."
Kenya has suffered three years of poor rains, leading to desperate water and food shortages. The number of people
affected by the famine has almost doubled in the past two months alone. The next six months will be critical as no rain
is expected to fall during the dry season.
Paul Brown says, "ChildFund workers are already on the ground helping with the emergency supplementary feeding
programmes. Donations from caring New Zealanders will enable ChildFund to immediately provide more supplementary feeding
for young children, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and vulnerable adults. The other critical need is drinking
water. With the help of new donations ChildFund will rehabilitate, construct and maintain water sources for several of
the hardest hit districts."
ChildFund is committed to delivering much more than just temporary aid. Its relief work is followed up by long term
sustainable development of the communities involved to help prevent similar emergency situations in future. Paul Brown
says, "We get involved in drilling boreholes, extending water pipelines, purchasing livestock, seed distribution and
much more. Our Kenyan emergency appeal is an opportunity for Kiwis to make a real long-term difference to these
communities."
New Zealanders can make an immediate donation to ChildFund by calling 0800 223 111 or by visiting www.childfund.org.nz.
ENDS