Food crisis - Too weak to go to school

The boy standing at the doorway used to attend school but was sent home because he was physically too weak

September 2011 - cbm's Horn of Africa Emergency Programme Manager visits a family in Meru North District, Kenya who are struggling to cope during the ongoing drought. One child - a young boy - shows signs of malnutrition, and has been unable to attend school because he is too weak. Davide witnesses the meagre food rations these people have, which is further proof of the need for support from cbm and partners.

Dire situation I entered the small compound surrounded by the euphorbia tree (a common tree in this area, extremely resistant to drought) armed with my notebook and probably too much information and references of my impending assignment. I immediately saw the extremely poor condition of the family. Their hut looked like it was about to collapse. It made me think of a house which had to bear the weight of many struggles and challenges and it could simply not take anymore. We were welcomed by an old lady who spent much time complaining about her dire situation. She lamented on how hard she had to work to get some fire wood to sell at a market a few kilometres away. While she was talking to us, I noticed two children, a boy and a girl, coming out of the hut.
Signs of malnutrition From their faces, I could see a puzzled look and probably mixed feelings coupled with curiosity about the unexpected visitors. Their expressions told of long suffering and struggles they may have faced despite their tender age. The girl was clearly in a better state physically, while the boy showed signs of marasmus, a form of malnutrition. The family had received food aid and I asked the old lady to show me what was left from the latest supply. We entered the hut and she showed me a handful of maize. She said that they had eaten the rest or shared it with other poor families nearby.	Children caught in cycle of poverty and hunger

Cycle of poverty and hunger Being unable to attend school traps children in a cycle of poverty and hunger, as they no longer have access to free school meals. In this case, the family is composed of two children and their grandparents. The young boy had been going to school but was sent back because he was physically too weak. The breadwinner is the grandmother who collects and sells firewood and charcoal. The children are left at home all day and meals are made of one cup of watery maize porridge in the morning and one in the evening.

Relief food essential We asked her about the children and in particular the boy, and she told us that the children were well. We inquired further about the health of the young boy but surprisingly she would not admit the problem. This took me by surprise as normally parents or guardians tend to exaggerate their problems and here I had an old woman who could not acknowledge the malnourished state of one of her grandchildren. This I suppose was probably from lack of awareness, but it was difficult to tell. One of the team members, an expert on children with disability, sat close to the children and talked to them. We discovered that this family, as well as others in the area, would feed on one or two cups of watery maize porridge once or twice a day. The situation is different when the relief food - which consists of beans and oil - is available. CBM supports families in the area through food relief distribution in the current food crisis. Making a difference We were told of other cases of malnourished children in the villages nearby. We are now planning to re-map support, to cover affected villages which have not been supported by any other organisations. The boys’ physical weakness and lethargy did not shock us but it definitely helped us re-focus on the specific need of the people. That family was a clear case of chronic poverty. The roots of the problems affecting that area are complex and reach far beyond the drought. However, the suffering caused by the current food crisis represents the point where we can start to make a difference, or at least try to. I will visit the family once again to check on the condition of the boy. My hope and objective is to find him alive and possibly smiling.


Blindness	Orthopaedics	Deafness	Community	Emergencies	Rehabilitation

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Food crisis - Too weak to go to school

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