Siren over drought situation.
Drought situation in Kenya is worsening and the president has a few hours ago declared the drought a national disaster. In his speech the president blamed the drought on failure of short rains, effects of the post-election violence which affected the planting season, global energy crisis which has fueled high prices of fertilizers and global food crisis which has incapacitated thousands to afford food prices.
The president noted that drought situation had resulted in shortfall of 10 million bags resulting in further reduction of National grain reserves by 3.3million bags.
While underlining the impact of global food crisis, the president noted that 'staple foods of most Kenyans have risen sharply in one year...affecting the poorest'.
He lamented that 10 million Kenyans face starvation and urgently need emergency support and made an appeal while emphasizing that 'between now and August 2009 people will not be able to meet minimum food requirements'.
'my government will not tolerate the actions of unscrupulous traders sacrificing people livelihood at altar of private gain of few people' said the president in his concluding warning to business cartels manipulating food chain in Kenya.
Kenya has been facing series of crisis one after the other. Its only in December 2007 after the disputed general election that violence broke out killing 1,200 people and displacing more than 300,000 people. Kenya also records the a wider gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. In almost all crisis, its women and children who suffer most the consequences of delayed mitigation.
My recent visit to drought stricken areas of Ukambani, Makindu, Kutui (all in the eastern parts of Kenya) left me wondering how delayed actions can quickly trigger emergency. women travel 10 kilometers every morning to fetch water. such lone journey(s) demand that they rise-up as early as 3am or 4am in lucky cases if they expect to have their children eat breakfast before school. One woman narrated to me how she was raped by a gang of men while on such trips; ruining her life and infecting her with the deadly HIV virus.
Provision of water for all would avert GBV and ensure irrigation in dry areas prone to drought. Crop failure will be a thing of the past and human suffering buried in the 'forgotten grave'.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Call to an African Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe on January 25, 2009
The 9th General Assembly held in Maputo, Mozambique in December 2008 gave the African churches a strong mandate to continue their longstanding accompaniment of the Church and people of Zimbabwe. The Assembly declared January 25th an African Day of prayer for Zimbabwe. The call is to join our Zimbabwean sisters and brothers in prayer and in fasting, in words and in deeds, in contemplation and in action.
As AACC we therefore call on all our member churches, councils, fellowships and institutions; all friends in the ecumenical worldwide family; all our international partners and all people of good will to make January 25, 2009, an African Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe.
Trumpet call to Pray and Fast
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet” Isaiah 58:1
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cord of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here I am.” Isaiah 58:6-9.
Calling for a Special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe is first and foremost a call for all of us to come to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with a humble heart, in sincere love, spending time with him to get in tune with His sovereign plans and visions for his people and for the world. It’s about allowing Him to speak and to share His heart that bleeds for the suffering of our world. It’s about allowing Him to convince us to be part of his plan and be willing to act as instruments for his Kingdom - a kingdom of fellowship, peace, justice and reconciliation for anyone who respond to the invitation by Jesus: Come unto me!
Indeed it is a time of need for Zimbabwe
• The cholera epidemic continues to spread. 37,000 have contracted the disease and 1,800 have died (Jan 12). The health system has broken down.
• There is shortage of food.
• The schools have not been able to run properly due to the financial and social crisis.
• Political violence and intimidation continues.
• The power-sharing deal of September 15, 2008 has not been honoured and talks have stalled due to lack of sincerity and political will.
• Official inflation (July 08) was 231 million % but continues to rise by the day. The newly issued 50$bn bill only buys the owner a few loafs of bread.
• The numbers of political, social and economic refugees crossing the borders to the neighbouring countries are increasing continuously.
In all this the AACC acknowledges that the present crisis primarily is a crisis of legitimacy and governance. As stated by the 9th AACC General Assembly in Maputo on December 11, the present rule must be considered as illegitimate as it was an incomplete reflection of the will of the Zimbabwean people, given that the presidential run-off election in June 2008 was not free and fair and was marred by intimidation and political violence. The Zimbabwean people have also continuously been denied the peace, justice and socio-economic remedy they have for so long desired.
May the Lord grant Zimbabwe light to break forth like the dawn and healing to quickly appear. May the Lord bless us all as we Pray, Fast for the end to the political crisis and resumption of normalcy in the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.
The 9th General Assembly held in Maputo, Mozambique in December 2008 gave the African churches a strong mandate to continue their longstanding accompaniment of the Church and people of Zimbabwe. The Assembly declared January 25th an African Day of prayer for Zimbabwe. The call is to join our Zimbabwean sisters and brothers in prayer and in fasting, in words and in deeds, in contemplation and in action.
As AACC we therefore call on all our member churches, councils, fellowships and institutions; all friends in the ecumenical worldwide family; all our international partners and all people of good will to make January 25, 2009, an African Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe.
Trumpet call to Pray and Fast
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet” Isaiah 58:1
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cord of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here I am.” Isaiah 58:6-9.
Calling for a Special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe is first and foremost a call for all of us to come to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with a humble heart, in sincere love, spending time with him to get in tune with His sovereign plans and visions for his people and for the world. It’s about allowing Him to speak and to share His heart that bleeds for the suffering of our world. It’s about allowing Him to convince us to be part of his plan and be willing to act as instruments for his Kingdom - a kingdom of fellowship, peace, justice and reconciliation for anyone who respond to the invitation by Jesus: Come unto me!
Indeed it is a time of need for Zimbabwe
• The cholera epidemic continues to spread. 37,000 have contracted the disease and 1,800 have died (Jan 12). The health system has broken down.
• There is shortage of food.
• The schools have not been able to run properly due to the financial and social crisis.
• Political violence and intimidation continues.
• The power-sharing deal of September 15, 2008 has not been honoured and talks have stalled due to lack of sincerity and political will.
• Official inflation (July 08) was 231 million % but continues to rise by the day. The newly issued 50$bn bill only buys the owner a few loafs of bread.
• The numbers of political, social and economic refugees crossing the borders to the neighbouring countries are increasing continuously.
In all this the AACC acknowledges that the present crisis primarily is a crisis of legitimacy and governance. As stated by the 9th AACC General Assembly in Maputo on December 11, the present rule must be considered as illegitimate as it was an incomplete reflection of the will of the Zimbabwean people, given that the presidential run-off election in June 2008 was not free and fair and was marred by intimidation and political violence. The Zimbabwean people have also continuously been denied the peace, justice and socio-economic remedy they have for so long desired.
May the Lord grant Zimbabwe light to break forth like the dawn and healing to quickly appear. May the Lord bless us all as we Pray, Fast for the end to the political crisis and resumption of normalcy in the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.
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