Thank You
Thank you to everyone who responded to our urgent appeal for Drought Relief. Your donations have enabled MCF to purchase a water truck to transport clean water to Ndalani and they are beginning surveying to drill their first water well. MCF has also bee able to start feeding over 1,000 local children who were too hungry to attend school, and they can now begin providing food relief for desperate families as well.
The drought will only get worse before it gets better. Charles and Esther still need support to care for their 2,013 sons and daughters and the children and families in their community. Without water, individuals in these communities cannot grow crops; which means they cannot grow food for consumption or for sale in the market. With no food and no income to buy food, they are desperate for help. If you haven't yet responded but are thinking of doing so, now is the time.
Here’s how you can still help:
Pray
Join with us in praising God for His provisions so far and praying for rain in Kenya and for water and food provisions for the MCF family. Pray specifically that they will reach water quickly when they drill the wells and that the food relief will be multiplied, like the fishes and loaves. Lift up Charles & Esther in prayer as they respond to the crisis and save lives in their community.
Give
Your generous contribution to the Drought Relief fund will help MCF bring water and food to their dry and hungry community. You can make a secure online donation right now through CanadaHelps, or send a cheque to: MCFCF, P.O. Box 93014, 1111 Davis Dr., Newmarket, ON L3Y 8K3 (please write ‘Drought Relief’ in the subject line). Your support will help MCF survive this immediate crisis and support their efforts to achieve long-term sustainability and avoid future crises. No amount is too small when it comes from a big heart.
Share
You can share this need with your friends, family and colleagues by using the video on YouTube and Facebook. We are grateful for the many individuals who are initiating fundraisers in their schools, churches and communities. If you would like to make a presentation or organize a fundraiser for the Drought Relief fund, please contact MCFCF’s Development Director, Amy MacDonald: amy@mcfcf.ca 416.357.3448 and she will be happy to provide you with resources.
Background on the Drought Crisis
MCF’s two water source - the mighty Thika River and Jacob’s Well, have dried up. MCF is using one small and stagnant pool of water in the river to irrigate a few crops, but it will only last a few more days - most of their crops have already dried. This is devastating because MCF's farms supply a large portion of MCF's operating revenue, they employ half the community, and they feed the MCF children and the workers families. Rain isn’t expected until December, and even if it comes, crops will need another 3 months to grow. MCF can usually grow their own food for consumption, but the drought is forcing them to purchase food – and prices have tripled over the last year. For more information on how the drought is affecting Kenya, check out the news links listed above. Keep checking back here for more updates from MCF.