UNITED SIKHS Feeds Thousands In the Drought Stricken Region of East Africa
Highlights:
- Feed the Campaign Hungry campaign in Kenya is led by UNITED SIKHS Kenya assisted by the local Sikh Community aided by Volunteers from the USA, Canada and the UK.
- Northern Kenya is particularly affected and the government has declared the drought in this region a national disaster. Up to 3.5 million people are affected by the drought and their plight has been worsened by high food prices resulting from both local and global factors.
Nairobi, Kenya: The UNITED SIKHS Aid team from the USA and UK served langgar, over the last fortnight, to thousands in Kenyan slums and in an orphanage to stave off the deadly effects of the famine in the Horn of Africa. UNITED SIKHS Kenya Director, Jaswinder Kaur, spearheaded this effort mobilizing the Sri Guru Nanak Food Bank, a project of UNITED SIKHS, in response to the UN call for “massive action”.
Orphan Boy eating Langar
Sun Kaur, UNITED SIKHS director from the UK and a California team consisting of high school seniors worked with local volunteers to bring hunger relief, especially to children. Over 800 people including many children were fed daily with langgar constituting of rice, beans, lentils, chapattis and the local ogali. See the team preparing and serving langgar at UNITEDSIKHSTV.
Rosedeep Kaur, Kanwar Preet Singh, Navjot Kaur, Mandeep Kaur along with Gursewak Singh were received by the Minister of Special Programmes, Esther Mairugi, as they arrived from California to assist in the effort.
UNITED SIKHS Kenya Director, Jaswinder Kaur, said, “Kenya has been hit especially hard by the crisis, with a food-insecure population of more than 3.5 million due to the drought. Close to the three-way border shared with Ethiopia and Somalia, it has not rained for almost two years and that there have been no harvests at all since 2009. We were already on the ground and aware of the fact that due to no rainfall we would be severely affected by the drought. So we immediately moved to the drought stricken areas in 2011 and distributed food with the Vice President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Honorable Kalonzo Musyoka. Now we must do more, we must move quickly and we must save lives”.
Esther Mairugi, Minister of Special Programmes, when talking of UNITED SIKHS efforts in Kenya stated, “I am dearly thankful of UNITED SIKHS and their support.”
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| UNITED SIKHS Director Sun Kaur engaging with the children | UNITED SIKHS Sikh Aid team on the ground |
On instituting the Gurus message across the world, Gursewak Singh, the leader of the California team stated, “The experience has been unforgettable. I have been out here with 4 high school children and have served Langgar which we not only served but also made ourselves. If god blesses me I would like to be able to come back again and serve the people in Africa.”
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| UNITED SIKHS Sikh Aid team serving Langar | UNITED SIKHS Sikh Aid team received by Minister Esther Mairugi |
The UK and USA team members were guided by the UNITED SIKHS Kenya team of volunteers, Gurbachan Singh, Jaswant Singh, Kewal Singh, Joseph Kibe and Lydia, who led visits to the drought stricken areas such as an orphanage in Tumaini, the slums of Kieni and Gatitu in Central Kenya and Chua in Eastern Kenya. When serving the Nyeri area, they were greeted by Mayor David Muteru who was so pleased with the work he pledged land to initiate a polytechnic center so the region could have educated youth who may in turn assist the community.
For the campaign page, click here. $50/£30 can feed a family for one month – Feed The Hungry and Save Lives, become a sponsor.
For a previous Press Release on our work in Africa see:
www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-03-08-2011-00.html
www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-17-02-2011-00.html
