WFA Distributes Food to Families Facing Hunger in Kenya
“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these…,you did it to me.” Matthew: 25:37-40—ESV
Even before the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, forcing many countries into lockdowns and extreme social distancing measures, poor countries such as Kenya in East Africa were already facing a precarious hunger situation. Per the 2019 Global Hunger Index (GHI)
report, one in every three Kenyans (14.5 million) suffers from chronic food insecurity and poor nutrition annually. High poverty levels, persistent drought and then in the last year, an invasion of locusts has pushed Kenya’s food crisis to even higher critical levels. Today, nearly 30 percent of people in Kenya are going without food on a regular basis.
For the women participating in the Women of Faith (WFA) Microfinance Ministry in Kenya, the hunger situation is even more dire. All 35 women currently active in the ministry literally live from hand to mouth. In order to feed their children, these women must go out and tend to their small businesses every single day. The earnings they gather at the end of the day,
are then used to buy food for their families and replenish supplies for their businesses to sell the next day. A day without work, means that the family will not eat that night.
Therefore, when Kenya instituted its mandatory coronavirus lockdown on March 28, 2020, Rose Mugwe, Founder and Executive Director of WFA, knew that the women participating in the WFA ministry were facing an immediate food crisis and imminent starvation, if nothing were done.
As Rose explains:
“I myself was a victim of the famine in Kenya in 1984 when millions in East Africa died. I remember waiting in long lines for government food rations and being given a small portion of dry corn to feed my family. At the time, I had four children and they had to eat. Each day, I would line up for the food rations and many times I would sleep hungry, so that my children
would have something to eat. Even though I only fed them corn and not a balanced diet, it was better than an empty stomach and they would survive. Therefore, I know hunger on a very personal basis and I fully understand what the WFA women are facing at this time.”
With this experience in mind, Rose mobilized the WFA Board, her friends and neighbors in Pennsylvania and launched the WFA Food Pantry on April 11, 2020 to provide much needed food supplies to the WFA women facing imminent hunger in Kenya. Remembering her experience of only getting dry corn to feed her family, Rose determined that the WFA Pantry
would provide a balanced food basket to the WFA women. Thanks to the generous donations of many partners and friends, WFA has raised about $3,500 so far and distributed more than 100 food baskets to WFA partners in Nakuru, Kenya. 35 of the beneficiaries are actively involved in
WFA and the rest are women from the surrounding WFA community in Nakuru, who are also experiencing hunger as a result of the lockdown and curfew imposed by the government. Each food basket distributed contains the following basic food necessities:
8 pounds of cornmeal, 8 pounds wheat flour, 4 pounds of rice, 4 pounds beans, 4 pounds of dry corn, 4 pounds of lentils, 4 pounds sugar, 2 liters of cooking oil, one packet of tea leaves and one bar soap for bathing and washing clothes.
The cost to fill one food basket is $20 or Kenya shillings 2,000. As of May 2, 2020, WFA has distributed 117 food baskets at a cost of $2,340. The Kenya government announced on May 1, 2020 that it was extending its coronavirus lockdown for another three weeks. Consequently, the need to continue to the WFA food distribution throughout the lockdown period and even for a few months after the lockdown continues to be necessary. Beyond the lockdown, it will take the WFA women several months to re-establish their small businesses again. Therefore, WFA is committed to the food distribution program to make sure the WFA women and their families do not go hungry.
Please consider donating. Any contribution is welcomed and goes a long way to providing basic food necessities for poor women in Kenya, many of whom are affiliated to the WFA Ministry.
***To donate with Credit Card/PayPal please visit: https://womenoffaithalliance.com/
• To donate by check: make payable to Women of Faith Alliance with memo “WFA Pantry”, 152 Martin’s Corner, Coatesville, PA 19320
• To donate via $CashApp: Send to Rose Munge at 610-679-0508
• To donate via Zelle send to Rose Munge
• To donate via Venmo: Please send to Dana Parker at @parkerdana
After a good night’s sleep, Rose couldn’t wait to meet with her liaisons. Her first meetings for the day began with the reports of the three liaisons, Jemima, Mary Njogu, and Mary Kagunda. A lot of responsibility for the success of the WFA mission of giving loans of hope rests on the shoulders of these liaisons and their ability to unite, encourage and have meetings with their partners. The women who have received loans and training in business have all signed promises to repay their initial loans and attend regular meetings. Six of the partners had paid their loans in full and were patiently waiting to receive their next loans. Rose held a meeting inviting them and 4 new partners newly trained who all received their loans for 2019.