Scores of schools and communities are set to benefit from relief food from the Maisha project in response to the hunger crisis in the country.
The more than one million meals to be shipped from the US will also help supplement school feeding programmes in Kisumu and Turkana.
Maisha project founder, Beatrice Williamson, said besides the feeding programme, the food will be distributed to most vulnerable families, orphans, elderly and widows.
Williamson said several families across the country are facing hunger and need to be supported with food and medication.
She called for a collaborative effort by all stakeholders to help the government towards supporting those affected by hunger countrywide.
Maisha Project is an international organization working at local levels in Kenya to empower people and to transform communities.
It is headquarters is in Oklahoma, US. The projects in Kisumu are locally owned, managed and operated.
Williamson said the project targets to transform lives and empower her community by providing lasting solutions to address poverty, hunger, disease and fight illiteracy.
Williamson, born and bred in Chiga village in Kisumu East subcounty, said the organisation usually pays taxes when shipping in the food reliefs.
To ship the two 40 feet containers of food into the country, she said it will cost Ksh 1 million, calling on the well-wishers to help them raise the money.
Williamson said the money will be used to pay for duty, taxes at Mombasa port and transport to Kisumu and Turkana counties.
“We are seeking support to ship some food home for our people from the US. We need help to clear and transport from Mombasa port to Kisumu and Turkana,” she said.
Williamson added that they need help to tax waiver and transport from Mombasa to Kisumu and Turkana since this is the third time of shipping food to help our people.
“This year with inflation, we are requesting the government to help us by imposing a tax waiver,” she said, adding that those wishing to donate can make contributions through Mpesa pay bill number 860564 with account number being Maisha to support the food programme.
Last year, she said, the organization called on the government to invest more in infrastructure and medication for sickle cell patients.
Williamson said it is alarming that children born with sickle cell disease in Kenya can hardly live past five years due to lack of proper healthcare.
She said they have learnt that sickle cell is a forgotten disease here in Kenya and a lot of people are born with sickle cell anemia, which requires proper medication.
“At Maisha Medical Clinic, the organization supports families that have a situation like sickle cell who does not have an income,” she indicated.
More than 750 people were treated for various ailments such as malaria and cough. Over 1,000 children under five years were also vaccinated against measles and rubella.
Maisha also supports more than 1,000 vulnerable children, especially orphans and widows drawn across the county.
Fredrick Odiero
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