The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has been selected by the government of Kenya and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to be the lead agency in food distributions in Kitui, a district in Kenya where residents are contending with a prolonged drought.

Through January 2005, ADRA will distribute 11,000 metric tons of relief food including maize, beans, vegetable oil, and corn soy blend donated by the WFP and the Kenyan government. The aid will benefit approximately 161,000 people facing acute food shortages in the region.

“ADRA Kenya is pleased to work with the WFP once again by providing this much needed aid,” said George Baiden, country director for ADRA Kenya. “In previous partnerships with the WFP and the Kenyan government we were able to alleviate much suffering caused by drought,” he added.

ADRA Kenya is in the process of digging 40 boreholes that will soon be fitted with pumps, which will then provide clean water and reducing the distance needed to travel for access to water.

Additional efforts to mitigate the effects of drought for next year include ongoing preparations for the coming planting season. Extension farmers and seed multipliers have been trained on various agronomic practices to help farmers prepare adequately.

In the meantime, 9.5 metric tons of assorted drought-tolerant crop seed have been purchased for demonstration purposes to extension farmers as well as for multiplication by seed multipliers. This will boost both food and seed availability in the coming seasons.

In addition to these activities, ADRA Kenya is continuing its provision of supplementary food rations to orphans, children under five years of age, the elderly, and people living with HIV/AIDS. To date, the project has provided 18,000 people with more than 57 metric tons of food and will continue until 1,500 metric tons have been distributed.

ADRA is present in more than 120 countries providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age or ethnicity. Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.