A Letter From Trudy White

Trudy White
GCI Participant - FHF Member
March 14, 2006
(This is a copy of an e-mail that Trudy has forwarded to friends on PEI.)

Hi Folks;
The Muchui women were more than welcoming. Lot's of laughs dancing with them. Jennifer accompanied us as she will again today.

You asked about rain. Nothing has fallen since two weeks ago. The women are still using the maise given them by FHF and there has been some government food aid come in - but it's not much. The usual start date is between March 15 and 22 and so everyone is praying they will come on time, but today is the 14th and there's not a cloud in the sky. Martin, the new business manager at Muchui told me the meteorologists are predicting there will be no rain till end of April! Unfortunately some people planted when it rained two weeks ago and if the seeds germinated they may soon dry up and there will be no seed left. We asked Jennifer how we might help out and she suggested we buy them some more bean seeds - the local variety. So we gathered about $250 between us and the business centrre will purchase and distribute the seed.

Martin told us that many of the people to the North of Muchui have migrated to seek refuge with family or friends in other places. The news is full of relief efforts being undertaken by other Kenyans. A van with a loudspeaker was travelling the streets in Meru yesterday asking people to help out. Clement has told us that he belongs to a group of 22 families that has already sent over 300,000 ksh in food aid. He also told us that in the 13 years he has been doing safari he has never seen animals dying as they are this year.

Despite this, we are still always warmly welcomed. We are all well and in good spirits. Great team to travel with. Visiting a school for blind and maternity hospital today.

Trudy