In the past couple of months, Kenyans have been treated to horrific images of fellow brothers and sisters facing severe starvation in the draught stricken parts of the country.  Tales of women and children trekking long distances in search of food and water with some dying along the way have made headlines in both the local and international media. This sad situation prompted many Kenyans to come together in aid of needy Kenyans through the “Kenyans for Kenya” initiative. In a show of patriotism, citizens of goodwill raised more than the targeted KES. 500,000,000 and enabled starving residents receive metric tons of food.

 Management and Staff of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund joined this noble act of goodwill by making a cheque donation of KES. 300,000 towards the Kenyans for Kenya initiative.  The Finance and Administration Manager, Mr. James Kungu, presented the cheque donation on behalf of the Board, Management and staff to the Corporate Affairs Manager of the Kenya Red Cross Society, Ms. Rosemary Mutunkei during a handing over ceremony held on 1^st September 2011 at the Kenya Red Cross Headquarters in Nairobi’s South C.

While presenting the donation, Mr. Kungu said that the money was contributed by members of staff and leveraged by the Fund’s Board as a token to express solidarity with fellow Kenyans who were going through prolonged periods without food. He said that part of the mandate of the Fund was to facilitate youth to create employment through enterprise development which can only thrive if people are comfortable. “As the Youth Fund, we are aware that people cannot do business on an empty stomach, it is only a well nourished person that can actively engage in national development and it is for this reason that we have come to express our solidarity by contributing towards the drought response initiative” he said. He added that the Fund was keen to partner with the Kenyan Red Cross in finding long term solutions to the famine problems that continue to affect our country year after year.

 Ms. Mutunkei thanked the Board, Management and staff of the Youth Fund for their kind donation that will go a long way to address the immediate needs of Kenyans facing starvation. She said that the Kenyans for Kenya initiative was started with a view to provide food and water to school going children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the old who are the most vulnerable groups. Through the initiative, 1400 metric tons of foods have been disbursed to the hungry in various parts of Northern and North Eastern regions of the country. She said that the Red Cross Society was now focusing on long term interventions to enhance food security in the country such as establishing green houses, digging bore holes, and providing drought resistance seeds to farmers. This requires concerted efforts not only from the government, but also players in the public and private sector. She called upon the Youth Fund to join this noble initiative that would prevent such future calamities and ensure that no Kenyan child would die of starvation or related illnesses.

 The Finance and Administration Manager, was accompanied by Public Relations Manager, Mr. Benson Muthendi, and other members of staff from various departments in the Youth Fund.