April and May 2024 coincide with Kenya’s rainy season, but repeated heavy rains have caused flooding in 43 of the country’s 47 counties. As of May 29, 315 people have died, 290,000 have been displaced, and 500,000 have been affected.
In order to assist in disaster care in Kenya and join forces with international charitable organizations, Tzu Chi and the International Medical and Disaster Service Committee of the Camillian Disaster Service International (CADIS) signed a disaster relief cooperation agreement on June 24, 2024, targeting the two slums of Mathare and Mukuru Kwa Njenga in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and the Baringo disaster area outside Nairobi.
The relief packages provided by both parties include: food packages, daily necessities, women’s hygiene products, living subsidies, medical services, house repairs, seeds, agricultural products and training.
On June 28 and July 10, 2024, the CADIS held two food distributions for the victims in the Mathare slum area, including rice, beans, corn flour, vegetable oil, sugar, and a mobile phone transfer of 10,000 shillings (about NT$2,500) living subsidies to 182 households. The remaining 18 households will collect the materials from the district governor’s office in mid-July.
When distributing, the nuns are responsible for transferring the living subsidies to the victims and asking them to confirm whether they have received them immediately. During the distribution, the nuns read letters from Master Cheng Yen and representatives of the CADIS, and led the beneficiaries to pray for the Master and Tzu Chi. Before
the distribution ended, several disaster victims stood up to publicly thank Tzu Chi, Master Cheng Yen and the CADIS for their support. They were particularly grateful for the rental support, which will enable them to find more suitable accommodation and restart their lives.
After the distribution, Tzu Chi and the CADIS have never stopped caring for the people, including a free health check-up organized by the CADIS at Mukuru Kwa Njenga on August 3, 2024. There were 644 guests, including 84 children under the age of five (36 boys and 48 girls), and 560 people over the age of five (190 boys and 370 girls).
In addition, on August 12 and 23, 2024, the CADIS held a distribution of daily necessities to 100 households (a total of 200 households) in Mathare, including mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, hygiene items and a second subsidy transfer of 5,000 shillings (about NT$1,250).
The third subsidy transfer was held on September 28, and school uniforms for children were distributed. A total of 300 children from 150 families received tailor-made school uniforms, as well as exercise books and stationery.
In the April 2024 floods, Ms. Rose Tiyana, a resident of Eldume in Baringo, had her five acres of farmland completely destroyed, a loss that severely affected her ability to provide for her family. Lacking the resources to rebuild her farm, her prospects are bleak.
To help farmers like Ms. Tiyana overcome these daunting challenges, Tzu Chi has partnered with the CADIS Kenya to launch a support program that provides farmers with maize seeds and agricultural support, as well as a cash transfer of 10,000 Kenyan shillings (about NT$2,500) to help them get through to their first harvest.
When Ms. Tiyana received the cash transfer, she immediately decided to use part of the funds to buy tomato seedlings. She hopes to earn enough cash from the sale of tomatoes to restore her ability to support her family while waiting for the maize harvest.
“Here, life is hard for us women,” said Ms. Tiyana. “We have to pay for our children’s school fees, food, uniforms, etc. That’s why we say that your support has taken us further and we are very grateful. Now, once we have harvested, we will also help those who have not yet received assistance. We promise that they will not go hungry either.”
Another touching case is that of Mr. Joseph Olesauroki, who along with his family was attacked by armed bandits in 2005; he was shot and injured, and his only source of income, livestock, was also robbed. In order to save their lives, they had to leave their homeland empty-handed and move to Eldume, Baringo. However, life did not improve: Mr. Olesauroki’s small business could not support his family, and the simple thatched house they lived in began to fall apart. Eventually, the family was forced to separate in order to survive.
After the floods in April 2024, Tzu Chi and the Kenya CADIS provided 50 semi-permanent houses for the most vulnerable victims. Mr. Olesauroki was selected as one of the recipients by the Eldume community. For the first time in many years, Mr. Olesauroki and his family had a sheltered place that was rainproof and mosquito-proof.
The new house not only provided material comfort, but also helped Mr. Olesauroki’s family reunite, and the strong door also protected them from the threat of thieves. He said: “After the flood, Tzu Chi and the CADIS gave us food, beds and now a house. We really appreciate everything you have done, especially the care of the donors. Thank you for thinking about us.”
After three months of planning, the victims have been able to quickly embark on the path of recovery and growth. It is expected that these interventions will help the victims surpass their pre-disaster living conditions and achieve a better situation than before the disaster.
