EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAMMES

We as Mother and Child Mission Centre (Kenya) always foresee our people in need to be assisted immediately whenever their arises disaster be in fire, rain wash offs or draught, health related outbreaks among other emergency response which needs immediate assistance from us.

Women and children being our first priority we always make sure that they receive the best requirements for sustainability and a smile gives us hope of continuity in our daily work.

We have worked with like-minded people like Red Cross and Red Crescent and UNHCR in ascertaining that immediate responses are adhered to those in need immediately.

In 2007 during the post-election violence in Kenya we took centre stage in making sure that internally displaced persons especially women and children received the utmost needs as per food, medication, sleeping areas and though this was overtaken by the government after the response was overshadowed by campaigns from leaders instead of foreseeing the needs of the traumatized persons.

[Aftermath of post-election violence in 2007 and 2017]

Same occurred in 2017 between August – October where uncalled for people died in the name of campaigns though this time we had no response on internally displaced persons but those who lost there limbs were un accounted for not to mention those who lost their lives.

Emergency response in Tana Delta Region:

Areas of operation included: Tana Delta, Turkana region in terms of draught and rain wash offs and in South Sudan in the time of war.  In Tana Delta we had hard time in evacuating those affected as it was not possible to reach them from their villages as most roads were washed off and we had to be in assistance with Red Cross in conjunction with   other stakeholders.

These prone areas were due to the outburst of rivers within Tana Delta and these made it hard for the communities to find immediate needs from the required groups.  Though we had challenges but we tried our best to reach most families and some lost their lives; before they could be reached.

In South Sudan just after they had received their independence the outcome of chairmanship turned to be blood shed from the capital Juba and escalated to all parts of the country through ethnic cleansing and the worst being women, children and the old who were worst affected.  We had to offer services together with UNICEF, UNHCR, UNMISS, APEBA, among other Stakeholders to see that these groups received immediate attention

{South Sudan- Internally Displaced Persons with makeshift houses and cleaning their clothes within Juba region – near New Site 100 m from UNMIS security offices}

The immediate response was to be to these groups of people as women had little children who required to be breastfed and necessary measures were to be undertaken to see that they received quick assistance from Mother and Child Mission Centre (K) and other stakeholders who were willing to work along International organizations though the heat of war was eminent to be too harsh to stay in South Sudan we had to see that we did our work as CSO to our African people weather we risked dying together with them or not.  We lost other members of volunteers who were distributing amenities to these groups but still it did not deter us to continue

Though these group required immediate attention government bodies saw nothing short of fighting and maiming as different ethnic groups took guns to fight for their rights without dialogue.  Until to date there has been no solution which has come forth and US has to reconsider putting sanctions and measures on the South Sudan government for immediate stop of war which has escalated to other parts of the country especially western bahrel gazal, Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei States where war has really felt its toll both to western volunteers and internal persons.

Currently we have embarked on rescue programmes to the children who are traumatized and foresee that they require education, counselling among other amenities which needs to be undertaken to the group.

Though need still is required by well-wishers to chip in with donations to foresee that these groups are well catered for in conjunction we have not forgotten old men and women though most women have lost their husbands we had to role out an SME programme.