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May 12, 2005
Food Shortages and Food Aid in Burkina
Food shortages and accompanying poverty and malnutrition are getting worse in the north of Burkina Faso according to a report by the FAO.
This is due to the impact of last year's locust swarm, which destroyed 90% of the harvest in the north of Burkina Faso. This was made worse by the problems in the Ivory Coast, which has caused the flight of many Burkinabes who had been working there and sending money back home to Burkina.
"Millet prices continue to climb, while livestock prices have been falling, the agency said. The conditions for livestock production are deteriorating due to scarce pasture and water resources. The movement of animals in search of water and feed has already led to local conflicts...Severe child malnutrition is increasing rapidly." Our area is a Fulani area, where cattle are the heart of the culture and economy, so people are very hard hit.
I had a phone call from Burkina the other day, from one of my Fulani friends in Gorom-Gorom. It was lovely to hear from them, but they also confirmed that the situation is bad there. People particularly need additional food aid for the upcoming lean season, livestock feed, and seeds and other farming inputs for the next growing season. FAO is appealing for $11.4 million to provide agricultural inputs and assist pastoralists in the affected countries.
Food Aid
I want to try and raise a few thousand pounds for aid specifically for the area around where I was living. This will be done throught the local church there. If you can help, please send cheques (marked on the back "Gorom-Gorom famine relief in Burkina Faso") to World Horizons, at one of the following addresses:
World Horizons, North Dock, Llanelli, Carms SA15 2LF, UK
World Horizons, PO Box 17721, Richmond, VA 23226, USA
Steve and I did distribute over £10 000 of aid across the north of Burkina at the start of the year, in liaison with the World Food Programme. But it was just a drop in the ocean, and we are now coming up to the hardest time of the year - when people have used up any resources, but need the extra energy for working the fields. Thanks for anything you can do.
God bless you.
Posted by Keith at May 12, 2005 11:54 AM
Comments
Hello Keith, I have read most of your wonderful blog carefully (keep finding more beneath the layers) and would have donated if you had a PayPal button for World Horizons. Maybe installing one is a lot of effort or impossible for World Horizons. But it seems to me PayPal is the best bank for us here in blogland where there are no fences.
PayPal automatically handles small donations and currency conversion and there is no fear of keying in ones credit card details into unfamilar websites. Perhaps more people would donate upon reading your post, if there was a PayPal button.
Sometimes, when people read appeals in newspapers, magazines, and read blogs through a newsfeed they make a mental note to find cheque book, write cheque, find envelope and stamp and arrange for its mailing. Sending a cheque, I know does not sound much effort compared to dropping a few coins in a tin or setting up a PayPal button but human nature is such that unless there are follow ups and reminders, the initial enthusiasm to donate tends to get lost among a list of other things to do which gets carried over to the next day ... and the next ... and forgotten.
Sorry, I do not mean to sound negative or criticise. I just thought it is worth pointing out, incase other readers who are trying to fundraise online see this. I can think of a few fundraisers that would have received a little something from me via PayPal or Visa card.
Last week I tried to donate to the Genocide Intervention Fund, it took all my details (most U.S. sites only allow for US postcodes) but refused my Visa card because I guess it wasn't set up to convert currency into to US dollars.
Doctors Without Borders I had no problem with using Visa. But now I come to think of it, international aid agencies have a UK facility for donations. So really, what I am trying to say is, online fundraisers need to use a trust facility that can be used at a moments notice by international readers.
I hope this finds you well. With kind regards from Ingrid in England, UK (btw Keith, check out my latest post where there is a link to what may be the first blog out of Darfur, Sudan. I hope it is. I want it to be true. I have a feeling it is - what do you think?)
Posted by: Ingrid at May 12, 2005 11:44 AM
Thanks for the helpful comments, Ingrid. I will pass on the advice about PayPal to the World Horizons office. It sounds like a good idea.
I will email you about the other stuff.
Posted by: Keith at May 12, 2005 02:28 PM
Today I heard the first report of someone in a village near Djibo dying of starvation. I suspect it will not be the last.
Posted by: Steve at May 12, 2005 09:46 PM
Hello Keith, nice to hear from you, thank you for your reply. That sure is a neat round-up you have posted on the Sudan. I'm always impressed by bloggers who don't specialise on Sudan but are able to grasp the larger picture and produce round ups that are succinct and accurate. Amazing. Hope you submit it for Catez's Darfur Posts Collection because it links to your previous Sudan post that would act as a good resource for her archives. Meanwhile, I will highlight your post as soon as I get up to date at Sudan Watch. If I get more than a few days behind it becomes quite a task sifting the news and bringing it up to date.
Posted by: Ingrid at May 13, 2005 05:49 PM
Will do. Thanks for helping me disciple my family in compassion for the poor.
Posted by: brad at May 22, 2005 02:10 PM
