Thank you everyone who stopped by at the West Bend Farmer's Market to help drought relief in the Horn of Africa.  Yesterday we raised $328!  The situation is still terribly fragile.  Food security levels in Eastern Africa remain at crisis and emergency levels.  

"The communities we work with in the Horn of Africa region are still very vulnerable," says CARE's East and Central Africa Regional Director Emma Naylor-Ngugi. 

from UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

the continuing crisis ~ outlook for rainfall even this season  is bleak

http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_3791.pdf

World Water Day March 22, 2012!

http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/index.html

Ways to help:

• follow a healthier, sustainable diet
• consume less water-intensive products
• reduce the scandalous food wastage: 30% of the food produced worldwide is never eaten and the water used to produce it is definitively lost
• produce more food, of better quality, with less water

Still 10.4 million people in need

The situation in Ethiopia and Kenya is stabilizing, but across the Horn of Africa, there remain 10.4 million people in need.

http://one.org/blog/2012/02/17/famine-declared-over-but-lets-not-lose-sight-of-whats-at-stake/

KANGA COFFEE in Merton!

Definitely worth the visit, they have great coffee, a beautifully renovated and relaxing space, and they're selling "There's a Drought" cds!


http://kangacoffee.com/

UN declares end to famine but warns the international community not to be complacent

Rains + foreign aid = fragile and temporary improvement 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/un-declares-end-to-somalia-famine-but-warns-crisis-not-over/2012/02/03/gIQAAQxFnQ_story.html

2011 Brief Summary of Drought

The New Year finds the situation still quite complex and catastrophic. Rains have come cutting off some displaced drought survivors from help,  there is increased insecurity in the region, and relief efforts in Somalia are limited by the militia.  We'll continue to pray, continue to sell cd's and shirts, and continue to share the story of the suffering in the Horn of Africa.

http://yubanet.com/world/Horn-Eastern-Africa-Drought-highlights-in-2011.php#.TwsrwJgqOS4