Image source: CNN.com

Buckner International announced efforts to alleviate suffering in Kenya on Saturday, after two months of rain and flooding have devastated parts of the East African nation where Buckner has served for more than 22 years.

When the rain first started, it was a welcome sight for the people of Kenya, a country with a long history of droughts.That was in mid-March.

But it hasn’t stopped raining and much of the country is underwater and in disarray.
 
In the past week, heavy rains intensified into torrential downpours. The resulting mass flooding is eroding away infrastructure and buildings across the country. Each day a new tragedy is reported – burst dams, capsized boats, crumbled houses – and the death toll is rising.
 
As of April 29, CNN and other global news outlets report more than 100 flood-related deaths in Kenya since mid-March. Hundreds more are missing, and more than 19,000 households are displaced.
 
“It’s never been like this before,” shared Dickson Masindano, executive director of Buckner Kenya. “We have always experienced heavy rains, but the destruction that has come from this year’s rain is too extreme, particularly to the vulnerable communities.”
 
The Kenya Red Cross lists flooding in 26 of Kenya’s 47 counties, which includes Nairobi, Kitale and Bungoma - all areas where Buckner International serves. Buckner programs in Kenya include foster care and kinship care services, domestic adoption and Buckner Family Hope Center® locations.

 
“Life has been lost and property destroyed,” Masindano said. “People are going through a difficult time, and there is a lot of pain. Some people have nothing to eat.”
 
Masindano is thankful only a few homes belonging to Buckner clients and employees have been flooded, while damage to Buckner offices and Family Hope Centers is contained. But the regions have already been devastated and the flooding is expected to worsen in the coming week.
 
Buckner is providing emergency assistance to the Kenyan families it serves and their surrounding communities. Buckner Children and Family Services President Henry Jackson details an immediate need for water filters, fresh food, clothes, hygiene supplies, temporary bedding, mobile stoves and mosquito nets.
 
“We just had a leadership team visit Kenya a month ago, at the beginning of the rains, and none of us could have predicted this outcome,” Jackson said. “My heart is breaking for our colleagues and families, as well as the entire country. They need our prayers and support.”
 
Jackson explained any donations provided to Buckner for the flooding in Kenya will provide immediate assistance where it is needed most.
 
According to Masindano, impact from the flooding will last long past when the rain stops. The destroyed infrastructure will make it difficult for supplies to be transported, and there are health concerns due to a lack of clean water as well as an increase in mosquitoes caused by standing water.
 
“A little bit of help will go a long way in making a difference in the lives of those who lost everything,” Masindano shared. “I pray this rain will stop soon, but it will take our country a long time to recover from this tragedy.”

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