Drought Continues for Sixth Year in Horn of Africa

Rainfall across the Horn of Africa has fallen short of expectations once again. The October/November rains in the region were projected to be heavier than usual due to El Niño effects, and millions of farmers and pastoralists had pinned their hopes on the weather experts being right.

Hope of improved food security was high with the rains beginning as promised in October, but there was a lengthy dry spell in November that continued into the first part of December. In their latest report, Oxfam GB said “Large parts of Turkana (northern Kenya), Somalia, and Ethiopia have received less than five percent of normal rainfall in November.” According to the report, Turkana has received just 12 mm of rainfall in the last three months.

This is the sixth successive season of poor rains in the region, which is experiencing its worst drought in 20 years. The next rains are now projected for April at the earliest. As a result, the USAID Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS-Net) predicts “food insecurity is likely to deteriorate substantially in the coming months, compounded by human and livestock disease upsurges, conflict, and higher food prices.”

After visiting affected areas, Mr. Jeremy Loveless, Oxfam GB Deputy Humanitarian Director, said “Millions of people in these areas are of particular concern as they face at least another six months of hunger and destitution.”

Tiff Harris

Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya

Special Needs Kids in Africa

African children contend with problems unknown to kids growing up in the developed world. Hunger, lack of clean drinking water, limited access to quality education, and poor healthcare are the norm. For African children with special needs, however these problems are greatly intensified. Eight-year-old John Mugisha Prudence is one such child. To support himself and contribute to his family and his community, John needs special schooling. To help, African Children’s Haven and the Wembly Fund have awarded John a scholarship that will allow him to receive a quality education. Learn how you can help.

Where the Water Meets the Sky

"Where the Water Meets the Sky" is the remarkable story of a young African woman orphaned by AIDS. Her self-made documentary, narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, depicts her struggle to provide for herself and her siblings. What began as a filmmaking workshop is transformed into a story of how African women are demonstrating with courage and humor that the future rests in their hands. http://www.watermeetssky.com/

World AIDS Day

According to the United Nations, AIDS infections in Africa were 25% lower last year than in the peak year of 1995. However, Africa still accounts for two-thirds of all HIV infections worldwide, 68% of new infections among adults and a staggering 91% of new infections among children. See the report.

Happy Home

A video shot earlier this year at the Happy Home Orphanage in Western Kenya provides an insider’s look at the lives of some 30 orphans supported by African Childrens Haven. Produced by McGill University students Will Miller andAlex Pritz, the new film is available on-line at http://www.vimeo.com/5327856

UNICEF: Hunger Affects 200 Million Children

A new UNICEF reports says that hunger is stunting the development of 200 million children under age of five in Africa and Asia. But the UN agency also says that eliminating or at least reducing malnutrition is feasible. Read more http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_51688.html

Kid Stuff

Last Sunday’s New York Times Book Review weighed in on the new self-help book “Natureshock, New Thinking About Children” in which the authors – former chroniclers of the financial bond trade – review recent research on childhood development.

The authors – Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman – cite laboratory studies that show that over-praising children comes at a price. Kids who were tested in laboratory studies and then praised for their intelligence, they say, were outperformed in a second round of testing by children who were simply commended for their efforts. The authors conclude that the “commended” students challenged themselves to do better while the “praised” kids were content with the status quo.

Bronson and Merryman also report – and this is what initially caught our attention– that the more children are threatened with punishment, the more they lie and the better they get at it. For example, the book relates how kids in a traditional colonial school in West Africa, where teachers frequently hit the children, were more and more likely to lie simply to avoid punishment.

At African Childrens Haven, we’re still struggling with how to deal with schools that receive our support and continue hitting their students. We’ll be coming out with a policy soon, but meanwhile we encourage you to share your views and let us know how you think we should proceed. Read the review