Little rain is part of life in Northern Kenya and the international community have over the past decades distributed food when necessary, with the numbers of people in need fluctuating according ot the climatic vagaries. Oxfam who is involved in the food distributon had piloted an approach whereby the food distribution would be conducted through local traders rather than through the classic food distribution methods. The results were promising and when the rains in April -May 2009 failed completely, TCF decided to fund a larger scale program where the food would be distributed through local traders. The advantages of using the local traders is that the food distribution does not undermine their ability to run a business and thereby ensuring availabillity of food for the general population. It also meant that the cash spent on the distribution would ultimately end up in the community rather than outside communities.
3,000 households received food rations and 20-30 traders in 15 locations got enhanced business acumen, turnover and profit. WFP pipeline problems haunted the project.
Implementation 2009 – 2011
Visited
