400 days of drought in Kenya – 7 days in Frome to help save a community

Frome Area Christians Together are collecting money this week for Christian Aid Week to support people affected by the climate crisis in developing countries.

Volunteers for the group are in the town centre this week until Sunday 16th May. 

On behalf of the group, Jean Fraser said, “This week is very important because working together we can make a great difference.                             

“There will be collections in the town centre from 9.30am and envelopes in the churches and some homes. 

“We’ve been through very difficult times, but there are those who need any help we can give. People like Rose, aged 67. She and her family are caught up in a devastating crisis.                                       She lives in Kitui, Kenya, and is the guardian for her six grandchildren. 

“Every other day, she makes a 6-hour round journey in the burning sun to collect whatever water she can for farming, drinking and washing. In her later years she is working hard to give what little she can to the people who need her most. 

“Without this awful journey Rose and her family would suffer hunger and thirst. So how can this change? One way is for Christian Aid to arrange for ‘earth dams’ to be built. These are huge basins dug in the ground that collect and store rainwater there. This is then piped into taps for people to draw water from. 

“The climate crisis has made rainfall more erratic so when rain does fall, it is precious and must be saved. Where this has been done, crops grow, people are farming and making a living and children are no longer hungry and thirsty.  Therefore, we can make a difference!”