  
| 
| ||||||||||||
 Kenyan family's cry: 'God has cursed us'By Jeff Koinange Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences covering the news.  CNN reporter Jeff Koinange has been covering drought conditions in Africa for six months. YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSGARISSA, Kenya (CNN) -- I've covered three droughts in the last six months in Africa. In July, I saw women, with babies on their backs, walking for miles in search of food in Niger. In Malawi, I witnessed people eating termites to keep from starving to death. Now I am in my native Kenya, where a fourth season without rain has decimated the cattle stock and people fear a looming famine. Traveling across the hot, dusty, desert landscape this week, I've lost count of the dead animals -- everything from cows, goats, sheep and even camels, the so-called "ship of the desert." One local cattle herder told me that if you see camels dying like flies, then you know you're in trouble. (Watch when water is more important than food -- 3:58) I spoke with one desperate family, the Ousmans, whom I met standing in line at a food distribution center in northern Kenya. It's a makeshift center because aid agencies can't keep up with the movement of these desert nomads. It's their lifestyle. Even in the best of times, they go from place to place in search of greener pastures for their cattle. Now they have no choice. The Ousmans -- father Salat, mother Ebler and their five young children -- stand in line waiting to get a corn-soya blend from the United States, rice from Japan and beans and vegetable oil from the Kenyan government. They are one of about 500 families gathered here for their monthly food ration. Through an interpreter, I learn that Salat used to own more than 100 head of cattle. Now it's fewer than 30. Salat seems depressed. He says he depends on his cattle for his livelihood. He says he doesn't know what he'll do if the long-awaited rains don't come and his stock continues to dwindle. As we're talking, a water truck rolls up, courtesy of the Kenyan government. A mad rush ensues, and everyone leaves the food line to grab their plastic containers. It's a desperate scene -- men, women and children fighting for the most basic and natural of resources. But they're not filling up the cans for themselves -- it's for their starving animals. "The animals are our life," Salat says. "If they die, then we die." Such is life in this northern corridor of one of Africa's so-called better economies. Many experts say they don't understand why Kenya can't feed itself. Peter Smerdon, spokesman for the U.N. World Food Program, says Kenya is doing all it can but that logistics are a major problem. "Having food is one thing," Smerdon says. "Moving it, quite another." Last year, Kenya announced a bumper maize, or corn, harvest. What the country didn't say is that the "bumper harvest" included maize bought from neighboring countries. Much of the food is stored in warehouses around the country. The World Food Program is helping move supplies to drought-stricken northern Kenya, but not nearly as quickly as needed. Meanwhile, the Ousman family is getting ready to make the five-mile trek back to their makeshift shelter. We accompany them on their journey -- father, mother and five children, each helping to carry one of the items they received that day. We get to their hut of twigs and branches, and Ebler immediately sets about making a fire and cooking some rice and beans. Salat shows us what is left of his pasture -- a dry patch of desert sand. One of his prized camels lies in front of us as though resting. Salat says his camel is dying of thirst. He tries to revive the animal, pushing it up and even beating it with a stick. The camel cries out the mournful wail of a dying animal. Salat squats beside his animal as thick tears run down its long face. Salat is devastated. His herd is thinning quickly, and all he can do is stand by helplessly. "God has cursed us," he says, looking toward the sky. "Why else are we allowed to suffer for so long? What have we done wrong?" When Salat looks up, all he sees is a relentless sun beating down on his country. There's not a cloud in sight. Forecasters confirm Salat's worst fears -- little or no rain is expected in the coming weeks. 
|
| ||||||||||||
| © 2007 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
 |
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video. 
