The sun is scorching. An elderly woman faints. She begs for a sip of water when she regains consciousness. Later on, she will beg for a packet of maize meal flour, to take home and cook for her grandchildren. These are the scenes of a skit performed by the women of Machakos District in Kenya. Their audience is stunned in silence as the play progresses, for this is not just role play  or fantasy but the harsh reality of starvation many Kenyans face today. 

There are certain things in life that we take for granted. Things that happen the same way the sun rises from the east and sets in the west.  Some things we take for granted include easy access to food, shelter, water, education and health care.
We often use the term “the sun will shine” to show hope and the promise of a better tomorrow. However, have you ever considered those people to whom the sun never metaphorically shines? Instead, it shines practically and for long, leaving permanent damage.

In July 2009, two groups from Christ Community Church (CCC) Colorado and CMA visited different areas of Machakos distributing relief food. Among the people we meet is a Women’s group of HIV/AIDS widows at Chumvi location. They share with us not just about the disease slowly eating away their bodies, but also of another equally deadly disease of  HUNGER. Chumvi, like most areas of Machakos has had no rain for the last three years. Their hopes were raised last March when it rained and they rushed to plant. However, it seems as we visit their Shambas and see the drying food crop that the rain was a mockery from Mother Nature. The food crop barely grew to maturity before the rains stopped and the sun shone, this time energetically. “Sleeping hungry is a norm. A part of our life,” shared Dorothy Mbula, a member of the group.

Many women in Chumvi are like Dorothy’s - widowed and constantly battling HIV opportunistic infections. They agonize over a daughter who has taken off to the nearby Mombasa road highway to prostitute herself in order to help supplement the food budget at home or over a son, given to drugs and despair. They share the reality of constant hunger, crop failure and disappointment from Mother Nature.   On this day however, Dorothy and her friends will receive food donations from Christ Community Church that will last them at least two weeks.

The situation is desperate, and resonates with experiences in different areas of Kenya where CMA works. An emergency official government report released in June indicates over 10 million Kenyans face starvation. Even more worrying is the unpredictable trend of rains or the lack of it. In many areas of Kajiado and Machakos districts CMA in partnership with various groups has distributed food. The joy of the people who receive it is immeasurable. 

However, the needs are immense. Thousands of families are looking up to us, and we are encouraged by the support we receive to continue meeting their needs. With such support, women like Dorothy and their children, will smile. For them, the sun shone.