BBC newsreader and Merlin Patron Natasha Kaplinsky travelled to Kenya in July 2006 to see how Merlin was helping the drought-affected communities of Wajir:
“Since I visited the Democratic Republic of Congo two years ago, I was keen to make another field trip to see Merlin's efforts first-hand. I chose Kenya - the backdrop of some of my happiest childhood memories. The Kenya I visited this time, however, was a very different one.
“We headed for the north-eastern district of Wajir, on the border with Somalia. The region has been badly affected by recurrent drought. Wajir is home to pastoralist communities that rely entirely on their livestock. Now, with up to 80 per cent of their herds dead, livelihoods have been destroyed, and widespread malnutrition has resulted from chronic food and water shortages.
“It was a short visit, and because we were also filming a report for BBC News 24, we had a lot to see and capture. As we drove for many miles along hot, dusty tracks, I wondered how anyone could live in such a harsh environment. But for the pastoralists of Wajir, this is home, and the drought has made their daily struggle even harder. In some areas, 30 per cent of the children are malnourished. Thankfully, Merlin is there offering vital medical care, while at the same time, providing training that will have a long-term impact.
“We visited a ‘stablisation centre’ supported by Merlin at Wajir District Hospital, which provides specialist treatment and constant monitoring for severely malnourished children. One patient who will always stay in my mind was a girl called Fahriya. She was eight years old but weighed just two stone. With Merlin's feeding programmes now established in several villages around Wajir, many children are identified and successfully treated in the early stages of malnutrition, so fewer cases arrive at hospital in such a fragile condition.
“It was a privilege to see Merlin helping to save so many lives. It reinforced my commitment as a Patron, making me even more zealous in my desire to tell people what an enormous difference a small donation to Merlin can make.”