I received this message from a friend in South Africa

Hello supporters

Thank you so much for everything you do for Msizi Africa.  However, this time, I’m not writing about our children. 

Most of you will know a famine has been declared in Somalia. 3.5 million people risk starving to death (many are children).  Islamists who control most of Somalia have banned the World Food Programme from working there.  As a result, tens of thousands of Somalis are fleeing to Kenya to find food.  They walk for weeks to reach the Dadaab refugee camp but often in vain – children arrive so weak they have less than a 40% chance of survival.  We’ve all seen disturbing images of starving children for years and now most recently coming out of Dadaab – these children are a long way from our healthy, happy children in South Africa and Lesotho.

When children arrive in Dadaab they are given Plumpy Nut, a peanut based food for use in famine relief, formulated by a paediatric nutritionist.  I am liaising with Save the Children who source food from a UNICEF cleared supplier in Nairobi.  I am going to buy Plumpy Nut from this supplier DIRECTLY and Save the Children will drive it straight to Dadaab and distribute it.  Whilst we must safeguard funds for our own children, we have a responsibility to help others when the disaster is on such a huge scale.  Depending on the child’s level of need, it costs in the region of £2 to give a child the Plumpy Nut they need each day. 

We’re donating £1,330 to buy Plumpy Nut for 50 children for 2 weeks – the same number of children in our orphanage.  You now have a chance to donate DIRECTLY to this crisis in the knowledge that 100% of your donation will be spent on Plumpy Nut which will be driven into Dadaab and given to the neediest children immediately.  There are NO admin costs so this is your best way to donate if you haven’t done already.  We will keep our appeal open until Sunday 31^st July and submit an order based on our donation and yours on Monday 1^st August.  Next week we will contact donors to tell you know how much Plumpy Nut we ordered collectively and when it has been delivered.

Join us and donate at - www.bmycharity.com/eastafricacrisis- let’s all try and help!

Thank you