2 minute read
Self-Denial 2022
In the second of five articles, Captain Jo Moir catches up with George Obondo to find out how people are coping with the impact of climate change
AS we move towards Self-Denial Sunday on 6 March, we are looking at how The Salvation Army is responding to climate change and caring for creation, one of the Army’s mission priorities. I have been getting in touch with people from around the world, asking what is happening where they are, talking to them about caring for creation and learning about the impact of climate change.
This week we hear from George Obondo, a project manager in Nairobi working on water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as food security projects across Kenya.
The Salvation Army in Kenya is growing. Its two territories now have more than 400,000 members, including junior soldiers. The country has seen economic growth but there is still widespread poverty. Subsistence farmers who rely on predictable rainy seasons have been hit hard by changing weather patterns.
HOW IS CLIMATE CHANGE HAVING AN IMPACT IN KENYA?
Climate change has had a big impact. Weather patterns have become unpredictable and it’s a real concern. Almost two thirds of Kenya is arid or semi-arid, experiencing severe drought. When you add that to climate change challenges, then the situation is desperate. Sometimes you find children, women and people with disabilities going without food or water. They suffer from malnutrition and communicable diseases, such as diarrhoea.
The big contributors to climate change are mainly in the developed world but the people who suffer the greatest impact and are most affected are the poor and vulnerable in this region.
WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON TO DEAL WITH THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
The project that I’m currently leading focuses on resilience. We are looking at water sanitation, hygiene, food security and issues of economic empowerment, but through the lens of resilience.
The starting point is for people to understand climate change so they can learn how to adapt and identify mitigation measures. For instance, we use boreholes fitted with solar panels. Instead of spending money on electricity, we encourage people to capitalise on free solar energy to power their water tanks. This is one of the innovative ways of creating resilience. Another is the use of sand dams.
WHAT IS A SAND DAM?
To put it simply, a sand dam is a structure to collect water. It impounds, or collects, sand and water, and any excess water passes downstream. Over time the amount of water rises. If you look at the arid vegetation around a sand dam, it begins to improve and flourish.
WHAT IMPACT IS THE WORK HAVING?
The United Kingdom and Ireland Territory has supported a number of sand dams and these are very successful. It’s a slow process, but the dams we built five years ago have made a difference to agriculture, food availability, tree planting, the general climate, livestock and water availability to households – a huge impact!
This article is based on a video that can be viewed at youtube.com/
salvationarmyvideo
CAPTAIN MOIR IS TERRITORIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Next week
Colonel Yusak Tampai in Indonesia
