The Kenya Red Cross Society operational response to the 2011 drought has been documented in their operational updates in July, August, September and November and will be assessed in detail next month for the mid-term evaluation. The following serves as a backgrounder and overview of their response during 2011. The challenges that the Kenya Red Cross faced in 2011, including a drought, floods, landslides and accidents, were tackled with new partnerships and innovative solutions. Kenyans responded through a volunteer network of 70,000 people and a nationwide fundraising campaign, known as the Kenyans for Kenya initiative. KRCS fostered an increasing number of private sector partnerships, and is implementing more market-based approaches in attempt to tackle the underlying causes of poverty. The Kenyans for Kenya initiative mobilized over five million dollars in less than three weeks, with the majority of Kenyans donating through their unique mobile money transfer system, M-Pesa. The money raised and emergency relief effort provided frontline life-saving assistance but will not alone address the root causes of the crisis. KRCS volunteers and branch staff across the country are working now to build the resilience of people living in drought-affected areas to adapt to the rapid climatic, demographic, and socio economic changes occurring across the country. Humanitarian assistance is departing from symptomatic ‘traditional’ relief to long-term measures that will reduce dependence on food aid. An increasing number of sustainable solutions are emerging around the country where former pastoralists are cultivating crops and selling off surplus.
