Introduction
In 2011, two events in eastern parts of Africa made headlines around the world.
Firstly, there was the independence of South Sudan, which, while being cause for great optimism, also led to a period of intense conflict in certain regions of the world‟s newest nation, blighting the lives of those involved due to a serious threat to local food security.
Secondly, there was the “Horn of Africa Crisis,” as it was referred to by the development community and the world‟s media, a drought of widespread and historic proportions which wrought devastation upon an already fragile region, leading to a major call for emergency assistance from the UN and governments around the world.
The TaiwanICDF became involved in the response to both of these events after being approached by Mercy Corps, our long-term partner, to fund rapid-relief projects in Kenya, one of the four countries affected by the Horn of Africa Crisis, and South Sudan.
Recently, two of our TaiwanICDF colleagues, Regine Liu and Mini Kao, had the opportunity to visit the project sites to conduct project completion missions.
As part of their 16-day mission, Regine and Mini conducted extensive interviews with members of local communities and the project staff who implemented these initiatives, which allows us to piece together the background to these events and tell much of both stories in the words of those directly involved.