Back from Somalia

The present drought is taking life throughout much of the horn of Africa. According to the UN, this is the worst drought in the region in the past 60 years.

The road from Garissa to Dadaab is lined with animal carcasses. Travelling through this sun bleached land, we met several small groups of women and children walking the dusty road. Their beautiful smiles were disarming, as we knew the struggle they face each day to survive.

Meeting with Somali women on the long road to Somalia

This past week, we travelled to Dadaab with our friends Amanda Lindhout and Ryan Youngblood. Ryan is a talented young American film maker living in Rwanda.

Aaron with Stephen, who serves with African Relief, the organization that helped facilitate the food distribution within Somalia. The convoy to bring food relief to the desperate Somali community of Dhobley took the cooperation and the generous help of many individuals, government and nongovernmental organizations. We were blessed to be able to learn so much from being a small part of this journey and to have been so graciously welcomed in by everyone, especially Amanda.

Erica with Fartuma in the CBM Dadaab Compound

Along with our group of seven, there were many aid workers and journalists staying in the CBM Dadaab compound which has served as a guesthouse and training facility over the past few years for numerous organizations in Dadaab. It was great to sleep out on the old veranda under the stars, although we did have something crawl into our mosquito netting and wake us up in the middle of the night -- gotta love the scorpions!

The two food convoy trucks in the border town of Liboi, Kenya

The convoy was organized by Amanda's organization the Global Enrichment Foundation and African Future. Through the generous donations of countless people, over $70,000 worth of food aid is being distributed to 14,000 refugees walking through Somalia to Kenya.

Photographed by Erica

People lining up for food distribution in the village of Dobley

which is scarred from the recent attacks by Al Shabbab

Photographed by Erica

The convoy was only able to make it across the border and to the people who need it the most, thanks to the protection of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces that met Amanda and Erica this morning and escorted them into Somalia.

Photographed by Erica

Erica was shocked at how young most of the TFG soldiers were.

Photographed by Erica

After a difficult journey, it was all worth it to see the

food arrive to the people who need it the most!

Photographed by Erica

Excited children in Dhobley, Somalia

(There are several news reports available online about the situation in Dobley. I've noticed that it is being spelled several ways. The signs in the village read Dhobley, but you can find information about the village by searching "Dhoobley", "Dobley", and "Dhobley")

Photographed by Erica

Amanda meeting with a refugee women

as she received her large bag of food

-- enough to feed a family for two weeks.

Home in Nairobi!

We want to thank everyone who has been upholding this convoy and our family in prayer. Please continue to pray for the tens of thousands of refugees still walking through this arid landscape in search of help. In the past months, it is estimated that 29,000 children (under the age of 5) have died in this region from the drought. We pray for the parents who have lost young children, because they have had nothing to feed them. The anguish and suffering a mother or father must experience as they watch their children die of starvation, is unimaginable. If you are interested in how you can help, you can check out the CBM site or any of the organizations highlighted in this post.

NBC has been documenting Amanda's work in organizing this convoy. Their first report was aired tonight, but a more detailed coverage of Amanda's story in mobilizing people and resources to respond to the crisis will air at 7 am tomorrow on the Today Show (NBC).