Meet Isaac Ndungu Gitau. He has become a great friend of mine, we have spoken every day for a long time, and connected for our shared love of farming. A successful grain grower near Eldoret, Kenya, he is a father and husband and the youngest son who cares for an elderly mother. He puts my work ethic to shame.

Video chats at 4 am Kenya time, hand milking the cows before the 8km round walking trip to the co-op, sending photos, techniques and progress of each others crops has led to our shared keen interest in the massive contrast in each others lives and growing in general, a world apart.

Isaac is a maize (corn for grain), wheat and potato farmer with a 70 horsepower Ford tractor from the 70s.

Disaster has struck the region he lives in this year. Tragic unseasonal floods and landslides in areas such as Marakwet and Eldoret (Isaacs home) killed dozens of people and many more animals.

Possibly much worse is the outbreak of a mould known as aflatoxin, which must be tested for after such events, as it is a lethal mould and a cancer causing mould.

For human safety purposes, all the maize in the region had to be destroyed by burning as too much tested positive for this mould.

Most farmers in this region have lost all of their year’s work, Isaac being one of them.

The people in rural Kenya live on $1-$3 per day if they are lucky, yet the price of meat there is still $10-$15 a kg, and grain being similar to what we would be paying here, due to being an internationally traded commodity product.

The region is falling to pieces as farmers failed crops are forcing people to sell their only animals and farm equipment and land to cover their debts.

The short and sharp of the matter is this,

1. Isaac’s wife is due for delivery of their 2nd child in 3 weeks, and without funds for hospital birth they will have to sell their only milk cow, producing an income for them of $1.50 AUD equivalent per day, and vital nutrients for a family and nursing mother.

2. They cannot replant the crop without seeds, deisel, rent, and fertiliser, and there isn’t off farm work to get them through due to the regional catastrophe.

The total cost to replant their 12 acre crop is:

$2200 This covers

Diesel $500 AUD

Seeds $500 AUD

Fertiliser $1200 AUD (I can assure you from professional experience this crop will not grow a worthwhile yield without this).

This crop will not only prevent bankruptcy for 1 less farmer in the region, it will continue to contribute to food security and provide tons of food for many people.

There have been 6 suicides due to failed crops in the area in the last week after the required burning of crops.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Any donations are greatly appreciated.

Even a little will go a long way for Isaac and his family.