Feeding the hungry
MAF flies food boxes for malnourished children in northern Kenya
MAF flies food boxes for malnourished children in northern Kenya
Hunger is a worldwide problem. The World Food Programme estimated that 805 million people were chronically malnourished worldwide in 2014, and an increasing number of those are in sub-Saharan Arica (26.6%).
In Kenya, although the situation is improving, almost 25% of the population are still undernourished (10.8 million people in 2014)[1].
That's why it's a joy when MAF gets the chance to fly passengers who are feeding the hungry!
Melinda Staples is Project Manager for American NGO Feed the Hunger (FtH). She is passionate about feeding undernourished people, not only with physical food, but also with the spiritual hope of the Gospel. She and a team of nine American university students flew with MAF from Nairobi, Kenya's capital, to do just that.
FtH projects provide food for roughly 1,000 children every day around the world. This flight was to deliver Harvest Meal Packs, which contain rice, soy protein, dried vegetables and vitamin powder, to vulnerable schools in Kurungu, a remote region in northern Kenya. The packs had been lovingly assembled by over 800 students in America, and would provide a lifeline to severely malnourished children. The food packs cost just 17p to produce, and are assembled entirely by volunteers.
Melinda and the team really appreciated MAF for getting them to this remote area so quickly, saving them many hours of overland travel.
'Thank you MAF for helping make our trip great! It's a really great service,' she said.
The turbine-powered 208 and its stretched variant the 208B allow large payloads to be carried over great distances
We enable practical help to reach those living in remote and inaccessible areas by flying precious cargo such as building and educational materials, food, sanitation kits, medicines and much, much more
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The following report was published in an issue of MAF News in June 1971. The writer, MAF Pilot Les Brown, accompanied Dr. Dick Anderson of AIM and Pastor Peter an African Pastor, on an evangelistic medical outreach in Kenya similar to the safaris still flown today.
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