Four-year old Nabarwa clings tightly to the hand of her father, Lemarsarai Leamo of the Rendille tribe, northern Kenya.
Lack of access to food is a constant threat for communities in East Africa, and drought is still affecting many people.
Emergency response
'The Kaisut desert in Marsabit, northern Kenya, has always had low rainfall. However, over the past decade people noticed things were getting worse and the drought became acute in 2004,' says Tearfund's Phillip James.
Food distributions by Tearfund, followed by good rains, helped communities in northern Kenya get back on their feet, and malnutrition rates fell.
Building up resilience
But the drought had wiped out people's already meagre resources. Communities, along with Tearfund partners, are working hard to restock cattle and build up resilience so that future droughts won't have such devastating consequences.
Tearfund's relief team in northern Kenya has been focussing its work on children, pregnant and breast feeding women and the elderly - the most vulnerable groups.
'We finished our emergency feeding programme at the end of April,' says Tearfund's El Tuck. 'Nearly 4,000 malnourished people can now get help from local clinics as a result of the project.'
Our partner, Christian Services of Mount Kenya East (CSMKE), distributed food to the most vulernable people last year and provided farmers with seeds, tools and oxen.
Water!
Some of these water pans are now full of water
Now, CSMKE is getting communities to dig water pans to collect surface run-off water. Some of them are now full of water. 'The presence of water after three years of drought has given hope to communities who are very used to living in a harsh environment,' says Tearfund's Reuben Nzuki, who is based in Northern Kenya.
CSMKE are is helping ensure that families will have a harvest this year by providing maize seed, and cattle for ploughing.
Ilmolwaya's storyIlmolwaya Lekuton lost most of his animals in 2004. Pastoralists predict that cattle stocks will take more than ten years to get back to their original size.
'In a place where livestock is someone's whole livelihood and food is scarce, Ilmolwaya was in great need,' says Reuben. CSMKE provided him with seeds and a bull that he has used for ploughing this season.