TSF mission in Kenya (July 30th – August 30th, 2011)

A few months ago, the Horn of Africa was hit by one of the most severe droughts in its history, after two seasons without any rain, causing shortage in agricultural outputs and massive loss of livestock. A state of famine, threatening the lives of 13 million people, was declared by the United Nations Organisation, and the humanitarian organisms.

Thousands of families travelled for days across scorched lands from Somalia to Kenya, with no food or water after their crops and livestock were destroyed by drought. Every day, thousands were pouring into the humanitarian camps in Dadaab (Dagahaley, Hagadera and Ifo), which today shelter 460,000 refugees, more than four times the predicted initial capacity.

Facing this dramatic situation, TSF dispatched a team to the affected region of Dadaab, north-east Kenya.

The TSF team conducted telecom assessments in several areas of the Dadaab and Garissa regions to identify the needs of humanitarian workers as well as refugees. The assessments revealed that most of the refugees have access to communication systems within the camps (GSM, 3G, and Wimax), and that Internet connectivity is available in the region.

In addition, TSF experts helped the NGO Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VSF) Belgium configure and strengthen its internet network connection in Garissa.

In collaboration with VSF Germany, the TSF team conducted a study in northern Kenya to assess the feasibility of implementing a project using the mobile phone-based, payment and money transfer system M-PESA for the benefit of populations in pastoral areas and affected by drought.