Bowling Green, Ky. - Thanks to the generosity of the Western Kentucky University community, WKU graduate students and faculty were able to make a real difference in the lives of one community in drought-stricken Kenya.

In the past two years, northern and eastern Kenya has been subjected to severe drought which has resulted in crop failures.

The Kasigau region of the Taita-Taveta District in southeastern Kenya, which is home to the new WKU-University of Nairobi field research facility, has been affected by the drought. Many people were not able to afford the seed to plant crops this year.

Last summer, WKU faculty and students bought a number of locally-crafted baskets from the women of the region with the promise of returning profits to the local communities. Members of the WKU community recently purchased more than 60 of the baskets.

During spring break, biology graduate students Natalie Jones of Covington and Maggie Mahan of Bowling Green distributed seed grain purchased with the proceeds from the baskets. Remaining funds were used to pay school fees for local students whose families were impoverished.

In Kenya, WKU and the University of Nairobi are collaborating to conserve wildlife resources through research, education and community involvement. The initiative is led by WKU faculty members Doug McElroy and Michael Stokes and University of Nairobi faculty member Charles Kimwele.

For photos of the trip, visit http://bioweb.wku.edu/africa/3_06announcement/3_06press release.htm

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Michael Stokes at (270) 745-6009.

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