A VISIT to Kenya with Christian Aid has inspired a volunteer from Chester to shout louder about climate change.

Sarah Rowe was one of 20 volunteers who spent two weeks in Kenya to see first-hand the life changing work of development charity Christian Aid.

Sarah was moved and inspired by her journey and the people she met.

She is now more eager than ever to get campaigning on issues of global injustice, and to encourage others to do the same.

Sarah said: “I’ve now seen first hand the devastating impacts of climate change, and what it means for real people.

“The people I met in Kenya have done almost nothing to contribute towards the problem, yet they are already experiencing the damaging effects of a changed climate.”

More than half of all Kenyans live on less than $2 dollars a day, and with 70% of the population dependent on the land, the effects of climate change are pushing more people into poverty.

Kenya is currently suffering from a severe drought and as a result, millions of people have seen their crops fail and are in need of food aid.

The partner organisations of Christian Aid that the volunteers visited are helping people both to cope with the changing conditions, and to prevent further damage to the environment.

Sarah was particularly encouraged by the work of BIDII, (The Benevolent Institute of Development Initiatives, and the Swahili word for ‘effort’), which runs various projects; including teaching people new ways to generate income so they are not so dependent on the land, and therefore not so vulnerable when crops fail.

They are also supporting community groups to plant tree saplings to prevent further soil degradation and lessen the impacts of climate change.

If you would like to add your voice to the campaign for climate justice, visit christianaid.org.uk/climate. Join Sarah and thousands of others in London on December 5 for a climate change march organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, sending a clear message to world leaders before the Copenhagen summit that the world needs a good deal on climate change.