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“If nobody does something, these animals will die. Instead of them dying, let me try my best.”

This is Patrick Mwalua, a 41-year-old pea farmer who is currently volunteering in Kenya’s Tsavo West National Park.

Patrick Mwalua

The Kenyan government declared a national emergency last month following an ongoing drought that has ravaged large parts of the country. It is among five countries in East Africa experiencing the worst drought in 60 years. Mwalua said he was horrified by how animals have been affected, too.

Courtesy of Patrick Mwalua

Mwalua decided to start trucking tanks of water to fill up dried waterholes in the park. He and a handful of volunteers make the grueling 44-mile round-trip to deliver 3,000 liters of fresh water up to three times a day.

In rural Kenya, the drought has doubled the number of people facing severe food shortage to 2.7 million.

In semi-dry regions, the drought means cattle farmers are losing their livestock. As both humans and animals have to travel further to find water, competition for scarce resources has increased.

Courtesy of Patrick Mwalua

Thirsty elephants have rampaged through villages looking for water, sometimes with deadly results.

Courtesy of Patrick Mwalua

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