Tackling hunger in Kenya – in pictures

Teso Diba walks home after taking her underweight son Umuro, 4, to a nutrition outreach clinic in Sahgel, Chalbi district, northern Kenya. Umuro is being treated for malnutrition through a programme run by the aid agency, Concern, in conjunction with Kenya's ministry of public health and sanitation
Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

The outreach nutrition programme reaches communities that would otherwise have no access to healthcare. Women come from nearby settlements to have their children checked and vaccinated. Clinics are held at whatever location lends itself most readily – in this case, the shade of an acacia tree
Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Women attending the clinics are nomadic pastoralists of the Gabra people who live in traditional homes known as 'dasse'. Due to recurrent drought, their herds of camels and goats have been decimated and life has become increasingly tough; hunger is never far from the door Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Teso Diba with her son, Umuro, inside her dasse. 'My child lost weight because we didn’t have enough food,' she says. 'Now he is in the programme he is getting better and stronger, but food has really become a problem for us lately' Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

In drought-affected Madowadi, pastoralists are participating in a micro-irrigation project. Pieces of land have been given to 30 families in the community and they have been taught to farm them. Malicha Halkhe hoes her land in preparation for laying the irrigation pipes and sowing her crops Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Community members work together to ensure a successful harvest Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Yuba Dolous weeds her plot of land as part of the micro-irrigation project Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

With great precision, Dami Soro plants her seedlings in tiny holes in the irrigation pipes, ensuring that the roots are kept gently but effectively watered. Using the micro-irrigation system ensures that water is used as efficiently as possible
Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Water is pumped from the pan using a treadle pump. Community members such as Jillo Dabassa, shown here on the left, take turns on pumping duty for the benefit of all. The water is carried to tanks, which then gravity-feed the irrigation pipes Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Crops grown on the plots are typically tomatoes, spring onions, beans and kale. Gudo Kiya heads home with the kale she has just picked. Despite some initial scepticism in the community, the project has been a success and is now fully embraced Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Malnutrition is not only a problem in rural areas; it is reaching alarming rates in the slums of Nairobi, and health facilities are few and far between. The Mukuru Reuben clinic in Korogocho slum offers free treatment to mothers and children. Here, nine-month-old Felix Musioko is assessed for malnutrition Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Home for Jacqueline Mwende is a cramped flat on the fifth floor of a rundown block, with no electricity and shared latrines, which tenants must pay to use. She lives here with her husband and five children, who sleep either on or under two tiny settees. 'My husband cannot find work and I make a little money selling onions, but the rent is very expensive and we can only afford to eat once a day,' she says Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Jacqueline is given a supply of Plumpy’nut, a highly nutritious peanut butter-like paste, to aid the recovery of her severely malnourished one-year-old son, Fanwual. 'I take my son to the clinic because he receives help there and I don’t have the money to buy him the right food,' she explains. 'He has fallen ill and is very weak'
Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Another scheme supporting Korogocho slum families is a mobile phone-based money-transfer system, which runs on the already established M-Pesa programme (pesa is Swahili for money). Participants receive 2,000 shillings (£15) a month from Concern, and are sent a text when the money is available to collect
Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Lucy Atieno, shown here with one of her three daughters outside their shack in Korogocho slum, was abandoned by her husband. Saddled with his debts, she despaired of being able to look after her children properly. She tried to run a small street business selling vegetables, but it brought in very little income. Lucy has been one of the first people to benefit from the scheme, and now runs a vegetable stall
Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide

Lucy, at work on the vegetable stall she now owns, finds life is getting better. 'The cash transfers have enabled me to expand my business and build a stall,' she says. 'The money has been really useful – it has brought about a big change in my life' Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Concern Worldwide