dog food for starving kids?

[abcNKH]

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya dismissed as "culturally insulting" Tuesday an offer of powdered dog food to feed starving children reportedly made by the founder of a canine biscuit company in New Zealand. "Kenyan kids are not so desperate as to eat dog food," Kenya government spokesman Alfred Mutua told Reuters in response to a front-page story in the east African country's leading daily.

Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper said Christine Drummond of the Mighty Mix company in New Zealand had offered to send dog food powder to hungry children in western Kenya.

The information appeared to be coming from a New Zealand newspaper, which said Drummond had been moved to make a donation of 6,000 emergency packs of dog food mixture after the daughter of a friend visited the drought-hit country.

When mixed with water, the powder would provide sustainable meals, said an article posted on the web site of The Press newspaper, helping to ease a growing problem of food shortages.

"I made it out of ingredients they (children) are used to eating, so the main bulk product is corn," Drummond was quoted as saying.
Another representative of Mighty Mix said the food would be distributed through a charity in Kenya, as a "nutritional supplement" rather then dog food, the article said.

But government spokesman Mutua said it was unacceptable.
"The offer was very naive and culturally insulting given the meaning of dogs in our culture," he said. "We understand where she was coming from, and we appreciate, but it is culturally unacceptable."

Being called a dog is one of the worst insults in Africa where people generally do not keep dogs as pets.

The government says four million people are facing hunger in Kenya due to severe drought. Aid agencies say dozens of people and thousands of livestock have died in recent months. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060201/od_nm/kenya_dogfood_dc;_ylt=Asdt8._cOrYpvAZrMlk_CETtiBIF ;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Do you find this insulting?

[Scarlet]

I think if people are dying in droves they should examine which is more important, their pride or their lives.

[Epicurus]

It is probably healthier for humans than dogs, given that dogs are carnivores and dog foods tend to have a lot of grains in them;)

Collette

[KittyObsessed]

Food is food. If I was starving I would welcome dog food. It's insulting that they find it insulting.

[Bamberg82]

I think if people are dying in droves they should examine which is more important, their pride or their lives.

in some cultures,you would rather die than dishonor yourself. we cannot judge.

[Raven]

It is probably healthier for humans than dogs, given that dogs are carnivores and dog foods tend to have a lot of grains in them;)

Collette

exactly what I was thinking :lol:

I can understand that the offer might have been a little misguided from a "culturally insulting' perspective, but I think the government should perhaps let the starving people decide for themselves. Clearly, no insult was intended, and personally, if I were starving to death, I don't give a damn WHAT it is called. Why don't they remove the frelling label if that is the issue :P

[Jasmina]

If my child was starving, I would take whatever food would nourish them, thankfully.

[jamie]

I agree with Jasmina. If my baby was starving, I'd stuff the pride and feed her dog food. I'd probably be mortified and embarassed, but if it sustained her, it would be better than the alternative.

[Michele]

Culture or not, if my child was starving, I'd feed them dog food, worms, whatever I could get my hands on.

[Terrell]

I do think it's reasonable to consider being given dog food as insulting. It's because the people involved are humans, not dogs (nothing against dogs, as I like them almost as much as I love cats) and and it's considered an insult by most humans to be called a dog (explicitly or implicitly)

[Mabel]

As a side note, I know someone who is saving all of her earnings to fly a plane over Isreal to dump cat food over their country - which she thinks will be the cure to starvation - I kid you not.

[Raven]

As a side note, I know someone who is saving all of her earnings to fly a plane over Isreal to dump cat food over their country - which she thinks will be the cure to starvation - I kid you not.

huh?

[Mabel]

I'm tellin' ya what I know Raven LOL! She told me she was saving all the money she earns at this one job (must be extra), so that she can fly a plane over Isreal and dump cat food. She said there were starving people there, and it was her calling to feed them, and cat food is a great source of nutrition. That's what she told me lol.

[Raven]

I'm tellin' ya what I know Raven LOL! She told me she was saving all the money she earns at this one job (must be extra), so that she can fly a plane over Isreal and dump cat food. She said there were starving people there, and it was her calling to feed them, and cat food is a great source of nutrition. That's what she told me lol.

that's bizarre! ROFL!!!!

[SisterTaffy]

Leaves me wondering where all the hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid money to Kenya has gone....

[SisterTaffy]

And..

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,396031,00.html

[Keri]

well since no one has a problem feeding the hungry and starving folks in Kenya dog food perhaps we should do that here in the states. Do away with "soup" kitchens and replace them with "kibble kitchens".

I think it's insulting as hell. They say the main ingredient is corn then how come they couldn't come up with corn meal, corn mush, ANYTHING but calling it DOG FOOD.

[mom2burgess]

I was thinking along the lines of Keri. If the US tried to implement that, there would be a huuuuuge back lash. Everyone would be pissed. I can't blame them, really for being insulted.

[Epicurus]

Wasn't it a dog food company trying to donate product? I thought that was why?

Collette

[Jasmina]

As a side note, I know someone who is saving all of her earnings to fly a plane over Isreal to dump cat food over their country - which she thinks will be the cure to starvation - I kid you not.

She sounds a bit...off. :headscrat


I do wonder why they couldn't send a ton of rice or cornmeal as opposed to dog food, but like Collette, I assumed it was being donated by a dog food company. Honestly though, if I cannot provide food for my child, why would I be insulted by people trying to help with what they have to help with?

If the US tried to implement that, there would be a huuuuuge back lash. Everyone would be pissed. I can't blame them, really for being insulted.


But, if you are living off of donations, you take what you are given. What right does one have to be insulted over a gift? If they did this in the US and people were insulted, they're free to go find their own means of a meal, right?

[Ginny]

I'm tellin' ya what I know Raven LOL! She told me she was saving all the money she earns at this one job (must be extra), so that she can fly a plane over Isreal and dump cat food. She said there were starving people there, and it was her calling to feed them, and cat food is a great source of nutrition. That's what she told me lol.

Are there "voices" telling her to do this? :paranoid: :lol:

[jamie]

I don't disagree that it may seem insulting. What I'm saying is that, if I were starving (or of my pepople were starving) I would do what I had to, to get food.

[Running_low]

I just hope we are never in this situation.

[Bamberg82]

I don't disagree that it may seem insulting. What I'm saying is that, if I were starving (or of my pepople were starving) I would do what I had to, to get food.


in african countries, where being called a dog is the worst insult possible,also a country where they don't even keep dogs as pets, saying that we'll give you dog food is definitly an insult. as i said before many cultures would rather die and kill their families than let dishonor fall on them

[Mabel]

I don't disagree that it may seem insulting. What I'm saying is that, if I were starving (or of my pepople were starving) I would do what I had to, to get food.
Yep.

Definitely can see where it would come across as insulting, and if it were the American government doing it, I'd be embarrassed that we wouldn't go about it another way. But if it were an actual dog food company doing it, I'd say good for them for trying to help with what they have.

[Mabel]

From the way the girl who's flying over Isreal talks, you'd think they were going to stand under the plane with their mouths open, however :howling:

[Raven]

Wasn't it a dog food company trying to donate product? I thought that was why?

Collette

It was a canine dog biscuit company based in New Zealand. I think they were sincerely trying to help, and I still think the decision should be with the people who are actually starving.

I def agree with the comment that the US would also act all insulted if the same offer were made to our country, but I think that is rather beside the point.

No insult was intended and food is food. If someone would rather die than eat "dog food" - let that be their individual choice.