Update #14

When I first came to Kenya I witnessed people struggling with unemployment and idleness, those problems still exist, but for the last year and half I have been able to see people gain hope through education and job training. The country of Kenya was improving in so many ways, now its fate is spiraling toward chaos.

Since my return to Nairobi we have experienced times of relative peace (at least in the areas we live and work), yet what started as an election dispute has turned into country wide tribal clashes. We continue to ask ourselves when it will end.

Everyone has been affected in one way or another. A teacher's family, who live upcountry, evacuated their home due to raider attacks. A friend in Nairobi is left with nothing after his home was broken into and all of his belongings stolen. The brother of a Light and Power board member was told by his Pastor to leave his home and land quickly. The following day the Pastor and his gang burned the home following a promise of money to build a larger home on the same land. Students stuck in Western Kenya returned to Akiba weeks late famished and tired. From Kisumu to Nakuru and most recently Naivasha and Nairobi, homes are being burned, shops looted, and people displaced.

The newspapers write of the attacks, the burnings, the curfews, the killings. When will peace come? Raila Odinga refuses to become Kibaki's prime minister and Kibaki rejects the idea of stepping down. However, peace talks continue with Kofi Annan and his team of negotiators on hand. Is this the answer though? It seems the anger of the people is no longer about ODM or PNU, but about land distribution, unemployment, and revenge. Church this past Sunday was a venue to talk about solutions- stop blaming others, get involved, and look at other tribes in a positive light- everywhere you go conversations are about the current situation.

One positive thing I witnessed was Jamhuri Park- an Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp. We visited the camp where displaced families from Mathare and Kibera stayed. Hundreds of volunteers joined hands to serve food, offer blankets, provide counseling, and receive donations. An organization called the Alliance of Churches ran the camp. The group consisted of various Christian denominations, which formed solely for the purpose of helping those affected by the post-election violence. Unfortunately, the government closed the camp last week.

Overall, people are at a standstill as the economy plummets. We continue with teaching, encouraging, and planning because to do otherwise would admit that this country is falling apart. I am not from the Kikuyu or Luo tribe, I do not understand the rationale for the violence, but I will keep on listening to the cries of the people. My love for this place and people go on.

Keep praying!
Anne

*I am doing fine and call people before I leave in the morning to make sure things are safe in Kangemi and Kawangware. Akiba School and Light and Power Centre are open and in fact the board held a Light and Power planning/strategy day last Friday. We are looking into options for the young men at the Centre to move onto other trainings. Personally, I am also excited about Akiba graduates receiving sponsorships to attend University and various training colleges. Progress continues in small ways despite the challenges this country
faces.

DOWNLOAD AS PDF: UPDATE 14