Kenya today

More than ever, Kenya is on the agenda. After the election December 27, 2007, and the subsequent political turmoil and ethnic battling, it is time to reconsider viewing upon Kenya as one of the more stable countries in the African Horn.

And when a country suffers, the children suffer the most, from the contact we have
with our friends in Kenya, aid is badly needed at this point, food prices have doubled and what little was secure and doable for the local organizations before the crisis, is now impossible to rely on and they do depend on help from outside, to get back on their feet.



In Kenya, a child is orphaned every minute, and one must not forget that despite the good reputaition compared to many other African countries, it is still a country where 90% of the poulation lives for under $1 a day, which is way below the official poverty limit.

Unfortunately corruption is also one of the weighty causes of the situation of the people in Kenya and the main reason for the crisis to begin with.

Since the crisis we can read about and hear on the news, how this is specifically hurting the children, who in the end are the ones bearing the brunt of what has happened.



cnn.com (February 28, 2008)
>> Some have lost mothers, fathers (some both), sisters, brothers and cousins. Most have lost their homes, businesses and farms and everything they owned. They have no where to go. (.......) I hear stories from children tortured by memories of rape, murder, burning, beatings and wide scale looting.<<

>>Almost all of these children knew their tormentors. They were their neighbors, people with whom they had lived in peace since the last ethnic riots in 1992. They will list the names of the men who came for them - one by one.<<

In addtion to this, food is seriously running short for the refugees and homeless in Kenya. It was bad before, it is worse now. In-country stocks and with the food coming in from outside. Rumours of containers with food and supplies just sitting in the harbour in Mombasa, without being distributed or that are being stolen by others, if not just rotting away, are one of our many concerns.

allafrica.com (March 4, 2008)
>>Action is needed to support growers following disruption of farming activities in the post election violence that has posed a threat to food security, a new report says.<<

>>"Continued conflict has affected production centres, the impact of which is likely to carry on upto June 2009, the February Kenya Food Security update report says. Analysts say farmers require financial assistance to purchase seed, fertiliser, agro-chemicals and hire tractor services whose costs have skyrocketed".<<

In the areas of Changamwe and Mshmoroni, where two of our projects are placed, there were over the course of New Year 2007-8, quite a lot of riots in the streets, people were running from their homes, there was a great deal of looting in the streets, restaurants and cars were burned down and electricity masts were overturned. Some people even came to our project partners homes, schools and orphanages, to hide from the roaring masses, in the ethnic riots.

Today, Mombasa is back to normal, except, the people who have lost everything, now have to start over, something that is both devastating and traumatizing for anyone. Volunteer organizations have stopped sending volunteers to the area, and the economic set back is taking its toll on our project partners as well.

So more than ever it is essential to back up existing local projects, with strong visionary leaders, as they are the ones that through shaping a good childhood and youth for the children, will change the lives for so many in the future. They deserve our support.

Japheth Eyama, New Hope	Frederick 'Bokey' Achola, MOYO