Current News from Kenya
Here is Ann's letter which she wrote in an attempt to urge greater awareness of the situation in Kenya. She's forwarding it to the MPs in her region. If any of you wish to do the same, please revamp it in whatever way you want. Use it as a template or just as an idea. But I completely agree with her that the more awareness we can raise the better.
January 29, 2008
To whom it may concern,
There is so much beauty to Kenya, beautiful landscapes, world famous national wildlife reserves, a plethora of shops filled with hand made art pieces, crowded vibrant streets filled with lively friendly people who always seem to greet one another as they pass by.
In 2005 I led a group of 14 McMaster University students on a volunteer learning trip
with Global Youth Network, to Kenya and we visited several rural and urban areas. Our
impressions regardless of the region, was one of quiet awe as we toured the country and were met by kind and hospitable people. We had visited a small rural village in the central region called Kirengero, and volunteered for 10 days at Njaaga’s Child Hope Orphanage. Quickly and easily we fell in love with the over 100 kids that lived
permanently in the orphanage. Each day was filled with activity, mishaps and laughter.
The children genuinely loved living in the orphanage and appreciated the opportunity it brought them, which primarily was attending school. On one trip to a nearby school I distinctly remember stopping in to visit a child’s grandmother’s hut. It was a simple red mud hut with a thatched roof and a bamboo fence. The dirt floor had been neatly swept that morning and chickens were floating about busily pecking away at left over grains. Our surprise visit seemed to bring the grandmother joy, because she smiled from ear to ear at us offering us tea and an interesting piece of meat the moment we entered. I later realized that the meat was likely the only food she had had and probably the best of what any villager would eat. This was the Kenyan way, especially in the village areas.
Over the past two years I have kept in contact with the children of Child Hope. Many of my team members and friends have revisited and continue to plan trips. However, due to the recent violence one team member’s trip was cut short and another one was cancelled. This was alarming. If it was unsafe for us to travel, then what about the children? Were they at risk?
I spent the next couple of days reading every news story I could. Talking to as many
Kenyans as I encountered, and emailing everyone whom had been in touch with Child
Hope. Its become quite clear now that the acts of violence have reached the region
surrounding Kirengero. I’ve heard from staff at the orphanage that houses in neighboring villages have been burnt down, and there is a feeling of unease about what to do with the children. Most children in the orphanage are Kikuyu, but the staff itself is a mix of tribes: Maasai, Kamba and Kikuyu. But still they were at risk.
I remember being there in 2005, and getting an earful from the cook saying that Kenyan’s were uniting and tribalism was dying out. There were stop tribalism campaign signs everywhere. So its hard for me to imagine how this level of violence that is currently occurring erupted. A good majority of newspaper articles suggest that it was a premeditated attack. Of this I am not sure. The fact is that the Kabaki government did well for Kenya in the past, but most Kenyan’s were ready for change. Even some Kikuyu’s I talked to said they supported Odinga, as it was good for the people to see change in their leaders. I also heard mixed reports on the election rigging and testimonies that suggest both parties falsified votes. But what else is new? Why did this warrant such large scale mob behavior?
Now however, I realize that the questions outlining how, and why of the situation are less important than the questions detailing “what” and “what now?” What can be done to stop the killings? We should be less focused on “who’s at fault?” and more focused on “what will it take to stop the current situation from intensifying?” If these killings accelerate it wont be long until it is at the scope of the genocides in Rwanda, and some say this point has already been reached. What is our government doing about it?
After Rwanda many people have hung their heads in shame saying that we, as Canadians and citizens of the world, hadn’t done enough. Well here is our chance. If we have learned anything from Rwanda, let it be that international attention is sometimes required for peace to break out. Our path and role may be unclear but that shouldn’t stop us from trying to help the people of Kenya.
I hope for the sake of my friends in Kenya and the many children at Child Hope that
peace breaks out soon. I pray that our government does all that it can to stop the violence in Kenya.
Sincerely,
Ann Balasubramaniam
January 29, 2008
To whom it may concern,
There is so much beauty to Kenya, beautiful landscapes, world famous national wildlife reserves, a plethora of shops filled with hand made art pieces, crowded vibrant streets filled with lively friendly people who always seem to greet one another as they pass by.
In 2005 I led a group of 14 McMaster University students on a volunteer learning trip
with Global Youth Network, to Kenya and we visited several rural and urban areas. Our
impressions regardless of the region, was one of quiet awe as we toured the country and were met by kind and hospitable people. We had visited a small rural village in the central region called Kirengero, and volunteered for 10 days at Njaaga’s Child Hope Orphanage. Quickly and easily we fell in love with the over 100 kids that lived
permanently in the orphanage. Each day was filled with activity, mishaps and laughter.
The children genuinely loved living in the orphanage and appreciated the opportunity it brought them, which primarily was attending school. On one trip to a nearby school I distinctly remember stopping in to visit a child’s grandmother’s hut. It was a simple red mud hut with a thatched roof and a bamboo fence. The dirt floor had been neatly swept that morning and chickens were floating about busily pecking away at left over grains. Our surprise visit seemed to bring the grandmother joy, because she smiled from ear to ear at us offering us tea and an interesting piece of meat the moment we entered. I later realized that the meat was likely the only food she had had and probably the best of what any villager would eat. This was the Kenyan way, especially in the village areas.
Over the past two years I have kept in contact with the children of Child Hope. Many of my team members and friends have revisited and continue to plan trips. However, due to the recent violence one team member’s trip was cut short and another one was cancelled. This was alarming. If it was unsafe for us to travel, then what about the children? Were they at risk?
I spent the next couple of days reading every news story I could. Talking to as many
Kenyans as I encountered, and emailing everyone whom had been in touch with Child
Hope. Its become quite clear now that the acts of violence have reached the region
surrounding Kirengero. I’ve heard from staff at the orphanage that houses in neighboring villages have been burnt down, and there is a feeling of unease about what to do with the children. Most children in the orphanage are Kikuyu, but the staff itself is a mix of tribes: Maasai, Kamba and Kikuyu. But still they were at risk.
I remember being there in 2005, and getting an earful from the cook saying that Kenyan’s were uniting and tribalism was dying out. There were stop tribalism campaign signs everywhere. So its hard for me to imagine how this level of violence that is currently occurring erupted. A good majority of newspaper articles suggest that it was a premeditated attack. Of this I am not sure. The fact is that the Kabaki government did well for Kenya in the past, but most Kenyan’s were ready for change. Even some Kikuyu’s I talked to said they supported Odinga, as it was good for the people to see change in their leaders. I also heard mixed reports on the election rigging and testimonies that suggest both parties falsified votes. But what else is new? Why did this warrant such large scale mob behavior?
Now however, I realize that the questions outlining how, and why of the situation are less important than the questions detailing “what” and “what now?” What can be done to stop the killings? We should be less focused on “who’s at fault?” and more focused on “what will it take to stop the current situation from intensifying?” If these killings accelerate it wont be long until it is at the scope of the genocides in Rwanda, and some say this point has already been reached. What is our government doing about it?
After Rwanda many people have hung their heads in shame saying that we, as Canadians and citizens of the world, hadn’t done enough. Well here is our chance. If we have learned anything from Rwanda, let it be that international attention is sometimes required for peace to break out. Our path and role may be unclear but that shouldn’t stop us from trying to help the people of Kenya.
I hope for the sake of my friends in Kenya and the many children at Child Hope that
peace breaks out soon. I pray that our government does all that it can to stop the violence in Kenya.
Sincerely,
Ann Balasubramaniam
posted by Kasia Koltunska at 9:35 AM
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