The KENYA'08 Appeal
We are appealing for help on behalf of a local community in Molo-Kenya, as part of our community support, whose members have been displaced by politically instigated violence. There is an urgent need for clothes, blankets,farm tools and implements and food. The Red Cross, Oxfam, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and other humanitarian organisations are helping.
If you have any unwanted clothes, blankets, farm implements,books, then please contact us. We are also catering for the needs of the children and young persons in camps and youth centres. We are accepting games,computers and computer games,balls, teaching aids and other amusement equipment are all needed. These items will keep the displaced youths away from mischief due to boredom. Mobile phones are very much in need as families are separated and there are no phone lines in the areas.If you want to donate money, please follow this link
Background-Why Kenya 2008
Kenya is an East African country famed for its scenic landscapes and vast wildlife preserves. However in the last 3 months, the country has captured the headlines for a different reason. Widespread violence, which has caused a growing humanitarian crisis, was triggered in Kenya by the announcement on 30 December 2007 that incumbent Mwai Kibaki had narrowly won a hotly contested presidential election against Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.
For over three months the targeted ethnic violence has resulted in alarming reports of killings, injuries, gender-based violence, extensive looting and destruction of property and mass displacement of the population. It is estimated that more than 1,500 people have been killed and around 500,000 families have been displaced from their homes.
As Kenya plays a regional economic, commercial, political, development and humanitarian hub supporting Somalia, Uganda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, this has meant that the impact of the crisis has been felt beyond its borders into almost all of these countries.
Although there are difficulties in assessing the situation fully, the priority needs during this acute phase of the emergency have been identified as food, shelter, health (personal hygiene,nutrition,reproductive,mental,curative and preventive health), water and sanitation, social needs,security and protection, education and reconstruction.
After weeks of rancorous negotiations to resolve a post-election conflict that killed nearly 1,500 people. In March 2008 the two rival parties signed an agreement on power-sharing. Under the agreement, President Mwai Kibaki retains the position of president, while Opposition leader Raila Odinga is the prime minister. As Prime Minister, he has constitutional power to coordinate and supervise the cabinet.
Peace remains fragile at the moment. The two politicians and their lieutenants are fighting over control of the bloated cabinet of 42 dockets, the biggest cabinet since Kenya attained independence more than 40 years ago. This development has triggered more violence and suspicions albeit on a smaller scale. The Internally Displaced Persons remain in camps waiting for restoration of peace before they can return to what remains of their former homes and farms.