Helping Hands of Kenya

What Kenya Faces Today

As of February 1, 2008, Kenya faces a dire and dangerous situation that will require hard work and the goodwill of all parties to resolve.

At this moment the news is relatively good. The Associated Press reports that an agreement has been brokered by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and current UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon between the heads of the rival parties in Kenya; President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, head of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement. The agreement features a plan includes talks within the next 15 days to end the crisis. Other aspects of the agreement include plans to disband armed groups and militias within the country among other measures designed to lower the overall tension.

Within its borders Kenya has more than 40 tribal groups of varying sizes which creates divisions within the country along tribal lines. Additionally the country suffers from a high rate of poverty (50% of the populace live below the poverty line), disease (including typhoid fever and HIV/AIDS) and corruption. In addition Kenya hosts many refugee camps with people driven from their homes in Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia.

The Situation

Kenya recently held elections on December 27, 2007 which saw Mwai Kibaki elected as president over his rival Raila Odinga. Kibaki is a member of the Kikuyu tribe which has traditionally dominated politics in the post-colonial period of Kenya's history. Meanwhile Odinga is a member of the Luo tribe, and receives support from other tribes and political groups as well.

These elections were seen by many outside observers, as well as Kenyans themselves, as being fraudulent.

Protests began spontaneously across the country in the aftermath of the election and, as of today, approximately 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed. In addition more than 250,000 people across the country have been driven from their homes, stressing the infrastructure and economy of the nation to its limits.

In Naivasha

In Kenya there is a proverb; "When the bull elephants fight the grass gets trampled."

In Kenya the grass which is being trampled are the millions of good-hearted people who simply wish to be allowed to live in peace.

In Naivasha, where the Helping Hands Organisation of Kenya is located, there is some rioting and looting but local officials are attempting to maintain control of the situation. Anyone who watches the news will see events that are heartbreakingly familiar and hear terrifying stories about murders, rapes and assaults.

In Kenya people are losing everything they have including, in some cases, their lives.

What Helping Hands Needs

Right now Helping Hands needs any donations it can raise. Currently getting supplies into the country are difficult but it is still possible to buy food, bedding and other goods in less dangerous communities and bring them in to the school to feed and shelter the displaced and begin the process of rebuilding.

Please help!