9th May, 2008
As the opposition-led demonstrations continued for yet another day in various parts of Kenya, activities at the AMREF Dagoretti Children in Need Project have fully resumed. This is in spite of about 40 per cent of the children who attended the centre in December not having returned yet.
Every month, the project has educational “discussion themes” for the children and over the next month the theme will be “Peace and Reconciliation”, essential in these times of conflict and of need for social healing in Kenya.
During the sessions, both the street children and children in school are encouraged to share their experiences of the past weeks, including the violence they have seen, to analyse the implications of the current instability and to propose ways in which reconciliation can be achieved amongst the different groups and what benefits this reconciliation could bring. Finally, the children are being invited to think about what each one of us can do to bring back harmony and stability in our communities.
At the centre there were about 60 small children having their breakfast; the older children from Kawangware market were expected to arrive later in the morning to get some food, bath and wash their clothes.
Meanwhile at the IDP camp at the Jamhuri Park, AMREF is already at work building water tanks and latrines. The camp is currently home to over 5,000, mainly women and children, and AMREF is working with other agencies and government departments to meet water and sanitation needs.
Over the last two days, activities in Kibera and other informal settlements have been disrupted, as these areas have formed the epicentre of the protests. After a week of relative calm across the country, Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Eldoret have provided the stage for upheaval following renewed calls for “mass action” by opposition leaders over the contested December 2007 elections.
A mediation initiative that was expected to take off this week led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan failed to materialise after Mr. Annan postponed his visit.
For further information please contact: Bob Kioko – Communications Manager, on +254 20 6993111 or Cell: +254 735 546440, email: bob.kioko@amref.org |
