Chaos

This is a letter I received from the Coordinators for Kenyan Orphanage Project, a project that I was personally involved in. Recently there has been a political distress following the Kenyan election result, affecting many Kenyan districts, including Kisumu - the very place where most of the volunteering projects were done when I went there last year during the summer holidays.

Kisumu, during its more peaceful days

From: Dan, Beccy and Owain

We are writing as you will certainlyhave heard about the trouble in Kenya and thought you would appreciate an update. Sadly the worst affected area appears to be Nyanza and specifically Kisumualthough towns across the country have been in flames. The larger scale concerns for the country are about the descent intoethnic and potential civil war. There have been many attacks alreadyon Kikuyus by Luos (and vice-versa) including a very bad one in Eldoret and in Kisumu there have been similar reports. Whether Kibaki will give way/be ousted by political means remains to be seen. If not,the coming weeks could be very bloody indeed.

Meanwhile the streets of Kisumu are very ugly. There is a 1800-0600 curfew in place, many buildings are still burning, the supermarkets have all been looted or destroyed except for Nakumart, the waterhasbeen cut offand the mortuaries are full of dead victims mostly ofpolice shootings but also of gang violence and ethnic beatings. Port Florence ran out of food yesterday and the Kikuyu medical staff havehad tofleebut Joshua has managed to get supplies through and the staffare managing as best as they can.

Port Florence Hospital

TheVima kids have got enough fooduntil thursday. We are organising for a delivery of food to thembefore they run out and will make provisions to ensure theirsafety.The projects and children in Kochogo and Ombeyi are ok but Ahero by all accounts looks like a refugee camp with people fleeing from town. The street kids remain a big concern as HOVIC itself in the middle of townis in the middle of a battle field and therefore inaccesible. And because the kids have been targetted by the police who are shooting to kill- if we try to round them up for the purposeof food/protection we are likely to put them at greater risk.

Kochogo Children Feeding centre

HOVIC

These are indeed worrying and sadtimes. But we intend to stand infull support of our friends and projects in Kisumu. Along with ourcolleagues, partners and friends we will take all possible steps totry to secure the safety and wellbeing of people there. We are stillintending to go to Kisumu in 2 weeks' time and should be able toupdate you fully then.

It feels real to me. I still cannot believe that the very street which I used to walk when I was there is now not a safe place anymore. The very staff and kids that I talked - I don't know how are they doing now.

Lawrence,Hassan,Rose - the backbone of KOP in Kisumu

Hope you are fine

My prayers are with you guys....