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January 29, 2008:
Kenya Descends into Violence: One Terrible Month in Review (December 27, 2007 - January 28, 2008)
Friends and supporters of Assist International, as you may or may have not heard, civil unrest in Kenya has erupted and our partners there need our help.
The violence began after incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was declared winner of the country's (disputed) elections on December 27, 2007. Supporters of Kibaki's opponent, Raila Odinga, went on a rampage in several parts of the country, burning shacks, shops and cars, and killing many in the process. Simultaneously, it has been alleged that Kenyan police fatally fired upon demonstrators.
Chaos and fear has gripped the country. The anger stems from a belief that the vote counting was rigged by the electoral commission in Kibaki's favor. Kibaki was sworn in in a hastily-conducted ceremony at Nairobi State House, which was perceived as an attempt to preempt demands for a vote recount.
It has been reported by several sources that the death count is over 800. An additional 250,000 have fled, mostly to neighboring Uganda. The largest single loss of life was when an Assemblies of God church providing shelter from the violence to 200 people was set on fire by rioters, burning 35 people to death, most of them women and children. [Read the NY Times Article.]
>> Read Our Full Report on Kenya's Current Situation
PAST NOTES:
November 1, 2007:
Currently, Assist International is undergoing the building of a distribution center in Ripon (Central California). Last year we completed Phase I of this operation that helped us increase the amount of donated goods we could accept.
Now we are in the process of building Phase II to provide additional space and to maximize your investment for the future of needy people around the world. The warehouse and offices will offer a good base of operation in order to ship donated goods to wherever Assist projects are underway.
Every worthy organization needs a solid foundation, and we now have an efficient point of collection and distribution.
Without the prayers and financial contributions of our supporters, the much-needed distribution center would not be possible. The support we receive at home helps accomplish the projects oversees.
Thank you and God Bless!
Bob Pagett,
Founder & President
Assist International
PS: We invite you to browse our blogs and videos below to get more information on the daily progress of our efforts. And, as always, feel free to contact us to let us know your thoughts, prayers, ideas and more!
[Videos are coming soon. Thanks for your patience!]
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