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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.]
Today -- not tomorrow -- our friends and partners need our help. We are asking for your prayers and support for all Kenyans.
Vinod Patel, a contractor in Kisumu, has done great work for Assist and for the Millennium Villages projects. His company, SKYLARK CONSTRUCTION, LTD. has worked with us in building homes and schools for former child soldiers and children orphaned from the AIDS epidemic.
On December 26th, they had a cutting edge interior design and construction company. On December 28th, they had nothing.
"There used to be Skylark Construction Ltd. -- our company had a high vision and mission," said Patel. "The thugs have reduced us to zero."
Vinod Patel and his colleagues are remaining positive and believe that not everything is lost. They still have their lives and believe that whatever happens can happen for good.
Missionaries David and Beckie Smith have also witnessed the looting and burning firsthand.
"Two different pastors have called me and said it is so good to still be alive," David said. "They thought they were going to die one night. Shops were being burned all around them."
The Kenyan finance ministry estimated that the violence has cost Kenya's economy $1 billion. Petrol stations are closed because there is no fuel. Banks are closed. There are lines of 300 or more at grocery stores to buy whatever is left.
"People come to us with nothing. One Kikuyu friend of mine who owns a hardware shop lost all his wielding equipment," added David. "Another pastor and his family said they lost everything one night and they didn't have any food or anything. He said they even stole their mattress."
We have created a donation screen to specifically help victims in Kenya rebuild from the violence. We are anxiously awaiting word that the political situation has improved and we may continue our work in this part of Africa. We will continue to post updates on the situation on our blogs and in our email newsletters.
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Did You Know? 97% of all resources donated to Assist International in the past ten years go directly to programs in the field.
