African Impact
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Sunday, January 13, 2008
January 2008 Update from our Kenya Project
Hi Everyone
As you all know, things in Kenya have been really crazy since the elections, with a lot of counrtywide unrest. Due to this, the usual structure of our medical and community project was disrupted and our project involvement became limited to only the orphanages in Limuru.
Until last Sunday, things had been calm in Limuru, where our volunteer cottages are. Around lunch time we were faced with over a 1000 refugees at the nearby Tigoni police station and the Red Cross Centre in Limuru. The refugees had been displaced due to the political unrest. On Monday, we went to check out the situation and established that it would be safe for us to send our volunteers in to help at both places.
Monday morning we spent at the Red Cross Centre, sorting clothes and helping to dress those that had nothing, as well as cooking lunch for the 500 refugees, helping with registration etc. In the afternoon, we cooked rice for 800 (at least) refugees at the police station. They have spent most of their time this week at the police station opposite Brackenhurst, helping with the preparation and distribution of food (which is usually CRAZY!!), playing with young children, and helping out wherever else there is need.
This week, we have felt it most important for our volunteers to respond to this immediate crisis in our area, and they have been happy to do so and have done a wonderful job. We have been told that these refugees are expected to be there for at least the whole of the next week. However, we would like to give the medical volunteers the option of going to the hospital from next week again.
The situation in Kenya seems to have calmed down and we feel like it is safe to drive anywhere. There is still tension though, and we will not send the volunteers into the slums until this has completely settled down.
I hope that gives you all a good picture of our situation. You can be very proud of the vols here. They have really come together to help the people in need and have done a great job!!!
Hope you are all well!!
From Tesni
(Kenya Project Manager)
As you all know, things in Kenya have been really crazy since the elections, with a lot of counrtywide unrest. Due to this, the usual structure of our medical and community project was disrupted and our project involvement became limited to only the orphanages in Limuru.
Until last Sunday, things had been calm in Limuru, where our volunteer cottages are. Around lunch time we were faced with over a 1000 refugees at the nearby Tigoni police station and the Red Cross Centre in Limuru. The refugees had been displaced due to the political unrest. On Monday, we went to check out the situation and established that it would be safe for us to send our volunteers in to help at both places.
Monday morning we spent at the Red Cross Centre, sorting clothes and helping to dress those that had nothing, as well as cooking lunch for the 500 refugees, helping with registration etc. In the afternoon, we cooked rice for 800 (at least) refugees at the police station. They have spent most of their time this week at the police station opposite Brackenhurst, helping with the preparation and distribution of food (which is usually CRAZY!!), playing with young children, and helping out wherever else there is need.
This week, we have felt it most important for our volunteers to respond to this immediate crisis in our area, and they have been happy to do so and have done a wonderful job. We have been told that these refugees are expected to be there for at least the whole of the next week. However, we would like to give the medical volunteers the option of going to the hospital from next week again.
The situation in Kenya seems to have calmed down and we feel like it is safe to drive anywhere. There is still tension though, and we will not send the volunteers into the slums until this has completely settled down.
I hope that gives you all a good picture of our situation. You can be very proud of the vols here. They have really come together to help the people in need and have done a great job!!!
Hope you are all well!!
From Tesni
(Kenya Project Manager)
