Urgent requests for funds

We have received many urgent requests for funds following the violence in Kenya. We need £500 to help disabled people who have lost their businesses (and their livelihoods), and £2,000 for mobility aids for people injured in the fighting in the Kitale area.
Please help if you can by going to the donation page of the Footsteps website.

Sunshine Workshops attacked

Last night three men got into the Sunshine Workshops which were built to provide a place for street boys to work. Fortunately all that was stolen before the police arrived was a mobile phone. However, this incident was obviously deeply unsettling for the Sunshine Boys who were sleeping at the workshops.

The general situation remains very tense. Please pray for peace and calm to be restored.

Naivasha violence increases

The violence that affected Naivasha on Saturday spread further today. A gang of machete-wielding youths came close to the Sunshine Home, but did not try to enter. Please continue to pray for peace, and God’s protection for everyone we know.

Violence spreads to Naivasha

The violence in Kenya spread to Naivasha on Saturday. The BBC reported that at least nineteen people were killed in the town after gangs of youths blocked the main road.

Simon Kinyanjui has told us that none of the Sunshine Boys have been affected, and that the town is now calm.

Some hope, but still tense

General situation

UN envoy Kofi Annan has held talks between the president and opposition leaders which has resulted in them shaking hands for the first time since the election. We pray more progress will follow. Meanwhile, there has been a continued undercurrent of tension and periodic outbreaks of violence in various parts of the country. The troubles are now having a huge knock-on effect on tourism, which is resulting in job lay-offs and hotel closures.

Bombolulu

Hubert Seifert, Director of APDK which runs the Bombolulu wheelchair centre and Port Reitz School and Clinic, writes: “100 disabled people in our programmes have been directly affected through looting or burning of their houses or businesses or displacement. About 2,000 of our disabled clients have been indirectly affected through closure of their businesses, loss of income and increased cost of living.

One of our employees in the Nairobi branch lost all his property through looting in one of the slums and he was severely injured on the head by attacking gangs. He attributes it to Gods protection that his life was spared but he is very disturbed and feels insecure.

I received a request for four wheelchairs for people in Eldoret whose legs had been chopped off. We have decided to assist the desperate cases immediately incl. food, mobility aids and restocking of looted and burnt businesses.

The impact on our Bombolulu project with 190 mostly disabled employees and casual workers is devastating since there are hardly any tourists to buy the crafts made by them, and this will lead to substantial deficits and endanger many of the jobs.”

Sunshine Home Naivasha.

Currently quiet, with people going about there business more or less as normal.

Tumaini Children’s Home, Mombasa

The area is still uneasy following death threats in the past week, but he situation is calm, if tense.

Lake Victoria

Moses Otieno has travelled back to Lake Victoria from Mombasa following the death of his grandmother. He reports that there is a lot of tension and killings are continuing.

Kware slum, Nairobi

Bernard writes: "We are doing well and God has protected us all through despite the difficult times in our nation. We reopened the school and all is well. The pupils have reported apart from a few from western Kenya who had travelled home over the Christmas holiday with their parents and were caught up by the chaos upcountry. We've already started studies and the feeding programme as well."

A nervous but peaceful night!

The death threats issued to people in Timbwani village, Mombasa were not carried out. We have had reports that people slept poorly, and that many children had nightmares, but, we thank God that the area remained peaceful.

Please keep praying for peace in Kenya as Kofi Annan arrives for talks with the political leaders.

Death threats in Timbwani village

We have just heard via our friends in Mombasa that some people living in Timbwani village have had leaflets put through their doors saying if they don’t leave their houses by next Tuesday (22 January) they will be killed. This includes some of the people in houses around the Tumaini Children's Home and schools.

Kenya: current position with Footsteps projects

18 January 2008.

General:

There have been three more days of disturbances as opposition leaders in Kenya called for protests. Violence has flared up again in Mombasa, Nairobi and the Lake Victoria area.

Sunshine Boys – Naivasha

Naivasha is now ‘back to normal’ (ie relatively quiet, but you wouldn’t want to walk the streets at night!). The shops are open, and fuel is available. However, there has been an influx of refugees into the town following the troubles elsewhere in Kenya. Simon has travelled with 3 others to Uganda to Africamp.

The Sunshine Boys are all OK. Those that visited their homes over Christmas are back. Specific news about some of the boys:

• Daniel and Juma continue to work at the Sunshine Workshops and are OK. Karanja is labouring at the new Sunshine Home which is progressing well, with Daniel and Juma making the doors and window frames for it.
• Mark Wakunene has bought a motorcycle which he is hiring out, and doing well. He aims to get married at the end of January. His fiancée’s parents have said they can’t have a church wedding as Mark can’t pay a dowry, so they are going to be married in the church office!
• Moses Maina is still at the Sunshine Home, and wants to take a Grade 2 tailoring course at the Polytechnic.

Tumaini Kids – Mombasa

The situation is very tense again in Mombasa and there are reports of at least two people shot dead (one is a young boy). The city alternates between normality and rioting. Food is still very expensive.

Three children failed to get the marks needed to progress to High School. We are assessing the options for them.

Moses and Lillian – Lake Victoria

Moses and Lillian managed to get back from Lake Victoria, the 3 hour journey taking 3 days! They are now caught up in the violence in Mombasa!

Hubert Seifert – Mombasa (Bombolulu)

The town of Bombolulu was badly hit last week and again today, with burning tyres in the main road, and looters looting shops. Hubert reported that some of the shops run by disabled people were broken into in Mombasa and that, although no-one was injured, these disabled people had lost their means of earning a living, temporarily at least. The number of tourists visiting the Centre at Bombolulu had dried up, with no-one visiting at the moment. If visitors don’t return soon, staff such as our friends Paul and Lucy who work there will be laid off.

Ruth and Bernard – Nairobi slums

We received a text message a couple of weeks ago to say that Bernard and Ruth are OK. We have had no further news from them.

You can email us on martin.print@footstepsinternational.org