Disputed results following the December 27, 2007, Kenyan presidential election sparked widespread violence and a humanitarian crisis in Kenya that resulted in over 1,200 deaths and the displacement of up to an estimated  600,000  people. These events of violence and death have also made the need for the work of The Jirani Project more urgent as many of our Jirani children (and our Kenyan Program Coordinator!) have witnessed and experienced the consequences of this turmoil firsthand.

 

Background
Riots and bloodshed broke out in Kenya amid allegations of voting irregularities on Sunday, December 30, 2007 following the announcement that incumbent Kenyan president, Mwai Kibaki, had won the  hotly contested election. International and domestic observers have concluded that the presidential poll was marred by serious irregularities in the vote-counting process.

 

Much of this turmoil reflects long held grievances over land and feelings of marginalization that have failed to be addressed by successive Kenyan governments. Though allegations of  rigged elections sparked the violence that tore apart the country, much of the unrest is a direct reflection of the inequality felt by much of the Kenyan population (e.g., low income, poor living conditions, and inadequate access to education and healthcare).

 

Thousands of homes and businesses were ravaged by fire and/or looting and other destruction, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless and many without income. News and other forms of communication across Kenya were disrupted, and many affected areas throughout the country were largely inaccessible due to illegal roadblocks, strikes on individual vehicles and/or other unrest.

 

The Situation Now

Calm has returned to most areas since a political agreement providing for a "power-sharing" government was signed between  Kenya's two main political parties (Mwai Kibaki's Party of National Unity and Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement) on February 28th. However, to date, more than 1,200 people have lost their lives, many individuals were severely injured, and hundreds of thousands uprooted from their homes during the crisis, remain in 200 displaced persons camps around the country where the increased threat of sexual violence for thousands of young girls and women is of great concern.

 

Fresh food and other essential goods are very expensive and difficult to find. Illness due to malaria and cholera are on the rise, as well as chicken pox, diarrhea and acute respiratory disease. Many with chronic illness have had no access to life-saving medicines, and health care workers and clean water are in short supply.

 

Although most of the violence has slowed, some clashes, fighting and attacks are still being reported in parts of the Rift Valley Province. 

 

The Kenyan government officials have recently started efforts to ease the suffering, and essential services are slowly returning to normal, though there is much work left to be done.

   
Our Response

The Jirani Project is providing  emergency assistance to Jirani children and guardians displaced and otherwise adversely impacted by the  post-election violence in Kenya. Many of the children and their guardians slept in police stations for safety, and/or witnessed or were victims of horrible events of destruction and death.

 

Throughout the crisis, our Program Coordinator, Mark Okello, worked alone, tirelessly, and at risk of his own life, to see to it that the needs of each and every Jirani child and their guardians were  met.   He  secured  their safety,  made sure  that  all  had adequate shelter, food and water, and access to  medical care and counseling when needed during the two month ordeal. 

 

We are happy to report that, to date, all of our children have been able to return to their respective homes and schools, with one exception...our smallest Jirani, Rosi.    Mark was able to secure  temporary shelter for Rosi and her mother (rescuing them from an IDP camp); Jirani efforts are now underway to raise funds necessary to rebuild their fire-destroyed home.

 

Though conditions are slowly returning to "normal" following the brokered government accord reached on February 28th, there are still, of course, concerns to be addressed for our Jirani children.  The Jirani Project is committed to not only provide for our primary mission of furnishing funds for education and care for these vulnerable children, but to continue to respond to the immediate and exceptional needs of our Jirani children and their guardians, brought about by the post-election violence.