Yesterday, President Kibaki finally announced the new cabinet. Now, you may not even have been aware of it, but since the signing of the national peace accord, Kibaki and Raila have been fighting over how to share power - how to divide up the various ministries and the seats in the cabinet. Here's a time-line as a reminder:
December 27th, 2007 - Elections
December 30th, 2007 - Results are announced
December 31st, 2007 - Post-election violence and riots begin
January 22nd, 2008 - Kofi Annan arrives in Kenya to mediate between the government party and the opposition
February 28th, 2008 - National Peace Accord is signed by President Mwai Kibaki and Honorable Raila Odinga
April 13th, 2008 - President Kibaki announces his cabinet
For the last two or three weeks (I can't even remember anymore), Raila and Kibaki have been meeting to determine the cabinet (after the parliament had worked out the details of the of the peace agreement). It was supposed to be announced last weekend, but they were not able to agree. At that point, it looked like the coalition was about to collapse, and there were people talking about a new vote etc. Many people here were just getting annoyed and fed up with politics. Others started rioting again in protest of the proposal of an enlarged (or inflated) cabinet - or whatever it was they were rioting about.
Now they have finally agreed on what the coalition government should look like, which means that we can hopefully move on to more important things: resettling the displaced people who have been waiting all this time, getting the economy back on track and reworking the constitution (which has been the plan since 2005, I think). Resettling the IDPs (internally displaced persons) is a matter of urgency for two reasons. The rain makes living in camps miserable, not just because of the mud, but because there is the danger of diseases (cholera, typhoid etc.) and sicknesses because of the rain and the cold. Many of the people depend on being able to plant and farm for a living, and if they do not plant before the rains start, it will be too late. Even though this is supposed to be the rainy season, we have not had a large amount of rainy days yet (which I am glad for), but there is also fear of drought (Dürre).
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Monday, April 14, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Back again
Yes, I am back, not just from Msafara, but from suffering from some stomach bug (which was never identified). I am still processing all that I experienced and learned on Msafara. It was a emotionally, physically and spiritually draining trip, but it was also amazing, moving and indescribable.
Let me give you an idea of what we did. In the group, I was part of the volunteer team which meant that much of what we did was with IDPs (internally displaced persons - get used to the abbreviation!). In every place, while the pastors were meeting with the local pastors and working on reconciliation among them, we would go to the IDP camps. It has been more than a month since the peace deal was signed, but there are still over 200 IDP camps all over the country. The people there are still waiting to see the fruits of the peace deal. During the visits, we got to talk with displaced people and hear some of their stories. Even though there is "peace" now, these people cannot return to their homes because they have either been burnt, or they just do not yet feel safe going back. Many of them, even kids, have witnessed people being killed or hurt and their houses and properties being burnt or destroyed. Many of them are also still very bitter and hurt on the inside - they cannot or do not want to forgive what has been done to them. In that, it is hard for them to move on and to have hope for the future.
We tried to help these people in different ways: We brought "hygiene packs" that were distributed, we interacted with the people, talking with grown-ups and playing with the kids, and we had worship services with them. Even though these people have been taken care of physically and also have been given counselling, they are really thirsting for spiritual food and spiritual accompaniment in what they are going through. It was amazing to see people in the IDP camp in Nakuru breaking down in tears, asking God to help them be able to forgive those who had hurt them. In many ways, this is just the beginning of the work of reconciliation - we pray that this seed will grow and bear fruit. Many are not yet able to think of forgiving or reconciling - much still needs to happen for them to be able to move on. (For some people this is the third time that they have been chased away in post-election clashes.)
In Eldoret and Kisumu, the tension could still be felt on the streets as we came into town.
Oops, I have run out of time and must leave for our retreat... to be continued!
Let me give you an idea of what we did. In the group, I was part of the volunteer team which meant that much of what we did was with IDPs (internally displaced persons - get used to the abbreviation!). In every place, while the pastors were meeting with the local pastors and working on reconciliation among them, we would go to the IDP camps. It has been more than a month since the peace deal was signed, but there are still over 200 IDP camps all over the country. The people there are still waiting to see the fruits of the peace deal. During the visits, we got to talk with displaced people and hear some of their stories. Even though there is "peace" now, these people cannot return to their homes because they have either been burnt, or they just do not yet feel safe going back. Many of them, even kids, have witnessed people being killed or hurt and their houses and properties being burnt or destroyed. Many of them are also still very bitter and hurt on the inside - they cannot or do not want to forgive what has been done to them. In that, it is hard for them to move on and to have hope for the future.
We tried to help these people in different ways: We brought "hygiene packs" that were distributed, we interacted with the people, talking with grown-ups and playing with the kids, and we had worship services with them. Even though these people have been taken care of physically and also have been given counselling, they are really thirsting for spiritual food and spiritual accompaniment in what they are going through. It was amazing to see people in the IDP camp in Nakuru breaking down in tears, asking God to help them be able to forgive those who had hurt them. In many ways, this is just the beginning of the work of reconciliation - we pray that this seed will grow and bear fruit. Many are not yet able to think of forgiving or reconciling - much still needs to happen for them to be able to move on. (For some people this is the third time that they have been chased away in post-election clashes.)
In Eldoret and Kisumu, the tension could still be felt on the streets as we came into town.
Oops, I have run out of time and must leave for our retreat... to be continued!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Msafara - Wheels of Hope
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the changes our church was making because of the political and humanitarian situation. A third of the staff was left in charge of running the church and the services, the other two groups started working with IDPs (internally displaced persons) and with the Msafara - the caravan of hope. For weeks the latter group (together with many other churches and pastors) has been preparing this caravan of hope which will be going through the five major cities that experienced post-election violence to work for healing and reconciliation.
Since I am in the group that has been running the church and the services, I did not expect to go on the Msafara (meaning caravan or convoy - safari, by the way, means trip). This week I was told that I could/should go, so I am getting ready to leave in a few hourse. For more information, you can check the website: http://www.msafara.co.ke/.
Tonight (Friday), we are leaving for Mombasa. We are staying there until Sunday night, coming back to Nairobi again at night. We then leave again for Nakuru on Tuesday morning, continuing on to Eldoret and Kisumu and coming back to Nairobi on the 17th of March. This means that it will be pretty silent on this blog for the next ten days, but I appreciate your prayers for safety and protection as we travel. Pray that God may bring true healing to the country of Kenya. Even in the church, pastors and members are divided along political and tribal lines.
I am actually not sure yet what I will be doing, but I am sure there will be plenty to do, whether it be with logistics, humanitarian aid, prayer or counselling. I will let you know when I get back! While I am gone, you can keep up with the happenings through the msafara blog: www.msafara.wordpress.com.
Since I am in the group that has been running the church and the services, I did not expect to go on the Msafara (meaning caravan or convoy - safari, by the way, means trip). This week I was told that I could/should go, so I am getting ready to leave in a few hourse. For more information, you can check the website: http://www.msafara.co.ke/.
Tonight (Friday), we are leaving for Mombasa. We are staying there until Sunday night, coming back to Nairobi again at night. We then leave again for Nakuru on Tuesday morning, continuing on to Eldoret and Kisumu and coming back to Nairobi on the 17th of March. This means that it will be pretty silent on this blog for the next ten days, but I appreciate your prayers for safety and protection as we travel. Pray that God may bring true healing to the country of Kenya. Even in the church, pastors and members are divided along political and tribal lines.
I am actually not sure yet what I will be doing, but I am sure there will be plenty to do, whether it be with logistics, humanitarian aid, prayer or counselling. I will let you know when I get back! While I am gone, you can keep up with the happenings through the msafara blog: www.msafara.wordpress.com.
Friday, February 29, 2008
"We have a deal"
Today, finally, there is good news about the political situation. It is the news we have all been waiting to hear for the last two months. Kibaki and Raila Odinga have signed a coalition agreement whereby (not sure of the correct usage of this word, but this is a favourite word of Kenyans and is used in any and every context) the new post of prime minister will be created. The part about the prime minister was agreed upon some time ago, but the details and the powers of the prime minister and president took a long time to be worked out. Kofi Annan gave up talking with the two groups of party representatives this week and announced that he would be talking with the two head leaders, since they were the ones who really would have to agree. Today they finally struck a deal. (To read about the details of the deal, look up http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143982557&cid=4.)
Everyone is relieved at the news. For such a long time we have been going back and forth between hope and dispair, further development in the talks and people predicting the failure of the talks, that it seems hard to believe that the crisis has finally come to an end. Our hope of the talks ending successfully had been deferred so many times that I realised that I had not dared hope for such a quick resolution when Kofi Annan announced his plans to talk with the leaders. The good news has yet to sink in. Finally, we can move on. Thank God.
Then again, many people will not be able to move on for a very long time. There are still thousands of people in living in camps, unable to return. They do not know yet where they will be going and how they will be able to continue their lives after they have lost everything. Hatred between tribal communities is still festering and there is additional bitterness over what has happened in the last few weeks. There is still much work to be done.
I hope and pray that this coalition will last and that the underlying issues of this crisis (such as tribalism and economic disparity) will be addressed and taken care of (and not swept under the carpet as they have been every other time they have come up).
Everyone is relieved at the news. For such a long time we have been going back and forth between hope and dispair, further development in the talks and people predicting the failure of the talks, that it seems hard to believe that the crisis has finally come to an end. Our hope of the talks ending successfully had been deferred so many times that I realised that I had not dared hope for such a quick resolution when Kofi Annan announced his plans to talk with the leaders. The good news has yet to sink in. Finally, we can move on. Thank God.
Then again, many people will not be able to move on for a very long time. There are still thousands of people in living in camps, unable to return. They do not know yet where they will be going and how they will be able to continue their lives after they have lost everything. Hatred between tribal communities is still festering and there is additional bitterness over what has happened in the last few weeks. There is still much work to be done.
I hope and pray that this coalition will last and that the underlying issues of this crisis (such as tribalism and economic disparity) will be addressed and taken care of (and not swept under the carpet as they have been every other time they have come up).
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Not Business as Usual
A week ago I thought that the internship was starting to become clearer and more organized, but on Friday, everything changed.
The first few weeks in January, everyone was focused on the political situation and the violence that had taken place. Churches were trying to help those who had suffered from violence and were speaking out publicly for peace. As things quietened down, people tried to return to their normal lives, expecting the situation to be resolved soon. Now it has been more than a month, and the situation has not really gotten better, even though here in Nairobi one can live one's life almost as if nothing had happened. While the mediation talks are going on, there is still violence and the number of internally displaced persons (IDP) is increasing. I have heard stories where the message was passed around a town or neighbourhood, warning the members of a certain tribe to get out before the end of the next day unless they wanted to be killed. The people concerned do not wait to find out whether the threat is true but leave their homes behind and seek refuge in a police station or church. This ethnically motivated violence has continued and will not be stopped through the resolution of the political situation. On the other hand I have heard reports of an area close to Nairobi where the pastors in the area reacted to the threats of ethnic cleansing by going out and speaking to people one-on-one and in groups, convincing them that this was not the right path to pursue. In that way, violence in that neighbourhood could be avoided.
Last week, the pastors of my church, Nairobi Chapel, decided that they could not continue business as usual. It is not business as usual for those people living in camps fearing that their attackers will come to attack their camp, neither should it be business as usual for us. The situation is not resolved yet and we believe the church should be part of the process towards peace and reconciliation. Therefore the church has decided to release a part of the pastors and staff to work in the following areas: opening the church ground up to displaced people (especially since the Jamhuri camp close to Nairobi Chapel is closing down and sending people back home - not all of them can return home), being a media presence to tell stories of hope instead of violence and destruction, setting up a "caravan of hope" (500 pastors who will visit the affected areas), and networking with community leaders in Kibera and Dagoretti (the area around the church) to convince them to use their influence among the populuation for peace.
It is exciting to see the church making this kind of a decision, but it also means that a part of our internship program is put on hold for now. A third of the staff will keep the Sunday services running while the others are busy on new projects. As I am on the pastoral care team, we are still more or less working on the same things, but we have also taken on service planning in addition to our regular tasks. The other tasks that I have been given is to set up a canteen (a cafeteria) after church on Sundays to raise money for the interns and to come up with a four-week baptismal class which will be starting in two weeks!
The canteen was successfully started last Sunday, and we made a good profit, though we have to get more efficient on setting up and cleaning up. We hope to sell even more as people get used to the idea of having a snack (samosas, donuts or hamburgers) or a soda after the service.
I do hope, however, that we will be able to continue our readings and discussions which I found very interesting and stimulating. We have been reading two books on leadership and church growth/church management ("Courageous Leadership" by Bill Hybels and "The 7 Practices of Effective Ministry" by A. Stanley, L. Jones and R. Joiner).
The first few weeks in January, everyone was focused on the political situation and the violence that had taken place. Churches were trying to help those who had suffered from violence and were speaking out publicly for peace. As things quietened down, people tried to return to their normal lives, expecting the situation to be resolved soon. Now it has been more than a month, and the situation has not really gotten better, even though here in Nairobi one can live one's life almost as if nothing had happened. While the mediation talks are going on, there is still violence and the number of internally displaced persons (IDP) is increasing. I have heard stories where the message was passed around a town or neighbourhood, warning the members of a certain tribe to get out before the end of the next day unless they wanted to be killed. The people concerned do not wait to find out whether the threat is true but leave their homes behind and seek refuge in a police station or church. This ethnically motivated violence has continued and will not be stopped through the resolution of the political situation. On the other hand I have heard reports of an area close to Nairobi where the pastors in the area reacted to the threats of ethnic cleansing by going out and speaking to people one-on-one and in groups, convincing them that this was not the right path to pursue. In that way, violence in that neighbourhood could be avoided.
Last week, the pastors of my church, Nairobi Chapel, decided that they could not continue business as usual. It is not business as usual for those people living in camps fearing that their attackers will come to attack their camp, neither should it be business as usual for us. The situation is not resolved yet and we believe the church should be part of the process towards peace and reconciliation. Therefore the church has decided to release a part of the pastors and staff to work in the following areas: opening the church ground up to displaced people (especially since the Jamhuri camp close to Nairobi Chapel is closing down and sending people back home - not all of them can return home), being a media presence to tell stories of hope instead of violence and destruction, setting up a "caravan of hope" (500 pastors who will visit the affected areas), and networking with community leaders in Kibera and Dagoretti (the area around the church) to convince them to use their influence among the populuation for peace.
It is exciting to see the church making this kind of a decision, but it also means that a part of our internship program is put on hold for now. A third of the staff will keep the Sunday services running while the others are busy on new projects. As I am on the pastoral care team, we are still more or less working on the same things, but we have also taken on service planning in addition to our regular tasks. The other tasks that I have been given is to set up a canteen (a cafeteria) after church on Sundays to raise money for the interns and to come up with a four-week baptismal class which will be starting in two weeks!
The canteen was successfully started last Sunday, and we made a good profit, though we have to get more efficient on setting up and cleaning up. We hope to sell even more as people get used to the idea of having a snack (samosas, donuts or hamburgers) or a soda after the service.
I do hope, however, that we will be able to continue our readings and discussions which I found very interesting and stimulating. We have been reading two books on leadership and church growth/church management ("Courageous Leadership" by Bill Hybels and "The 7 Practices of Effective Ministry" by A. Stanley, L. Jones and R. Joiner).
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
A Month Since the Elections
This will just be a quick post as I want to get to bed soon.
The political situation is at the same time getting better and worse. On the positive side, the government and the opposition have officially started the talks today with Kofi Annan. They have chosen their representatives and set the rules and goals for the negotiations. So far, so good. On the other hand, one of the ODM (opposition party) MP's was murdered last night in Nairobi. That has caused a lot of uproar and unrest again. You may have also been hearing that the situation in the Rift Valley has gotten worse as the people driven from their homes have started fighting back. The violence there has gotten out of hand - it is no longer political, but ethnically motivated.
Internship news: This week is still focused on team building and training (this is kind of like a course week). We have been given reading to do on the topic of leadership and ministry and will be discussing it this week.
Despite the violence and the unrest, I have been kept safe and have not seen any mobs or any unrest when out and about (Kibera and the district of the MP who was killed are not far away from here). This is also one time when being a mzungu (engl: "moozoongoo", dt: muzungu - white person/caucasian) is an advantage, even though at other times it means being seen as a ticket out of Kenya and paying mzungu prices.
The political situation is at the same time getting better and worse. On the positive side, the government and the opposition have officially started the talks today with Kofi Annan. They have chosen their representatives and set the rules and goals for the negotiations. So far, so good. On the other hand, one of the ODM (opposition party) MP's was murdered last night in Nairobi. That has caused a lot of uproar and unrest again. You may have also been hearing that the situation in the Rift Valley has gotten worse as the people driven from their homes have started fighting back. The violence there has gotten out of hand - it is no longer political, but ethnically motivated.
Internship news: This week is still focused on team building and training (this is kind of like a course week). We have been given reading to do on the topic of leadership and ministry and will be discussing it this week.
Despite the violence and the unrest, I have been kept safe and have not seen any mobs or any unrest when out and about (Kibera and the district of the MP who was killed are not far away from here). This is also one time when being a mzungu (engl: "moozoongoo", dt: muzungu - white person/caucasian) is an advantage, even though at other times it means being seen as a ticket out of Kenya and paying mzungu prices.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tumaini - Hope
Kenya is back in the headlines! (If not, then I am disappointed.) And this time for good reasons. Kofi Annan arrived on Tuesday evening and spent yesterday and today talking to the two parties. After his talks with Raila Odinga and ODM yesterday, they cancelled the rally that had been planned for today. This afternoon, Odinga and Kibaki actually met face to face for the first time since the elections and talked. We do not know what the results were (the talks will continue tomorrow), but they appeared before the press and spoke to the people, affirming their will to have dialogue and urging the people to keep peace. Kofi Annan said that he was encouraged, so we hope and pray that the good progress continues tomorrow.
As for my internship, things have started to get going, though still slowly. On Tuesday, we had a staff meeting to be introduced to the rest of the staff. Yesterday and today we had meetings about the concept of discipleship, for our department and for Sunday service planning. Tomorrow the meetings continue with our department.
My department is the pastoral care department. Pastor Janet is in charge of this, and it includes pastoral care, adult ministry (small groups and Sunday services) and internship program. Pastor Cathleen is also a part of the team, and then there are six of us interns - four Kenyans, one Indian-Ethiopean and myself - three women and three men. This week and next week we will spend a lot of team in meetings of our department, getting to know one another and setting our department goals for this year. As the speed of work picks up, you will be seeing less and shorter entries in my blog, so be assured that silence on this blog is nothing to be worried about.
As for my internship, things have started to get going, though still slowly. On Tuesday, we had a staff meeting to be introduced to the rest of the staff. Yesterday and today we had meetings about the concept of discipleship, for our department and for Sunday service planning. Tomorrow the meetings continue with our department.
My department is the pastoral care department. Pastor Janet is in charge of this, and it includes pastoral care, adult ministry (small groups and Sunday services) and internship program. Pastor Cathleen is also a part of the team, and then there are six of us interns - four Kenyans, one Indian-Ethiopean and myself - three women and three men. This week and next week we will spend a lot of team in meetings of our department, getting to know one another and setting our department goals for this year. As the speed of work picks up, you will be seeing less and shorter entries in my blog, so be assured that silence on this blog is nothing to be worried about.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Intern Retreat
The last few days I was on a retreat with all the interns. We went to a place called Diguna about 20km outside of Nairobi - right by or even in the Nairobi National Park. The surroundings were beautiful and we got to see two zebras passing in the distance while we were eating dinner. A lioness had been seen the week before on the compound, but they put up an electric fence towards the park to keep the lioness out before we came.
We had a great time bonding as a team of interns despite the fact that we spent the second day in silence - we had all the more fun in the evening when we were talking again! From Tuesday on we will be working in different departments, but it is good to know that there are other interns to encourage one another when we start getting stressed.
Coming back to the city was rather depressing. It had been so peaceful that it was hard to imagine what was going on during our absence. I had been hoping for less violence in the rallies that had been announced and was sad to hear that their had been lots of violence and destruction in the Rift Valley and also in Nairobi, especially in Kibera (people stopped a train going through Kibera, pulled it off the tracks and removed 10km of train tracks! Check out the movie "The Constant Gardner" to see the Kibera slums and the train tracks).
Today, Raila Odinga actually spoke out against the violence that was happening in the name of ODM. It seems that what they started (by paying unemployed youths to riot) has gotten out of hand. He is now in a difficult position because his supporters will not accept anything else but the presidency for him - or else he need not show his face in Kisumu (unless he wants to endanger his life). The mediation talks with Kofi Annan are set for Tuesday, but ODM is still setting conditions and does not want to speak to the people Kibaki has delegated. The situation is depressing right now - maybe that is just because I am tired. Please pray for the negotiations on Tuesday.
We had a great time bonding as a team of interns despite the fact that we spent the second day in silence - we had all the more fun in the evening when we were talking again! From Tuesday on we will be working in different departments, but it is good to know that there are other interns to encourage one another when we start getting stressed.
Coming back to the city was rather depressing. It had been so peaceful that it was hard to imagine what was going on during our absence. I had been hoping for less violence in the rallies that had been announced and was sad to hear that their had been lots of violence and destruction in the Rift Valley and also in Nairobi, especially in Kibera (people stopped a train going through Kibera, pulled it off the tracks and removed 10km of train tracks! Check out the movie "The Constant Gardner" to see the Kibera slums and the train tracks).
Today, Raila Odinga actually spoke out against the violence that was happening in the name of ODM. It seems that what they started (by paying unemployed youths to riot) has gotten out of hand. He is now in a difficult position because his supporters will not accept anything else but the presidency for him - or else he need not show his face in Kisumu (unless he wants to endanger his life). The mediation talks with Kofi Annan are set for Tuesday, but ODM is still setting conditions and does not want to speak to the people Kibaki has delegated. The situation is depressing right now - maybe that is just because I am tired. Please pray for the negotiations on Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
First Day
As I am writing this, the parliament is voting on the house speaker - a very tense moment because the speaker has the power to determine the agenda and to make the motion to impeach (jmdn. seines Amtes entheben) the president. We have been watching the live coverage of the voting process - don't worry, I am not missing much. It is actually quite a tedious (langwierig) process and has been going on now for almost three hours. First there were discussions on how the vote should be conducted. Now they are in the second round of voting, and since every one of the 207 members of parliament votes separately, it will take a while for them to get through. No final result can be expected until the third round when the vote is decided by a simple majority (first and second round is two thirds majority). That is when it will get really suspenseful.
We are still hoping that the rallys set for tomorrow and the following days by ODM will be cancelled or postponed, but that probably depends on the outcome of this vote. In general, people here a hoping that the conflict and the violence are (as someone put it) "a dying fire," and that is how many people will treat it, trying to go to work and school if possible.
Anyway, my title refers to my first official day as an intern, so I better get on topic here. After three days last week of working with a different style of organisation or management than I am used to as a Swiss, I am happy to say that Nairobi Chapel seems very well organised and strict in what they expect of interns and pastoral trainees. There is actually a 50 shilling fee (USD: 70-80 cents; CHF: 90 Rp.) for coming late!
Today was orienation (Einführung) and I learned that we are expected to work a five to six day week, with classes twice a week and several reports to hand in at the end of the month (a book review amongst others!). I am looking forward to being challenged in many ways and am actually also looking forward to getting back into study mode as well, even though that will only be part of the work. I will be working in the adult ministry department which includes Sunday services and small groups (and maybe more). We will also be doing visitation in hospitals and at people's homes. This week we will be on a retreat for the interns and pastoral trainees from Thursday to Saturday to be able to focus and prepare for our ministry engagement. I am excited about what is awaiting me and looking forward to learning, growing and being stretched.
The second round has just been completed, and as to be expected, they will now go on to another round with only two candidates.
We are still hoping that the rallys set for tomorrow and the following days by ODM will be cancelled or postponed, but that probably depends on the outcome of this vote. In general, people here a hoping that the conflict and the violence are (as someone put it) "a dying fire," and that is how many people will treat it, trying to go to work and school if possible.
Anyway, my title refers to my first official day as an intern, so I better get on topic here. After three days last week of working with a different style of organisation or management than I am used to as a Swiss, I am happy to say that Nairobi Chapel seems very well organised and strict in what they expect of interns and pastoral trainees. There is actually a 50 shilling fee (USD: 70-80 cents; CHF: 90 Rp.) for coming late!
Today was orienation (Einführung) and I learned that we are expected to work a five to six day week, with classes twice a week and several reports to hand in at the end of the month (a book review amongst others!). I am looking forward to being challenged in many ways and am actually also looking forward to getting back into study mode as well, even though that will only be part of the work. I will be working in the adult ministry department which includes Sunday services and small groups (and maybe more). We will also be doing visitation in hospitals and at people's homes. This week we will be on a retreat for the interns and pastoral trainees from Thursday to Saturday to be able to focus and prepare for our ministry engagement. I am excited about what is awaiting me and looking forward to learning, growing and being stretched.
The second round has just been completed, and as to be expected, they will now go on to another round with only two candidates.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Refugee Camp
My hands and nails are still brown from peeling bananas. I bet you have never peeled as many bananas as I did today. What am I doing peeling hundreds of bananas? Today, I was at Karura Community Church (a daughter church of Nairobi Chapel) with a group of the interns to help with the camp that has been set up for about 400 displaced people from the Rift Valley.
I was in the kitchen team. First we peeled green bananas for making mashed bananas (tastes somewhat like mashed potatoes but sweeter and a different texture). In order to keep our hands as clean as possible we first covered them with grease so that the banana sap would not stick. I guess I did not use enough grease the first time around or did not go back for more often enough, but my hands got very brown and even with scrubbing them I did not get everything off. After the bananas we washed and cut cabbages, next spinach and kale for "sukuma wiki". Before we could finish the sukuma wiki it was time for serving lunch, consisting of cooked cabbage and bean soup/stew, the mashed bananas (for the kids) or a mixture of mashed potatoes, maize and beans.
I got to help serve people, and because I had not really seen that many people around before, I was amazed at how many people were at the camp. Serving food does not give you much opportunity to actually look at people, but I tried to lift my eyes from the food and look people in the face while serving. Doing relief work does not necessarily give you a chance to get to know the people you are helping and get a sense of how they are doing since there is much to do in the background. There is a sense of hopelessness at a camp like this - even though people are being helped and there physical needs are met. But there is so much more to life than physical needs. Even when the political crisis is resolved, the question for them remains: where will they go? They have lost their homes, some have lost their loved ones and had traumatic experiences. And now they are sitting in the camp, waiting for a political as well as a personal solution, knowing that while other Kenyans return to their normal life, they is no life for them to return to.
My fellow volunteers, most of whom are Kenyan, keep exclaiming that they cannot believe that this has happened and is happening in Kenya. Kenya has always been the stable nation to receive refugees from other countries, but now Kenyans are refugees in their own country and are even fleeing to Uganda. How could this happen?
It is amazing, however, to see the response of people here. I am constantly amazed when I see the amounts of food, clothing and other articles donated. People are extremely willing to help with giving or with volunteering. One can only hope that the giving and helping continues while the effects of the crisis continue to create a need, as our memories are often very bad in regard to remembering needs over a longer time.
I was in the kitchen team. First we peeled green bananas for making mashed bananas (tastes somewhat like mashed potatoes but sweeter and a different texture). In order to keep our hands as clean as possible we first covered them with grease so that the banana sap would not stick. I guess I did not use enough grease the first time around or did not go back for more often enough, but my hands got very brown and even with scrubbing them I did not get everything off. After the bananas we washed and cut cabbages, next spinach and kale for "sukuma wiki". Before we could finish the sukuma wiki it was time for serving lunch, consisting of cooked cabbage and bean soup/stew, the mashed bananas (for the kids) or a mixture of mashed potatoes, maize and beans.
I got to help serve people, and because I had not really seen that many people around before, I was amazed at how many people were at the camp. Serving food does not give you much opportunity to actually look at people, but I tried to lift my eyes from the food and look people in the face while serving. Doing relief work does not necessarily give you a chance to get to know the people you are helping and get a sense of how they are doing since there is much to do in the background. There is a sense of hopelessness at a camp like this - even though people are being helped and there physical needs are met. But there is so much more to life than physical needs. Even when the political crisis is resolved, the question for them remains: where will they go? They have lost their homes, some have lost their loved ones and had traumatic experiences. And now they are sitting in the camp, waiting for a political as well as a personal solution, knowing that while other Kenyans return to their normal life, they is no life for them to return to.
My fellow volunteers, most of whom are Kenyan, keep exclaiming that they cannot believe that this has happened and is happening in Kenya. Kenya has always been the stable nation to receive refugees from other countries, but now Kenyans are refugees in their own country and are even fleeing to Uganda. How could this happen?
It is amazing, however, to see the response of people here. I am constantly amazed when I see the amounts of food, clothing and other articles donated. People are extremely willing to help with giving or with volunteering. One can only hope that the giving and helping continues while the effects of the crisis continue to create a need, as our memories are often very bad in regard to remembering needs over a longer time.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
News flash
Since writing the last entry I have been told that the ODM rally (which was banned by the police anyway) has been cancelled! Thank God!
Monday (I can't come up with a better title)
People are back to work. I can tell because the internet connection is much slower than last week (we share the wireless with an office building across the road). That means that I am now writing my blog entry in Word and waiting till later to post it.
Yesterday
Yesterday was a nationwide day of prayer. People prayed in church services, prayer meetings and on TV for the political situation, for the displaced people and for the leaders of the country. People of all religions prayed. I do not know whether you heard of it wherever you are, but they even showed spoke about it and showed footage in the evening news.
Today
Today I went to church to help with making care packages for people in Kibera. The beginning of the internship program has been postponed to next week because of the immediate need of the situation. However, communication here does not always seem very clear to me, and I went to church expecting to meet the other interns and the pastors.
Surprise number two (which I should have anticipated) was that there was only one person at the church when I got there at nine as requested. At 9:30 there were six of us waiting for Pastor Faith who was said to be on her way. She arrived at about 10am, and we began dividing all the foodstuff we had received into 200 piles on the ground as people continued to arrive to help. Here’s what most bags contained:
- 2 bags of maize flour (Maismehl) – for “ugali”, something like polenta which you can use to scoop up the other food when eating with your fingers
- 1 bag of beans or lentils (Linsen) – protein
- 1 bag of rice
- 1 bag or can of “mafuta” – oil in solid form, shortening?
- some long-life milk (UHT) or milk powder
- a packet of tea
- a bar of laundry soap
Carrying around all the food, chopping up bars of soap and pouring maize meal into bags is actually hard work! Especially when it is hot (at least we were inside the church tent) and you have nothing to eat or drink for a few hours (I put my bag with my water bottle in someone’s car and she went off to hand out the bags of food with it in her car!). I think people here are more used to waiting for a meal, but I could feel my blood sugar level getting lower by the hour – I miss “Znüni” time (coffee break)!
Caleb
On my way to church I was approached by a guy named Caleb who told me that he had a blind wife and a baby girl at home, that he had no job and no food at home for his family. I took him along to church because I could not give him anything and was not able to discern whether his story was true or not (in a way it does not matter because he was obviously in need, but you first want to help those who are most needy, not the most clever in getting something). I was surprised at how patient he was, waiting for the pastor to come and then helping us prepare bags of food for two or three hours before he received his own bag of food and went off very happy.
The Present Situation
People I have talked to who live in or close to Kibera (the slum area where there was lots of burning and looting) have told me that it has been very quiet there the last few days. However, there is a rally planned for tomorrow in various places and people are worried about what will happen. Everyone who can will be staying at home, so once again your prayers are appreciated for the safety of people and against violence.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
"You have come at the right time"
I am extremely tired and in need of a shower. I have been out all day. But let me start with yesterday:
I was starting to get rather bored on my fourth day spent mostly in the house, so I was excited when my host Steve suggested in the late afternoon that he take me to my church and to the fairgrounds nearby where the displaced people were staying. Things had quieted down quite a bit - people were out, going about their business, and there was traffic (though not as much as usual). Everything seemed to be quite normal - that is also what Kenyans are longing for, to get their lives back to normal. Though the political situation is not resolved, they are trying their best to resume their everyday life.
Jamhuri
Many of the people from the Kibera slums whose houses have been burned have moved to the Jamhuri fairgrounds (Messgelände). This place is ideal because it is only used once a year but has all the facilities (Anlagen, Einrichtungen) needed for them to stay there: halls and buildings to sleep in, toilets and water. Different organisations and churches have come in to help organise the distribution of food and other necessary things. Nairobi Chapel has also been involved in collecting food and clothes for the displaced people.
Steve knew about the situation at the fairgrounds and decided that I might as well go and help there instead of sitting at home, so that is where we went yesterday afternoon. When I got there I was very surprised and happy to meet a number of people there whom I knew. They all work for African Enterprise, the organisation that had hosted the outreach I was part of two years ago. They were just as surprised since even those who knew I was coming did not know when I was arriving.
"You have come at the right time," one of my friends there said. "Most people back home would say exactly the opposite, " I replied. But I agree - I believe that I have come at the right time. There is great need here now on many different levels, and even after the political situation is resolved, there will be many people who are suffering from the effects of what has happened. "When elephants fight, the grass suffers," an African proverb says.
The Challenges of Trying to Help
So today I was at the fairgrounds again, trying to help with whatever was necessary. There are about 2'000 people staying there, and the challenge with such a situation is the coordination of all the people involved in helping. Another challenge is the fact that there are always people trying to take advantage of the help being given, going back into the slums or onto the street with the food or items they have received and selling them.
What did I actually do today to feel so tired? I was supposed to help with "logistics" which is everything and nothing. It took a while for me to figure out what I could help with as there was no clear direction. The main thing I did was to help register the people arriving who wanted to stay at the fairgrounds. This gave me the opportunity to use my little bit of Swahili - especially my numbers when asking how many children they had! After the registration I helped in the office, entering the names into a list and typing up the minutes of yesterday's coordination meeting. So, actually I do not know why I am this tired!
Tomorrow is church and I hope to get hooked up with the pastor responsible for the interns (25, by the way!), since I have not heard from her since arriving.
News is on soon and I have not heard any news yet today, so this is the end of my blog for today!
I was starting to get rather bored on my fourth day spent mostly in the house, so I was excited when my host Steve suggested in the late afternoon that he take me to my church and to the fairgrounds nearby where the displaced people were staying. Things had quieted down quite a bit - people were out, going about their business, and there was traffic (though not as much as usual). Everything seemed to be quite normal - that is also what Kenyans are longing for, to get their lives back to normal. Though the political situation is not resolved, they are trying their best to resume their everyday life.
Jamhuri
Many of the people from the Kibera slums whose houses have been burned have moved to the Jamhuri fairgrounds (Messgelände). This place is ideal because it is only used once a year but has all the facilities (Anlagen, Einrichtungen) needed for them to stay there: halls and buildings to sleep in, toilets and water. Different organisations and churches have come in to help organise the distribution of food and other necessary things. Nairobi Chapel has also been involved in collecting food and clothes for the displaced people.
Steve knew about the situation at the fairgrounds and decided that I might as well go and help there instead of sitting at home, so that is where we went yesterday afternoon. When I got there I was very surprised and happy to meet a number of people there whom I knew. They all work for African Enterprise, the organisation that had hosted the outreach I was part of two years ago. They were just as surprised since even those who knew I was coming did not know when I was arriving.
"You have come at the right time," one of my friends there said. "Most people back home would say exactly the opposite, " I replied. But I agree - I believe that I have come at the right time. There is great need here now on many different levels, and even after the political situation is resolved, there will be many people who are suffering from the effects of what has happened. "When elephants fight, the grass suffers," an African proverb says.
The Challenges of Trying to Help
So today I was at the fairgrounds again, trying to help with whatever was necessary. There are about 2'000 people staying there, and the challenge with such a situation is the coordination of all the people involved in helping. Another challenge is the fact that there are always people trying to take advantage of the help being given, going back into the slums or onto the street with the food or items they have received and selling them.
What did I actually do today to feel so tired? I was supposed to help with "logistics" which is everything and nothing. It took a while for me to figure out what I could help with as there was no clear direction. The main thing I did was to help register the people arriving who wanted to stay at the fairgrounds. This gave me the opportunity to use my little bit of Swahili - especially my numbers when asking how many children they had! After the registration I helped in the office, entering the names into a list and typing up the minutes of yesterday's coordination meeting. So, actually I do not know why I am this tired!
Tomorrow is church and I hope to get hooked up with the pastor responsible for the interns (25, by the way!), since I have not heard from her since arriving.
News is on soon and I have not heard any news yet today, so this is the end of my blog for today!
Friday, January 4, 2008
First Impressions
The Blog
This is my first time blogging, so I am not sure how to begin. I will start with the name: "Joy in Kenya" - why did I choose that name for my blog? First of all because of my middle name, and secondly because I hope with all my heart that peace and also joy will return to Kenya soon.
If this were my first time in Kenya, I would probably be quite shocked by the situation. As it is, the situation usually seems worse from the outside than from the inside. Life continues despite the unrest and the anxiety about the future. Yes, we are worried, but we are also hopeful. I am saddened by the news of people losing their homes and their means of livelihood (the two watchmen working for the compound here have both had their houses burnt down). Up until now I have not felt threatened or unsafe, but I have stayed inside the house (or at least within the compound) since I arrived on Monday.
When I arrived, people had been staying at home for the last five days. Now it has been more than seven days. Things are slowly getting back to normal, people are out again, buses running, stores open. But that is not enough, and people are getting tired and impatient with the situation. Even after three days I am feeling impatient and angry at the political leaders who are too stubborn to compromise or even to enter into dialogue. Today, however, the regular TV programs were cancelled to broadcast news in a joint media effort to send out messages of peace and to plead for a solution to end the violence.
The Situation
A short summary of what has happened as viewed from the inside: On December 30th, the results of the General Election were announced to the public with Mwai Kibaki as the winner. However, there were irregularities in the tallying of the votes, and the opposition party's candidate Raila Odinga did not want accept defeat. Since then, Odinga's supporters (mostly people from the tribe of the Luos) have resorted to violence to protest the outcome of the election. They have attacked people belonging to the Kikuyu tribe (Kibaki is a Kikuyu, and many of the people in higher positions in politics and business are Kikuyus), burning houses and businesses in the slums in Nairobi and in other cities. The ones suffering most are of course the poorest who are now left without anything.
Both Kibaki and Odinga are urging people to be peaceful and calm, but at the same time, Odinga called for a rally to be held today. The police did a good job in keeping the crowds away from the planned venue without resorting to senseless violence themselves. Odinga's party threatened to hold another rally on Tuesday, then they moved it forward to Saturday and now the newscasters just announced that it would take place tomorrow at 10 am. That means that businesses cannot open tomorrow as planned. Despite this news, my host family and their neighbours are confident that things are moving slowly in the direction of a solution.
We appreciate your prayers for Kenya, that the situation may be resolved soon and that the political leaders will be willing to dialogue and find a solution together.
At this point there is no need to worry about my safety as I am in a safe place and will not be leaving the compound. I am hoping to keep you posted on what is happening - hoping that my blog will soon contain more mundane and boring information on my life here!
This is my first time blogging, so I am not sure how to begin. I will start with the name: "Joy in Kenya" - why did I choose that name for my blog? First of all because of my middle name, and secondly because I hope with all my heart that peace and also joy will return to Kenya soon.
If this were my first time in Kenya, I would probably be quite shocked by the situation. As it is, the situation usually seems worse from the outside than from the inside. Life continues despite the unrest and the anxiety about the future. Yes, we are worried, but we are also hopeful. I am saddened by the news of people losing their homes and their means of livelihood (the two watchmen working for the compound here have both had their houses burnt down). Up until now I have not felt threatened or unsafe, but I have stayed inside the house (or at least within the compound) since I arrived on Monday.
When I arrived, people had been staying at home for the last five days. Now it has been more than seven days. Things are slowly getting back to normal, people are out again, buses running, stores open. But that is not enough, and people are getting tired and impatient with the situation. Even after three days I am feeling impatient and angry at the political leaders who are too stubborn to compromise or even to enter into dialogue. Today, however, the regular TV programs were cancelled to broadcast news in a joint media effort to send out messages of peace and to plead for a solution to end the violence.
The Situation
A short summary of what has happened as viewed from the inside: On December 30th, the results of the General Election were announced to the public with Mwai Kibaki as the winner. However, there were irregularities in the tallying of the votes, and the opposition party's candidate Raila Odinga did not want accept defeat. Since then, Odinga's supporters (mostly people from the tribe of the Luos) have resorted to violence to protest the outcome of the election. They have attacked people belonging to the Kikuyu tribe (Kibaki is a Kikuyu, and many of the people in higher positions in politics and business are Kikuyus), burning houses and businesses in the slums in Nairobi and in other cities. The ones suffering most are of course the poorest who are now left without anything.
Both Kibaki and Odinga are urging people to be peaceful and calm, but at the same time, Odinga called for a rally to be held today. The police did a good job in keeping the crowds away from the planned venue without resorting to senseless violence themselves. Odinga's party threatened to hold another rally on Tuesday, then they moved it forward to Saturday and now the newscasters just announced that it would take place tomorrow at 10 am. That means that businesses cannot open tomorrow as planned. Despite this news, my host family and their neighbours are confident that things are moving slowly in the direction of a solution.
We appreciate your prayers for Kenya, that the situation may be resolved soon and that the political leaders will be willing to dialogue and find a solution together.
At this point there is no need to worry about my safety as I am in a safe place and will not be leaving the compound. I am hoping to keep you posted on what is happening - hoping that my blog will soon contain more mundane and boring information on my life here!
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