The Situation in Kenya

We are still safe but tense. Even though there are nomore gun shots and no houses being burnt, people are going about their businesses in a very careful manner. Mathare is even more tense, and nobody wants to be out and about after dark.

I have now been working at the Mathare Slums for the last several days (my God, I don't even know how many days). Initially, when I went with my Mama na Dada colleagues to Moi Air Force Base, Mathare, on the 3rd January, it was only to assess the situation of women and children living outside the gate of the Barracks.
Our main aim was to offer counseling services to all the people living here, with a focus on women and children, to avoid them getting post-trauma stress disorders. We have been on the ground since then, starting as early as 6.30 a.m. and finishing at 5 p.m.
if we are lucky!

When we started, there was not much coordination, save for the security offered by the military personnel, as well as a little support in the form of food donations by drop-in well-wishers. On the second day, after speaking with Twalib, Sammy, Tanya, Mhesh, Carrie, Kiura, Japhet, and Amit, action started. Everyone has
been been on Mama na Dada started off with a few pencils and
crayons, and a few dozen sanitary pads and toilet rolls, and a lot of faith. After two days on the ground, we took over the coordination and all the logistics arrangements of the place.

We have 470 children, 387 adults and 23 pregnant mothers. I had no idea what I was letting myself into! During the one week that we have been here, I have had some very trying moments, especially listening to women whose husbands and children were either killed or hurt in the violence. There is such raw sadness on their faces, but this is not just because of the loss of their loved ones, but at the loss of friendship and neighborliness. Most of the people in this base are Kikuyus, and they can't understand how the Luos they have lived with all these years have now turned against them. It is ironic that most of the 20 plus volunteers I'm working with are Luos, serving Kikuyus. I know God has a purpose why He has put me and my colleagues in this position. For us to establish exactly how many people are really displaced and are staying there permanently, we had to be at the base - right across town from my house – at 6 a.m. to do registration!

By 12 noon, when World Food Programme brought some food to be distributed, we had over 3,000 people there, and we had to bring in a
contingency of two lorry loads of military personnel to hell! We are learning new tricks everyday. We now insist that anyone who wants to donate food does so at a particular time and we do distribution starting at 6.30 a,m. so that by the time the others come from the
village, we have finished. Of course there are always hiccups. There are many people who bring things and want press coverage or whatever credit for their donations, and today we had one who brought in clothes and insisted that she would distribute. We refused to get involved because we knew how dangerous it would
become. She did and most of the clothes were torn when people fought for them, and before she knew it, she was covered in dust from the stampede. It is not all bad. I have now acquired the name
"Teacher". When things were so confused the first day I went on the ground, I just took out my note book and tore papers and gave children, and as soon as I started giving the few near me, hundreds came out, and before long we were singing gospel songs and dancing our feet out. Several friends have now donated crayons,
pencils, books and other playing things, and when we have had our struggles with adults, we go for comfort to the children and just let go. The sad thing is that they all draw either guns, fire or people lying in bed.

We do not know how long this will go on. Today the peace talks collapsed, and I don't know what will happen as I did not watch news. Raila has now asked for Koffi Annan to be the mediator. Today there have been a few tense places, with some women demonstrators having been dispersed forcefully. I believe if all women talk and think peace, we will have peace, and this is what I'm doing, trying to talk and think peace myself, and trying very hard to get the women I'm working with to see why we all need to
think peace. We will overcome. Well, it is after midnight and I need to go to bed, so I'll try and attach some photos and hope they come
through.

By Joyce Oneko (Laywer, Human Rights Activist)