The Road to Recovery in Kenya
Monday, 10 March 2008
A power sharing agreement between President Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga was signed on 28 February. Concern is responding in a number of areas.
The agreement will lead to the formation of a coalition government. This is expected to end the two-month old political crisis that rocked Kenya.
The violence and turmoil that followed the disputed December 2007 election led to the death of more than 1,000 people. More than 500,000 people have been displaced.
Concern’s response
Concern is working with local partners in several areas, including the Nairobi slums, North Rift Valley, and Kisumu slum areas in Nyanza province, to help displaced people recover and rebuild their lives. For the next few months Concern’s objective will be to provide those people impacted by violence and displacement with support. This will hopefully ease both their immediate and long term suffering.
Trauma
The road to recovery will be long and complex as tensions remain high in many rural and urban areas. The destruction of homes and businesses has left many displaced people with nothing to return to. In addition, the social and psychological scars left by the conflict may take some time to heal. Displaced people have experienced significant psychological trauma. Many are returning home with no household possessions or with incomplete families.
The psychological trauma experienced is either being directed outward by expressing aggression or can be witnessed, with people crying incessantly or being totally withdrawn. In some cases returnees have been absorbed by their rural relatives, putting a significant stress on already fragile households. Providing trauma counselling to displaced people and those returning home is an important part of Concern’s response in Eldoret, Nakuru, and Nyanza.
Nyanza Province
Nyzana province has been hit particularly hard by the post-election violence and unrest. Not only one of the poorest provinces in Kenya but Nyzana also has the highest rate of HIV infection in the country. The outbreak of violence has deeply impacted people’s daily lives here.
When the violence broke out, certain groups were targeted and have lost all their property. All routes to, as well as out of Nyanza were impassable. The destruction of businesses and property put great pressure on vulnerable households.
Rocketing prices have directly impacted on people’s ability to buy food and other essentials. The Kisumu slums have taken the brunt of the economic disruption and have also been the focal point of tension and violence. Concern has built up new partnerships in Kisumu to respond to needs here. Responding to short term food requirements will mean providing grants for local businesses to restart, providing counseling and providing women with essential sanitary kits in the camps. In rural areas, Concern is targeting an estimated 15,000 people with packages containing 5kg Maize, 2kg Beans, 50gms vegetable seeds, farm tools, and mosquito nets.
