NAIROBI, KENYA- On December 28, 2007, violent riots
erupted in the city of Nairobi, Kenya after the results of the
presidential election were announced. One of the
residents (
right) of
the Kibera district of the city described the chaos this way:
"I didn't open my business on that day because tension
was so high, and in some parts of Kibera violence and looting
had erupted. By midday the situation went from bad to
worse; people were brutally killed and many houses
burnt. Kibera was covered with a dark cloud of smoke,
and the smell of blood all over. It was very
horrifying. The policeman came to our rescue, but my
business was destroyed. I lost everything. The
people who destroyed my business are walking free. I
don't blame them, but I blame the leaders who incited
them."
The man who shared this is a disabled father of
four. He believes that disability is not inability, and
started his own business where he designed and repaired
shoes. Business was going well until the riots forced
him to shut down. HISG is working with our partners in
Kenya to help this man rebuild his shop so he can support his
family.
In addition to the businesses that were looted
and burned, many farms and crops were destroyed in the
widespread riots following the election. A shorter than
usual rainy season compounded the problem, and now Kenya and
other East African nations are facing huge food
shortages. Demonstrators flooded the streets of Nairobi
in early June to protest the skyrocketing prices of food,
fuel, and bus fares.
Despite the demonstrations
and threat of famine, Kenyans hold on to hope that the nation
will recover. "Let's unite and reconcile," one man said.
"We need each other, despite tribe or political parties. After
all, we are all Kenyans." HISG opened an office in Kenya
in 2007 to support our local partners, who have initiated
numerous medical projects, supplies for schools and
orphanages, and small business micro financing like the
project mentioned above. We are currently in the process
of shipping a container of food and farming supplies to
Kenya. If you would like to contribute to this effort,
please
contact
us or consider a
donation to
HISG.
