Celebration! Sukie Rice (ME)

I've received nothing new yet from David Zarembka, but here is a message from Sukie (in Maine) reporting on things in Kakamega, where she has close ties to the care Center for AIDS orphans. The Dorothy she mentions is Dorothy Selebwa, clerk of the United Friends Women (all the Kenyan Yearly Meetings) and runs the Care Center.

Mary

----- Original Message -----

From: Sukie Rice

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:09 AM

Subject: Kakamega Up-Date March 18

Dear friends,

Well, today is a day to celebrate. The Kenyan National Parliament has voted to accept the new constitutional changes which will create the position of Prime Minister who will have 50-50% power sharing with the President. Thus, President Kibaki and Raila Odinga (who will be the new Prime MInister) will be working together on an equal footing.

As you know many, many delicate and difficult steps have been taken to get to this point. It was Kofi Annan who pulled off the miracle of bringing these two men together and getting them to put their country before themselves and their party/tribe. What they came up with addresses not just power sharing, but also

--- A Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the recent violence and longer term injustices.

--- An ethnic relations bill that promotes tribal tolerance in Kenya.

--- The major area of continued conflict in the Western Province near Mount Elgon where there have

been long-time land clashes between peoples because the same land has been promised by the government to two different tribal peoples.

The agreement was brought to the National Assembly and approved unanimously today. People throughout Kenya are singing and dancing in the streets. It was just a few weeks ago that Kofi Annan almost walked out because President Kibaki would not sign what he had previously agreed to. But just as it seemed that the country might go up in flames again, pressure from everywhere poured onto Kibaki and he signed, making it look like he was indeed the leader in bringing forth this agreement. You could hear an audible corporate "whew" from all of Kenya and Africa on the day that he and Odinga put their signatures to the agreement. At least 1000 deaths and 600,000 displaced people have borne the brunt of the misery of this struggle. What is hoped for is that Kenya will now move forward in a far stronger, more socially and politically just manner. And that these events will be viewed in the future as the turning point for Kenya taking essential steps toward greater equality and cooperation.

In Kakamega

Meanwhile, things have cooled down in Kakamega and life is proceeding very close to normal with the children all back in school and laughter once more heard in the halls of the Care Centre.

New girl, Sharon and Clinton getting new shoes for school.

--- The walls, ceiling and flooring of the boys dorm are COMPLETE. Painting, windows, and wiring are left to go. It is anticipated that the boys will be moving into it in April. When they do, new girls will be brought into the Care Centre to the vacated bedrooms. It has been very challenging at times to do the

construction as the political crisis made it difficult to get materials, water for the cement, etc. But they have persisted and are very excited by the progress.

--- The rains have begun and so has the planting. We have two new acres that are being planted. Some of the previously planted acreage is getting cover crops and sweet potatoes to help enrich the soil.

THANK YOU to ALL of you who have sent contributions during the past two months when things were so hard for everyone. Extra food has been given for all the home-based sponsored children. Food costs at the Care Centre have gone way up. Plus, they have been cooking extra meals during the day for "refugee" children who are staying in the "Internally Displaced Persons" (IDP) camp. Your extra contributions have been invaluable.

Emergency Relief Work

Dorothy and other Quakers have been coordinating weekly Emergency Relief trips to areas where the IDP refugees are staying. They report thousands of people who are living in areas where there is no place for them to go and no way of knowing how to build their futures.

At Cheptulu IDP camp

When Dorothy goes with the other Friends, they pray and encourage the people, then the long lines form to receive the grains, cooking oil, soap and blankets. Although the Red Cross has brought tents and food (enough for one meal a day) to the larger of the camps, Dorothy says that very often the food stuffs get siphoned away by men who use it for their personal benefit, often selling it for profit. Thus, the Friends are careful to stay until the last of the grains is apportioned out so it is really the women and children who receive the food.

A corner of the kitchen at the Mt. Elgon relief camp

--- They have been a number of times to the Mt. Elgon area where the land-clash violence continues.

--- They have been to camps where Kikuyu have suffered from the violence of Luo and Luyha.

--- They have been to camps where thousands of Luyha have been transported into Kakamega towns from Nakuru and Naivasha areas to be "safe." But as these people have no homes or relatives in these towns, they have no where to go and it is pitiful how hopeless they feel and is a terrible stress on all the people around. The Care Centre has been the central location "jumping off place" for these relief trips --- for gathering the rice from Kisumu, maize from Kitale, beans from Eldoret and blankets which Dorothy buys in town. At the Care Centre they load these things into a large lorry and take it off to the IDP camps. They thank God and all the people in the US and Canada who have sent funds to make their Relief work possible.

Loading up the lorry with grain bags and blankets.

In Closing

Well, my friends, it feels like a much needed rest is due and can come now. Of course the on-going support of the Care Centre is needed. I'd be very happy to help you in any fund-raising ideas you might have that you'd like to do. We still have a couple of openings for people to join the Service Project trip this August. It should be a powerful experience following this time of turmoil and violence. If you are interested, please contact me.

Dorothy and others ask over and again to thank you for caring for the Kenyan people. You should know that you all have quietly formed a very important community of support and caring for the people in Kakamega. I have often felt an awe of the spiritual kinship we have developed and I can only say that I, too, am very grateful to have you all as an extended family.

Blessings to each of you,

Sukie