For three days after the hurried December announcement that Kibaki was to be president, Mercy Gichangi sat in her house, stunned and afraid. As 2007 gave way to 2008 she could find no cause for celebration. All around her, chaos was in charge. Day and night she could hear shouts and wailing, could see bashed-in [...]
Vuma Kenya
Vuma Kenya is an events inspired initiative based on mobilizing citizens globally to create awareness and spread the message that together we can make changes. Founded by Harvard medical student Karimi Gituma, Vuma focuses on bringing people in the “diaspora” together with different charity organisations trying to reach out.at a grassroots level in Kenya. She [...]
The Kenyan Diaspora Takes Action
GRACE, ‘BABY BRIAN’ AND THE HUMANISATION OF THE INHUMANE It is a great pity we don’t know/ When the dead are going to die/So that, over a last companionable/ Drink, we could tell them/ How much we liked them – Bernard O’Donoghue, ‘Going Without Saying’ There are certain types of violence and suffering that can [...]
The Preacher of Peace
Soon after the post-election violence in Kenya started, Ochieng’ Nyawire took up the role of roving peace-maker in the streets of his Kiambui neighbourhood, armed only with his Bible and his prayers. He argued endlessly for peace, facing down angry police officers and equally angry neighbours as he preached reconciliation and calm even at the [...]
UZIMA Foundation
UZIMA Foundation was registered in Kenya in 1995 as a charitable trust and is now also a registered NGO to work in Kenya, Africa and beyond. UZIMA Foundation recognizes and appreciates the potential and assets inherent in young people; among them innovative spirit, enthusiasm, energy, openness, fair play, courage and optimism. UZIMA Foundation’s mission is [...]
Kibera Women for Peace and Fairness
Contact: Ms. Jane Anyango Tel: +(254) 722 437 620 Email: nyakodong@yahoo.com Kibera Women for Peace and Fairness was formed in response to the outbreak of post-election violence in Kenya in January 2008, and the wide-spread destruction of homes and businesses in the Kibera neighbourhoods. Kibera was one of the hardest-hit areas by the violence in [...]
Nourishing hope in Kibera
When I met her, nothing in the lovely smile that never seems to leave her face betrayed the things that she has experienced. Yet something, maybe her dry wit, gives her the ability to let go of wounds and wake up each day with fresh enthusiasm. I stumbled into Uzima Foundation in Kibera by coincidence [...]
Nyaminwa
No one would ever call her pretty. She is too strong, too urgent, too passionate for that. No one would ever deny, however, that she is exceedingly, even disturbingly, beautiful. Sitting under a maroon Java House umbrella, I watch as she talks. She listens as if attempting to mine a hidden heart of meaning, her [...]
Peace Net
Peaceinkenya.net is an initiative under the Electoral Violence Response Initiative (EVRI-1) How did EVRI-1 (every-one) start? Following the outbreak of violence in Kenya on December 29th 2007, members of the Partnership for peace, hosted by PeaceNet convened and initiated an Electoral Violence Response Initiative (EVRI), consisting of civil society organizations (Maendeleo ya Wanawake, PEACENET TRUST, [...]
An Unusual Hero
Mention the Kenyan GSU, and images of red-bereted, combat-geared policemen waving batons chasing rioting university students amid plumes of choking tear gas come to mind. It is not clear where the tagline fanya fujo uone (just try to make trouble, and see)came from, but it stuck so indelibly in the Kenyan psyche they might have [...]
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