World Vision Kenya Identifies New IDP Camps:
Even as reports of relative calm continue to be received from the field, reports on the presence of IDPS in areas not previously covered have now been received in Kisumu District.
Several IDPs have been confirmed in Borabu Division (Eronge, Ekerubo and Mogori polytechnic). The IDPS are as a result of tension that was experienced in the past week along the Sotik/Borabu border. The tension resulted in community members having to move in with friends, relatives and well-wisher in the interior of the division. A total of about ten IDPs are being hosted at the local polytechnic.
Transitional camps have also been reported in Keroka police Station, Ekerenyo and St Charles Lwanga Catholic Church. Intervention efforts by WVK have so far reached 70 households (Keroka police station and Ekerenyo) and 55 households (St Charles Lwanga Catholic Church) camps. Owing to the fact that the camps are transitional, staff on the ground have been re-visiting them at least twice in a bid to reach out to additional IDPs arriving at the camp.
The following challenges have however
been experienced these camps:
- Lack sanitation facilities at Keroka
police station
- Lack of shelter services for the camp,
since the tents offered to families could not be erected and thereafter
be removed when the IDP is ready to travel home
- Minimal support on food items for
IDPs, Red Cross had done one distribution last 3rd February 2008, only
the local churches and the police station were currently providing breakfast
and an extra one meal.( Keroka police station)
- Notable increase in numbers of IDPs
not living within the camp showing up during our distribution days (makes
targeting difficult)
- Minimal support of children IDPs for
materials needed for them to go to schools (the government allows them
to go to school).
- Minimal support from the authorities
in establishing the actual picture on the ground
Based on the above mentioned challenges,
WVK recommends the following:
- To approve the single sourcing for
transport services for the 5 families going to Machakos
- To provide 5 mobile toilets to the
Keroka police station camp
- To approve the support of IDPs living
outside the camp to be supported by these commodities in the presence of
clear records
- To support school going IDPs with
school specific items such as exercise books and school bags
- Allow the facilitation of the
fuelling of vehicles willing to transport IDP to the their homes
World Vision Kenya Now Plans for Youth Friendly Spaces:
Reports received from the field especially in the western Kenyan Region have now revealed that the youth are in dire need of activities that will keep them busy in a constructive manner. The youth are living in congested camps with little activity to engage and therefore need activities that will reduce their possibility of engaging in premarital sex.
A visit to one of the camps recently revealed a large number of used condoms - proof of the sexual activity taking place in the camps. However there is cause for alarm owing to the fact that not all camps are situated in towns that would allow the youth to take precaution measures.
Engaging the youth in sports activities will not only unite them (unite Kenyans for that matter) but will also provide a suitable environment for the message of peace to be preached, and also create awareness to fight AIDS. Sport has a huge following in this country and would also be the best forum t push the message of reconciliation forward. The proposal targets both boys and girls and includes activities such as football, netball, volleyball and athletics among others.
World Vision will look at the possibility of rolling this out to all the other camps it is operating in as a peace building activity as well.
Nutrition Assessment Completed:
The HEA nutrition team has been on the ground for the last one in the following areas:
A. Burnt Forest.
Within the Burnt Forest area, coordination meetings have been held with all partners supporting the MoH in nutrition activities. WVK has been well represented in the meetings.
Activities carried out so far include:
1. Screening for malnourished:
The WVK nutrition team conducted screening of children under five, pregnant and lactating mothers three camps. Results indicated that there were 9, 53 and 63 children severely, moderately and at risk of malnutrition respectively out of a total 209 screened. Eight pregnant and lactating mothers were further identified as moderately malnourished out of 41 who were screened.
2. Supplementary feeding:
In partnership with MoH and UNICEF, WVK is offering support in supplementary feeding activities of all the identified malnourished children and mothers.
3. Nutrition and health education:
WVK is further supporting the MoH to conduct nutrition and health education to mothers in the camps.
B. Nakuru
Nakuru had initially not been one of the WVK target areas for nutrition support. However due to the presence of a very competent nutritionist (Nutrition Manager, Turkana Supplementary Feeding Program) heading the response team, the nutrition response team in the location led by Action Against Hunger have benefited enormously from his support. To this regard WVK has been able to offer support in screening activities on-going in the camps in the location.
Peace Building Team Prepares Draft Mapping for Religio - Ethno - Political Relationships:
Working in partnership with the team from the World Vision Support Offices (Bill Lowrey and James Odong) the Peace Building and Reconciliation team were able to come up the following documents:
1. Draft Mapping of Religio-Ethno-Pol Relationships: This shows how the ethnic groups feed the major political parties and the relationship of the religious communities to the parties. Most of the denominations have members spread across numerous ethnic groups and their alignment with parties is primarily according to their ethnic groups. You will note that some of the denominational leaders align with particular parties even though their members may be in diverse parties. The churches are the institutional connection across ethnicity and politics. A peace building strategy will need to make use of those connections at the middle leadership level and the membership level to mobilize people for peace and reconciliation according to their faith across the ethnic lines. This will also take them across the political lines.
2. Document summarizing Key Fault lines within Kenyan context and potential approaches of bridging some of those using the IPAD framework
World Vision - Africa Office:
Steve Penny: Tel: +254 734 600 311
Tim Andrews: Tel: +254 733 494 119
Beatrice Teya, HEA Team Leader -East
Africa, Tel: +254 735 339 903
Moses Githinji - Security Officer Africa,
Tel: +254 735 337 779
Geoffrey Kalebbo Denye- (Key Media Contact
Person) Communications Team Leader East Africa,
Tel: +254 733 442 744
World Vision - Kenya Office:
Girma Begashaw - National Director,
Tel: +254 733 620 310
Thomas Ruttoh - Programs Director Kenya,
Tel:+254 736 707 707
Patterson Siema - (Key Media Contact
person), Communication Team Leader Kenya,
Tel: + 254 734 350 054 / +254 202 347
517
HEA Contacts:
Beatrice Mwangi, HEA Director Kenya,
Tel: +254 725 555 156
Benjamin Wemela - Key Field Contact
Person Tel: 0735 637 533