fiddling while Rome burns
Kenya has been in the news quite a bit these last few days/weeks and I wanted to make a little entry so that, looking back years from now, if I still have elljay that is, I can remember what lead up to what.
Several friends of my family have been working in Kenya for some time now doing various things, mostly humanitarian work. Mom and I wanted to go to the slums in and outside of Nairobi and Kipsongo. (I am trying to recruit Miss Karly Buff as well)
Local Conway residents operate an orphanage for AIDS affected children from local tribes. The orphans had previously been eating once a week, Friday, when the garbage from the slums was collected and dropped off at the landfill. Our church and several organizations have been collecting money to send to Kenya to feed the orphans more than just one day per week. The children are eating 6 days a week now, they received shoes, clothes etc!
This is only a back story though. What you may be reading in the news is the political turmoil and civil unrest; not to mention genocide, refugees, and an overall starving population. A couple of leaders in Kenya with our organizations have been threatened, attacked, forced to flee and so on. Two friends of mine --a brother and sister- from high school are currently hiding in the bush? probably without their passports and other essential travel items. Many people have been cut off from aid because of local civil groups upset over the botched presidential elections. The paper today depicted the villagers of the slums standing in line to get food. The organization we have over there is also passing out aid right now. It isn't easy and it isn't pleasant but thus is humanitarian work. If things were pleasant and easy I'd just give up and leave right now. I've decided that I am going to still consider going to Kenya, especially after speaking with a Kenyan girl who informed me that although it is in an unbalanced state, Kenya is not dangerous for Americans. We'll see.
As it stands my spring break schedule is wide open and it's looking pretty tempting.
Several friends of my family have been working in Kenya for some time now doing various things, mostly humanitarian work. Mom and I wanted to go to the slums in and outside of Nairobi and Kipsongo. (I am trying to recruit Miss Karly Buff as well)
Local Conway residents operate an orphanage for AIDS affected children from local tribes. The orphans had previously been eating once a week, Friday, when the garbage from the slums was collected and dropped off at the landfill. Our church and several organizations have been collecting money to send to Kenya to feed the orphans more than just one day per week. The children are eating 6 days a week now, they received shoes, clothes etc!
This is only a back story though. What you may be reading in the news is the political turmoil and civil unrest; not to mention genocide, refugees, and an overall starving population. A couple of leaders in Kenya with our organizations have been threatened, attacked, forced to flee and so on. Two friends of mine --a brother and sister- from high school are currently hiding in the bush? probably without their passports and other essential travel items. Many people have been cut off from aid because of local civil groups upset over the botched presidential elections. The paper today depicted the villagers of the slums standing in line to get food. The organization we have over there is also passing out aid right now. It isn't easy and it isn't pleasant but thus is humanitarian work. If things were pleasant and easy I'd just give up and leave right now. I've decided that I am going to still consider going to Kenya, especially after speaking with a Kenyan girl who informed me that although it is in an unbalanced state, Kenya is not dangerous for Americans. We'll see.
As it stands my spring break schedule is wide open and it's looking pretty tempting.