SPAN is excited to announce that we are now actively accepting applications for our 2009 volunteer season. We continue to be dedicated to supporting grassroots development efforts while providing affordable, enriching volunteer experiences. Our partner organizations are looking forward to another year of mutually beneficial partnerships and projects, made possible by hardworking, creative, and multi-talented SPAN volunteers!

The bulk of our placement opportunities continue to be in Kenya, but new this year we are also offering a special placement in Zambia. Visit our Partners page to view the organizations actively seeking volunteers, and if you would like further information on any organization do not hesitate to contact us. You can learn more about the application process here. While SPAN has a rolling application policy, many of our placements simply cannot take more than a few volunteers at a time. During summer months it is especially important to apply early. We also encourage any potential volunteers to join our social network page, where you can connect with SPAN staff, past SPAN volunteers and others like yourself.

Again, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at info at spanafrica.org. We are looking forward to working with you, and another great year!

Sincerely,

Rebecca Mitchell
SPAN Founder/Executive Director

Due to all of your generous contributions, the donations for Pistis now total $2,500! We are still waiting for things in Nakuru to settle down enough for the money to be accessed by Cameron. Kai continues to post first-hand accounts of the situation there in his blog, I encourage everyone to read these moving thoughts shared by our friends and staff currently living in Nakuru and greater Kenya.

Thanks to all of you who have so generously donated to Pistis during this incredibly difficult time. We have received approximately $1,500 US Dollars in donations so far, which will be forwarded on to Cameron Dunkin as soon as possible. Currently banks are closed and he is using his personal money to help Pistis purchase food and supplies.

Cameron himself is currently safe, but is not able to leave his home. Please keep both he and Pistis in your thoughts, and check back here often for updates on the situation.

January 27, 2008

Mob Violence Is Tearing Kenya Apart

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

NAKURU, Kenya — Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, may seem calm, but anarchy reigns just two hours away.

In Nakuru, furious mobs rule the streets, burning homes, brutalizing people and expelling anyone not in their ethnic group, all with complete impunity.

On Saturday, hundreds of men prowled a section of the city with six-foot iron bars, poisoned swords, clubs, knives and crude circumcision tools. Boys carried gladiator-style shields and women strutted around with sharpened sticks.

The police were nowhere to be found. Even the locals were shocked.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said David Macharia, a bus driver.

One month after a deeply flawed election, and despite international pressure on Kenya’s leaders to compromise and stop the killings, the country is tearing itself apart along ethnic lines.

Nakuru, the biggest town in the beautiful but deeply troubled Rift Valley, is the scene of a mass migration now moving in two directions. Luos are headed west, Kikuyus are headed east, and packed buses with mattresses strapped on top pass each other in the road with the bewildered children of the two ethnic groups staring out the windows at each other.

In the past 10 days, dozens of people have been killed in Molo, Narok, Kipkelion, Kuresoi, and now Nakuru, a tourist gateway which until a few days ago was considered safe.

In many places, Kenya seems to be sliding back toward the chaos that exploded on Dec. 30, when election results were announced and Kenya’s president, Mwai Kibaki, was declared the winner over Raila Odinga, the top opposition leader, despite widespread evidence of vote rigging.

The tinder was all there, even before the voting started. There were historic grievances over land and deep-seated ethnic tensions, with many ethnic groups resenting the Kikuyus, Mr. Kibaki’s group, because they have been the most prosperous for years.

The disputed election essentially served as the spark, and opposition supporters across Kenya vented their rage over many issues toward Kikuyus and other ethnic groups thought to have supported Mr. Kibaki.

In the Rift Valley, local elders organized young men to raid Kikuyu areas and kill people in a bid to drive the Kikuyus off their land. It worked, for the most part, and over the past month, tens of thousands of Kikuyus have fled.

More than 650 people, many of them Kikuyus, have been killed. Many of the attackers are widely believed to be members of the Luo and Kalenjin ethnic groups.

What is happening now in Nakuru seems to be payback. The city is surrounded by spectacular scenery, with Lake Nakuru and its millions of flamingos drawing throngs of tourists each year. The city has a mixed population, like much of Kenya, split among several ethnic groups including Kikuyus, Luos, Luhyas and Kalenjins.

On Thursday night, witnesses and participants said that bands of Kikuyu men armed themselves and began attacking Luos and Kalenjins.

Paul Karanja, a Kikuyu shopkeeper in Nakuru, explained it this way: “We had been so patient. For weeks we had watched all the buses and trucks taking people out of the Rift Valley, and we had seen so many of our people lose everything they owned. Enough was enough.”

In a Nakuru neighborhood called Free Area, hundreds of Kikuyu men burned down homes and businesses belonging to Luos, Mr. Odinga’s ethnic group. The Luos who refused to leave were badly beaten, and sometimes worse. According to witnesses, a Kikuyu mob forcibly circumcised a Luo man who later bled to death. Circumcision is an important rite of passage for Kikuyus but is not widely practiced among Luos.

The Luos and the Kalenjins, who have been aligned throughout the post-election period, then counterattacked, and the result was a citywide melee with hundreds wounded and as many as 50 people killed.

By Friday night, the Kenyan military was deployed for the first time to intervene. Local authorities also slapped a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Nakuru, another first.

Many people in Free Area, which is now almost totally Kikuyu, say it will be difficult to make peace.

“We’re angry and they’re angry,” said John Maina, a stocky butcher, whose weapon of choice on Saturday was a 3-foot-long table leg with exposed screws. “I don’t see us living together any time soon.”

This is the reality across much of Kenya, and it seems to be nothing short of ethnic cleansing. Mobs in Eldoret, Kisumu, Kakamega, Burnt Forest and countless other areas, including some of the biggest slums in Nairobi, have driven out people from opposing ethnic groups. Many neighborhoods that used to be mixed are now ethnically homogeneous.

Kofi Annan, the former secretary general of the United Nations, visited the Rift Valley on Saturday. He called it “nerve-racking.”

“We saw people pushed from their homes and farms, grandmothers, children and families uprooted,” said Mr. Annan, who is in Kenya trying to broker negotiations between Mr. Kibaki and Mr. Odinga.

He called for the Kenyan government to investigate the perpetrators and increase security.

On Saturday, Kenyan soldiers in Free Area escorted Luos back to their smoldering homes and stood guard with their assault rifles as the people collected whatever they could salvage before leaving.

Many Luos said they had no choice but to go to far western Kenya, the traditional Luo homeland, just as many Kikuyus who have been displaced said they would resettle in the highlands east of Nakuru, their traditional homeland.

Mr. Macharia, the bus driver, who is Kikuyu, conceded that many Kikuyus were feeling vengeful. But that, he said, doesn’t mean they actually want to fight. “I saw it myself,” he said. “The elders called ‘Charge!’ but not all the boys charged.”

Still, enough did charge that the Luos who used to live in Free Area were not taking any chances. On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people carrying trunks on their heads and bags of blankets streamed toward a government office that was protected by a few soldiers.

Nancy Aloo, a Luo, was guiding four frightened young children.

“God made all of us,” Ms. Aloo said. “We need his help.”

Click Here

Taken from Reuters: Africa Denounces “Gross” Kenya Rights Abuses, by Nick Tatterstall

“CHARRED CORPSES

Burnt bodies piled up in the Rift Valley provincial capital of Nakuru on Saturday as tribal gangs clashed with machetes, spears and bows and arrows. At least 27 people have been killed there in three days of violence.

“All those who are fanning the violence are staying comfortably in their luxury homes while we burn,” said Nakuru resident Urunga Maina, who rushed his nephew to hospital after he was hacked by a machete-wielding mob.

“We are being used as sacrificial lambs,” Maina said.

More than 100 wounded were admitted to a Nakuru hospital, including one man with an arrow lodged in his head.

At Nakuru’s morgue, relatives wept as 16 charred corpses were unloaded from a truck. Near the small Rift Valley town of Kipkelion, a gang of youths attacked a monastery sheltering more than 600 refugees. Police drove the gang off.”

Army Helps Out As Nakuru Erupts
The East African Standard (Nairobi)
NEWS
26 January 2008
Posted to the web 25 January 2008

By Peter Mutai
Nairobi
Thirty-Two people were killed in fresh flare-up in Nakuru and Molo. And Rift Valley’s capital was put on 7pm-6am curfew. Military officers in fatigues, and armed to the teeth, were brought out of the barracks to enforce law and order. Another 5,000 people were displaced in Nakuru and adjoining areas.

In Molo 20 people were killed and two guns recovered when rival groups engaged in fierce battle in By-Gum area in Sirikwa on Thursday night.

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That was the sordid picture of gloom and desperation, the nasty game of guns, pangas and arrows that took shape as international mediation effort widened its scope.

Former UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan who on Thursday brought President Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement leader, Mr Raila Odinga, was again working round the clock.

The African Union chosen mediator and the group of eminent persons, and who has the support of the global family through the European Union, the US and the UN, was to meet retired President Moi. But the meeting was moved to Saturday.

He also, in pushing for what he called the short and long term solution to the post-election violence that pushed Kenya to the precipice, also met Nobel Peace laureate, Prof Wangari Maathai, Electoral Commission chairman Mr Samuel Kivuitu and religious leaders.

Nakuru, which had been spared the turmoil, sparked by the disputed outcome of the December 27 presidential elections, erupted on Friday.

The Government deployed military personnel from Lanet barracks to contain the violence that sent terror across Nakuru, turning it into a ghost town. Businesses closed and residents fled the streets.

In Nakuru town alone, 12 people were hacked to death or shot with bows and arrows in the Thursday night terror. This followed a serious fighting in Githima and Kwa Rhonda estates next to the sprawling Kaptembwo slums.

Of the 20 killed in Molo, 18 were shot with poisoned arrows during the 10pm incident. But Molo OCPD Mr Litabalia Acheza disputed the figures, saying he had only counted three bodies.

“I counted three bodies but if there is some other information we shall let you know later in the day,” he told The Saturday Standard.

A police officer, who took part in collecting the bodies, was categorical 18 youths had died from arrow wounds. The slain youths had run into the trap from rival groups after they crossed over to Sirikwa area from Molo town.

Face-to-face with attackers

The police officer, who was at the scene of the bloody killing, said the dead were on a revenge mission and had attempted to flee after they came face-to-face with the attackers.

“We are at the moment collecting bodies of those killed and we had to fire several times in the air to stop youths who had regrouped to patrol the area,” the source added.

The source said among the recovered guns was a G3 riffle and a homemade gun, which the raiders took away.

In the Nakuru combat armed youths from two rival communities engaged the police in running battles in the night-long terror that saw several houses in Githima estate burnt and property worth millions destroyed.

When The Saturday Standard visited the estate, hundreds of families were fleeing to safe grounds for fear of being attacked as the fighting spread.

Police picked three bodies by the roadside along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway with panga cuts on the head.

One more person was hacked to death barely 300m from where Nakuru DC Mr Andrew Wanyagah was addressing a peace meeting, outside Githima estate.

The DC had hectic time controlling the angry youths from the warring communities who were baying for each other’s blood. Police struggled to clear a section of the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway that had been barricaded.

Angry youths who were armed with pangas lit born fires at Kolen bus stage near Total Junction and blocked the road with huge logs and stones.

Gunfire rent the air for the better part of Thursday night and Friday as police dispersed youths who attempted to regroup and unleash terror on their neighbours.

The Reverend Richard Nato of African Faith Gospel Church said he witnessed three people being killed during the night of terror in Githima.

“The problem started at around midnight near Githima estate after the youths clashed before setting on fire houses,” he said at the scene.

Nato said six other people who sustained panga cuts and others shot with arrows were taken to hospital.

A resident, Mr Joseph Kamau accused the police of failing to respond to the distress call by the residents on time, saying the attackers moved from house to house setting them on fire.

“We had to flee to Eveready junction along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway for safety after the raiders burnt our houses and shooting at us with bows and arrows,” he said.

“Fighting could have been averted if the police had acted fast since we informed them of the impending raid,” he added.

At the main Nakuru bus terminus, a trader who was supplying beans to the local market was stoned to death. Another one was hacked to death near the bus top named Kalenjin Airport.

In another incident in Molo, two people were killed by a mob in Mauche area along the Njoro-Mau Narok road on Thursday night.

Molo DC, Mr Mohamud Salim, spent the better part of the day addressing the two warring groups, asking them to uphold peace. But tension continued to spread to other estates.

In Nakuru, Wanyagah led a security team backed by military personnel from Lanet barracks, as he toured Kaptembwa slums calling for peace.

“This problem has been fuelled by rumours circulating among local communities. We have received reports that members of the Mungiki gang and armed militiamen have been transported to the town to cause mayhem,” he said.

Following the violence, angry youths barricaded all roads leading in and out of Nakuru town for the better part of the day as police made frantic efforts to clear the highway.

The youths erected an illegal roadblock along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway near Pipeline and were inspecting vehicles plying the route.

Motorist plying the Eldama-Ravine-Mogotio road were not spared by the violence as armed youths stoned them near Speedy petrol station, London estate.

During the violence, a fire engine belonging to the Municipal Council of Nakuru was set on fire near Eveready factory.

Rift Valley PC Hassan Noor Hassan said the restriction of movements of persons would continue until calm returns.

“Restriction of movements of persons in Nakuru town and its environs has been imposed and will take effect from 7pm to 6am,” said the PC, in a statement issued by Rift Valley Deputy Provincial Information officer Mr Wafula Wasula.

He said the ban on night movements would be enforced in Kaptembwa, Githima, Shaburb, Ronda, and Pondamali estates and surrounding areas.

The PC warned residents against violating the ban, saying those found loitering would be arrested.

The province has borne the brunt of violence, with thousands of people being displaced in Molo, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Bomet, Kipkelion, Eldama Ravine, Trans Nzoia, and Baringo districts.

(A message from Gladys Wekesa, who runs Pistis with her husband.)

Receive warm greetings of a happy and prosperous year from the Christian Ministries to the Destitute (CMD) (Pistis).

As the world over celebrates a new year, many of you could be probably aware that Kenya is in crisis following disputed elections results held late December 2007.

Following the disputed elections, Kenya has witnessed in the past three weeks street riots, looting and ethnic fighting, killings and wanton destruction of property. Thousands of people have been displaced and pushed to live in refugee camps within and outside the country. It is estimated that nearly 250,000 Kenyans were displaced following the chaos that ensued between rival political groupings.

The rift valley province of Kenya where CMD is located bore the worst of the brand of the chaos taking account of over 100,000 displaced families and scores of lives lost.

Nakuru town alone is playing host to a majority of these displaced. Government officers have reliably informed us that Nakuru town camp has over 5000 displaced and affected children all needing agent humanitarian intervention.

The Christian ministries to the destitute (CMD) running a home for orphans and vulnerable children in Nakuru has been approached by the government to assist in the relief efforts despite our already over stretched facilities. We have an additional 50 children of between age 3-10 brought to our centre from among those that have bee rescued from the skirmishes. With such numbers being added to us, the overall totals directly under our care has raised to 200.

Faced with such immense catastrophe, we are reaching out to all well wishers, friends, partners and donor agencies to step in and assist in our situation.

Our immediate needs that call for urgent intervention include;

Food supplies, Medicine, Beddings, Clothing, and Educational supplies. Other needs include utensils, bathing buckets, school lockers and uniforms in order for the children to settle in well and link up with others at school to continue with learning.

Our situation has thus become desperate too and we want to appeal earnest for help and support from everyone touched by the plight of these newly added children now under our care.

Yours Sincerely,

Gladys Wekesa

Director

While the situation in Kenya has affected all of our partner non-governmental organizations and non-profits there in very hard ways, Pistis Academy and Orphanage is at the forefront of our minds at this time. Pistis is our oldest partner organization, and was in fact where SPAN began and several of the Executive Board members first met as young volunteers. Our experience there, and the people we met, truly changed our lives. I know many of our SPAN volunteers can say the same.

This week, Pistis received 30 newly orphaned children whose parents were killed or homes destroyed. As the violence continues, this number will only increase. Pistis was already stretched to the breaking point before these tragedies, and is in serious need of financial support to care for these new children, as no additional support has been offered by the Kenyan government.

While we do not have the power to end the violence, we can help Pistis during these hard times. We ask that you consider a donation to help purchase blankets, soap, clothing, and food at a time when the prices have risen five-fold and supplies are increasingly hard to obtain due to interrupted distribution channels. This is a critical time for Pistis.

SPAN will move 95% of all funds received directly to Pistis where its dispersal will be overseen by SPAN Executive Board Member Cameron Dunkin, ensuring the full effectiveness of your donation. (The remaining 5% is used for bank wiring costs and reporting fees). SPAN is currently a charity in non-profit-pending status, and we expect to be awarded our 501c3 tax exempt status sometime in 2008. At that time all contributions will be retroactively recognized as a charitable donation by the IRS.

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Thanks to all of you for the support you have shown SPAN and our partners over the years.

As past volunteers of SPAN, friends, family members, and people interested in African issues, many of you are aware of the ongoing turmoil in Kenya. Following the controversial Presidential elections in December, Kenya has experienced violence that has left an estimated quarter million people uprooted or homeless and an official count of at least 650 dead. Many speculate that the true numbers are much higher.

My own words cannot begin to describe this situation. This blog will thus be used as a place where I will post the emails, text messages, and thoughts shared through phone conversations by our friends and staff members in Kenya.

Please also visit the blogs of two of our Board Members, Cameron Dunkin and Kai Staats. Cameron is currently in Nakuru, Kenya, and Kai is in constant contact with friends there.

The New York Times coverage on Kenya.