Guest Author - Rev. Jackie O´Neal S.T.M.

According to the Church World Service,(http://www.churchworldservice.org) a relief team visited the slums of Nairobi to be able to better understand the situation that is affecting the households affiliated with The Giving Hope program, an arm of The World Church Service. The mission of The Giving Hope program, like many like it in the area, is to empower children and young adults orphaned by HIV/Aids to care for themselves and their siblings.

Recently a report was generated by the coordinator of The Giving Hope Program. In sum, the political crisis in Kenya has had devastating effects on the livelihoods and economic well-being of most of the Kenyan population, but especially those living in poor, rural slum areas.

The events there have been described by officials of The Giving Hope program as the most devastating and difficult in post-independence Kenya. The report noted that as the team drove through the slums, clear evidence of the disturbing aftermath of the violence was strikingly obvious in the streets. What was especially striking was the presence of business enterprises and homes that had been burned to the ground, and long lines of women, children and adults present at several churches and organizations.The groups of people were seeking daily rations from the organizations that routinely have been providing emergency response service in the slums.

The head of The Giving Hope Program met with a small group that were waiting for medical care at a local mother's care office, the report noted. Jacob Ogolla, an early beneficiary of the program told the visiting representatives that he had never experienced fighting in broad daylight, and persons killing their neighbors openly. He told The Giving Hope Program representatives that he lacked the words to adequately describe his reaction to the violent events.

He explained that looting occurred as young people began to take advantage of the situation. There is a pronounced fear among the rural residents of being atacked by looters, and as a result, many are unable to operate their businesses.

The report indicated that one of the challenges is obtaining food, and to date scores of persons living in slum shanties have succumbed to hunger.

A report generated by the U.N. Security Council has estimated that to date, 310,000 Kenyans have been uprooted from their homes, and more that 1,000 have been killed as a result of the recent looting and gang violence that has plagued the area in the last six weeks. The threat of communicable diseases like dysentary, and life- threatening infections grows.