Update from Jane Kunyiha, Country Director
Dear Friends and Supporters of Project Baobab,
I received this encouraging message from Jane early this morning. At least things are not getting worse and in many areas considerably better. As some of you may know, I, and two of our volunteers were going to Kenya on February 8th. We are monitoring the situation closely.
Regardless of whether I go, I am confident in our Kenyan leadership to keep Project Baobab strong. Our work is more important than ever as Jane’s message attest to.
Have a good week,
Gee Gee
From Jane Kunyiha:
Dear Gee Gee and Tiffany,
This is to thank you most sincerely for your concernsabout us and the violence that is taking place in our country. I thank you and all our friends at Project Baobab and those who have been calling to wish us well and know how we are and whether we are safe.
Our areas are peaceful and we are safe and food is tricking backas shops and markets open in peaceful areas. Nairobi our capital city is fine within the Central business District but some of the estates especially low incomeones and slums have a lot of violence and protests. Some of the rural areas with mixed communities in Rift Valley and Western Kenya have a lot of displacement of people some of them our relatives and friends whose homes have been burnt.
Some have lost their lives and everything they owned. The situation has improved in the last three days and those who have been displaced are being evacuated from those areas. There are a lot of local peace initiatives providing food, clothing and medicine for the displaced who are living in police stations, play fields and church compounds. Red Cross has moved in to areas with people living without shelter.
There are many calls for peace and voices of reason and they are bearing fruit, in addition a lot of prayers for peace and messages asking people not to turn against each other are being delivered through media and other means. We are positive that the situation will not deteriorate any further. We are looking forward to a peaceful solution being found.
We as Project Baobab staff are okay and our areas still calm- Jane and Family, Ruth and her family. Our trainers are okay though some of the trainees may be displaced as there is a lot of movements in Nairobi where Ngara Girls is located and estates where some trainees live. Other areas like Meru- Kinjo/ Ruiga, Miguta, Oloseos are peaceful. Narok- Maasai has some skirmishes especially the Town where some of the trainees started business though calm has returned.
We are hopeful that all will be well and we can return to normal and work even harder to bridge the poverty gap as this is a major cause of conflict- especially having a lot of youth turning to the streets looting and destroying property.
Please continue praying with us that we come out of this stronger as a nation. Please Gee Gee send this to our friends and we will keep you updated.
Best regards.
Jane Kunyiha
Country Director
Project BAOBAB
