Subject: AGLI--Report from Kenya--May 5, 2008
Dear All,
Here in Western and north Rift Valley provinces, upcountry Kenya has returned to the normal pre-election bustle. The roads are full of vehicles, the matatus (mini-buses) are full, and people are scurrying about their business as usual here in Kenya.
The Government is pushing to have the remaining 150,000 internally displaces persons returned to their farms, which many of the displaced people are reluctant to do. Except for President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga visiting the camps in the Rift Valley (which resulted in a farce about whether the Vice-President or the Prime Minister was "second" in the protocol pecking order), almost no work has been done to bring about any kind of reconciliation between the folks displaced and those who displaced them. Politically of course, if the internally displaced people (IDP) can return, then there will less need to support them, but one of the questions is how are these folks going to get back on their feet?
Then, the question is, what will guarantee that this violence will not re-occur again during the next election as it did in 1992, 1997, and 2007?
Tough issues.
One of the reasons to get the IDP's back on their farms is because the country is now looking towards a food shortage. As we drive from Lumakanda to Eldoret, we find that many farms have not been plowed.
Years ago I worked in agricultural development in Tanzania and one of the rules in this part of the world is to plant as early as possible. Those who planted by April 1 now have nice green fields. But many did not plant until later and I think that their yields will suffer. While the talk in the newspaper is to return the IDP's so that they can plant, I think that the planting season is over for this year.
Even farmers in the area who were not displaced have not plowed and planted all their fields due to the uncertainty. Fertilizer prices have tripled. This means that farmers here will put less fertilizer on the crops they have planted, which again is going to lower yields.
Let me remind you again that here in the corn (maize) belt of Kenya most of the crop is consumed by people and not by cows, pigs, and sheep as is true of the American corn belt.
Lastly, while the rains have been sufficient for Lugari District, they are below average. This means that in less well-watered areas, there is another drought coming on. This has already begun the drier parts of Kenya.
As to our AGLI work, last week we had a gathering at the Friends Peace Center--Lubao for the 36 active AVP facilitators we have in western Kenya. I texted Getry that it was a nice 2 day gathering. She texted back, "I am very excited about it too. Happy AVP life. Thanks for making it a success and the support. Pass my appreciation to Mama Gladys."
Perhaps two of the facilitators were in their 50's, 3 or 4 more in their 40's, and the rest (30 or so) in their 20's and 30's. Were they lively!!!
The Lubao Center has only 20 beds. Where did the other 16 sleep? On the floor on mattresses; no complaints. Gladys and I (being old fogies) did not spend the night there, but I was told that they stayed up until midnight doing role plays on transforming power. We have worked to expand outside of the Luhya group and here perhaps half were Luhya, a little less than half were Luo, and 4 were Kikuyu. We are still missing Nandi (Kalenjin), but we are working on this from a few different angles. Later this week we will do the first AVP workshops with the Sisters of the Assumption. They are based in Eldoret, but the workshop will be at their house in Turbo on the Kalenjin side of the border. They want AVP for their
125 nuns and then perhaps we can do AVP with the Kalenjin communities with which they are working. After the AVP Facilitators Gathering last week we did 7 AVP workshops including another one here in Lumakanda. This week we nine workshops scheduled.
Like Getry says, "It's exciting."
Let me end with two brief cow stories. Now that the rainy season is here the grass (and everything else) is shooting up like it does during spring in America.
How do we cut our grass? We invite four local cows into the compound to chomp away for a while! The second story concerns one of the workmen who built our house. Last year one of this cows was stolen. Five months later the cow walked back into his compound. Was he astonished!
Peace,
Dave
Subject: Fw: AGLI--Report from Kenya, May 6
Dear All,
Patrick Mureithi, a film-maker from Springfield, MO, has made a film called "Icyizere-Hope" about a Healing and Rebuilding Our Community (HROC) workshop in Gisenyi, Rwanda last August. If you look at the AGLI webpage (www.aglionline.org), you can view a five-minute short by clicking on the presentation on the upper-right of the home page.
Patrick has a draft of his film which he showed in Rwanda during the commemoration of the genocide. Here is Theoneste's report:
"Icyizere—Hope: During this time of remembering the victims of the 1994 genocide the film Icyizere has been shown in different cinema centers and many times on Rwandan television. The film chronicles a HROC workshop in Rwanda. It was shot last July and August by Patrick Mureithi of Springfield, MO. The film, which is based on Rwandan culture and focuses on the inner power of healing and peacebuilding of Rwandans, has helped people to believe that there is hope, that Rwanda can become again a peaceful society where there is no hatred, fear, and mistrust between Rwandans. Even though the film is not yet entirely completed, Icyizere will be a very important tool for HROC; we will be using it to achieve our goals of healing and reconciliation in Rwanda and other countries that have had similar experiences."
As you might have guessed from his name, Patrick was born in Kenya. After his recent trip to Rwanda, he came to Kenya for a few days to visit his relatives. While here he was interviewed by the Sunday Nation, the largest paper in Kenya, for their Lifestyle insert in the Sunday edition. Patrick just called me about this. He says that the articles will talk extensively about HROC, AGLI, and the fact that we are bringing the program to western Kenya.
You will be able to read the article online by going to www.nationmedia.com on Sunday and clicking on the left where it says "Daily Magazine."
Peace,
Dave