The forgotten urban vulnerable haunted by HIV and AIDS

Nairobi, Kenya- Meet Doris Timbwa Mikaye a mother of five children who met face-to-face with the dreaded HIV and AIDS which claimed life’s of all her daughters. At 64, Doris has encountered pain, frustration, sorrow and rejection owing to a condition she never invited to her home. “I have buried all my children, now I have grand and great grand to look after”- lamented Doris.

Doris lives in a single room in Korogocho slums, Nairobi; a room constructed for her by a local church. Though, without cement on the floor, the room provides shelter for her family in times of rain and scotching sun. She has no other home after she was chased by her husband many years ago for not bearing a son. “That’s where I call home, though its only a room”.

She is perceived by both her neighbours and family as a cursed person, owing to the string of misfortunes that have befallen her family. Her life characterized with rough terrains, deaths of loved ones and rejection by her immediate family is just some of agony she narrates.

Doris first born daughter (who we will call Catherine- not real name) succumbed to HIV and AIDS in 1988 at a time that little was known about the pandemic “people could not move closer to her or touch her. She faced real stigma” narrated Doris. On knowing her status, Catherine was chased by her husband’s family. They accused her of promiscuity. She collapsed and died on her return to Kenya from Tanzania where she lived with her husband; Catherine left behind three children of 9,7 and 3 years. The husband equally rejected all the three children.

Mama Doris took over the task of being both the mother and the father for her grand children. One of Catherine’s youngest son, later became a success story and was admired by many in their Korogocho settlement. He played football for the famous Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) and travelled around the globe as a result of his talents. “I held high expectation of him” said Doris.
Fate robbed him from me…

One fateful February in 2010, while returning home in Korogocho, Godfrey whose lifestyle had started improving was attacked by un-known men who stabbed him to death. An incident Doris believed “they attacked him because of his changed lifestyle”.

His death meant more burdens to the grandmother, since he left behind two children. Catherine’s eldest son a dumb would be do all sorts of work to earn money. “People took advantage of his condition…he transported guns in the slum for five shillings”-lamented the granny. Mama Doris later relocated his grandson to Tanzania after she feared for her life.

Living in Korogocho slums presents challenges and exposes many teenagers to vulnerable condition. Poverty bites hard, crime rate is in high proportions and drug abuse the order of the day.


More burials awaited mama Doris
Mama Doris second daughter, Dovina also stayed with the mother in Korogocho slums prior to her death in 1992. She conceived her first child while in class seven and sat for her examination their after. “We only saw signs on her…didn’t know what ailed her” said Doris.

“I became worried for both my daughter and her 5 year old son. Dovina used to cough a lot”-narrated Doris. She took them to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) where Dovina was diagnosed positive for the HIV virus, while that of her son was negative. “KNH refused to admit her…I returned home with her and she later died at home”.

“I never used protection, while taking care of my daughters”.
Dovina’s son today lives in Mukuru and engages in collecting garbage. He could be referred to as a ‘chokora’ (Kenyan name for street children who loiter and have no home).
Child finished few days and died

As Mama Doris continue narrating her story, I admire her courage and hope in the midst of turmoil she has encountered. She recalls one of her other daughter- Kesiah who lived in Kisumu before she moved to stay with her. Kesiah conceived the first child who lived for few days and died. She later got another baby who died before her first birthday after succumbing to meningitis.

“No one knew she was living with the HIV virus”- said Doris. Her boyfriend a tout on matatus plying Kisumu-Kakamega route committed suicide after word went round about Kesiah’s HIV status. “A doctor came home to treat her”.

During the early days of HIV and AIDS pandemic, People Living with HIV and AIDS stayed at home since bed capacities in many hospitals was hard to come-by. That resulted into shift of the Home Based Care (HBC) designed to cater for those who ailed at home.

Mama Doris explained that Kesiah’s condition improved due to medication she took. “She looked healthy that no one would suspect she lived with the HIV virus”. Doris lamented, that Kesiah would have been alive today, if she (Doris) knew how to care for PLWHA’s and started taking Anti-Retroviral (ARV) medication on time.

Burying her children has been normal in a society predominantly with cultural beliefs that the children should bury their parents and not vice versa. She has buried all her children and some grandchildren from HIV related complications. All her son-in-laws have either died or rejected their children; living her with an uphill task of fending for them in an urban set-up which is alive with enormous challenges especially for women her age.

At 64, Doris plays the role of a father and a mother to six grand and great-grand children who all look to her for food, shelter, clothing and education. “I do small businesses…wash school which pays me” she said. Our Lady of Fatuma in Korogocho where some of her grand children and great grand children school, provides her with jobs which guarantees meals for the family. She depends on well wishers and her church to feed the children.

“I collect food left- over from school feeding program…that assures a family meal”.

They believe am a bother

“The community don’t want me, they stigmatize me…they believe am a bother”-lamented Doris. Her own family flesh and blood do not want any association with her. She did not get a son and same applied to her mother. “My father a polygamist…his co-wives with sons took over our plot. My father is old, cannot do anything”- narrated Doris.

For many women like Doris who have seen the dark sides of HIV pandemic, God’s Grace is sufficient even as she struggles with her own life and that of her only relatives.The impact of HIV and AIDS in Africa and especially among the urban vulnerable is real with number of orphan’s sky-rocketing.

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) jointly with UNHABITAT recently held a workshop In Naivasha, Kenya attended by members of the ACT Alliance in Kenya; deliberated on the plight of the urban vulnerable.

A document presented at the meeting read “There is a humanitarian crisis taking place in deprived informal settlements around the world, and one of the regions where this dynamic is playing out is in Kenya” The document further warned that- “Urban poverty is set to be Kenya’s defining crisis over the next decade if it is not urgently addressed. Urban population living in slums is expected to double in the next 15 years due to rural-urban migration”.

Kenya has over 4 million urban food poor and almost a third of this number is located in Nairobi. Over 200 informal settlements in Nairobi cover only 5 per cent of the total residential land area of the city and 60 per cent of Nairobi’s population live in slums.

Holding pen transforming Maasai women
Kajiado, Kenya April, 2010- On a Sunday afternoon in the heart of Kajiado district which inhabits the Maasai community, women converge in a classroom each armed with tools aimed at transforming their lives. All are eager to hold correctly pen and scribble their names. “My eleven year old daughter and teachers have been very helpful in my education” narrated Margaret Gideon Komeiyan one of the beneficiary of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) women literacy program.
Margaret (29) started attending the KELC adult education program in 2009 after motivation from one of his educated brother. “I used to admire him a lot when he came home for holidays…he would encourage me to learn”- she narrated. Many Maasai women her age were forced into early marriage. She got married off at 11 years. Educating girls among the Maasai community is not given preference as that of boys; a trend quickly changing thanks to literacy programme initiated by the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran church.
Started in 1998 by support from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), KELC women Literacy program reach out to more than 300 women and girls in marginalized areas mainly occupied by Maasai community. Further boost of the program came in 2004 with funds from the division of ELCA World Hunger which helped train more teachers and additional classes in other areas.
Currently 37 adult educators have been trained and run the program as volunteers. “I want to see my community change”-stressed Beatrice Rimanto one of the adult education volunteer at the Kajiado centre. The Kenya National Literacy Survey indicates that 7.8 million people in Kenya are illiterate (mostly women) and the national literacy level stands at 61.5%.
Despite commitment and interest to learn, many women are faced with gender-roles that challenge their frequent class attendance. “Absenteeism is rampant, their concentration in class gets interrupted …some come with young children”- lamented Beatrice. Many walk up to 20 kilometers in order to attend class, which at times is called off, since they share same facilities with other students in the school. Some are overwhelmed and discontinue their learning. “I share examples of people who have made it and encourage them to attend school daily” said Beatrice.
Besides basic education, women are educated on their Rights to challenge negative cultures such as early marriages and Female Genital Cut both common practice among the Maasai community.

Education eradicating poverty
The traditional women’s spare time beading activity has been over-taken by pursuit for education especially in the Ilparua area of Kajiado. A shift that proves equally beneficial to many who have established businesses from the basic knowledge of mathematics, Kiswahili and English taught in class. “I used to give all my business money to my husband…didn’t know if I made profit or not”- lamented one student in the class. On contrary, she now manages her own business and is able to determine profits margins. Poverty levels among the women in Kajiado has reduced owing to literacy levels and ability to manage own businesses. Their motivation and determination in education has resulted in opening bank accounts which they run without any help. “I used to use thump print at bank, this days, I sign my name”-smiled Mary.
The impact of Adult education in Kajiado is also felt by the local pastor. “The women have increased their offerings threefold, we now receive thrice what we used to”-said Samuel Ntatuya Evangelist heading Kajiado mission. A fact he attributes to training women on book keeping and their commitment to paying 10% tithe.
With the shortage of church workers in KELC, women with reading and writing skills come handy as church laypersons; they participate in worship service by reading bible verses.
“My life has changed, I can offer my children what I missed (good education) and nurture them spiritually by reading the bible” said Margaret a mother of three.

Challenge in realization of literacy decade
The United Nation Literacy Decade proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2001 runs from 2003-2012 and has strong commitments to reaffirm role of literacy in development. To realize the literacy decade priorities were set on illiterate youth and adults especially women, out-of school children especially girls and children in school without access to quality learning.
Though Kenya is not a beneficiary of UNLD Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) program which runs in 35 countries with illiterate people below 50%; two-third of illiterate people in Kenya are women and girls, who influence development both in the family level and community at large.
KELC Literacy program face enormous challenges in the journey towards literacy for all women. “We (KELC) have trained adult educators but are unable to employ them due to funds”-lamented Alice Mwaringa KELC Women’s co-ordinator. “During rainy season, women are forced to work in farms at the expense of their education” Noted Alice.
She added that access to reading materials and books for adult learns hinder survival of the literacy program in KELC. The road to realization of literacy is made even tough by patriarchal communities such as that of the Maasai. Alice lamented that men in such communities deny their wives opportunity to attend literacy classes opposed to the wishes of their wives. Literacy among women may be elusive if collaborative efforts are not put in place to address the challenges inhibiting success on Free Education for All.

Torn Between Two Extremes

“We have been burying people [elderly men] who have committed suicide due to the current drought…they have lost hope with deaths of their sole livelihood [livestock],” lamented Mr. Kulei, a church elder at the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kajiado, Kenya.

“One of the deceased was not sick. He only looked at the carcasses and collapsed.”

The Maasai people (mainly pastoralists) have been on the move in search of pasture and grazing land for their livestock. “We have not received adequate rains for the last 4 years,” noted Kulei. “Our people [Maasai] have been out for long duration, covering thousands of kilometers to ensure the survival of livestock,” said Kulei. Villagers in Lodokelani, Orkekoyore, Eldamat, and Matopato have buried many people. One pastoralist formerly had a herd of 2,000 cattle, and now only has 10 remaining. “Livestock that succumb to drought are abandoned as the rest move in search for pasture.”

The current drought has caused the migration of Maasai pastoralists across the border to Tanzania in search of pasture and grazing land. Mr. David Kasino was once the proud owner of a hundred cattle worth USD 2,600. He now has less than 10 cattle and is still pessimistic of their survival because most are quite weak.

The Kenya Meteorological Department issued an alert on the impending El Niño rains and predicted the rains would last from the month of October 2009 until February 2010. For people in Kajiado and larger eastern parts of Kenya, that has yet to occur. It is an area that suffers from perennial drought due to climate change, which has resulted in crop failure. Many believe El Niño rains will be the only hope for thousands who live in despair each day as they come to terms with the deaths of their livestock (their only source of livelihood).

Women and children stay at home as their male counterparts’ criss-cross the country in search of pasture. With many of these journeys, it is sometimes more than three months before they return home. The absence of men in the villages compel women also to leave home and engage in small-micro enterprise activities in order to meet family food demands. “We travel long distances to sell charcoal… at times we don’t make any sell, so we all sleep hungry”-narrated Janet Rampei.

The Lutheran church runs a kindergarten that caters to 53 children left at home with no care giver. “We used to provide them with porridge and two meals, but now its difficult…we give them nothing, only teach,” lamented Sheila Rebesa, a volunteer at the nursery school. “Their concentration in class is low…some fall asleep due to hunger,” added Rebesa. With support from her husband Sheila is able to work at the kindergarten (without pay). “If the current drought continues…my husband may not be able to support me to continue working for free…I may leave and supplement his efforts.”

Women engage in difficult tasks, such as burning and selling charcoal. “We have no alternative apart from burning charcoal…though we know the environmental dangers,” said Janet Rampei. “If we do not do anything, our children will die from starvation.”

Children, some as young as 4 years old, travel 18 kilometers to attend classes at the Lutheran church. The church has been unable to provide food rations for the school, forcing the school staff to depend on well wishers and hand outs.

In the coastal areas and northeastern sectors of the country, the scenario is quite different. El Niño rains continue to cause havoc, with floods destroying the infrastructure and saturating prepared land. “It has been raining for the last 24 hours…Malindi-Garissa road has been swept off,” read a text message from a pastor in Tana River. In a telephone conversation with Peter Jilo, a government administrator stationed in Kulesa, Tana River, he related, “We need plastic sheets to cover leaking houses and chlorine for water treatment.”

Tana River at the coast has, traditionally, been a hot spot for flooding in Kenya as the River Tana overflows its banks. In 1998, 1,200 people lost their lives due to the El Niño event and the rains that pounded the area.

In Magarini District, along the coast, more than 500 families have been displaced due to heavy rains and flash floods. The rains have swept away houses and livestock, and flooded cultivated fields. The people of the Magarini District area are also worried about an increase in waterborne diseases, and are in desperate need of clean water.

ACT Kenya Forum members have been faced with the two extremes- parts of the country are facing severe drought and others are experiencing above-normal rains and flooding. The Forum partnered with UN-OCHA and the Government of Kenya to produce a community awareness brochure distributed to areas likely to be affected by the El Niño rains.

In March 2009, AKF members put out an appeal in response to the severe drought and famine that is currently affecting Kenya. However, the situation within the country has changed, and Kenya is now suffering from flooding as well. After a meeting on November 5th, forum members agreed that the heavy rains and flooding now occurring throughout the country also need to be addressed. The forum will meet again on November 19th to review assessment reports, and decide whether the members should submit an ACT Appeal to address the two extreme conditions - severe drought and flood - that are both currently affecting Kenya.

Article by George Arende, contribution from Nicole Stansifer



The ACT Kenya Forum (AKF) meets each month to give updates and discuss issues affecting Kenya. The current members of the AKF include: the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC), Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya (ELCK), the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), Dan Church Aid (DCA), Christian Aid (CAid), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Lutheran World Relief (LWR) and Church World Service (CWS).

peace summit logo

Women united against drought

Women united against drought

6th February 2009 Kitui, Kenya- Women in Kaikungu village came out in large numbers to provide the much needed ‘woman power’ to complete the community sand dam. One hundred and twenty women mobilize ballast, break stones, mix concrete, fetch water and transport construction materials to the site, all in the hope of stopping a chain of drought that has affected the community for more than a decade.

“We are grateful to many things (water projects) church world service has been starting in our community” Kitui Anglican Church of Kenya Bishop Mule said, in appreciative tone. “This is great love”- he added.

Church World Service launched a fundraising initiative to respond to the drought situation in Kenya threatening with starvation lives of more than 2 million people. Church World Service through its local partners have constructed sad dams, drilled bore holes in drought affected areas to provide water.

“we are pleased to walk with you in search of water” said the visiting Community Responding to Overcome Poverty (CROP) team leader from US. “we walk so you can have water”.

The water project has brought hope to a community which has been reduced to begging due to lack of water for irrigating their kitchen gardens. “Church World Service has brought us far, we now have hope with water near us” said Regina Ibrahim Kaikungu sand dam umbrella chairperson. The drought situation presents a livelihood challenge to most women and children in the area. “With water, we can plant our sukuma (kales) and stop begging” said Regina, with optimism.

The community participates actively in other government projects in what is commonly referred to as ‘food for work’ though the government relief is not sufficient to their needs, it contributes into changing the community once infected with deadly ‘dependency syndrome’ to relief supplies. Kaikungu health centre and Nzauni health centre are living evidence of a community hard work. Though the women are dedicated in breaking the drought chain, poverty threatens to reverse those gains.

Crop failure and high prices of fertilizers have compounded the drought situation in Kitui and larger Ukambani areas of Eastern province. Logging of trees, for charcoal and draining sand from rivers have all contributed to the drought in the area. “lets plant trees after the completion of sand dam” urged Mary Obiero Church World Service Socio Economic Development Programs Coordinator .

ACT International member Church World Service through the local partners Anglican Church or Kenya, Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church distributed food relief to the residents of Kaikungu and visited new sand dam construction accompanied with CROP walkers team involved in fundraising in the US.

Siren over drought situation.

Drought situation in Kenya is worsening and the president has a few hours ago declared the drought a national disaster. In his speech the president blamed the drought on failure of short rains, effects of the post-election violence which affected the planting season, global energy crisis which has fueled high prices of fertilizers and global food crisis which has incapacitated thousands to afford food prices.

The president noted that drought situation had resulted in shortfall of 10 million bags resulting in further reduction of National grain reserves by 3.3million bags.

While underlining the impact of global food crisis, the president noted that 'staple foods of most Kenyans have risen sharply in one year...affecting the poorest'.

He lamented that 10 million Kenyans face starvation and urgently need emergency support and made an appeal while emphasizing that 'between now and August 2009 people will not be able to meet minimum food requirements'.

'my government will not tolerate the actions of unscrupulous traders sacrificing people livelihood at altar of private gain of few people' said the president in his concluding warning to business cartels manipulating food chain in Kenya.

Kenya has been facing series of crisis one after the other. Its only in December 2007 after the disputed general election that violence broke out killing 1,200 people and displacing more than 300,000 people. Kenya also records the a wider gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. In almost all crisis, its women and children who suffer most the consequences of delayed mitigation.

My recent visit to drought stricken areas of Ukambani, Makindu, Kutui (all in the eastern parts of Kenya) left me wondering how delayed actions can quickly trigger emergency. women travel 10 kilometers every morning to fetch water. such lone journey(s) demand that they rise-up as early as 3am or 4am in lucky cases if they expect to have their children eat breakfast before school. One woman narrated to me how she was raped by a gang of men while on such trips; ruining her life and infecting her with the deadly HIV virus.

Provision of water for all would avert GBV and ensure irrigation in dry areas prone to drought. Crop failure will be a thing of the past and human suffering buried in the 'forgotten grave'.

Call to an African Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe on January 25, 2009


The 9th General Assembly held in Maputo, Mozambique in December 2008 gave the African churches a strong mandate to continue their longstanding accompaniment of the Church and people of Zimbabwe. The Assembly declared January 25th an African Day of prayer for Zimbabwe. The call is to join our Zimbabwean sisters and brothers in prayer and in fasting, in words and in deeds, in contemplation and in action.

As AACC we therefore call on all our member churches, councils, fellowships and institutions; all friends in the ecumenical worldwide family; all our international partners and all people of good will to make January 25, 2009, an African Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe.

Trumpet call to Pray and Fast
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet” Isaiah 58:1

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cord of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here I am.” Isaiah 58:6-9.

Calling for a Special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe is first and foremost a call for all of us to come to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with a humble heart, in sincere love, spending time with him to get in tune with His sovereign plans and visions for his people and for the world. It’s about allowing Him to speak and to share His heart that bleeds for the suffering of our world. It’s about allowing Him to convince us to be part of his plan and be willing to act as instruments for his Kingdom - a kingdom of fellowship, peace, justice and reconciliation for anyone who respond to the invitation by Jesus: Come unto me!


Indeed it is a time of need for Zimbabwe
• The cholera epidemic continues to spread. 37,000 have contracted the disease and 1,800 have died (Jan 12). The health system has broken down.
• There is shortage of food.
• The schools have not been able to run properly due to the financial and social crisis.
• Political violence and intimidation continues.
• The power-sharing deal of September 15, 2008 has not been honoured and talks have stalled due to lack of sincerity and political will.
• Official inflation (July 08) was 231 million % but continues to rise by the day. The newly issued 50$bn bill only buys the owner a few loafs of bread.
• The numbers of political, social and economic refugees crossing the borders to the neighbouring countries are increasing continuously.

In all this the AACC acknowledges that the present crisis primarily is a crisis of legitimacy and governance. As stated by the 9th AACC General Assembly in Maputo on December 11, the present rule must be considered as illegitimate as it was an incomplete reflection of the will of the Zimbabwean people, given that the presidential run-off election in June 2008 was not free and fair and was marred by intimidation and political violence. The Zimbabwean people have also continuously been denied the peace, justice and socio-economic remedy they have for so long desired.

May the Lord grant Zimbabwe light to break forth like the dawn and healing to quickly appear. May the Lord bless us all as we Pray, Fast for the end to the political crisis and resumption of normalcy in the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.

T-shirts made for 2008 World AIDS Day commemoration

Africa Churches struggling to break the silence on HIV and AIDS

Maputo 5th December, 2008- ‘women are cultured not to speak on issues affecting them in the society’ this were remarks made today at a pre-Assembly meeting convened by the Ecumenical HIV AIDS initiative in Africa (EHAIA). HIV and AIDS is one of the nine themes at the 9th All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) Assembly scheduled to open on 7th December through to 12th December, 2008 in Maputo, Mozambique.

‘We see people die in Churches because they don’t have the courage to disclose their status’- said one participant at the meeting. Dr Nyambura Njoroge the continental co-ordinator for EHAIA an ecumenical body that co-ordinates Churches HIV and AIDS response in Africa said- ‘we are afraid to discuss sexuality related issues in the church, fear that such discussion may expose our sexual life’. She added that despite HIV being around for several years; ‘sexuality remains a taboo in Africa churches’.

The PLWHAs lamented that ‘church leaders normally close church doors from PLWHA’s thus shutting discussions on HIV and AIDS instead making it a taboo’.

EHAIA participants deliberate in one of the pre-Assembly meeting on HIV and AIDS. Photo 2008 @ G.Arende





Dr. Nyambura was optimistic that the African churches had the potential and capacity to break the silence on HIV and AIDS. ‘The church needs to discover new ways of discussing sexuality, the top church leadership are key in helping us break the silence’- she emphasized.

Cathedral D Xavier Boca Matolorio in Mozambique a member of AACC is one such churches in Maputo endeavoring to met demands of one hundred and sixty children orphaned by HIV and AIDS. Centre established in 1995 provides hope for children whose parents succumbed to the HIV virus. Bishop Benedito Ndzavo of D Xavier Boca church stressed ‘it is a duty of the church to provide for orphans’. He added that the HIV and AIDS silence prevents the church from its prophetic mission.

Am in Maputo attending the AACC General Assembly. before arriving here we had a connecting flight through Jo'Berg. George had ignored the need to change our Kenya currency into either Rand or Dollars for use while in Maputo. Partly this was my perception that Kenya being a 'Financial hub' in East Africa it would be pretty easy to access any forex exchange bureau and change into preferred currency of my choise.

In South Africa where i had high hopes it was not possible to so i kept my hopes alive while trying to be positive and optimistic. I watched cute lovely and must have souvenirs but unfortunately had only to store them in my memory via my salivating Retina.

In Maputo this were not better coz it was the same story- 'we dont exchange kenya currency'.

Still refusing to be negative and staying put on positive thinking as advised by famous author Ben Carson in his Think BIG book; i commenced search for an international bank. what was in my mind was Barclays (which i dont bank with owing to the historic formation linked to slavery) but as this time i felt like a slave so had no option. My bank standard chartered was the second resort owing to its scarcity in major Africa cities.

wallah..... was my exclamation phrase when i sighted a Barclays. little did i know that it wont process my card for the now precious Meticar the Mozambique currency.

Here i was wondering what next being a country with my currency which wasnt authentic

TOUGH CHOICES ON KENYA ROADS- TO BRIBE OR NOT TO BRIBE

Wednesday 18th November was a bright day like any other, the sun was out, Nairobians were rushing to their places of work to cement and be assuranced of a meal for their families. For me this was to be a promising day- I woke-up earlier than usual hoping to beat the long snail traffic evident on our roads every morning.

I had deadlines to meet and reports to submit to our partners; in precise it promised to be a busier day than any other. On my way to the office (which is opposite traffic flow) I drove moderately quick, since i left earlier before the peak hours.

While approaching Outering road which I often use, i had to wait for a record twenty minutes without securing a line into the main road. Having been patient enough I opted to plead with other motorists to allow me access to the main road. To retain the juicy part of the experience- the traffic policeman approached from the rear widow and asked me for my drivers license, which I issued without hesitation.

‘park the car aside and hand over the keys (to me)’- were the next words I heard from him. Still in shock,mainly resulted from the information vacuum and lack of details for whatever mistake offence i had committed; I obliged and as any law abiding citizen stepped out and as instructed earlier,handed over the car keys. Still in shock on what was going on.. I heard the commanding voice once more directing me to enter the awaiting police vehicle (which later I came to know is called ‘Sanduku’- box in Swahili language). While in the van I recalled accent memories of matatus we used down our rural village. We used to sit facing each other as clients in a hospital patiently waiting to consult a doctor. Gender concerns were no excuse to the police who bundled both into now-full van.

As we set off (i quickly flushed into memories of the post-election violence when it was a common occurrence to be bundled into police car), i noticed through the window my car being towed off without my consent. At this stage I was boiling-up slowly like a volcano awaiting eruption. Meanwhile experiences were being shared inside the van by the ‘well informed’ touts who also made up the largest number of those arrested.

One tout who used that route frequently was confident about what he termed ‘procedure’. He went on to narrate to me how he had parted with four hundred shilling a split second earlier. ‘I had been arrested (by a junior officer) for over-taking but quickly gave four hundred for my release’- he said. He added- ‘but few meters away was arrested by his senior and charged with expired TLB’. Here I was in total disbelief and numb. As part of reciprocal conversation I narrated my story and he asked me ‘why didn’t you bribe?’. My simple answer was I cant bribe let me be arraigned to court….he laughed and wondered how barbaric and uninformed I was. As the conversation heated up; he posed a question which lingered in my mind the whole day. ‘Do you think you can finish corruption in Kenya alone?’ he went on to say- ‘we don’t pay bribe because we have a lot of money…we do it to save time and frustration from our system’.

Each gave their storyline seeking attention and sympathy from those inside the police van.

Within few minutes we were on the last junction towards the police station (a place I have dreaded my entire life). At the station we were registered and quickly taken to the cell and locked in. At this point, my entire thinking faculty was off and not functioning normally. My alleged mistake was petty (traffic offence) but here we were mixed with criminals, burglars and all sorts of people associated with crime. As time was ticking off, I wondered aloud why the police force lacked think-tanks and officers with voice of reason. Being a Wednesday and more so a working day I was meant to be in the office but maybe not due to corrupt people and slow system. I wondered why confine one for six hours with something resolvable at the arrest scene? Why the policemen at the station were so rude to a citizen whom they expect help from in the community policing initiative?

While still at the station shoddy deals were evident with police officers streaming into the cell to get a ‘catch’. One by one, those with ability to cough-out something from their pockets were released while others remain in the cell. A conversation with matatu touts revealed that the long wait at the station before being arraigned in court was a ‘grace period’- a time to make those important calls for 911 rescue teams. Relatives, friends or colleagues who would intercede on our behalf to be freed.

After two hours of wait at the cell we left for the Makadara law court. Place that will take miracles to erase from my memories. The cells were dirty, dusty, crowded and had unpleasant oduor emanating from the toilets which may have blocked a year or so ago and went ignored. The smell at the cell and the corridors left me wondering how possible on earth the police officers were able to work in comfort just 3 meters from the toilet.

Later I concluded that this kind of working condition may have contributed to the brutality shown by the police force during the last year’s post-election violence.

The bitterness and time wasting during the entire lesson with the police triggered a serious reflection on what the tout had asked me that morning. The frustration, the kind of mis-handling and the experience of pain from the police would compel any Kenyan to bribe I silently thought. Bribing seemed cheaper way out based on my experience. What would have been the worse scenario- 1. Losing my job because of absconding. 2. Withholding any vital information from the police as a result of the fear and hostility I encountered. 3. Rethinking my position on bribing and the fight on corruption.

The delaying and frustrating system was fueling corruption in our police force. Loopholes in our Justice system facilitate corruption. Thesaurus dictionary uses words like- obstacle, barrier, impediment, hindrance, stumbling block, difficulty as words that can be used to replace obstruction. One cannot be charged for obstruction / obstructing traffic flow and be arraigned in court alone. There has to be witnesses obstructed, present in the court to justify/ testify how they were obstructed. But because of our system this is only possible in Kenya. A layman afraid of the police and their harassment will prefer to part with 1000 bob as bribe instead of 9,500 I ended up paying including 2,500 for towing a car which could move. The absence of the arresting officer in the court at the time of case makes it complicated and difficult for one to say no to cases.

The junior police officers, who in most cases interact with the public, need to be trained on PR to improve the dented image of the Kenya police force. Kenyans are willing to work with the police but something has to change in their operations and procedures.

AACC Christian Communicators Workshop
15-18 September 2008 in Nairobi, Kenya

Communiqué

Thirty-five Christian communicators from churches, church organizations, and councils of churches, from 16 countries, have met in Nairobi under the auspices of the AACC, to share insights, learnings, and challenges from our work, and to plan for our future ministries.

The 9th AACC General Assembly
We are enthused by the plans for the forthcoming 9th AACC General Assembly and commit ourselves to publicise the Assembly in our own countries. We will seek to engage our churches and the national media in the task of communicating the issues and significance of the Assembly.

The role of a communications department in our churches and organizations
Without communication, the work of any organization, church or council is like a lamp lit and put under a table. Often the communications function in our churches and councils has been relegated to a secondary role. It is communication however that drives the strategy of an organization. As communicators ourselves, we consider that the communications function requires the status of having a departmental head at managerial level, and that the function needs to be part of the planning, decision-making, and implementation of the church or organization. Moreover, developing a communications strategy is a key to the future of our organizations. Decision-makers must also budget properly for communications staff, equipment, website design, access to the net, maintenance, etc. To achieve this, one way is for all programmes to have a communications component incorporated within their plans and budgets.

The new ‘information age’
It is not just that many of our churches and councils have in the past tended to marginalize the role of communications. We are in a new ‘information age’. In this regard, we urge our leaders at council and denominational levels to recognize the critical importance of understanding the new media, so that we can communicate effectively to younger generations and new constituencies. To do this, we must value and update our communication strategies and make effective use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). This will require extra commitment of resources and personnel.

Relations with the mainstream media
Often we lament that the mainstream media ignores the churches and their communications offices. Frequently our bureaucracies are too slow in producing press releases or statements. We urge church leaders to make timely responses to queries and requests from their communication departments so as not to lose the media moment.

In our attempts to influence those in power and in order to build positive relations with the mainstream media, the importance of interpersonal communication is critical. Moreover, we need to engage with the secular media as responsible and indispensable partners in the ministry of our churches and councils. If we are to be successful in this, we need to focus our media messages not as issues of relevance to the church only, but rather as people-centred.

Our commitment
As Christian communicators, we recognize that working in the communications sector is a vocation. Remembering that our loyalty is always to God, we commit ourselves to pursuing justice, truth, and fairness in our work. We are called to engage all people with ministries of the gospel, regardless of gender, social or educational status, regardless of ethnicity or faith, or of physical ability or disability. In particular, we commit ourselves to developing a strategy of listening to the voices of the voiceless. We will communicate their stories and claims to the rest of society and especially to the powerful in order to transform situations and structures of poverty and injustice.



Recommendations to the AACC

We urge the Conference to:
• Seek ways to facilitate the awareness-raising of church and council leaders on the critical importance of developing and updating communication strategies (especially with regard to the new media - ICT) in the implementation of church and church-related programmes.
• Work with other agencies to identify, make available, and increase opportunities for training in communications.
• Work with other continental and global organizations to build a network to support and advocate for the rights of journalists who are arrested or treated unjustly as a result of reporting the truth.

We are grateful to the AACC for having brought us together during these two days to learn from one another. We are committed to building on this experience, and to creating a continental network for Christian communicators. We request the AACC Communications Department to facilitate this.

Africa Christian communicator’s workshop begins in Nairobi, Kenya


16th September, 2008 Nairobi, Kenya- ‘stand-up against the communication challenges of time, to remain relevant’- was the message from Mr. Bright Mawuodor Finance Director at the AACC at the opening of the Christian communicator’s workshop in Nairobi.

He lamented that- ‘the church is crying for Christian Communicators who wont report on past events’. The workshop brings together participants from 15 countries to Nairobi under auspice of All African Council of Churches to share learn and develop ways of addressing challenges facing Christian communicators in Africa.

In his opening devotion Dr. Lobule reflecting from Mathew 12:12 said-‘we need to reconcile diversity in ecumenical messages’. He went further to say that the biblical text touches all humanity irrespective of Nationality, race, culture. Adding that one part of the body in Christ cannot discard another. He urged communicators to be focused on co-operation to enhance unity within the ecumenical circles.

Dr. Lobule concluded by emphasizing the importance of communicators working together since we are all different but need each other.

Mrs. Mbare Kioni -AACC director for Communication, Advocacy and Research reminded the participants-‘global communication trend calls for new approach for communicating ecumenical stories’. Noting that appropriate communication is vital in communicating within our churches.

AACC Assembly starts in Maputo, Mozambique from 7-12 December, 2008 under the theme : Africa, step forth in Faith’.

Beautiful Wooden sculpture at a mexican museum

picture of stone age man being eaten by a tiger

amazing image... guess what it is?

picture with Prof Miriam Were chairperson Kenya National AIDS Control Council Yuko Takenaka Chief Advisor JICA, at the AIDS conference in Mexico. also in the pix is Girmay Haile UNAIDS Kenya Country representative

Raped while young and infected with HIV
“I had no choice, he had sex with me,” laments Herlyn Auiras, a survivor of abduction and three rape ordeals. At 16, Auiras together with her friend were abducted and smuggled into South Africa.

The drama began innocently enough when Auiras and a friend planned to attend a concert in Windhoek City under the pretext of visiting the friend’s grandfather. Money being a challenge, the two girls accepted a ride from a couple of Namibia truck drivers.

The drivers, originally from South Africa, assured Auiras and her friend that they would bring them back to Namibia on the return trip. “At the immigration checkpoint they covered us with blankets and passed the border into South Africa,” recalls Auiras.

“At Jo’burg, one of the drivers wanted to have sex with me. He threatened to hurt me if I didn’t give in,” she remembers.

Auiras begged the driver to wear a condom. Although he reluctantly agreed, the condom broke during the rape. He warned Aurias against going to the police noting that she was in South Africa illegally.

The two young women existed for several days without food or a place to sleep. “Any time we asked to go home, he said next week!’

Finally able to escape the truck drivers’ grasp, Aurias and her friend met someone who appeared to be a Good Samaritan. The man offered to find them accommodations in a friend’s house. As it turns out, they were lured into a trap by the very man they supposed would save them.

As days went on, Aurias experienced urinal pains and virginal discharge. “I never knew it was a sexually transmitted infection.”

They had no choice but to comply with the demands of their host, including attending nightclubs with the man. One night at a club, the man tried to force Aurias to have sex with him. When she declined, “he beat me with a wooden bar.” She escaped with only her clothes, but soon realized she had no choice but to go back to the house.

Soon she became so ill that her “host” had to take her to the hospital. While there she was diagnosed with HIV. “When the doctor said I had AIDS I wanted to commit suicide,” she remembers. Because of the illness, the man no longer wanted her in his home and eventually the young woman made her way back to Namibia with the help of police.

With treatment Aurias began to feel better. Even still, it took her a year and a half to disclose her status to her parents.

In time, Aurias found the Wawis Buy multi-purpose centre in Namibia. The people there helped transform her life by welcoming her and training her in counseling and palliative care.

Recognizing that her story could have had a horrific ending, Aurias is grateful to be alive and able to help other young women. Today she is the ambassador of Hope for Churches United Against HIV and AIDS (CUAHA). Advocating in churches on human trafficking, sexual abuse and all forms of human rights abuse, Aurias’ powerful story serves as both a warning to and an example for youth.

Her advice to young people is very straightforward: “We have the power to make choices after first weighing consequences.”

The United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF) estimates that some 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide every year.

Supporting orphans presents challenges, opportunities
By George Arende

“Rising numbers of orphans and vulnerable children [OVC] remains a huge challenge, that requires innovation and dedication to overcome,” said Caroline Thuo, program coordinator for orphans and vulnerable children for Giving HOPE

The statistics demonstrate the truth in Thuo’s statement. The past three decades have seen an explosion in numbers of orphans and vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa with the UN estimating that there are 12 million children in Africa orphaned by AIDS. The report further says that 2 million OVCs live in Kenya alone.

These young people left to fend for themselves. “Most of the children are forced to become heads of families,”laments Caroline. Some as young as 12-years-old are tasked with caring and providing for their younger siblings.

“Community has more burden to care for those with HIV and AIDS, TB, and malaria,” she said, adding “responsibility of molding [the children’s lives] doesn’t function owing to such challenges.” Thuo is also focused on young people living in slums. “They are traumatized and need counseling. They are faced with so much pressure,” Thus said.

Giving Hope is a program operating in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, serving 8,309 households, accounting for 27,990 children. The program fosters independence by empowering children and young people whose lives have been derailed by poverty and disease to gain control and become productive. This is done by developing the skills and talents of the children.

The program also provides a support system and a resource database for economic and social knowledge advancement.

Thuo is happy working with children terming them ‘potential for the future’. Through her program Church World Service helps children utilize the best in their surrounding and become responsible and productive members of the society.