Kenya Update

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Thank you for the incredible response to the urgent need in Kenya. Because of your donations, our local partner in Kibera was able to distribute food and water to over 1,800 people, mostly women and children, and provide necessary items such as stoves and blankets for those who were able to return home.

According to our local partner, the Kibera Office of Human Rights, the past several weeks have seen a decrease in violence in Nairobi and in the Kibera slum. Unfortunately, the extent of the violence, especially against women, is now being fully recognized as women are coming forward to report rape and other horrible atrocities committed against them, many of them by local police.

Before the eruption of violence began, we had completed the first phase of a project with the Kibera Office of Human Rights. This project focuses on empowering single women living with HIV/AIDS. While Phase I focused on rights education workshops and an area wide campaign, Phase II and III of the project focus on creating sustainable businesses for the 70 participants, which include discussions on what type of business they want to start, appropriate training, registration, disbursement of funds and monitoring.

Our partner met with the women and they all indicated their desire to move forward with the next phase and wanted to focus their energies on what positive possibilities may come and not on the destruction of the last six weeks. Therefore, we have funded Phase II and activities are underway to provide these 70 courageous women with new opportunities and dignified livelihoods. To help us with this project, please donate now!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Dear Friends of The Pangea Network,

I am writing this letter on behalf of the women and families we support in Kenya, to request urgent assistance during this time of turmoil. As many of you know, I had a planned trip to visit our program locations on Dec. 30th.   I was forced to cancel my travel due to the violence that erupted as a result of the elections and the apparent rigging during the vote tallying process. 

I have been receiving updates from women in our programs as well as from our local partners. Ethnic fighting has been particularly bad in and around Nairobi where many of our women live.  Our most recent report brought us tragic news that three of the women in our Kibera HIV/AIDS project have been killed and five are missing. You can certainly imagine the depth of our sadness at this news and the fear that we have for the remaining families seeking to survive amidst this upheaval.

Homes and businesses have been looted and burned; over 200,000 people have been displaced and reports are that 1,000 people have lost their lives.  Families, particularly in our program areas, are seeking basic necessities such as food, water and clothing.  Our local partners in Kenya have made appeals to us for emergency funds to provide necessary, life saving supplies to the women and children in our supported communities. 

According to our local partner in Kibera, there are hundreds of displaced people taking refuge in their local church, and many more they are trying to care for.  Each day, the most urgent job is to provide food for these people in the face of imminent danger. To date, The Pangea Network has been able to send funds to support several days food for this community.

My request today is for immediate financial support.  $100 will feed 65 people for one day.  Cost is slightly higher for children, given that the price of milk has tripled since the violence erupted.  Funds will go directly to support the purchase and distribution of these necessities through the help of our local partners.

I am grateful for whatever small amount you can give and know that it will have a tremendous impact on these women’s lives. With hope, this disastrous situation will subside in the coming days.  But until then, these people are completely dependent on the generosity of strangers.
      
Your donations now will help send a powerful message to the women of Kenya that they are not alone.

To donate, you can send a check to:

The Pangea Network
P.O. Box 9823
The Woodlands, TX 77387

With my deepest appreciation,

Nicole Minor
Executive Director
The Pangea Network