|
Help Provide Direct Relief to Children & Youth
Suffering from Recent Violence in Kenya |
Greetings!
NextAid is asking for your assistance in supporting relief and reconciliation efforts to our partner organization in Kenya. The Kawangware Street Children and Youth Project is a wonderful grassroots organization that has been working since 2002 to provide opportunities and support to orphaned and vulnerable children in the Kawangware slum of Nairobi. NextAid partnered with this project in 2007 to support their sustainable micro-enterprise operations. NextAid has selected Kawangware Street Youth to be our pilot project in a new program initiative to fund and support capacity building in small-scale youth-led development projects throughout Africa. We have long-term plans to help build a larger, safer and more efficient workshop facility and multipurpose building to house their environmentally-friendly bag making business and enable them to serve more vulnerable community children with the profits. We are excited about working with this inspiring group of youth for years to come, but right now Kawangware needs immediate assistance.
The politically charged ethnic violence that consumed Kenya following December's disputed presidential elections has devastated already vulnerable communities. It is estimated that over 1,500 people died and 600,000 were displaced during the months of turmoil. The violence has since calmed and the government has agreed to a power-sharing arrangement, but Kenya is facing a long process of healing and recovery. Augusto Githaiga, Chairman of the Kawangware Project tells us that their income generating projects were disrupted during the months of violence. January was a particularly difficult month as their area suffered from tribal violence. Augusto himself was injured by gangs with machetes and one of the project's own youth members was killed. The organization refocused their efforts during this time to assist displaced youth and initiate community reconciliation and conflict resolution dialogues. As children and their families are starting to return home, many find that they have lost everything due to looting or their dwellings being burned and destroyed. To add to the distress, food prices have become exorbitantly high from inflation and many farmers have lost crops and productivity during the turmoil. |
School age children are not able to return to school unless they have the proper uniform and supplies.
A donation of any amount can be specifically allocated towards any of the above mentioned need areas.