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Kenya’s political crisis has led to shocking violence and the displacement of some 300,000 people, mainly in Western Kenya and the slums around Nairobi. At least 900 people have been killed in ethnic violence and clashes with the security forces.  There are reports of more than 30 deaths and hundreds of homes being burnt over the past weekend.

Kenya is host to some 270,000 refugees, nearly 200,000 of whom are from Somalia.  As a country Kenya has been fairly stable politically, and therefore the latest descent into violence is a worrying development.  For Kenyan children, particularly those in the areas affected by the violence, this is a frightening time.

Displacement brings with it a whole host of threats to children’s health and protection. Children have not been protected from ethnically-motivated attacks -- for example, some 40% of burn victims are children. At the same time, displacement and community violence can also lead to children being separated from their families, at risk of abuse, trafficking, abduction and exploitation.  

Mercy fled her home in the violence that followed the national elections, and she now lives at the showground in Nakuru.  She tells her story below:

 

Dreams put on hold

Mercy Njeri’s smile lights up the gloomy stadium in Nakuru showground. She is 13 years old and she now lives in the showground with thousands of others. Her and her family are part of tens of thousands of people who have been displaced after unrest followed the national elections in Kenya.

Two days ago Mercy arrived at the showground; she has five brothers and four sisters. Not all of them made it to the camp. One brother is in another camp in Nanyuki and another still is in Eldoret.

“They did not know when we would get here so they went there instead. I know many people from our village in this camp. All my friends and my teachers left our village,” Mercy mentions with a sorrowful look on her face.

Her village lies in one of the areas worst affected by the tribal violence in a district called Burnt Forest. “When the fighting came we left our house, we went and stayed in the church. There were so many people in the church all hiding from the fighting. I was very frightened. We stayed there for a few days before we travelled here to Nakuru. Our house was burnt to ashes and we only have what we could take with us,” Mercy said.

The rain starts to fall on the showground and the sounds of frantic families moving into tents or under tarpaulins echoes in the stadium seats. “I miss my schools, I like to study. My favourite subjects are Kiswahili and science. When I am older I want to be a doctor. I don’t mind staying here if I could study. I don’t care where I am as long as I can go to school,” explains Mercy, as she looks over the showground and the thousands of people gathered within.

 

Help us help the children and families in Kenya - donate now:

• Donate online
• Download a donation form [Adobe PDF, 63 Kb] and post it or fax it to us, or
• Call our toll free number 1800 76 00 11 and donate over the phone.

 

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