Guest Post: “We Got Out of Kenya, But What About the People Who Live There?”

From the "How to Change the World Blog:
An account of an American Humanitarian who was in in Kenya when post-election rioting broke out.
At the bottom of the post she provides highlights of some of her Kenyan friends--and in doing so pointing out the important fact that, similar to my experiences in Africa, there are many, many citizens dedicated to improving the lot of their countrymen, often at significant financial loss and (esp. now in Kenya) risk...

But that’s just our story. It matters less than the stories of countless people who now must reshape their lives to the devastating changes they face in Kenya today.

Allow me to provide some examples.

First, there’s Carol, a willowy, confident young woman who serves as an interpreter for her extended family, many whom have been afflicted by congenital blindness and deafness. She uses a sign language that has evolved over generations, and with it she helps her siblings run a home-based knitting business that produces sweaters, hats, and other clothing items for babies and children. Carol planned to enter university in Nairobi this spring with the dream of studying special education. Her family’s sustenance, and her educational options will be affected by Kenya’s sudden plummet from stability, and these developments weigh heavily on her mind.

(..)

In a crisis like this, in a country like Kenya, any small token of support can work wonders. Even if you don’t support Kenya with your wallet, support it in your heart. Think of the highly-educated, industrious people of Kenya, half of whom are twenty years of age or younger, and of the hopes, security, and actual prospects that they have lost in the last two weeks. Imagine yourself, or your child, in a similar situation, and ask yourself what you would do. And what you would want others to do to help you through this time.

Whether you send a prayer or a wish or an even more tangible form of support, put yourself in their shoes. Use the freedom that you have—so similar to that which the people of Kenya truly believed was theirs—to wish the people of Kenya the safety and strength to survive what is likely to be a very hard times ahead.
Ellen Petry Leanse
Menlo Park, California

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Here is another excellent article on the current state affairs in Keyna:




Kenya isn't Rwanda