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KIBERA
MIRRORISSUE 6: JANUARY 2012 www.hopetoshine.org
ICC Ruling: Is it the
end of poll violence?
Soweto demolitionsWho is saying the truth?
Turn to page 3
By the Mirror TeamAdditional reporting by David
Otieno
When Justice Ekaterina Trendafilova read
the much awaited ruling on Jan. 23, 2012,
committing Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto,
Francis Muthaura and Joshua Arap Sang to
trial for crimes against humanity, the decision
not only changed the murky Kenyan political
arena but also opened up old wounds among
Kenyans. Apart from bringing to trial the head
of the public service, and two leading candi-
dates for the presidencyone being a sittingdeputy prime ministerthe ruling made at pre-
trial Chamber 2 at the International CriminalCourt also brought some sense of both hope
and fear in the areas mostly affected by the
post-election violence of 2007.Kibera, which witnessed some of the
worst incidents during the post-election vio-
lence, maintained a relative calm through the
ICC announcement. Most residents welcomedthe ruling, calling it a positive development,
since the government had failed to persecute theperpetrators of the violence. Some did not like
the idea, because it reminded them of 2007.
Nairobi experienced a lot of violence and
Kibera was the epicentre of it, Priscilla Nyokabi,
executive director of Kituo Cha Sheria, said. Itwill be so bad if Kibera is not made to feel a sense
of justice. Other observers say that becauseevents in Kibera and Kisumu have been omitted in
the ruling, victims in those places have effectively
been silenced.Scores in the slum followed the proceedings
on radio and television. The streets were virtuallythroughout the morning and part of the afternoon
during the day the ruling was supposed to bemade. Residents chose to remain indoors though
later small groups of people could be seen dis-
cussing the outcome. Being an election year, most
of them could only wish for peace. They dontwish to see what they saw during the violence.Lillian Adhiambo, a mother of five who
lives in the Gatwekera area and witnessed the
violence welcomed the verdict even though it wasa reminder of what she saw in 2007. I ran away
and sought refuge at the showground, as it was too
dangerous to live here at that time, she said.
And even until now my chest has a problem
from the teargas that I inhaled and to date thegovernment has not shown any commitment in
dealing with the culprits of the violence.Following the ruling there have been calls to
have the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta
and Head of Civil Service Ambassador Francis
Muthaura resign from Government from all cor-
ners of the country as questions mount on thelegality of Kenyatta and Rutos presidential can-
didacy. Attorney General Githu Muigai in a pressconference, however, said that they will continue
holding their offices for the time being.
Even as the ICC process produces a new
twist each day like a Mexican soap opera, onegroup of people has been completely ignored
the victims of the post-election violence. There is
also the question as to whether this is the end of
politically instigated violence which become thenorm since the first multiparty elections held in
1992. Five years after the violence, thousands are
CONTINUED ON LAST PAGE
How do you like your coffee?We have the answersTom Mboyastreet
Opposite
KTDA
U.S ambassador Scott Gration cuts the ribbon to officially open the new Shining Hope for Communities water
tower to the residents of Kibera on Jan. 6 . With him is (from left) SHOFCO President Kennedy Odede, New-
man's Own foundation PresidentRobert Forester and SHOFCO Chief of operations Jessica Posner. The 100,000
litres water tower is the single largest source of clean water in Kibera. [photo: Jake Whipple]
Kibera School
for Girls begins
expansionBy David Otieno
Girls in Kibera slums have a new reason to
smile after the slums only tuition free girls schoolmoved to bigger premises as part of its expansion
strategy. The move will increase accessibility to
quality education for young girls.The ceremony marking the official opening of
the new Kibera School for Girls building and the
Shining Hope water tower took place on Jan. 6,
2012. It was attended by the American Ambassador
Scott Gration, his wife Judy, and the president of
the Newmans Own Foundation, Robert ForresterGuests at the opening included the local com-
munity, leaders, representatives from other NGOs
and the press. They were treated to an array of tal-
ent from the girls through dances, poems and plays,
as well as inspiring remarks from Shining Hope
founders, Jessica Posner and Kennedy Odede. Am-
bassador Gration, Bob Forrester and Margaret Pa-tricelli, the Chair of the Shining Hope Board ofDirectors also spoke. One parent who spoke
through an interpreter could not hide her joy when
she narrated how her child had inspired her since
joining the school in 2010.
I cannot speak English myself, but I get in-
spired every time I hear my seven-year-old girl
speak it like she was born with it in her mouth, she
said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO
POLLS : Slum residents cautiously optimistic with memories of 2007 still haunting them.
It is our utmost desirethat the decisions issued
by this Chamber today,
bring peace to the peopleof the Republic of
Kenya.Ekaterina Trendafilova
ICC Judge
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Government should rise tothe occasion and deal with
the violence of 2007 .
The confirmation cases at the
International criminal court that com-
mited deputy prime minister Uhuru
Kenyatta, Head of Civil service Francis
Muthaura, William Ruto and Joshua
Arap Sang to trials for crimes against
humanity is a clear example of how the
government has failed to show com-
mitment in prosecuting the perpetra-
tors of the post election violence of
2007.
Even as the saga takes a new twist
everyday the victims of the violence
seem to be completely forgotten as the
debate has shifted as to whether Uhuru
and Ruto should run while thousands
still languish in IDP camps as others
still nurse the woulds they suffered
during the violence.
We should be ashamed of our-
selves for forgetting so fast and con-
centrating on an upcoming election
when we have not sorted issues that
arose from the previous one.
Editor
Vincent Achuka
Photos
John Kiarie, Jake Whipple, KizitoNadebu, Michael Wesonga
Writers
Kizito Nadebu, David Otieno,Joshua Omoke, Paul Owino,
Andrew Otemba,
Michael Wesonga
Technical assistance
Dan Whipple& Kathy Bogan
KIBERA
MIRROROPINION
Write to us on [email protected] or
follow us on www.facebook.com/kiberamirror
Why there is no progress
in the fight against sex-
ual offences
One of the major steps taken to stamp out
sexual offences gender based violence by the
government is passing the sexual offences act
brought by then nominated M.P Njoki
Ndungu. This was a major step to reducing
these cases although there still exists several
challenges especially in the slums where the
cases are prevalent as there lacks co-ordination to oversee the implementation of
the act.
Policing is virtually inexistent in the
slums providing an avenue to perpetrators to
commit these acts and people will tell you that
most of the cases go unreported. For instance
no single police station exists inside Kibera
slum even though close to one million people
live there. The nearest one is Kilimani police
station that is kilometres away. Finally there is
lack of knowledge and government failure to
lay proper strategies to sensitize citizens on the
benefits of the sexual offence act.
By Paul Owino, Nairobi
Picture thisA man walks into a bank in Nairobi and
asks for the loan officer. He tells the loan offi-
cer that he is going abroad on business for
four weeks and needs to borrow 5,000.
The bank officer tells him that the bank
will need some form of security for the loan,
and so the man hands over the keys of a Mer-
cedes Benz S class 500 parked on the street in
front of the bank.
The banks president and its officers all
enjoy a good laugh at the man for using a
KSH 15 Million Mercedes Benz as collateral
against a KSH 5,000 loan.
Four weeks later, the man returns, re-
pays the KSH 5,000 and the interest, which
comes to KSH 150.41.The loan officer asks
him says, Sir, we are very happy to have hadyour business, and this transaction has worked
out very nicely but we are a little puzzled.
While you were away, we checked you out andfound that you are a multi millionaire. What
puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow
KSH 5,000?
The man replies: Where else in Nairobi
can I park my car for four weeks for only KSH
150.41 and expect it to be there when I re-
turn?
By Joshua Omoke, Nairobi
Self-confidence 101- Your success
highly depends on it
When you focus toomuch on what youwant, the mindWill Create reasonswhy you cant haveit.
Andrew Otemba
Self-confidence is the differ-
ence between feeling unstoppable
and feeling scared out of yourwits. To young people this is
commonly referred to as swag.How you perceive yourself has
an impact on how others perceive
you. Perception is reality - the
more confident you are, the more
likely it is youll succeed.
There are a number of things you
can consciously do to build self-
confidence. By using these
strategies you can get the mental
edge you need to reach your
potential.1. Dress Sharp
Clothes can affect the way
you feel about yourself. When
you dont look good, it changes
the way you carry yourself. This
doesnt mean you must spend a
lot on clothes. One rule is spend
twice as much, buy half as
much. Rather than buying a
bunch of cheap clothes, buy half
as many select, high quality
items. In long run this decreases
spending because expensive
clothes wear out less easily and
stay in style longer.
2. Walk Faster
One of the easiest ways to
tell how a person feels aboutherself is to examine her walk. Is
it slow and tired or is it energetic
and purposeful? Confident peo-
ple have places to go, people to
see, work to do. Even if you
arenot in a hurry, add some pep
in your step.
3. Have Good Posture
Similarly, the way a person
carries herself tells a story. Peo- ple with slumped shoulders and
lethargic movements display a
lack of self-confidence. They are
unenthusiastic about what they
are doing and they dont con-
sider themselves important. By
practicing good posture, youll
automatically feel more confi-
dent. Stand up straight, keep
your head up, and make eye
contact.
4. Practice GratitudeWhen you focus too much on
what you want, the mind creates
reasons why you cant have it.This leads you to dwell on your
weaknesses. The best way toavoid this is consciously focus-
ing on gratitude. Set aside time
each day to mentally list every-
thing you have to be grateful for.
5.Make a Personal Commer-
cial
One of the best ways to build
confidence is listening to a moti-
vational speech. Unfortunately,
opportunities to listen to a
speaker are rare. You can fill this
need by creating a personal com-
mercial. Write a 30-60 second
speech that highlights yourstrengths and goals.
6. Compliment other people
When we think negatively
about ourselves, we often project
that feeling on to others in the
form of insults and gossip. To
break this cycle of negativity, get
in the habit of praising other
people. Refuse to engage in
backstabbing gossip and make
an effort to compliment those
around you. In the process, you
will become well liked and build
self-confidence.
7. Speak up
During group discussions
many people never speak up
because theyre afraid that peo-
ple will judge them for saying
something stupid. This fear isnt
justified. People are more ac-
cepting than we imagine. By
making an effort to speak up atleast once in every group discus-
sion, youll become a better public speaker, more confident
in your own thoughts, and recog-
nized as a leader by your peers.
8. Work out
Physical fitness has an effect
on self-confidence. If youre out
of shape, youll feel insecure,
unattractive, and less energetic.
By working out, you improve
your physical appearance, ener-gize yourself, and accomplish
something positive.
9. Focus on contribution
Too often we get caught up in
our own desires. If you stop
thinking about yourself and con-
centrate on the contribution
youre making to the rest of the
world, you wont worry as much
about you own flaws.
From page one
Kibera School for Girls
begins expansionU.S Ambassador Gration reiterated the com-
mitment of his government to combat poverty and
disease in Africa. He cited the large number of chil-
dren that die every day from preventable diseases
like cholera. More assistance is needed, he said.
Currently the U.S is the largest donor of funds in
the fight against AIDS in Kenya.The school, which opened in 2009, was origi-
nally located in a building that had only eight class-
rooms, built with the help of community members.
The new school has a total of 22 classrooms. It is
better furnished. Enrollment was increased from 64
to 100 students at the beginning of the year.
Also speaking during the occasion RobertForrester, president of Newman's Own Foundation,
commended the efforts Shining Hope for Commu-
nities in solving the complex problems of Kibera.
"Shining Hope for Communities is a greatexample of an organization working within the
community to effect change. He said. Founded by the late actor and philanthropist
Paul Newman, the foundation has been a major
donor to the school's umbrella organization, Shining
Hope for Communities, since 2010.Besides the school, Newman's Own funding
has gone toward health and sanitation services, and
skill training provided to the people of Kibera
through its Johanna Justin-Jinich Community Clinic
and the Shining Hope Community Center. The
100,000 litre water tower, built in a partnership with
Safe Water Network, was also opened. It is now the
single largest source of clean water in Kibera. The
Kibera Mirror is also a project sponsored by Shin-
ing Hope for Communities.
Pic speak
One boys trash is another dogs food as this boy soon
found out when a hungry mongrel came from nowhere
and chased him from trash that he had just dumped on
this huge dumpsite at Gatwekera in Kibera
[Photo: Jake Whipple]
Who wants sausages? Well, this boy surely wanted some as
caught through our lenses on a school day. Either out of igno-
rance or extreme poverty it is common to see children of
school going age loitering around although basic education is
offered for free by the Government. [Photo: John Kiarie]
Hairdresser Mary Anyango doing what she does best,
plaiting at her roadside salon [Photo: Kizito Nadebu]
KIBERA MIRROR ISSUE 6: PAGE 2
The writer is an emergency program assistant for Film
Aid based in Daadab
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KIBERA MIRROR ISSUE 6: PAGE 3ONE ON ONENE ON ONE Anthony KimaniAnthony KimaniAnthony KimaniAt just 21, he was appointed captain of
Mathare united and during that season they clinched
the Kenya premier league title. Today Anthony
Kimani is fast becoming a household name in the
Kenyan football circles and has been capped 9
times by the National team Harambee stars. Kibera
Mirror caught up with him at the Goan institute
grounds in Pangani where his team was having a
practice session in preparation for the upcoming
2012 Kenya premier league season and had a one
on one with him.
We have been told you are known as Modo
Ha-ha, I think they abbreviated it from Kimani.
Before I joined Mathare united there was a player
before me called Alex Kimani and when he left for
the U.S. they called me Modo, just as they used to
call him and it stuck.
Who is Alex Kimani?
Kimani is someone from a humble background. I
grew up between Kariobangi and Korogocho slums.I attended our lady of Fatima primary school my
friends introduced me to Mathare youth sports asso-
ciation (MYSA). I started playing soccer at a tender
age of 8. I have never looked back and I dont re-
gret the decision. During that time one of my
friends had a chance to fly to Norway courtesy of
football. This made me realize how football can
take you places and I became more serious. In
1999, I also had my chance of going to Norway andwhen I saw how soccer can change your life I de-
cided to become a professional footballer.
What does it entail to be a captain of a team
playing top flight soccer?
Basically it is to give direction to the team both on
and off the pitch. I help to solve the players griev-ances and also as captain you have to give motiva-
tion to the team even when things are not going
according to plan. For instance if you are losing, thecaptain should be a believer until the final whistle is
blown.
You play for the National team Harambee stars.
How do you feel everytime you put on the Ken-
yan jersey?
I can tell you Its the best feeling ever for sports
man. Putting on the colours of our National Flag is
the biggest privilege I have ever heard. Every time I
am in the stadium and I hear the National Anthem
being played I feel some tears coming. Maybe it is
just me but I know each player feels that way.
Dou you suffer from fright whenever you enter a
packed stadium?
The first time I played for Kenya was against
Guinea at the Nyayo Stadium. The coach told me to
man Forreman Sare who is playing the French
league. He has exposure and I had just come fromthe premier league. The butterflies have to be there
but you need to be confident and believe in God as
He cant let you down during such moments.
Even the captain Dennis Oliech will inform
when he steps on the pitch he feels jittery
and afterwards he copes.
We have also seen Oliech's brother Kevin
and the guy with a red car, Jamal Mo-
hamed. How do you feel playing alongside
players like them?
It is both an honour and privilege. I used to
play with Jamal some time back and I cansay he is very talented. Infact he is one of
the best midfielders Kenya has ever pro-duced. An since he has been a professional
player abroad he brings new skills to the
team and each time you play with him you
wont miss learning one or two things.
Mathare united last won the premier
league in 2008 and last season you fin-
ished in the 12th
position. How do you see
yourself performing this coming season?
Last year funny enough even though we
finished in the 12th position, we performed
very well. We lost very few games, four orfive. We had very solid defending as most of
our games ended up in draws. The only thing
we were lacking is finding the net but the
coach has brought in new offending players
like Jamal. He is a very creative guy and I
believe he will help us in pushing the ball
forward so this time round we will scoreseveral goals.
Kenya is not in the current African cup of
nations and it is a big shame considering
the quality of talent that the Harambee
stars have in their squad. Funny enough
Uganda even beats us nowadays. Where is
the problem?
The problem is lack of seriousness in the
organization of the team. You find the team
being assembled just a week before a crucial
game. Like in the guinea Bissau game, the
game was supposed to be on Saturday but we
travelled on Thursday and since there were
many stop overs we arrived on the morning
of the game day at 5 am in the morning and
we still had to acclimatize ourselves with the
climate and practice before the game. It was
very tricky so in future if we can avoid suchthings our game will improve.
Speaking of the African cup of nations which
team do you think will win?
Ghana
Is it because you support it or you think it will
win?
I support the Ivory Coast, they have several stars in
the squad but they lack team work. I think Ghana
will go all the way.
Back to Kenya. The Kenyan premier league has
over the past few years improved greatly since
super sport came in. however most people still
identify themselves with the English premier
league. What can be done to grow i t further?
It starts with you and me. We first need to change
our attitude towards local football and appreciate
our talent. The fact is it would take time, even greatteams like Manchester united started somewhere. If
Kenyans start supporting local football you can besure it will grow. Look at the music industry for
example, local artists were the first ones to go pro-
fessional and football has followed suit.
The football scene in Kenya has been charactisedby wrangles in the past and since the elections
last year that made Sam Nyamweya the Presi-
dent, we have not seen any changes. Do you
think KFF is serious?
Change does not come like express coffee. Let us
give them time and give them all the support. If we
want to judge them we can do that in future.
Who is your role model internationally?
Fabio Canavarho. I am a defender like him and his
skills are amazing. I have learnt a lot from him.
What are your aspirations as a player?
To break ranks, I have been playing in the KPL forsome years now and its time I look for other chal-
lenges. I would be happy to play in Europe
Do you have a dream team?
Currently I am looking for stepping stones but my
dream is real Madrid. If I wake up tomorrow andfind myself in Spain alongside Christiano Ronaldo I
would be very happy.
Off the pitch what else do you do?
I have a shop in town that I run and I also go to thegym in the evenings. I have also done some web
designing so hopefully if my career ends I will not
miss something to do.
To those young kids who want to be like you.
What advice can you give them
First discipline is paramount; there are no two waysabout that. 2nd you have to believe in yourself and
work hard. And also put God above everything you
do, you wont fail
Mathare United Captain and Harambee Stars defender Anthony Kimani Modostretches his muscles during a practice session at The Goan Institute on January23. He believes that with more support local football can grow to European
standards. [Photo: Kizito Nadebu]
By Kizito NadebuTwo weeks after the govern-
ment moved to demolish houses at
Soweto in Kibera, it is still unclear
what was the motive behind the early
morning incidents that left thousands
homeless. A government bulldozer
plowed its way into the slum amidst
tight security from the police after
the expiry of a five-day notice issued
by the city council.Families were left homeless
wondering what to do following the
ruling on the court injunction about
the disputed piece of land that had
provided them temporary immunity
for some years. Desperate mothers
struggled to salvage what they could
from their houses. They were joined
by men who tried to carry away theiron sheets and other building mate-
rials that they managed to salvage.There have been conflicting
reports on the legality of the demoli-
tions. The government insists that
the demolitions were necessary to
pave the way for new buildings un-
der the slum upgrading program and
that the people supposed to live there
were relocated to Otiende Estate next
to Langata. The government part-
nered with the United Nations to
construct 600 units in phase one of
the program and so those living there
were doing so illegally.One of the supervisors in charge
of the new apartments who did not
want his identity disclosedonly the
Ministry of Housing may officiallyspeak to the pressinsists that all the
people from the disputed area were
relocated to the new apartments and
those living there came from other
slums. An identification process was
done and after the first relocation. I
can confirm no single person re-
mained in those houses but at some
stage politics and what you are seeing
now is a result of the political med-
dling, he said.
He further insists that since it isa community development project,
consultations were made involving all
the stakeholders, including the reset-
tlement executive committee and the
UN-Habitat. We informed them
before vacating the houses on the
dos and donts, the rent to be paid
and all issues regarding the improve-
ment of the living standards through
decent housing, he said.Everything was discussed ex-
tensively and nobody should claim
the governments decision to demol-
ish the shanties was wrong. There
was a protocol followed in which
workshops were conducted and the
residents were given questionnaires tofill and were asked if they were for
the demolitions. Some were undecided
but when it came to being resettled at
Promised Land they all moved out. The
residents are buying mortgages through
co-operative societies to enable them
own houses in future, he added.He further added that in the new
apartments the residents only pay 1000
shillings per month as rent and at
Soweto they were paying between 700
and 1000 shillings.
However scores of affected resi-dents insist that the new houses con-
structed by the government were notenough and some people were left be-
hind with a promise that the issue would be addressed, leading to a fierce court
battle between them and the government
that climaxed with them being thrown
out.Mercy Mwende is one such resi-
dent. When people were moved to the
new houses, it was realized that the
houses were not enough and others re-
turned including me. Furthermore it is
tough living in the new houses as three
families stay in one unit. How do you
survive in such conditions? The govern-
ment has just shown it doesnt care
about the poor. The people who ordered
this are right now in their expensive
bungalows when I have nowhere to gowith my 4 children, she explains bit-
terly.
Thousands still homeless amidst conflicting
statements on the Soweto demolition
Residents try to salvage their property as a Government Bulldozer
demolishes more houses in Soweto on Jan 5. [Photo: Vincent Achuka]
/kiberamirror
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TheKibera Mirroris published and distributed monthly for free by Shining Hope For Communities as part of its programs aimed at empowering the youth throughdeveloping their media skills and also to bring attention to the issues affecting the residents of Kibera and other informal settlements. Correspondence should be
addressed to [email protected], You can also visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kiberamirror for news updates, photos and videos .
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KIBERA MIRROR ISSUE 6: PAGE 4
Children's home
grown on faith
Six years ago Mr. Joshua Mbithi, a
minister in the Africa Inland Church, and his
spouse Miriam Mbithi had just retired from
20 years of service in a childrens home in
Eldoret. They didnt know what lay ahead
for them.As Mr. Mbithi puts it, Simply and
plainly its a call from God. God led us to
start a home for HIV/ AIDS infected and
affected children. The couple presented a
proposal to the appropriate agencies to open
a group home in Elgon View Estate off Old
Nairobi Road. In an interview, Mr. Mbithi
says he had to answer many questions about
the home. But the most fundamental waswhether he was prepared to bury the chil-
dren.The panelists believed at the time that
children afflicted with AIDS were bound to
succumb to the disease.Yes, Mr. Mbithi answered, he was
prepared to bury the children. He believed
God would grant them grace to go through
the pain of death.
A second question was how the homewas to be funded. His answer: We pray and
believe in God for provisions.
On 30th April 2005, they opened the
doors of the Neema Childrens Home intheir six-bedroom house to four-year-old
Bruce Nzioka. Bruce has since been
adopted, but the home continues to thrive.Today, the home has of 42 children,
the oldest 14 years and the youngest only amonth. Twenty-eight are girls and 14 are
boys. Neema can accommodate as many as
50 children. There is a permanent staff of
12, and eight additional casual workers who
fill in when necessary.
Only two deaths so far
Whereas 32 of the orphans are either
AIDS positive or exposed, 15 of them are on
antiretroviral therapy (ARVs). By the time
the children were ready to occupy a new four-
year-old facility within his compoundbuilt
in 2007the Mbithis had housed 17 children
in their house for two years.
The home has recorded only two deaths.Caring for these children isnt easy. A
few minutes before our interview Mbithi had
rushed a sick boy to hospital. Whenever a
child is sick, Miriam medically monitors thepatient. If the situation worsens, they take the
child to a doctor for further diagnosis.This is basically where we work be-
cause it keeps us on our toes, day and night
Mbithi says.Most of the children come from the
Academic Model for Providing Access to
Health Care (AMPATH) Eldoret.When children are abandoned and end
up at AMPATH, the social workers there
develop a case history for the child and there-
after contact the District Childrens Officer,
who in turn contacts the home for approval,
or at the same time liaising with the chil-
drens magistrates.The process usually takes a week, and
the transfers are made on Thursdays.
It costs over Shs400,000 every month to
pay utility bills, salaries, food and so on.Three years ago they began a school within
the compound. The school runs from nurseryto class eight with 78 pupils, 33 from the
home and the rest from the neighborhood. The schools stu-
dents are sitting their first Kenya Certificate for Primary Edu-
cation (KCPE) this year.When the children get to secondary school, the home
will look for a high school in the vicinity.
A noble ministry
It is a noble ministry that gives joy and also tears.
Though they get tired, spiritual strength keeps them going.Mbithi remembers how hopeless, now six years old,
Sharons case was. She was never to live, he says, she was
so badly off.
But today she is a vibrant healthy girl who stands up tall.
Another case is that of Seth Sawe who was brought tothe home a month old, weighing only one kilogram. Meithei's
daughter Esther removed the clothes from one of her small
dolls clothes fitted Sawe, but they still hung loosely on him.The homes neighbors have been generous. One family
has regularly given the home five trays of eggs every two
weeks and 600 pieces of queen cakes in every two months.
Another family gives 20 loaves of bread every week,
Mbithi says, The community is very supportive, they
encourage us, we dont feel like we are intruders or a threat to
them . God provides.
From page one
Is it the end of poll
violence as ICC
makes ruling?are still living in internally displaced
persons (IDP) camps across the country.
The organizers of the violence have not
been held accountable. When delivering
the ruling ICC Pre-trial chamber 2 presid-
ing judge Ekaterina Trendafilova said she
hoped it would bring peace to the country.It is our utmost desire that the deci-
sions issued by this chamber today, bring
peace to the people of the Republic of
Kenya, she said.Some of the people interviewed by
the Kibera Mirror in Kibera said the ac-
quittal of former police boss Hussein Ali brings a general feeling that the police
have been absolved of any wrongdoingeven when most of the killings that took
place in Kibera and Kisumu were carried
out by them. According to Sam Nyaisura,
he is happy on the developments at the
Hague and the acquittal of Ali is not an
issue although the police should be held
accountable.I was here in 2007 and even wit-
nessed the uprooting of the railway and
everyone knows that the police who camehere shot a lot of people, he adds.
Kibera and Kisumu experienced
some of the most brutal attacks in theviolence that followed the December
2007 presidential election. The Commis-sion of Inquiry into the Post-Election
Violence, set up in February 2008 to in-
vestigate the violence found that, overall,
the police killed 405 of a total of 1,100
people who died during the violence, and
injured a further 557. The vast majority of
these killings by police are thought to
have occurred in Kibera and Kisumu.However ICC prosecutor Moreno
Ocampo reiterated that even though he
would not be filing an appeal, he is going
to conduct a fresh round of investigations
into the cases against Ali and Kosgey.
However it remains to be seen whetherthey would yield any results since the
crimes were committed five years ago or
whether for the first time in 20 years
Kenya would hold a fair election free of
violence.
Vibrant Sharon enjoying herself at the Children's
home during recess [photo: Michael Wesonga]
Like its name suggests Neema Children's home now
provides a safe haven for children living with HIV/AIDS even
though it was started without any source of funding
Simply and plainly its acall from God. God led us
to start a home for HIV/
AIDS infected and affected
children.Joshua Mbithi
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