Kenya (MNN) ― Kenya's peace talks broke off over the weekend without a deal, and there has been threat of more violence.
Negotiations hang on the new prime minister's post to be offered to opposition leader Raila Odinga in a power-sharing agreement with President Mwai Kibaki. Talks are slated to resume today, even though international pressure has been mounting to come to a quick deal.
Meanwhile, Kenya's opposition party has threatened a mass civil disobedience campaign if its demands aren't met. Earlier demonstrations often disintegrated into looting and tribal attacks and were harshly met by police.
CURE International says the instability has hurt their ministry and stifled their hospital work. Often the families of disabled children have difficulty providing care for their child. With safety becoming a major concern, no one can work, and the economy is in ruins. There's little enough money for food to eat, let alone medical treatment for the children.
Though the AIC-CURE Hospital remains open, CURE has been forced to cancel mobile clinics throughout Western Kenya. During the first three weeks of January, a total of 108 patients were scheduled for surgery; only 60 were able to make it to the hospital.
That has created a devastating domino effect on the financial stability for their hospital in Kijabe. With declining patients and increasing costs for fuel, food and medicines, CURE International's Dale Brantner says, "We are in need of $30,000 dollars (per month) that has been lost through the patient flow through that hospital, as well as the rising costs of fuel. A hospital that has been thriving has been compromised by this, so we have financial needs." (click here if you can help )
But Brantner says the spiritual impact has also been severe. A report from their spiritual ministry team in Kijabe brought disheartening news following an evangelistic meeting. "Of the 247 people that came to Christ, when they went back just two weeks ago, they only found 117 of them. 130 of those people were no longer in that area. The sad news of this is that a lot of these people were probably ones that were killed in the violence."
CURE International is praying for the safety and health of all those involved--the staff, their patients and the families. Pray, too for peace.
