Kenya (MNN) — Kenya's
new coalition government is being put to the test.
A power-sharing
deal signed in February put an end to the riots, which were triggered by
allegations of a stolen presidential election.
President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga finally came to
an agreement gave Odinga the prime minister's post.
The newest challenge to the stability comes in
the form of resettling the thousands displaced during deadly election violence
that began in December and finally ended months later.
Dotun Modupe (doh-toon moh-doopay) with Bright Hope
International says while he can confidently
say the violence is at an end, there's still a lot to do. "Bright Hope is working with all those
who have lost their homes, who had been displaced. We did a lot of things
during the crisis and after the crisis: food distribution, helping with
medical, continuing helping the children, continuing helping those who are
displaced to find a place to live
temporarily until we resettle them back to where they were."
There are
concerns that the surface calm masks a deeper ethnic division that could once
again flare into tribal violence.
However, for
Bright Hope, it's an opportunity to shine. "Outreach Community Church,
which is Bright Hope's partner, has all the different tribes in their churches.
So they're trying to bring all these people together, reconciling them,
saying, 'Look, you may come from the Luo tribe, you may come from the Kikuyu
tribe, but we're all Kenyans, and above all, we're all Christians in this
church. We are all children of God.'"
Bright Hope works in the slums and among
the people most affected by the violence and displacement. Aside
from helping to rebuild lost homes, they are helping restore
infrastructure. For some areas, schools
are available for the children, but many families can't afford tuition,
uniforms and supplies.
The Sponsorship Program for
Refugee Children in Nairobi, Kenya is only two years old, but it is aimed at
encouraging children to attend and to thrive in school. Funding
for this project will fund schooling for children, help the families with basic
needs, and motivate and encourage the children and their parents. Click here for more information on what else Bright Hope is doing in Kenya.
