BIBLE SOCIETY OF KENYA DISTRIBUTES BIBLES

TO INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AT KIRATHIMO CAMP ON 6TH MARCH 2008

 

It was both a great joy and a great challenge to see the hunger that people in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps have for the word of God! The Bible Society of Kenya staff visited Kirathimo IDPs camp in Limuru where they donated 86 copies of Bibles of assorted languages (English, Kiswahili and Gikuyu).  This was just a drop in the ocean! The need is far from being met. We left there with a stronger resolve to strengthen our efforts to avail more scriptures to those hungering and thirsting for the word of God as they seek ways to address and cope with the aftermath of the December 27th general Elections. (See photograph).

 

Kirathimo translated ‘Blessing’ is a Kenya Red Cross facility situated about 28 Km from Nairobi City Centre.  It was previously used by groups like the Maendeleo ya Wanawake as a camp where they had their activities like knitting, making ‘ciondos’ (baskets) etc.  It was started in the 1960s by the missionaries.

 

Following the political unrest after the general elections last year and the displacement of people from Burnt Forest, Molo, Kuresoi, Kericho, Narok, Kisumu, parts of Western Kenya, most of the displaced people have found a home in Kirathimo.  Currently it is being used to house more than 2000 people who include men, women and children, majority of them being women and children.

 

The Red Cross together with other humanitarian organizations e.g. United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) and well wishers help in distributing food, clothing, medicine and other humanitarian provisions provided by well wishers.

 

An informal school has been set up to cater for children from baby class to form four.  One can see small groupings of people by age including men and women who attend adult classes.  However, the teachers are volunteers who are not trained but who guide the children in a school setting.

 

There is also a clinic that is run by the (UNFPA) and provides medicine to the IDPs.  Serious cases are referred to Kijabe Hospital.

 

Cooking takes place at a central point while women and children sleep together and men sleep in different places thus making family life difficult.  There are many people who are traumatized by the events that led to them being IDPs i.e. loosing of property, livelihood and even deaths of their relatives.  The Red Cross has counselors who help in counseling with them.  However, many of them are young people who lack expertise in the field. 

 

Some of the IDPs are learned people e.g. a case of a medical doctor who had his own clinic in Eldoret and a pharmacy worth Kshs.1m which were all lost in the mayhem.  Such people can only rely on their knowledge.  The doctor has since been taken up by the Kenyatta National Hospital.  There also others who have different professions e.g. mechanics, Psychologists, drivers etc.

 

The population has been eased by setting up of overflow camps around the Limuru area:  Ndeiya, Ngecha, Word of Faith and Deliverance Church compound among others.  There are also many people who are living with families around the area.  A few boarding Academies have taken up children to learn and stay in the schools thus bringing down the numbers.  There are also some families who have opted to be rented for houses around rather than stay in the camp.  However, most of those who stay out still depend on the camps for daily provisions and as a result the distribution points have been moved to chiefs’ camps.

 

Bible Society of Kenya in partnership with churches and other Christian Humanitarian organizations has started a programme of soliciting for Bibles, Testaments and Portions and any other Christian materials for the IDPs.  BSK has also reduced costs of most of its Scriptures to facilitate the same.  It is in this regard that the visit was done to assess the need while at the same time distributing the scriptures from the Bible Society and other well wishers.  We noted that:

 

  1. There is a desperate need for the Word of God in the camp.  The experience was that of people literally scrambling for Bibles. 

 

  1. There is a serious need for evangelism; the people especially in the Kirathimo centre are very bitter, angry and full of revenge.  The experience was that of a group of men seated in a group saying it does not matter how long but they will have to revenge.

 

BSK staff donated 86 copies of Bibles of assorted languages (English, Kiswahili and Gikuyu).  However, the need is far from being met.

 

We also visited one of the overflow camps, Word of Faith.  Here things are a little different.  People sleep in small tents set outside the church.  Speaking to Pastor Peter Mbugua we gathered the following:

 

♣       There are more than 725 people (about 172 families) housed within the compound.

♣       There are about 42 families who have checked out and have been rented for houses outside the camp. 

♣       The church has set up a committee that takes care of the IDPs.  They also help to raise funds from well wishers to help in renting out houses for the IDPs. 

♣       There are also a few families who have opted to return to their homes.

♣       The central point for receiving donations has been Kirathimo though they are not enough

♣       There are programmes that the church has set for the IDPs:

"  7.00 – 8.30 am                      -  morning glory ( A devotional Program)

"  1.00 – 2.00 pm                      -  Lunch hour meeting

"  3.00 pm                                  -  Prayer meeting

"  Discipleship classes             -  every morning for 30 minutes.

 

Pastor Mungai acts as the camp chaplain but also invites other pastors to speak to the IDPs.  Counseling sessions are also organized for the traumatized ones.  Many people have given their lives to Jesus.

♣       There is an informal school for school going children who have since received text books from well wishers.

 

The General Secretary shared the plan of the Bible Society of Kenya to give bibles to the IDPs, in partnership with churches and well wishers.  It was established that the IDPs had received the New Testaments from the Gideon’s through Kenyatta University.  However, the need for full family Bibles was underscored.  There is also an urgent need for Swahili and Gikuyu Bibles since many of the people came from places with mixed tribes so Kiswahili was the most spoken languages. 

 

The experience was breathtaking and we can only pray that things get better faster and that Kenyans can experience peace again.

We give thanks to God for the help that many have given the IDPs and for the relief that the Lord is bring to them amidst a very difficult situation.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Elizabeth W, Muriuki

General Secretary