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Kenya: "I lost everything in the violence" [Photo Share]
July 11, 2008
By Joanne Offer
Violet (left) has returned home after post-election violence in Kenya. Photo: Joanne Offer/The IRC |
| The IRC's Joanne Offer shared this photo and story from Kenya (see all of her posts here): Violet, 28 and a former IDP (internally displaced person) due to the post-election violence, has just returned home to Geta, near Kitale. However, ‘home’ is now a tent because her house was totally destroyed during the clashes. IRC is gathering local women’s groups together and giving them knitting and crochet materials, so they have a way to spend their time safely, together in one place. At the same time, we’re giving them information on preventing and reporting gender-based violence. It’s a sensitive subject, but women are slowly starting to talk about previous experiences, although they usually talk of a ‘friend’s’ experience rather than saying it’s something that’s happened to them personally. “I’m very happy to finally come home from Noigam camp. I’m not scared because it’s secure here – there’s a police station nearby and we have the army too. I’ve enjoyed sitting with my friends in the women’s group and also learning how to knit. It gives us something to do together. But the most important things now for my family are shelter during the bad weather, as well as getting general items for my house. I lost everything in the violence so we need help.” |
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