Children bear brunt of Kenyan violence

8 January 2008: Children forced to flee their homes have spoken out about the terrible effect Kenyan violence has had on them.

Plan, the leading international children’s NGO, gave displaced children in the communities where it works the opportunity to tell their stories of how ethnic violence has ripped apart their lives.

Their stories show Kenya’s children are paying a dreadful price for the failure to find a solution to the country’s problems.

17 year-old Njihia, ran away from his family’s burning home with his brothers Mwangi, 13, and Kinyaua, 9. They are now in a refugee camp. Njihia said:

“That night I was going to the toilet when I saw so many people surrounding a house nearby. I ran to the house and informed Dad who took all of us to hide in the toilet. The invaders arrived and flattened all the houses in the village after looting everything. We came out after the police arrived. So many people had died.

“When we contacted our grandfather so that we could return, we were told his house was also burnt down and he ran away to an unknown place. So we cannot go home.”

Death threats

Rose, 13, fled after her father was sacked and members of the community ordered to leave their home town within 12 hours or be killed. Her family left everything, including money and documents and are now living in a camp for internally displaced people. She said:

“It is very hard for all of us even to get food or clothes as you have to fight for everything here at the camp. Dad has sent Mum to transport our household goods from home since the people there do not kill women.

“Many girls get married when things are hard like now but I will go back to school as soon as I get a place.”

Njenga, 10, said:

“I was out when I noticed some people with torches. I ran to the house. After a short while there were screams all over. We all ran out and I saw many houses burning. We went into the valley to hide.

“I cannot go to school now because the school was also burn down and we cannot return because members of our community were chased away. I have been reading at the camp and the teacher says I will make up for lost time when I get admitted to a new school.”

Plan action

Plan is stepping up its aid to children caught in the crisis and will deliver child kits containing warm clothing and educational materials to 10,000 homeless young people. It has already provided emergency aid to child refugees and their families in Kenyan and across the border in Uganda, including emergency food supplies, health centres and mental health support.

In total, more than 800 people have been killed and about 300,000 people have been forced from their homes since last month’s disputed elections. Violence has intensified in recent days with more than 100 people killed in the Rift Valley area since Friday.
 
Many more children are likely to join the tens of thousands already in refugee camps or sheltering from the violence in police stations churches and other public buildings.

Children forced from their homes are at increased risk of hunger, disease and abuse. Many have witnessed horrific scenes which are likely to damaging effects on their mental health.

Notes to editors

Plan International is a leading children’s NGO working in 49 developing countries to improve the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged young people. It spends almost $200,000,000 each year on programmes in 23 African countries. Plan works with more than 3,500,000 families each year throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Contact the Plan press office: +44 7500 066891

Web: www.plan-international.org/news/journalists/