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To: Superior General SVD
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 7:04 PM
Still going through a time of turmoil
Dear Father General,
Many thanks for your email in which you expressed your deep concerns and solidarity with the confreres and with the people of Kenya. Kenya is still going through a time of turmoil. Though violence has abated to a great extent, the displaced people are still to return to their places. The sporadic violence in some parts of the country makes people nervous and insecure. Various agencies, NGOs and the Church organizations are trying to help the displaced people with necessary things and councelling.
The SVD parishes in Nairobi are actively involved in collecting clothes and food items for these people. Anthony Amissah was sent to Kisumu by the Amani Councelling Centre to help some groups through councelling. Our confreres in Eldoret had to face a stressful situation when the violence broke out in the beginning of January. Though there are no people in the Church compound at present there are a few thousands of them very close to the parish. Martin Cingel, the parish priest of Eldoret, came to Nairobi by plane; the roads are still not fully safe to travel. The mediation efforts are yielding some positive results.
Damage has been done. the country has experienced unprecedented violence, riots and killing. Ethnic clashes are not new to Kenya and to Kenyans. But this time it spread like a fire to different parts of Kenya and was more brutal in nature. The whole country is divided on ethnic and tribal line. It is as if, there are very few Kenyans in Kenya today; the rest are Kikuyus, Luas, Luos, Kambas and the like. The wounds are deep, it will take a long time to heal. The scars will remain for a long time. No one won the election, the Kenyans have lost it. The Church leaders have not spoken in one voice, their voice is barely audible.
We hope and pray that things will get better in the days to come and they will be different as the people of Kenya wanted it when they voted in December. Say a prayer for Kenya. Thank you very much.
Fraternally in the Divine Word,
John Serrao svd
