“A good mentor can change a youth’s direction in his/her life.” Said Ezekiel, 25 year-old, a 4th-year-student studying bachelor of commerce in Egerton University, also a mentor within Ripe For Harvest Nakuru Mentorship Program.

After joining the RFH Nakuru Mentorship Program in his university, Ezekiel, through Flamingo Primary School teachers’ help, found his two mentees– Richard, 14 year old, an orphanage child whose primary school fee is sponsored by a church, and Joshua, also 14 year old, the same grade (8) as Richard, a child of a single mother.

I would not leave my mentees after I graduate from university. Mentorship is a relation lasting for many years Said Ezekiel.

"I would not leave my mentees after I graduate from university. Mentorship is a relation lasting for many years." Said Ezekiel.

When asked about the reason why he chose these two mentees, Ezekiel said, “It is important to have some one to advise teenagers about what kind of persons they want to become in future. As their (my mentees’) parents were not able to do this, I hope I can help.”

It is not easy for the kids who have family trauma to give their trust to a stranger. “In the beginning, it was hard for my mentees to open up. So I played soccer and music with them. We also ate and danced together. Our mentorship program also held group discussions and games for all mentors and meentees and I found sometimes it is easier for children to open up in a group. I kept visiting them about two hours per week since September last year. After I feel the basic trust between us was built up gradually, I tried to add more conversations during our activities.”

About the content of the conversations between him and his mentees, Ezekiel said he usually talked about the importance of academics. “For myself, I learned the lesson that education is the most accessible way to make people’s life different especially if they come from a poor family. Therefore I encouraged my mentees to work hard and I sometimes tutor their studies.” His two mentess, after sharing his own experience, decided by themselves to repeat the last year in their primary school in order to gain a better academic performance for getting in secondary school.

Besides school, Ezkiel also communicated with his mentees about their social life. He listened to them about their relationship with schoolmates and advised them how to treat their peers, especially their female peers. “Richard is a good boy but sometimes he behaved beyond his wish. I therefore paid attention to assist him to control his emotion.”

“The most important thing for these two mentees, as I think, is to guide them to look at their lives in a positive aspect.” He continued, “I told them that recently I could not help them on their financial problem but I want them to be confident about their abilities to live their lives.”

He described his two-year experience of doing business in Nairobi before going to the university. “I shared this part of my experiences with my mentees that to do business, basic education is needed. However, if they unfortunately are not able to have college education, do not feel there is no hope. They can start their own business, as in this field, creativity and communication skills are more essential—it is proved by a lot of celebrate businessmen who did not get through higher education.” Said Ezekiel.

Ezikiel and His Mentee Joshua

Ezikiel and His Mentee Joshua

When he was asked about what benefit he obtained through this mentorship relationship, he said sincerely, “I learned a lot.”

“I reviewed myself when I was sharing my experiences with my mentees. I understand more about what I had been missed during my teenage and I hope I can catch up with improving myself.”

“Also, I hope through sharing my experiences, my mentees will not miss the same thing and make the same mistakes as I did. It will be the happiest moment for me to see their good changes.”

“More importantly, they let me realize that I want to empower myself so I can help them and others more in future. I want to start my own business after graduation in this December, so I will have financial ability to help them on their education or support them with job positions in the coming future.”

The question about what he plans to do about his mentorship relations with his mentees after graduation therefore was not needed. “Mentorship is a thing may last for ever and I hope this mentorship circulation could be continued by my mentees’ mentoring others.”

Ezekiel just confirmed my thought. To be honest, I was also mentored by him through this short conversation.

Ripe For Harvest Mentorship Program

Ripe For Harvest Mentorship Program

“Cluck cluck…”
“Wo Wo Woo~!”
“Moooooooo….”
“Baaa……”
“Hee Haw…”

Kakenyas younger sister Violet is cleaning the dishes on Sunday afternoon.

Kakenya's younger sister Violet is cleaning the dishes on Sunday afternoon.

I opened my eyes and tried to find my cell-phone around the pillow in the darkness.

6:15 a.m. The time blinked on my made-in-China-and-purchased-in-Kenya LG cellphone screen.

I turned my head to the other side, trying to continue my sleeping. But as there were more and more sounds joining, the morning melody became louder and louder:
“Bark Bark…” –From three puppies and three dogs.
“Dang Lang Dang Lang…”–From the cowbells in the farm.
“Shi la la la…”When the wind passed through the leafs.
“ @#$%&*!” People talked in Maisai.
…

The natural alarm would not allow me to have a snooze for five more minutes. I got up. The moment when I walked outside of the door, I was dizzied by exposing myself under the sudden bright sunlight.

This is the one that sings morning alarm on 6:00 a.m. sharp, EVERY DAY.

This is the one that sings morning alarm on 6:00 a.m. sharp, EVERY DAY.

Without clear consciousness, I poured out the context lenses on the soil from the container before remembering to wear them.

“Shit…” I sat down on the coach after greeting a rooster that was standing besides, using the solution to wash the context lenses and struggled to put them on.

Finally, I was able to confirm my symptom –I had a jet-leg by traveling only 6 hours on the car from Nairobi –the most advanced metropolitan in Africa to Enoosean—a totally countryside Maisai village on the south of Kenya.

It is such a big interesting contrast: The night before yesterday, I was dancing under the disco ball in the local club with all Indian Kenyan and Mozongus until 2:00 a.m. A bottle of water there costs me about 100 shillings. Last night, I ate dinner with the kerosene light after the only solar light slowly went off, brushed teeth under the twinkle stars while seeing the moving track of a satellite and went to bed on 9:30 p.m.–no electricity, no night life.

Baby goats--The important property in the rural.

Baby goats--The important property in the rural.

My experience of living a life without electricity was OK until the moment that I had to go to the squat-toilet during mid-night. That was the moment that I truly felt regret that I was not as prepared as my fellow Kate –I did not bring a headlight or even a torch with me. But I had to force myself to find a light resource before rushing to the toilet.

After realizing the screen light on my cell phone was too weak, I somehow touched my digital camera. While the LSD screen light accompanied with starlight was enough to guide me to find the toilet, it was not enough to help me see the little hole on the ground when I was in the purely dark toilet.

Without any other choice, I used the camera flash to light the toilet. After taking several pictures about the toilet hole, the rest of battery of my camera died.

…
“ Do you wanna a cup of Kenyan tea?” Kakenya’s voice pulled me back from my memory about the horrible night, “if you want, you can milk the cows at first and drink the tea with the most fresh milk.”
…
I knew she was kidding– before her family mixes the milk into tea, they will boil it at first and restore it in the container. I would love to go back to the countryside life that I experienced when I was young back to my hometown in China. However, before getting a torch, I decided not to take any food that may cause the problem of going to the toilet during mid-night.

James Muiruri, 15 years old, a student in class 8 and a mentee within Ripe For Harvest Eldoret Mentorship Program. He and his family (parents, sisters and brothers) recently are still living in the Lelmolok IDP Camp in Eldoret.

The chairman Charles Wakibia of RFH Mentorship Program was walking with his mentees.

The chairman Charles Wakibia of RFH Mentorship Program was walking with his mentees.

AP fellow Luna Liu interviewed James on 15th, July about his experiences during the 2007 post-election violence and his opinion about the RFH program. (Luna as L and James as J)

L: What happened to you post 2007 election?

J: On the night that the election result was declared, my parents’ house was burnt. My family lost almost all the animals and food, and I lost my books and uniforms.

L: How did this night and the whole turmoil impact you?

J: I realized that I need to study harder in order to help my parents in future as I saw most-uneducated people suffered most during the violence…Since we moved to the camp, I gained more awareness about basic hygienic. For example, I know we need to dig the drainage around our tent to reduce mosquitoes and malaria infection… I think I am better at time management than before as I have more things to do to help my parents, compared with the time when we were living in the house.

L: What are “more” things that you have to do since living in the tent?

J: Before digging a well nearby our tent recently, we had to walk three kilometers to fetch water for family use. I need to clean the toilet more often (as it was public shared) constantly maintain the space in our tent.

L: How do you think about the Ripe For Harvest Mentorship Program during your living in the IDP Camp?

J: The mentors brought us clothes. They also told me how to live my life in the tent. They also listened to our experience, when we almost lost everything and had no hope. Their visiting let me feel that I am not forgotten and I can seek help from others. My mentor sets up a good model for me—he is from a poor family and raised by his single mother, but now he is a (engineering) student in Moi University. From his experience, I knew the importance of hard working. He also taught me how to treat the local Kalenjins and now we are accepted by out Kalenjin neighbors.

L: How about your schoolmates? How did your Kalenjin schoolmates treat you post 2007 election violence?

J: Some of them said to me as “Kikuyu, go back to your own land!” But my Kalenjin friends in the school understood my situation and their attitude towards me did not change.

L: Besides your experience about the 2007 post-election violence, what else do you talk with your mentors?

J: We talked about the drug issue as some of my friends have this problem. We also talked about children trafficking as one of my close friends disappeared and we suspected that he was trafficked.

James Muiruri- A mentee in RFH Mentorship Program

L: What other activities did you do with your mentors?

J: We played soccer, jumping and volleyball. We also made jokes with each other. I am really happy to be with them.

L: What more do you think should be added to your mentorship program?

J: I wish to have more sports and academic tutoring. Also reading materials such as innovation books.

L: What things do you think should be done to prevent the same kind of trauma from happening again?

J: The fighting groups should be reconciled as I think. I am not comfortable with ICC (trial) as I think there will be more violence happening to us. A good governance is also needed.

This is Abby Onencan’s weekly life when we were staying with her.

Saturday 4th, July 2009
Drove an hour on the bumpy and dusty road to visit the St. Jerald Children Centre near Town Nanyuki as a special guest.

The students in St. Jerald were dancing within Christine ritual to welcome Abby’s participation in their new dormitory building opening.

Abby was giving a speech to encourage the students to become the persons that they want to be—most children in this center have been experienced severe family trauma.

Students were waiting for Abby to cut ribbon for their new dormitory opening.

Sunday 5th, July, 2009

Drove two hours to hold a picnic with the students and the Brothers in St. Joseph Poly-technique School in Worazo Village.

As essential supporters of St. Joseph Worazo Polytechnique School, Abby (left) and Monica (right) was planting a tree as foundation laying.

After picnic, students in Poly-technique school were dancing with their friends from another high school nearby.

Monday –Wednesday 6th -8th, July 2009
As a consultant on local development within the program founded by EU, conducted trainings for Community Development Assistants to equip the CDAs with the knowledge and skills to understand communities and apply the various methods of motivating them.

Group Picture: Abby(1st on the left) with CDAs of Municipal Nanyuki after three-day training—PS All of the CDAs are women

(Abby Onencan, a Global Advisor of Vital Voices, held a workshop for Community Development Assistants from 6th July 2009 to 8th July 2009 in Nanyuki, Kenya. During the break, the CDAs were singing and dancing. This workshop effectively motived the community facilitators to empower community menbers.)

（更多）

Thursday 9th, July 2009
Leaded the meeting to facilitate communication between community leaders in Nanyuki and the LASDAP Officer.

Abby was bridging communication gaps between councillors, community development facilitators, LASDAP officers, and local public in Municipal Nanyuki by her workshop series.

LASDAP officer Irungu was sharing the incoming challenges with local community leaders during the 4th day meeting.

Friday 10th, July 2009
Directed the final meeting with Nanyuki councillors a week after the Strategic Plan Workshop, brought the feedback of members in the community and assisted local authorities to produce the draft of Municipal Nanyuki Work Plan in preparation for the LASDAP process for 2010/2011.

Sent AP & VV fellows Luna Liu and Kate Cummings to Nakuru to continue reporting about the mentorship program within her NGO Ripe For Harvest.

Saturday, 11th July 2009
Finally, enjoyed free time with John—Abby’s 4 year-old son.

“My parents, my relatives and I are in suspense about the release of the Waki List—We are all afraid that we may suffer from attacks once again if the Kalenjin politicians’ names are mentioned on the Waki list or their convictions found.” Said a Kikuyu primary school student within the RiPe For Harvest Mentorship Program.

The men group in Eldoret IDP camp

The ICC trial may be not enough to erase the root of Kenyan 2007-2008 post election violence, as the controversy in terms of land property had existed among Kenyan tribes post colonial period due to the land-redistribution policy announced by the first president Kenyatta after national independence. While Kalenjins, the major tribe in Eldoret, believe that President Kenyatta, as a Kikuyu, migrated a huge population of his own tribe from the Central Province to the Rift Valley Province (also as “White Highland”), where the soil is more fertilized for farming; the Kikuyu men group that we interviewed in Eldoter IDP Camp told us the other side of the story.

“Maisai was the original tribe that lived in this area (the Rift Valley). Since British Colonial, different tribes, Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luo, etc, were brought by the white people from all parts of the country here to work in their farms. After independence, the local farmers either bought or were assigned with lands left by their former employers. It is not true that we Kikuyu obtained a larger proportion of land than other tribes.”

Another man continued, “However, the local politicians always promote the local major tribe Kalenjin with the idea that that we, Kikuyu, stole their land as a result of being favoured by President Kenyatta’s land policy. During the election campaigns in 2007, those politicians spoke to their tribal supporters as ‘if you vote for me, I will give the land back to you and let Kikuyu go back to where they came from!’”

Besides being incited by political propaganda on the issue of land, Kalenjin and other tribes, under politicians’ emotional manipulation, fear the fact that Kikuyu tribe is the majority nationwide. There is a belief among Kalenjins in Eldoret that if Kikuyu no longer held their land, they are not able to populate and therefore Kikuyu’s population will decrease, so does their economic and political power in Kenya.

If Kikuyu, a minority in this region, have been suffering so much due to the majority’s hostility that has existed for decades, why do not they move to other places where local communities are friendlier towards them? For example, the province where most residents are Kikuyus?

“If we could have this choice, we already did.” Grimly answered a Kikuyu man in the camp.

“It is not possible to sell the land here with a reasonable price as the only customers who will buy the land from us are local Kalenjins. The land only could be sold out with a very low price under their control.” He continued.

Did they seek help from governments for group resettlement in other regions?

“The local governors did not support us to do so.” Answered the men group. Ironically, the reason that Eldoret local governments refused to help group migration is because they hope to keep national tribal integration—at least, geographically.

If Kikuyus in Eldoret IDP camp do not account on ICC trial, what do they think should be done to resolve the long-lasting conflicts between them and local Kalenjins?

“We need a new legal system—A revised constitution that protects our property from locals’ intervention and uncorrupted local courts where the local criminals could be punished for what they have done to us.” Concluded the men group in IDP Camp.

For most recent report about life in Eldoret IDP Camp : Scars and Sufurias (http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144020152&cid=4), published by Standard Newspaper on Monday 27th, July.

Abby Onencan/Muricho, a global advisor of Vital Voices, conducted a Strategic Planning for Municipal Council of Nanyuki from 30th June 2009 to 1st July 2009, to improve the governance of local authorities and to empower the local communities in Kenya.

For the text, please see Kate Cummings’ Blog: Prayer and Planning: Meet Kenya’s Local Government & Envisioning The Light at The End of Plan

Tea break

Charles Wakibia, 21 years old, a 3rd year student majoring in Civil & Structural Engineering in Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya. He joined the Ripe for Harvest mentorship program as a mentor in October 2008. Charles had been the Chairman in the mentorship program taking in charge of 19 other mentors in Moi University.

(Left) Charles, Chairman; (Right) Francis, treasurer

Francis Cini Munyi, 22 years old, a 3rd year Mechanical and Production Engineering studentin Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya. He joined Ripe for Harvest in 2008, acting as the treasurer, programs co-coordinator and the group photo man. He was the brain behind IDP’s donations collection and Tent Repair programs for Eldoret IDP Camp. As the group photo man, he came up with the idea of the R4H pictorial page. Currently he is writing an article MY DIARY WITH THE IDP, which will cover his experiences as mentor and a friend to the Eldoret IDP.

Interview with Charles and Francis about Eldoret Mentorship Program:

* Background of Eldoret Mentorship Program:

Kenya is still recovering from post 2007 election violence and the country had a large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Eldoret is seriously affected by the violence. In view of this, students in Moi University decided to visit a nearby IDP camp and try to introduce the mentorship program to the adolescents who were present within the camp.

Initially it was a problem as the concept of mentoring was new and misunderstood by most parents in the camp who were hoping that the mentors were going to take their children and provide them with better living standards and a better education. Mentors therefore spent a few sessions with the parents to explain to them that what they were actually university students who were willing to share experiences with the children, in order to help them deal with the trauma obtained during the violence and guide them to become morally upright citizens in future. After most IDP resettled back to their own lands from the IDP camp this May, this mentorship program is not over but still developing, as mentors said: “Mentorship is a relationship that may last for many years.”

“We have been forgotten by the government after 2007 election violence.” Said a young Kikuyu woman, mother of two young children in the Eldoret IDP Camp.

During the most turbulent two months after the 2007 election, most Kikuyus in this region moved constantly from shelter to shelter, relying on the aid offered by their relatives and churches.

Almost one year and half after the election violence, the Kikuyu internally displaced persons are still living in the tents.

About six months after the violence, most IDPs had moved to camps across the country, such as the IDP camp in Eldoret where the tents were being supplied by the Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, and USAID. The Kenyan government made a one-time grant of only10,000 shillings (US $130) to each household in order to cover lost or destroyed household items. And up until March this year, IDPs had been receiving food rations from the Red Cross amounting to 24 kg flour, 2 kg soybeans, 2 kg porridge flour and 1 litre of food oil per family of four per month only.

“We had to calculate exactly how much we use for each meal, but we were lucky compared with the families who have older kids.  My younger kids did not eat as much, one is six and the other one and a half years old,” the Kikuyu young mother continued.

“That time, we even had to pay a fee to use the private-owned toilets nearby.” The mother-in-law of the young mother continued, “We were basically living in filth until the mentors of Ripe For Harvest brought us some clothes donated by their university schoolmates. They also assisted us in digging ditches around the tents to reduce mosquitoes and relative diseases.”

Before this toilet was donated by the Red Cross, the refugee even had to pay the fee to use the personally owned toilet.

The Kikuyus also endured intense emotional trauma in the 2007 post-election violence. “We felt we were betrayed by our Kalenjin neighbours—they guided the Kalenjin youth to burn our house.” The mother-in-law of the young mother said. “We [Kikuyus] had intertribal marriages with Kalenjins. But after the violence, a Kikuyu woman who had married a Kalenjin man was chased away by members of the Kalenjin family.

Today, while most families who live in the Eldoret Camp have resettled in their own lands, many are still fearful, and feel that they live in a hostile environment among their Kalenjin neighbours. When we asked them about the effect of reconciliation meetings between Kikuyu tribe and Kalenjin tribe held by the local government after the violence, most of the Kikuyu refugees said it did not work as most Kalenjins who participated in the meetings were either forced to come or came just for material handouts.

When we asked the refugees what they thought about their Kalenjin neighbours now, the Kikuyu women in the camp said, “We want to forgive them as we are all living in the same land.”

However, Kikuyu men said, “We are tired of forgiving—local Kalenjins attacked and harrased us after every election since 1992. They destroyed, we rebuilt. They destroyed, we rebuilt. Now we are old, and we cannot afford to spend what remains of our lifesavings rebuilding. Let justice be done and the perpetrators punished. Otherwise, how can we feel safe doing anything to restart our day-to-day lives?”

A Kikuyu man standing on the mud where his house was used to be. One of the reasons that he is still living in the tent is because he did not have any money to rebuild his home. But also, as he stated resignedly, “I am less and less tempted to rebuild my house as I don’t know how soon it will be before I lose it again.”

The Kikuyu women’s desire to forgive is admirable, but there is sense in what the men’s demands for justice. Will justice be delivered through the International Criminal Court?

On Friday 17th July, the EU announced it would aid the International Criminal Court in the Hague bring to justice the suspected perpetrators of Kenya’s 2007-2008 post-election violence (See Daily Nation http://allafrica.com/stories/200907161023.html). This international prosecution process is moving forward at a surprisingly fast pace, however, the shattered lives of the Kikuyu refugees that were largely destroyed in the Rift Valley about two years ago have barely begun to heal. Just a day before this announcement, we, as Fellows of The Advocacy Project and Vital Voices, were in the Kikuyu Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Kesses, Eldoret, finishing up our interview on the Ripe For Harvest Eldoret Mentorship Program in a leaking family tent during the afternoon storm.

The Ruin of A Kikuyu's Home

A man in this camp, around 50 years old, told us he had been living in Eldoret as a farmer since 1974. During most election periods (1992, 1994, 1997 and 2007), he said, there were riots caused by locals (mainly from the Kalenjin tribe) against the Kikuyu tribe (as a minority in the Rift Valley area) under the manipulation of politicians. The riots of 2007 were the most severe. He suspected that the local Kalenjin residents began preparing for the riots since 2005 during frequently ‘public’ meetings that excluded the Kikuyus in the region.

During 2007 national riots, in Kesses most Kikuyu owned properties were totally destroyed; their lands, homes, clothing, food, cows, goats, and chickens were either burnt or stolen by members of tribes who voted for Odinga. A 56-year-old single mother told me the total assets that she lost due to post-election violence amounted to 1,500,000 shillings (about US $20,000).  (The average rural worker made 2000 shillings a month, and so her loss amounted to roughly 10 years wages.–See the Article of “Labor Market Institutions and Employment Opportunity in Kenya” )

In this group, most women are above 50 year-old--They still have to struggle with raising themselves, their children and their husbands.

However, the loss of property was nothing compared to the loss of human life. A 73 year-old Kikuyu woman and a 40 year-old Kikuyu man were killed by the locals. “At 6:00 p.m. the evening the election results were announced.” Another man in the camp described his experience of the 2007 election. “My friend and I were in my house. We heard screaming and then saw hundreds of local youths carrying stones in bags to surround my house. Then they began throwing stones through the kitchen window. Some of them began using hammers to destroy my living room. Others were gathering dry maize in order to set fire to my roof which was made of plants leaves.”

“Fortunately, I managed to escape and hid under some banana leafs,” he continued.  “However, my friend was caught by another group of youths while fleeing the home. I watched him get stoned to death by those local youths…”

“…The district officer and his attendant received news of [my friend’s] death and was trying to find some fuel for the car so that he could move my friend’s dead body. However, the youths blocked them. The officer ordered the gang to give way, but a fight erupted and he was forced to shoot a Kalenjin youth on his leg. The officer and the policeman were then killed by the mob and my friend’s remains were eventually eaten by dogs.”

Across the country, over 800 people lost their lives to post-election violence, and around 600,000 people who survived were often left with nothing.

17:06 P.M. Town Center, Nakuru, Kenya
Outside of a local super market in the town center of Nakuru, when I was enjoying my “luxury” ice cream as a little reward to myself for working hard during the whole week, a street boy, around 12 years old, walked to me from the corner and raised his hand:
“Give me.”

Seeing my face filled by question marks, he made a gesture of eating. He meant my ice cream.

The center of the town for shopping.

I of course did not question about what he wanted me to give him. Rather, the question was about whether I should give him and why.

My thinking process therefore was:
He was not asking for bread but ice cream. –> Bread can feed him if he was hungry, ice cream cannot. –> If he could not afford ice cream as a kind of luxury goods, he should bear his life without ice cream. → It is the same as that a poor adult who cannot afford a bottle of beer could not expect a stranger to give him a bottle of beer for free.

Moreover, I would not consider giving a stranger the leftover (even if I cannot finish the whole cup) as a respectful action, even he is a street boy dressing shabbily, even he requested. It is different from sharing it with a close friend. Most importantly, I do not think there is any good effect to him if I gave him the ice cream.

I eventually did not give him the ice cream. However, similar sceneries have been repeatedly appeared to me since I arrived in Kenya and each time, I have to make a complicated moral judge—to give or not?

Most times are about money.

Marleen, 5 year-old, and Anthony, 8 year-old, are playing together in the Door of Hope Children Center.Their clothes were bought by the Sister from the second hand market.

In Nairobi, a Matatu bus driver did not want to give change back to me, with the reason of “don’t you want to help me support my family?” In Nakuru, I was having a picnic with local friends after hiking to the crater, a 5-year-old (around) shepherd boy showed up in front of us, “giving order” to me with anger, “Give me 5 shilling.” Even when I was sitting in the Matatu bus station waiting for the departure to Eldoret, two old ladies who were sitting besides me tried to talk with me: “
@#$%%&(in Swahili) Money, money!”

The habits of begging money from foreigners, no matter politely or impolitely, are not only reflected by local individuals but also by the local NGOs, charities and some community organizations. The more I co-worked with these local institutions, the more I feel the desperate environment of seeking foreigners to help them escape poverty and other problems generating from poverty.

“We need money to till the bathroom for the children center.” “We need more donors, the students are out of food.” “This…” “That…” Compared with most such institutions in Asian developing countries, the “dependency culture” in Kenya is much heavier.

When is the end of asking and giving? When most donor countries are busy of taking care of their own finance this year, it is the time for the recipient countries to review the recrimination as a result of longtime donor-dependant relationship, which is far from being productive or necessary.

In Kenya, American mean money. However, Obamas policy towards Africa seems seeking a departure from business as usual donor-recipient relationship.

President Obama, the son of Kenyan, “has been criticized for not doing enough for Africa—at least not as much as his predecessor George Bush…(It is because) he is more inclined that Bush to see aid as a temporary solution to a problem that needs to be solved institutionally and through better governance.” Said by Ms Warah, an editor with UN, on the newspaper of Daily Nation, Monday, July 13, 2009.

For a sustainable development, Kenyans have to build their fates on their own. People in the institutions above could start from themselves. For the directors of schools or children centers as an example, it may be wiser to consider buying cows, goats and chickens and planting vegetables as constant supply of children’s’ food rather than spending money on tilling the bathroom well—the cost was supposed to be saved by simply painting, if there is a good budget control in these local charity institutions.

* For more pictures about the “Door of Hope” Orphanage Children Center,