Updates on Situation in Naivasha

Things were quiet in the two IDP camps in Naivasha today. In the Stadium camp the leaders went to Nakuru to speak about the situation with some government officials. No lorries were present to transport people away from the camp and nobody came to pay any of the IDP their restitution money. Water was once again available and people were taking advantage of that and stocking up.

Even the young children
help with carrying water

As for the IDP at the Kedong Camp, some have left. For those who remain they have tried to set up some plastic sheets to protect themselves from the elements. They no longer have any tents which they can use as these were taken by the police. No government official or police officer came by today but there has been a rumour that someone at the UN may be sitting up and taking notice of the travesty of what has happened with those at the Kedong Camp. One can only pray that this is the case!

Meanwhile the work progresses at the training centre. We were pouring concrete today. This time we were putting the floor slab onto the top story. The job was much more labour intensive than the way it would be done in the West. Cement had to be shoveled up one grade, then another, then a third, and finally a fourth before it could then be shoveled into the wheelbarrows. Half of the work was completed today. Tomorrow we hope to finish the rest.

Getting the cement to the top floor,
one step at a time

The work has gone well and so far we have not had the threats of strike or other related issues like we faced last time. Today we were more stringent in our hiring practices and tried to avoid getting any trouble makers. When you hear all the horror stories about how the work gangs in Naivasha try to force the employer to pay them more, it is frightening.

Joram preparing mandazis for our IDP students

This morning we had over 200 people at the gate looking for work. We hired 55 including a fair number of IDP. They were so grateful for the opportunity to work. You wish you could help more, but even with 55 people, that will drain our resources! Cement prices have also risen steeply since the last time we did concrete work a couple of months ago. The tax on imported cement was either reduced or lowered in the last government budget. But that hasn't brought the cost down at all. Instead, the price continues to climb.