18th July - It's Our Turn To Eat: Readings in Kisumu

This Saturday July 18, 2009 11am to 4pm International PEN Kenya Chapter, takes the READING of Michela's 'Its Our Turn To Eat,' to Kisumu. The VENUE: Aga Khan Sports Centre.

'Every age,' said Oscar Wilde, 'is fought using its own weapons.' Ours is the information age. Let Kenyans be told something about their government and individuals who waste their resources and time, trying to project themselves as leaders. No, they are not, and this we do not need to belabour. Its WHY the ASIAN TIGERS are ahead of us today.

Kenya needs recalibration. That calls for a good sense of history.


Michela Wrong gathers together pieces of a fragmented nightmarish narrative, and delivers it to the victim, a community afflicted by capricious gods undieted on Olympian foods. Put differently, they are not invincible. Whatever the community does with the message is not for the messenger to decide.

Khainga O'Okwemba, poet/literary critic &
Treasurer, International PEN Kenya Chapter

Sukuma Kenya...one year later

It all began about one year ago when things fell apart. This blog was created to raise social capital to help people whose lives were totally annihilated by Kenya politicians. It's a story that has been told a 1001 times.
Whilst the blog has evolved into a ground for voicing the frustrations of the mass from its original purpose of fundraising and reporting, Ladies In Action run by my folks and a few others in Kisumu has continued to do what needs to be done: building schools, wells, paying school fees, helping orphans and the countless destitutes that the Kenyan government has created.
One year later, I don't think we have made any progress as a country. The blood that was spilled in the name of democracy has left no stains on the conscience of those that it was spilled for. The last couple of weeks have truly revealed the stench of evil that masquerades as politics.
So Sukuma Kenya continues to scream and Ladies In Action continues to give hope. We are just glad that we can help in giving hope once in a while because screaming all year has done nothing more than left us with sore throats. A while ago, we came up with an idea to buy Kenyan books for Kenyan children and as always the Klara Foundation has stood by us and supported the necessary funds to back goodwill and giving to the less fortunate. Thanks do a donation of 2000 euros, we were able to purchase a bunch of school text books as well as handful of publications from Sasa Sema/Longhorn, Wajibu and Philo Ikonya's little inspirational treat based on young Obama
Ladies In Action gave out the first parcel of books to Arise and Sunshine Orphanage and will be giving out several parcels to schools and orphanages after the school holidays. Children will be given their own copies of various story books and the schools will be given a variety of books.
Tu endelea kusukuma nchi yetu, Kenya...

Work with IDPs continues in Kisumu

Sukuma Kisumu - Where we are

On 27th December 2007, the Election Council of Kenya announced the results of the presidential elections. The story that followed is one that has been told from 1001 fingers, mouths and eyes. There was little we could do besides watch in fear as the wrath of poverty spilled across the country. The violence subsided and hundreds of thousands across the country squatted in displacement mourning the loss of friends and relatives, homes and shambas.
Tis' the goodwill of the common that helped. Sukuma Kenya was one such example that was initially created as a space for people with links to Kisumu to help do what they can. In just over one month after putting out an appeal for funds, £9168 was raised. Ladies In Action set out to help as many people as possible through basic food provisions, transport away from ethnic persecution, distribution of basic necessities and assisting people getting on their feet again.
Thanks to the Susan Deans who founded the Kisumu Orphans Education Fund, we were able to set up a paypal account to receive the donations from all our friends and friends of friends. It never ceases to touch my soul when I think about the fact that hundreds of people donated.
Unfortunately, we had a few hiccups with transferring the cash to the account in Kisumu and Ladies In Action were often forced to use funds from other sources. We have just managed to confirm that all the funds are no accessible and after balancing the books, there is still £3712 left from the Sukuma appeal fund which will be used for more long term sustainable small projects. With so many people affected in the Kisumu region and the ever rising cost of food, Ladies In Action will do what they can to help provide food security through helping people farm land in a more productive and environmentally friendly manner. It is a drop in the ocean but we all know that is all we can do. A break down of funds below:
Those of you who have been following this blog would have noticed that Sukuma Kenya has changed tack. We are angry. The politicians got away with murder. Their hands are covered in blood. It is that simple. Posts on this blog will back up that statement as will the obvious. Kenya is poorer than it ever was and all we have to show for a free and fair election is a bloated cabinet that is going to cost Kenyans an additional US $4.6 billion.
What more is there to say. The facts are at your fingertips. So my last appeal to everyone who has been with us is to show our self-imposed government that you are disappointed to. I don't know what else to do but I figure if we all sign the petition (Click here) and we manage to get 10,000 signatures to say that we think that MPs are paid far too much and have ample resources, especially land, we could start to solve some of our problems and they could actually do something to help. Okay, so there is a slim chance that it is going to change much but in the current circumstances, I don't know how else we can express our frustration pragmatically.
So, hey watch the video in the post below from Amnesty International, sign the petition if you want to, and most importantly don't lose hope in us Kenyans. And for all my fellow Kenyans, we must never stop fighting for equality for all.

For a Grandmother

Like many South Asians in Kenya, our great grandfathers crossed the Indian Ocean in dhows at the turn of the 20th Century in search of new opportunities. Three generations later, South Asians who settled initially in East Africa can be found in every corner of the world. With little or no connection to India, East Africa and in the case of my family, our roots are in Kenya.
My father chose to stay on. Many of his brothers settled in the UK and his oldest brother went as far as Australia. My grandmother was born in Kisumu, settled in Kitale where she married my grandfather and eventually emigrated to the UK.
When she passed away, her sons brought her back to her motherland by taking her ashes to India where they were spread across the Ganges. But she was more Kenyan than anything else, hence, my mother and father suggested that a school should be built in her name.

As the founder of Ladies in Action, my mother was keen that her memory should be marked through life and what better way to do it than provide a space for children to receive what they deserve.

The Pabari brothers and their one sister came together and funded the construction of an entire school on the outskirts of Kisumu. It's almost ready and and I know my grandmother would be smiling with joy, ear to ear...

In addition, students have been provided with decent school uniforms and all classrooms have been furbished with desks and chairs. Sue Deans, our partner who runs the Kisumu Orphans Education Fund and was instrumental in helping us with the post election crises appeal and support also contributed £2,500. Thank you Sue...


It was my father's sixtieth birthday the other day. He retured just before christmas last year which was days before the country exploded with senseless violence due to the elections. He has since dedicated his time to charity and him and my mother now run Ladies in Action with the assitance of volunteers like Tobias and Ren and support from well wishers all over the world. For his birthday, he planted 300 trees at the school. I am truly proud to be a Pabari...

Some things won't change soon

Aid Agencies are estimating 300,000 people to be in camps while a similar number are displaced but not in camps reports the UN News agency, IRIN. Those out of camps have returned to their ancestral lands where relatives are housing them.
Ladies in Action have strong bonds within certain communities and are able to get a relatively accurate picture of the needy. Yesterday, they returned to Sinyolo where Tobias, the outreach officer identified 500 displaced and elderly ladies whom they distributed maize meal, soap, cooking fat, salt and matches to.



What I would really like to know is exactly how much the leaders are actually contributing out of their own pockets to assisting the people that voted for them. One thing is for sure, they are certainly splashing it out on fancy cars to protect them from poverty.

Letters from the Lake Shores