Recent Letter from Kenya Regarding the Political Conflict

Update 4/20/2008 from Kenya.
This country has really suffered thanks to those bigwigs and all their dealings after the elections. People are being made reluctant and the cost of living has skyrocketed. Everyone has been affected. All areas of business and all areas of life. The only people who have made money, are those running the supermarkets. It’s so depressing. I don’t know how we will ever properly recover. No tourists and so no cash sales for us which has brought us real cash flow problems. We are just trying to carry on as best we can but there are some really sad cases and what is most depressing of all is that everyone seems so resigned to their fate. It’s like they've lost their spirit really. Oh well. We must do our best to help our community and keep finding work for the women we have here.

Update 3/3/2008 - Letter received from Lucas in Kenya
Dear Gloria: Our country is coming back to normal and we bless God because of using Americans to settle our political problems. Thank You America! Lucas

Update 1/21/2008 - Letter received from Lucas in Kenya
"Thanks Gloria. Here things are cooling down and we pray that all is going to be well. In fact here everybody is affected financially and I thank God for you for the bussiness you are giving me, at least my family and our artisans, are better of and I give God thanks." Lucas

Update 01/14/08
Schools were due to start today so a lot of the ladies are away getting their children sorted out.  Apparently a lot of school stuff was burnt when families lost their houses so all the bonus money going out today is to buy more uniforms and books.  Thank goodness they have this to fall back on.  Another problem is that some schools were burnt to the ground so now the poor mothers have to tout their children’s’ reports around and try to fit them into new schools.  This means a new uniform, too, even if the old one survived the fire.  Life can be so unfair and hard.

1/10/2008 - Letter to Dwelling, LLC:

I’m sure all of you have been reading and hear about the unrest here in Kenya since the elections at the end of last year.

As a result of the disturbances, many peoples’ lives and all businesses have been affected, not just the tourism sector.

From a personal point of view, most of my neighbours are sleeping outside at the moment for fear that their properties will be burned down and there are 50,000 refugees camping out in the showground in Nakuru – our nearest town.

Everyone has a story to tell and there are increased financial burdens on all of our knitters and spinners now as a direct result of the clashes.

There is a positive in all this though. The acts of kindness and giving that we have seen, by Kenyans of all colour and all walks of life, whether rich or the poorest of the poor has been so heart warming.

We have to hold on to that right now, as the people at the top battle it out for the positions of power that they so seem to crave.

Kenana Knitters group is made up of a large number of diverse tribes, all working together to benefit their families and the community as a whole and we are continuing to do so throughout these unsettling times.

Therefore, we ask for your continued support as customers and friends during this coming year and we hope to keep supplying you with the Kenana Critters you have come to love.

Best regards from all of us here at the knitters,

Kenana Knitters
Njoro, Kenya