Responding to Deadly Conflicts in Western Kenya

In July thanks to the fundraising TCSC accomplished through GlobalGiving,  Peter and  Simon were able to attend the HROC International Training in Musanze, Rwanda. Here is a comment Peter made on his facebook page:

As the curtain falls on the Trauma Healing and Resiliency Course at the Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities (HROC) Center in Musanze, Rwanda, the are several lessons learnt and skills acquired which need to be explored further in our communities back home. One of them is the Trust Walk and the trauma healing journey, Before this we learnt more about trauma, the causes of trauma, symptoms of trauma, consequences of trauma and the trauma recovery and healing journey.

As a community we can only truly heal from trauma when we discover the abundance of goodness found in the Tree of Trust. As such let us worship in the only true religion, that of kindness and remaining steadfast in our desire to do good and perform acts of kindness always.

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HROC and AVP workshops for women in sewing project in Kakuma Refugee Camp

The training had 24 women from South Sudanese, Congolese, Somalis and Burundians who carried traumatic events with them that have destroyed the sustaining bonds between individual and community. Furthermore, the current form of aid is not tailored to the needs, situation and prospects of refugees and host communities. The economic potential of the camp has not been fully utilized and the host community, which is one of the most marginalized in Kenya, feels that it has not benefited much from the presence of refugees Sometimes conflicts escalate, leading to injuries and even deaths on both sides for many refugees, lack of a steady income makes it difficult to buy firewood or charcoal to fill the gap, and so they often gather firewood themselves from the bushes around the camp. This puts them in conflict with the Turkana, who consider themselves the “owners of the soil.”

In the fulfillment and preparation of the Kalobeyei women empowerment entrepreneurship project, both Healing and Rebuilding Our Community and Alternative to Violence trainings were held at Kalobeyei Friend Church in preparation of the second phase which will focus on training on the sewing project.

Healing and Rebuilding our Communities

This basic workshop was a cornerstone in a larger program designed to build community capacity to respond to wide-spread trauma and to strengthen inter- connections and reduce isolation. They are trained to listen compassionately and accompany family members and neighbors on their journeys of healing.

This is an effort to improve relations between the groups and acknowledging that many of the refugees would likely remain in Kenya for the foreseeable future. Those who have survived learn that their sense of self, of worth, of humanity, depends upon a feeling of connection to others. The solidarity of these 24 women provides the strongest protection against terror and despair, and the strongest solution to traumatic experience.

Testimonies

“My trauma isolated me from my family and friends, with hatred of other nationality but this group has re-created a sense of belonging.”

“For seven years I have been shamed and stigmatized for being a refugee. This is the first time I am sitting with a Somali woman. I am glad we share the same pain. I am happy they have all listened to me.”

 “We women have been degraded, dehumanizes and faulted in many ways. We have been victims of very many bad things, this training is restoring our humanity.”

Repeatedly in the testimony of survivors there comes a moment when a sense of connection is restored by another person’s unaffected display of another person’s story which is mirrored in the trauma of others. The survivor recognizes and reclaims a lost part of herself. At that moment, the survivor begins to rejoin the human commonality.

Way forward

The overall objective of this initiative is to re-orient the refugee assistance program to contribute to improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the refugees and host communities, better prepare the host community to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities in upcoming extraction and the phase two of this project will reduce over-dependence on humanitarian aid and support the refugees to achieve durable solutions.  

Trust walk exercises -- even though we didn’t have scarves for blindfolding, participants used their hands to cover. In trauma we both need help and a helper in our journey of healing.

Alternative to Violence

Many refugee people growupsurrounded byviolence,andlearn toseeviolence and abuse ofpower asnormal andeffective responses toconflict. Violence appears tobethe only viable option forresponding toconflict. Themain objective of this training with the 24 women was;

Toraiseawareness ofthepeople haveinaconflict. AVP teaches thatconflict doesnotneed to beavoided and thatitdoesnotneedtobemetwithviolence. Intheideal world, conflicts can beresolved with "win/win" solutions, onesinwhich everyone leaves withtheirneeds met.

Nonviolence isnotjust astateofmindoranattitude towards conflict. Itisa commitment toactively seektochange theforce orsituation thatdegrade andoppress people. Itis acommitment toaddress violence atits roots.

AVPteaches thatthebestwayto overcome injustice is tocome together asa refugee community andturntoeachotherasresources forchange. This grassroots approach toending injustice emphasizes thatchange ispossible if our refugee communitiescome together andthateachperson hasanimportant roletoplay inthe process. Theyrequire skills thatmust belearned andpracticed, skills thatareintimately related toeach other andthatbuild onone another.

Testimonies

“We are entrapped by violence. No one among us that does not share the capacity for violence, and all of us has been hurt or we have hurt others by means of violence. This training is going to help us as women in finding alternatives ways of dealing with violence.”

“As we plan to start our sewing project. I know we will have disagreement among us. Use of I message as a non violent communication will help us.”

Way Forward

This project promotes conflict resolution and reconciliation. With all this skills participants have develop resilience in relieving suffering, poverty and distress and building and maintaining social cohesion and trust, within and between host and refugees communities.

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Report on three AVP workshops in Matungu

First Basic AVP workshop

Sponsors of the Workshop/Meeting/Training:  AGLI/ GlobalGiving

Type Of The Training: Alternatives To Violence Project (AVP) basic Workshop

Dates:  1-3/05/2019

Place/Venue: The Church in Matungu

Workshop Description

Matungu is in Mumias Busia road and the church in matungu is situated  at the  market center, The mobilize brought participants from one Church and most of them were relatives, pastors and ten out of the thirteen women were semi illiterate and some dropped out of  primary school and some were husband and wife which became a challenge for them to participant fully however AVP in its methodology, it gives equal opportunity to all without stereotyping, the workshop was well conducted at least passing the knowledge to individual that were open to it.

Testimonies

“I have learnt to respect and care for others which for many years I have ignore that, I will try to help other in my family,”

“I can use these teachings when I preach because they have really helped me as a pastor”

“If this teaching can be taken to our community ant grassroots level, matungu will be a better place to buy a property and leave with your neighbors with fair of being attacked “

“Use of I message is very good, because it bring good communication and correct the mistake without attacking the person that has offended you.”

Evaluation and recommendation that come from the participants one was to teach in Kiswahili, involved youth in peace work, the training to come again, give out handout materials fro future reference, then invite other member of different church. The workshop was not well mobilized, and then having a big number of participant who are not active became a challenge for facilitating team. We had good and more participants in Butere whom could have been given opportunity to do AVP basic training,

NB we dint have lost of Testimonies from this workshop, most of participant just said the workshop was good and they enjoyed the meals.

Second Basic AVP Workshop

Sponsors of the Workshop/Meeting/Training: AGLI/GlobalGiving

Type Of The Training:Alternatives To Violence Project (AVP) basic Workshop

Dates: 6-8/05/2019

Place/Venue: Butere  Sabatia at Omondi's Place

Participants:Male17 female13

Workshop discription,

The Burete workshop was done in Sabatia at a place call omondi on your way to Butere, we started with overwhelmed 32 participants mainly youth and church representatives, very active participants who need five days in that training.

Testimonies

With well outlined objectives from the participants through their expectations they wanted to learn how to handle conflict, have the knowledge of peace, get skills on non violence, get platform to teach peace in their community, become youth educators of peace and understanding their role in peace building and get some setting allowance was the message that come from the t 32 participant but on day two we lost two participants and one insisted on setting allowance and maybe that was the reason to his dropping. However the remain 30 though a big class we help them through the process and here are some of the Testimonies,

“This is a very unique training where we are all given an opportunity to  share our side of story through practical experiences and the training has been friendly considering some of use didn’t go to school.”

“This training was like preaching to me I am leaving this Training a better youth and I will share this message with my friends who don’t know what I have learnt”

“I used I message on my in law and it worked a miracle after a very long time of misunderstanding between me and her, and I will keep it into practice”

“We have undergone lost of HIV/AIDS training in the enter Butere Mumias and this is one of the Organization that has brought peace trainings for the first time, this opportunity is very timely”

“We have been known of our polygamy lifestyle and this Training can be of great help in our family because lost of violence come about because of lack of communication and affirmation, we never see good in others, our step mother and even our parent fail to love and educate us then we turn against each other with bring conflict.”

“I have learnt that to revise my position if its wrong and working on my anger and reacting so fast then I will be a  transformed person, through this, training I am going to bring  healing in my family.”

Evaluation and recommendation that come from the participants “Through our churches we need to include this basic peace knowledge to our children to enable them grow up knowing the importance of peace”. Churches also requests for more training in their local church because many are willing to be training. Having A big turnout of the participant it calls for more AVP basic training in Future. We also saw a conflict of interest among church leaders present in the training, wanting to be given opportunity to have this training done in their areas.

Advanced AVP Workshop

Sponsors of the Workshop/Meeting/Training: AGLI/GlobalGiving

Type Of The Training: Alternatives To Violence Project (AVP) Advanced Workshop

Dates: 9^-11/05/2019

Place/Venue: Matungu friends Church

Participants: Male17 female13

Workshop Description

The workshop was done in matungu which is in mumias that brought The Advance participants from the borders of siaya and western, mainly the participants were luhya’s  Kalenjins Kikuyu and luo’s.With active youthful energetic participants and a conducive environment the workshop was well attended.

Testimonies

The first question two questions on why I choose my adjective name and my thoughts about my basic AVP Training and what I have used, brought new insists and empowerment shifts of the participant weakness to recognizing the importance of Affirmation and using of I massage as a tool of communication has been of great help and has touched and healed many relationships.

‘I am changed, I am not the same again because I have let it go completely, I have realize myself, and from this Advance training I am going to be  a better person ’’

“I have already reconcile with my step mother who refused to allow my dad to take me to school, within few days that I have undergone this AVP training, though through the phone, I am thankful and grateful for the good work that you are doing to bring peace and changing in our community through forgiveness and realizing our dark side that has contributed to violence in our families “George.,

 “I am willing to be an instrument of peace now that I have realized I can be an instrument of peace which has been ignited   within me from this AVP class. We Kenyans, we label others negatively which hinder our journey to restoring the broken trust in our tribes and races because of culture, practically through the Label exercise, I have learnt that despite how we are perceived by others, still there is good in us.

“AVP has taught and help me understand the power of transformation in me. We pray God to give us strength for us to stand firm and built up our community on this knowledge that we have been imparted with. We need to reach out to the rest of our people   are still willing to come, and peace will be seen in Matungu”

“Guides to transforming power was an eye opener to me”

Evaluation and recommendation  that come from the  participants and was to expand programme Network to reach many youth in this area to help them spread the t gospel of peace, We appreciate you for  identifying to work at grassroots because violence starts here then it spreads to Big towns. Request for A training of trainers

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Longtime supporter of the Chebyuk Peace Center and the Children's Christmas Celebration, Shelly from the United States, visited TCSC in July and spent three days at the peace center on Mt. Elgon.

Shades of Pain and Shame.

HROC Workshops

Due to the sensitivity of this report and the confidentiality, we are not going to use real names and other pictures of our participants in the just concluded 3 basic Healing and Rebuilding Our Community trainings because most of the participants are rape victims and some of their children have been defiled.

Transforming Community for Social Change (TCSC) with support has been on forefront in Intervening in the midst of erupted violence and unrest in parts of Mt Elgon. We managed to identify and mobilize all rape survives who were taken through counseling and medication for the defiled children. From the meetings, we managed to do 3 basic workshops, with a total of 60 women between the ages of 21 to 37years. During the training, the rape survivors and mothers of the defiled girls only 11 women accepted us to take their picture on condition they cover their faces for the fear of perpetrators, husbands and family members. The wounds of this experience were so deep. These kind of traumatic events shatter the world as we know it, leaving these women disordered, disempowered, and feeling disconnected from other people and from life. Most of the women expressed anger, anxiety, depression, fear and asking questions like why us? Where was God and what’s the meaning of life anyway?  

“My daughter of 12years and other girls of her age have been going to the forest to fetch firewood, especially on the weekends. They have always gone in a small group of five to six girls of her age. She came back home that evening without firewood and she was crying when I asked she said “blacky” slept on top of her and forcefully penetrated her. I didn’t know where to report and again I feared to expose my daughter, I took her to Kopsiro dispensary and never shared with anyone because in 2007 I was also raped when I had gone to look for building material for our house in the same forest. I have never shared what I went through because my husband could have killed me or even divorced me. How I wish I had shared because today my daughter would not have been a victim. I thanks this organization for this training, Yes, I am ashamed to share my story but today I feel helped.”

“I am a window. My husband died in jail. It was not easy to raise the five kids he left me with, I had this man who was very supportive to me. I never knew he was defiling my 13year old daughter for two years. He used to threaten her that he will kill her if she reported and sometimes he could give her 10 shillings to keep quite.  One day I came back from a funeral and found him with my daughter. The man attacked me and pushed me on the floor and left the house. I have never seen him since then. What saddened me was that as a mother I never discovered for two years this man had turned my daughter into a wife and innocently my daughter was helpless. I am so sorry my child was trapped in an abusive environment with this animal.  From this training in must help her find a way to preserve a sense of trust in people who are untrustworthy and safety in a situation that is unsafe.”

“The pain and shame that I carry as a woman wounds me deeply. This training has been of help to me. I joined other women to come to terms with what we went through, unmasking my face of shame and creating a new life. Don’t leave us.”

As the organization we will need to do more sensitization meetings with all community stakeholders. We need to push for witness protection and proper channels of reporting to government security personnel and human right actors because most women fear reporting their cases, creation on safe rescue centers for the victims and continues psychosocial support to the victims. Our Mt Elgon Center has played a role but it doesn’t have enough space to give support to the victims.

Alternative to Violence workshop

The main objective of the training was to help the youth at risk of violence with knowledge and skills on how to constructively handle violent conflicts and effectively communicate. The aim was to contribute towards the reduction of youth propagated violent conflicts in Mt. Elgon. We had 25 participants, 23 male and 2 women, and 3 local administrators.

The training workshop was delivered by trained facilitators based on participants’ experiences not based on lectures. The experiential learning approach was adopted as it is suitable for participants, majority whom have been victims and perpetrators of violence in the community. The workshop approach draws on the shared experience of participants, using reflections, interactive exercises, group and plenary discussions, learning’s games and role-plays to examine the ways we respond to situations where injustice, prejudice, frustration and anger can lead to aggressive behaviour and violence. The training and the related exercises prescribe conflict transformation skills that can enable individuals to build successful interpersonal interactions, gain insights into themselves, and find new and positive approaches to their lives. The workshop is anchored around principle pillars of: Affirmation, Effective Communication, Co-operation, Community Building and Trust and Confidence Building.

The high levels of commitment, cooperation and responsive of the participants throughout the training was remarkable. This level of participation was contrary to expectations of destruction, lateness, and lack of interest and focus due to the fact that majority of the participants are still on the journey from transformation from a violent environment. Above all, participants drawn from different rival villages and groups were able to constructively interact, thereby improving their levels of trust and confidence in each other.

AVP training empowered individuals who feel hopeless, unappreciated in the community to liberate themselves and others from the burden of violence. The fundamental belief is that there is power for peace and a good in everyone. This innate power has the ability to transform violence, Building community resilience and rehabilitate affected communities through practical approaches that seek to provide sustainable pathways to counter violent narrative that could lead to violent extremism.

At the end of the cooperation exercises participants realized that there is need to reach out in cooperation and communication. Participants saw the need of networking and having exchange programs between the motorbike riders.

The participants applauded the training due to the interactive nature that enabled them to improve their perceptions about life realities, especially about themselves, the community and leadership. The following were some of the remarks from the participants:

“I am happy the training has changed my way of thinking in conflict situations.”

“Have learnt a different way to solve issues at my home and neighborhood.”

“I appreciate the need to know about oneself through the affirmation exercise. I now understand myself differently from before.”

“The training was conducted while we were sitting in a circle and not the usual high table; this made me feel equal to all, even the facilitators.”

“I have been a leader of a violent group, but I have learnt that violence bets violence. I will apply the non-violent skills that I have learnt.”

“I have learnt how important it is to care and trust others because we need each other.”