Responding to Deadly Conflicts in Western Kenya

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration in remembrance of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the year 2023 had challenging times for many people in Kenya, as a result, many Kenyans especially from Mt. Elgon were struggling to make ends meet and Christmas season was difficult time for many due to high cost of living, high-cost of food items and unemployment. Enjoying Christmas in Kenya is associated with eating good food such as rice, chapati, chicken and goat meat which the poor majority do eat this type of food every day. However, despite the challenges,  Transforming Community for Social Change invited Children to celebrate and share Christmas at Chepyuk peace center.

In a cost-of-living crisis, we invited 500 children between the age of 5 -13 years and 100 teenagers between the age of 14-18 years and by 8 am in the morning the peace center was already full with more than 800 children and adults before the official opening time, this included adults who were not invited.

The day was about kids fun and social gathering lead by father Christmas, AVP, HROC facilitators and youth peer group mentors, kids sang Christmas carols and hymns, cited bible verses and poems, dancing, running competition and football games. Teenagers and adolescent young boy and girls had circle gathering talking about formation of peace clubs, menstruation hygiene, reproductive health and sex education.

The celebration brought childhood memories of having new dress, eating good food, making new friends and having fun. To help and break generation trauma, we also shared Mt Elgon history with remembrance of the life lose during the Sabot land defiance force insurgency and the peace work we have done for the last 15years, we encourage children and parents to talk openly and be empathetic towards others and their behaviors by acknowledging that past events that may have affected the family negatively and have compassion.

The climax of Christmas celebration is eating nice food, women from Mt. Elgon had cooked fried Irish potatoes, Chapati, meat, rice cooked in spicy ingredients saved with vegetable soup with a glass of juice.

The decision to go home was not easy to make by children in the celebration, lucky enough the clouds start forming, a sign of heavy rains, we gathered and had a moment of silence to remember the children who have died in current wars and conflict around the world, prayed for women and children who are war survivors.

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