There was an inspiring peace workshop for 30 participants, most of them young people, at Wiyumiririe village in Ndaragwa, Central Kenya on 26-28 August, 2011. The group was mainly from the local area and most of them were victims of the post election violence who had relocated to that area. The workshop was run by a team of Initiatives of Change from Nairobi, Eldoret, Nakuru, Subukia and Ndaragwa.
At the workshop, there was time to listen to each other and time to listen to ourselves on what needs to be done in order to create a peaceful Kenya. ‘I never used to like silence but over the last two days I find it helping me to accept myself. I am ready to start a change in my life and also help others to live right.’ said one young woman. The Chairperson for the IDP’s in the area got it strongly that change starts from within and that we all have the potential to be instruments of peace. Hesaid; ‘We must accept that change comes from within and therefore we don't have to search it without. We can all be instruments of peace if we work tirelessly for it.’
Some of the participants who are still living in the internally displaced camps shared of their ordeal while living in the miserable camps and how the post election violence has totally turned their lives upside down. One of them shared how one family had to feed on a cat because of a lack of food and means to get the basic commodities, which is totally unheard of and unacceptable in Kenya. A sad story indeed. ‘I am glad that I have learnt that I have to forget the past so as to move ahead. Healing scars is almost impossible but healing pain is possible.’shared one of the participants during the workshop.
The participants shared in depth and there was a common feeling and thought that war, violence, resentments, prejudices and feelings of revenge is not the way to go if the country is to have sustainable peace. ‘Kenya is like one human body. If a part of the body is in pain, the whole body pains. Let’s feel the pain of the other. We are many tribes but we are one’ said one middle aged lady from Eldoret. One young man challenged everyonenot to give up on working towards peace in Kenya. ‘Let’s not give up the fight of bringing peace and peaceful coexistence. There is no beneficiary of war. We need to live peacefully between and amongst our neighbours.’
The participants also shared on the importance of our talks and words lest they become the cause of disharmony‘It is important to measure the quality and quantity of what we say. You might say something and it turns out to be a bomb’one of the participants said.
The area Councillor paid a visit to the workshop participants and was impressed by the methodology IofC is using to advocate for peace. ‘As a leader in this area I am grateful to see how Initiatives of Change is preaching peace through challenging change in people's lives.’ hesaid. ‘Changes are resisted but if we decide to change, others will follow.’ he added.
After the close of the workshop, the Subukia IofC team has taken up the responsibility of following up on the workshop participants.
Report by John Njoroge & Ann Njeri