Church Mission Society

Latest news from Kenya

We enjoyed our time in the UK and the opportunity to spend time with family and friends and visit some of our link churches; many thanks to everyone who made us so welcome.

In the midst of difficult political times, Kenya, along with the rest of the Horn of Africa, has been plunged into a severe drought that has produced widespread famine across the country. The forecast now is for floods of biblical proportions. The nation desperately needs water but we pray for gentle rain and not the floods which wreak further destruction.

In Kibera, students living at the Centre, along with the rest of the community, have continued to struggle with a lack of piped water over the last few weeks. If the floods come, we will collect what we can!

Thank you again, for all your support and prayers from Colin and Anita Smith

Norbury CMS Representative: Wendy Williamson

CHURCH MISSION SOCIETY NEWS

A message from Colin and Anita Smith, CMS Mission Partners serving in Nairobi Diocese, Kenya. Further information can be obtained from Wendy Williamson (0161-483 3933).

Colin works as the Director of the Centre of Urban Mission (CUM) in Kibera. Anita is attached to All Saints’ College in Nairobi, but her main role is with the settler (white community), most of whom have little or no church connections.

Last term Colin was teaching a course on advocacy. This involved exploring the ways that churches can address the roots of problems affecting communities like Kibera, and how to change or challenge some of the structures which hold people in poverty. Most of the students in the urban mission course live and minister in slums, so we are not short on practical examples to work with.

Many students described the system of extortion operating in their communities which requires people to pay protection money to local youths in order to ensure the safety of their home, church or business. It is a system which is endemic to many communities where official security arrangements - such as policing - are not in place. It puts many people in a moral dilemma as to whether to pay for what is known to be an illegal demand, or to face the consequences of refusing. It doesn’t help that the local administration is often involved or behind the process. In the class, students worked together on scenarios through which to address these issues in ways that seemed, at least to Colin, to be practical and realistic. It all seemed good in theory but would any of it be put into practice?

Not long after the end of term Colin was back in the centre in Kibera and found the water had been cut off. This was a major problem as the centre houses 10 students and three families. Most people in Kibera buy water by the jerry can, but we are fortunate enough to have a legal piped supply, a water meter and our own tank. However, there was now no water. It turned out that a cartel, in collaboration with the local administration and the water company, had taken over the water system higher up the line and siphoned water off to sell to another area of Kibera. We could have our water back, but only if we paid the cartel. Colin was all for taking this up directly with the city council and the water company but the staff were less sure. Other people had been intimidated and threatened, and residents of the centre, understandably, didn’t want to be put at risk by such action (it is easy to press for action when you don’t have to live with the consequences).

In the end we met with others who had been similarly affected, including a local school, and agreed that none of us would buy from the cartel but would access an alternative supply pipe. We decided to follow this up with the water authority but only in a manner that would not put our staff and students at risk. At present we are still buying water in jerry cans and working on the alternative source. Three staff have quietly talked to others in the community who also had their supply cut off and will work with them on how to address this with the authorities. Meanwhile Colin is rewriting his lecture notes…

Colin, Anita, Sheila and Sandie Smith