AFSC Sends Funds for Relief Efforts - 12/15/2008

From: "Kristen Richardson" at AFSC
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:34:53 -0500
Subject: Update on AFSC and Kenya

Dear Friends,

After consultations with staff and partners in the region, AFSC haschosen to support three organizations in their work alleviating the painand hardship of the current situation in Kenya as well as to begin theprocess of healing and reconciliation.

Large scale relief efforts are well underway and are being coordinated and monitored by the UN and major international NGOs, but there remain some unmet needs and opportunities for timely support from Friends forlocal initiatives that embody Quaker values and approaches to
peacemaking.

Support will be channeled through the African Great Lakes Initiative(AGLI) of the Friends Peace Teams to assist with their work withdisplaced people in western Kenya. Some of you may have seen the reports from David Zarembka detailing the local needs and what he has been doing to support local Friends Churches with their outreach to the most vulnerable. We have already heard back from David about putting this to immediate use for the Lumakanda IDP's they have been helping.

In addition, funds have been transferred to Friends United Meeting (FUM) for medical supplies for their two hospitals in the region, both ofwhich are coping with an overwhelming caseload as well as shortages due to the disruption of normal supply lines.

The third organization AFSC is supporting is the Concerned Citizens forPeace, a coalition of local civil society organizations and opinion leaders who have begun work in dialoguing at the political level, and who are also supporting local communities in burying their dead with dignity as a first, essential step in healing. It is this grassroots effort that AFSC will be supporting.

An update has been posted on the AFSC website (www.afsc.org) I thank you for your interest and concern for Kenya, and the Friends ofKenya.

Kristen Richardson
Director of Friends Relations
American Friends Service Committee

PS - this is being sent to all Friends/Meetings/Quaker organizations who wished to know of AFSC's response to the situation in Kenya. We do notanticipate sending out regular reports at this point; additional information will most likely be posted on the website as it becomes available.