National Council of Churches of Kenya

NCCK GIVES A NEW LEASE OF LIFE TO FORGOTTEN INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

4 years have passed, and the plight of Internally Displaced Persstone of remembrace laid by the idps to commemorate the hand over ceremonyons (IDPs) due to 2008 post election violence, who live in Turkana West District appear to have been long forgotten.

When carrying out community mobilization campaigns on HIV and Reproductive Health awareness, NCCK came across this group of people, living in makeshift shelters on the banks of Tarach lagga about a kilometer downstream of Kakuma town. They comprise 240 families who flew their homesteads in January 2008 when Kenya was engulfed in violence following the disputed 2007 election results.

“The idea of transforming their dwellings to more habitable durable shelters was birthed when we saw the untold sufferings the IDPs went through day in day out” says NCCK Kakuma’s camp coordinator, Mr. Raphael Nyabala.

“To alleviate their suffering we had to do something, however small. We knew it would go a long way in improving their living conditions. It has been a harrowing moment for this lot. When you see the kind of shelters they lived in, with the harsh weather conditions that Kakuma is known to have, you can’t help but shed tears”. Raphael added.

After identifying these people, NCCK initiated a series of discussions with the IDPs and Local leaders, and did a proposal to potential donors for funding. The IDPs were much exuberated at the thought of durable dwellings. The leaders embraced the idea and took upon themselves to look for an appropriate land for settlement. And they managed, about 32 Ha of spacious land, adjacent to Kakuma Township and abutting Kakuma- Lodwar road. It took about 6 months of extensive lobbying and discussing to secure this land. NCCK sought funding for the concept and managed to secure resources for 40 out of 240 families.

gs and unhcr head in kakuma touring the idps new home compound

In June 2011, NCCK embarked on the ambitious exercise of constructing the houses. By early August, 40 houses were ready for occupation. These were to accommodate 40 out 240 families that lived in the settlement.

“Completion of these 40 shelters for the first phase of this project didn’t come without its fair share of challenges’ say Evans Machuki, NCCK’s foreman. “ we had to grapple with water shortage for producing blocks and harsh weather conditions like windstorms which often blew-off a number of houses, rendering our hard work null and void.

Secondly, insecurity is rampant in this area and we lost a number of construction materials which we later recovered. Then came the IDPs antipathy towards their new site, owing to its perceived insecurity and water scarcity.

“It took us unflinching determination and sheer resilience to achieve our targets”, adds Machuki.

The initial plan was to construct the shelters using Stabilized Interlocking Soil Blocks (SSB). A machine for making the blocks was procured from Makiga Engineering Services in Nairobi. Blocks for three shelters were produced as a way of piloting the idea.

The Makiga’s SSB Machine allows for onsite manufacturing of blocks using local soil found in the area. The stabilized soil blocks are usually done by mixing a little quantity of cement with soil, adding a little water and compressing the mix in the machine.

Locals were trained on the Makiga Interlocking Block Making Machine and started producing blocks soon afterwards. Blocks were cured for 14 days prior to the start of construction.

Once construction started the main structure rose swiftly. But there was another challenge of cost inflation than earlier envisaged.

“After soil testing and analysis of cost per shelter we realized that the project would require more funds than earlier envisaged. Therefore we’d to resort to use of ordinary soil blocks, similar to those used for constructing shelters for refugees since they are cheaper to produce,” says Machuki.

The handing over of the 40 shelters to the families who benefited took place on 13^th October 2011, which culminated with opening of the IDP camp site. This ceremony was officiated by the NCCK General Secretary Rev Canon Peter Karanja himself, and was witnessed by Government of Kenya, Humanitarian Agencies of Kakuma, Local Leaders and the IDPs.

gs hands over house to a beneficiaryWhen the forty families were relocated to their new shelters, the 200 families that remained decided to vacate their previous dwellings and follow their contemporaries to the new site. The IDPs gave a heart-renting account of the ordeals they’d undergone in their stay in make-shift shelters. Majority of this population comprises of women and children. Some are still living in make-shift shelters after they relocated and are in dire need for shelter assistance. They appealed for further support from the government, development partners and humanitarian operation in Kakuma for additional shelter assistance. The new site also urgently requires water supply, sanitation facilities, security and livelihoods support.

NCCK thanks the beneficiaries for the transparent manner in which the selection of most needy families to benefit at this phase of programme, was done.

By Godfrey Mawira,

Camp Planning Officer, NCCK, Kakuma.