Kenya has descended into political and humanitarian chaos since a disputed general election result in December.
A thousand people have died and 300,000 have fled their homes to escape tribal violence following the victory of incumbent president Mwai Kibaki.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga claims he was denied victory due to vote rigging and the consequences have been widespread clashes between the Kikuyu (Kibaki's tribe) and the Luo (Odinga's tribe).
Tearfund and partners have been working to address the immediate day-to-day aid needs of those affected and also to deal with the long term fallout of the civil conflict.
One partner, the Diocese of Nakuru (Narok Integrated Development Programme), has been working in camps set up for people to escape the violence.
Blankets, cooking utensils and anti-malaria nets are among the essentials that have been distributed to 1,535 people in a camp at Narok, a town west of Nairobi.
Trauma counselling
Another partner, Lifeskills, is doing trauma counselling at a camp for 10,000 people in Jamhuri Park in Nairobi, with particular emphasis on assisting children.
The St John’s Community Centre, working in Nairobi’s slum areas, is also a partner. The centre’s main focus is assistance to orphans and vulnerable children through education and projects to fight HIV and AIDS.
General insecurity has affected the ability of staff to travel to and from the centre, yet they have still been able to provide for people’s basic needs, finding them food, clothing and shelter.
The project is also providing small funds of capital to help families re-start businesses.
Encouraging dialogue and mediation is another important strand of Tearfund’s work in Kenya.
Church help
Tearfund’s regional adviser Peter Gitau and disaster management adviser Reuben Nkuzi have been bringing church leaders together to speak with one voice in calling for peace and political talks.
The church in Kenya is playing a vital role in assisting people.
In some places it is literally providing sanctuary from violence, in others it is providing food and clothing.
It’s also helping people deal with the emotional scars of the aftermath by promoting reconciliation.