(left) The co-op after the election violence and (right) members of Upendo Wa Jirani co-op

Houses, schools and belongings were destroyed, income and crops lost and dreams shattered when post-election violence erupted in Kenya in January 2008. Eight hundred people were killed and over 255,000 displaced.

Entire families have fled, leaving all their possessions behind. Many of the affected households are located in Nakuru Town in the Rift Valley Province. The victims include members of housing co-ops affiliated with Rooftops Canada’s partner, the National Co-operative Housing Union (NACHU).

All 78 members of Upendo Wa Jirani housing co-op were affected. Many benefited from loans supported by the Fédération des coopératives d’habitation intermunicipale du Montréal métropolitain (FECHIMM) in Quebec. Their homes and rental rooms were either burnt down or vandalized and members forcibly evicted. The total write-off of loans secured by homes in Upendo Wa Jirani is KES 5.7 million (CDN $91,800). It will cost over $500,000 to rebuild the community. NACHU cannot collect loan repayments from members who have lost everything and are struggling with day-to-day survival. In June, the FECHIMM Board of Directors decided to defer loan repayments for one year to give NACHU some time to recuperate.

NACHU and the housing co-ops in Kenya need our assistance. Please contact Rooftops Canada for more information on post-election violence in Kenya and how to help.