Youth Peace Caravan September 2008 Timetable/feature on founder Kung'u

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

This coming Monday, Sept 1st, marks the start of the second Youth Peace Caravan for 2008 (the first taking place in May). The Caravan, organized by Wambui Kung'u (see article on her below) and the nonprofit, Voluntary Youth Philanthropists, will be traveling to over a dozen destinations within Kenya, bringing peace and health education--and a model for peace activism--especially to and for young people.

Performances, dialogue, communal activities, and camping will be featured in most locations, and towards the end of the month, the International Day of Peace (September 21) will be celebrated in one location.

Sponsors are still needed for young people to participate fully in the Caravan, so if anyone can assist in that way, please contact directly at rachel.kungu@..., or by mobile phone (0721626389). To fully sponsor a young person is about 25,000 KSH (abt $350), but any support is most welcome and appreciated.

herself could always use airtime, which can be purchased from MamaMikes (www.mamamikes.com). Her mobile # is linked to Safaricom.

Hope some of you can join the Caravan along its route, if not in person then in a spirit of "peaceful presence" (as it makes its way about ). With thanks and all best wishes, Janet (Feldman, KAIPPG International and ActALIVE, kaippg@...)

http://peacecaravan.wordpress.com

www.peace-caravan.org

Youth Peace Caravan September 2008 Timetable

Kung'uMobile: 0721626389

Date (September)

Day

Place

What

1st – 5th

5

Nairobi

Peacebuilding and reconciliation training for caravan participants

6th

1

Nairobi

Caravan flag off

Murang'a

Youth Performances, camp in mukurweini

7th

1

Mukurweini

Performances and Dialogue

8th

1

Nyeri town

Performances

Nanyuki

Performances, camp in Doldol

9th

1

Doldol

Performances and dialogue

10th

2

Isiolo

Performances, camp

11th

Isiolo

Dialogues and communal activities

12th

1

Losasia

Performances, communal activities, camp

13th

1

Laisamis

Performances, camp in Marsabit

14th

2

Marsabit

Performances and dialogue

15th

Marsabit

Dialogue

16th

1

Turbi

Performances, camp in Moyale

17th

2

Moyale

Dialogue and Performances

18th

Moyale

Performances and communal activities

19th

1

Loiyangarani

Traveling day, camp in Loiyagarani

20th

2

Loiyangarani

Rest

21st September 2008

Loiyangarani

International Day of Peace celebrations and end of the Peace Caravan

22nd

1

Maralal

Camp

23rd

1

Nairobi

Arrival

http://peacecaravan.wordpress.com

Holding a Mobile Phone

Kung'u is an amazing woman, and has been quite a heavy user of Ushahidi. Ory and I had a chance to meet with her while in Nairobi this June, and we talked at length about the violence that happened earlier in the year.

She started the Peace Caravan idea back in 2003:

"...The idea to start the PEACE CARAVAN was to encourage the youth to form as many youth groups as possible at their own local community in order to tap the available resources within the area for self –reliance and community development. To emphasize that education is not the only way to success, but teamwork, hard work, discovering our own talents and turning them into a career, into a better future."

has been active with the youth of the region for some time, working as a "voluntary youth philanthropist" for a number of years. When the violence broke out in January, she and her team were particularly well positioned to physically go into areas and promote peace.

Even with the end to the major violence of January and February, there are some big issues with the internally displaced people (IDP) who are trying to return to their homes. is running another Peace Caravan right now, you can find out more on her blog.

"…The issue of repatriation of IDPs is still alarming, I will briefly say that it was a rushed repatriation and the returnees have no choice since they are returning in order to be considered for compensation. Even though it is the case that Kuresoi in Molo Distrist and Kipkelion in Kericho were vacated places and the IDPs have not taken the risk of going back, despite the (better) conditions."

I would encourage anyone who is interested in seeing actual change happen to contact . She knows more about involving and engaging youth in proactive ways than almost anyone else I know. Her projects also need funding, and you'd be surprised at how much she can do with so little.

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

This coming Monday, Sept 1st, marks the start of the second Youth Peace Caravan for 2008 (the first taking place in May). The Caravan, organized by Wambui Kung'u (see article on her below) and the nonprofit, Voluntary Youth Philanthropists, will be traveling to over a dozen destinations within Kenya, bringing peace and health education--and a model for peace activism--especially to and for young people.

Performances, dialogue, communal activities, and camping will be featured in most locations, and towards the end of the month, the International Day of Peace (September 21) will be celebrated in one location.

Sponsors are still needed for young people to participate fully in the Caravan, so if anyone can assist in that way, please contact directly at rachel.kungu@..., or by mobile phone (0721626389). To fully sponsor a young person is about 25,000 KSH (abt $350), but any support is most welcome and appreciated.

herself could always use airtime, which can be purchased from MamaMikes (www.mamamikes.com). Her mobile # is linked to Safaricom.

Hope some of you can join the Caravan along its route, if not in person then in a spirit of "peaceful presence" (as it makes its way about ). With thanks and all best wishes, Janet (Feldman, KAIPPG International and ActALIVE, kaippg@...)

http://peacecaravan.wordpress.com

www.peace-caravan.org

Youth Peace Caravan September 2008 Timetable

Kung'uMobile: 0721626389

Date (September)

Day

Place

What

1st – 5th

5

Nairobi

Peacebuilding and reconciliation training for caravan participants

6th

1

Nairobi

Caravan flag off

Murang'a

Youth Performances, camp in mukurweini

7th

1

Mukurweini

Performances and Dialogue

8th

1

Nyeri town

Performances

Nanyuki

Performances, camp in Doldol

9th

1

Doldol

Performances and dialogue

10th

2

Isiolo

Performances, camp

11th

Isiolo

Dialogues and communal activities

12th

1

Losasia

Performances, communal activities, camp

13th

1

Laisamis

Performances, camp in Marsabit

14th

2

Marsabit

Performances and dialogue

15th

Marsabit

Dialogue

16th

1

Turbi

Performances, camp in Moyale

17th

2

Moyale

Dialogue and Performances

18th

Moyale

Performances and communal activities

19th

1

Loiyangarani

Traveling day, camp in Loiyagarani

20th

2

Loiyangarani

Rest

21st September 2008

Loiyangarani

International Day of Peace celebrations and end of the Peace Caravan

22nd

1

Maralal

Camp

23rd

1

Nairobi

Arrival

http://peacecaravan.wordpress.com

Holding a Mobile Phone

Kung'u is an amazing woman, and has been quite a heavy user of Ushahidi. Ory and I had a chance to meet with her while in Nairobi this June, and we talked at length about the violence that happened earlier in the year.

She started the Peace Caravan idea back in 2003:

"...The idea to start the PEACE CARAVAN was to encourage the youth to form as many youth groups as possible at their own local community in order to tap the available resources within the area for self –reliance and community development. To emphasize that education is not the only way to success, but teamwork, hard work, discovering our own talents and turning them into a career, into a better future."

has been active with the youth of the region for some time, working as a "voluntary youth philanthropist" for a number of years. When the violence broke out in January, she and her team were particularly well positioned to physically go into areas and promote peace.

Even with the end to the major violence of January and February, there are some big issues with the internally displaced people (IDP) who are trying to return to their homes. is running another Peace Caravan right now, you can find out more on her blog.

"…The issue of repatriation of IDPs is still alarming, I will briefly say that it was a rushed repatriation and the returnees have no choice since they are returning in order to be considered for compensation. Even though it is the case that Kuresoi in Molo Distrist and Kipkelion in Kericho were vacated places and the IDPs have not taken the risk of going back, despite the (better) conditions."

I would encourage anyone who is interested in seeing actual change happen to contact . She knows more about involving and engaging youth in proactive ways than almost anyone else I know. Her projects also need funding, and you'd be surprised at how much she can do with so little.