Akaganga Community Group

This self-help group for IDPs helps young men (who form the majority of combatants) to address issues of poverty and idleness in their lives, which in turn discourages them from engaging in violence in the community.

Description

Akaganga (“to support”) Community Group was formed in July 2004 in Rumuruti Division, Laikipia West District, by a group of young men who had been internally displaced from Baragoi in the neighbouring Samburu District.

The self-help group seeks to address the issues of poverty and idleness among the youth by opening small businesses for them, encouraging the youth to form football clubs and supporting them in tournaments by giving cash and medals to the winning teams.

Starting off as internally displaced people (IDPs), some of the group members now own retail shops, barber shops, butcheries and mituba (used clothes, shoes, etc) stalls.

The group has recently ventured into acting and is now staging drama festivals during village ceremonies, get-togethers and other major social events.

The pulpit has also come in handy for the group: one of the group members is a pastor. This is used in conjunction with football: because they know the youth love football so much, they have made it compulsory for all players to attend spiritual lessons before going to the field. And it has worked marvellously.

It is hoped that in this way, the youth who form the bulk of combatants during conflict violence will be dissuaded from engaging in fighting and raiding.

Aims / Objectives

• The immediate aim of the group is to dissuade youth from taking up arms in revenge for what they have lost and to show them that there are better and more honourable ways of earning their livelihoods than livestock rustling, highway robbery and prostitution.
• They also aim to minimise the spread of HIV/AIDS in Rumuruti starting with the internally displaced people (IDPs). The IDPs have been found to be at a higher risk of contracting the disease because of the rise of prostitution among them, something that has come about because of extreme poverty.
• The long-term aim of the group is to see all children taken to school. The feeling here is that illiteracy lies at the centre of conflicts in northern Kenya, and that an educated person can hardly get involved in senseless violence.

How it is Articulated

Through contributions, the Akaganga Community Group has created a revolving fund that it lends to its members to start small businesses such as retail shops, barber shops, butcheries and mituba (used clothes stalls). And as they move about in their daily businesses, members are required, as a matter of duty, to be on the look out for any suspicious characters and events, such as unusual changes in the movements of people in town and the surrounding areas. They are then supposed to report this to the group for onward submission to the authorities. The group also responds collectively to help the injured after a conflict by giving them first aid and by taking them to hospital.

To achieve its aims, the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), a local NGO, has been training the Akaganga Community Group’s members on peace-building and conflict resolution through workshops at the village level.

The group holds regular meetings to deliberate on development, peace and conflict issues in Rumuruti. The group also holds emergency meetings during crises or when something urgent has to be reported to the authorities.

Achievements / Learning points

• The group has been successful in dissuading the youth from engaging in violence through counselling and by engaging them in productive activities. They have found it particularly encouraging to see the youth attending church service in large numbers, and agreeing to receive spiritual lessons before starting a football game.
• The money-generating activities have also been a major success. For instance, the group, most of whose members had been paupers before, has been able to run its peace-building activities without much external assistance.
• The group has learnt that to be sustainable, local peace initiatives should endeavour to be self-reliant by engaging in money generating activities.

Geographical Area of Operation

Rumuruti Division, Laikipia West District, Kenya.

Funding Resources

Only member’s contributions.

Organisations Involved

• Kigara Kiaoth ("Let’s help each other");
• Turkana Professional Association;
• Turkana Welfare Association; and
• Laikipia West District Peace Committee.

Stories

THEY ENTERED IN WAR BUT LEFT IN PEACE

Peace work can be daunting at times.

The truth of this statement dawned on Mr. E, a peace worker with Akaganga Community Group, when he found himself battling a bunch of three Samburu ruffians in Rumuruti town, Laikipia West District, on 5th May 2007. Mr. E, a Turkana, had intervened to help a tribesman who was being clobbered by yobs.

People called in the police when they sensed this could turn out to be an all-out war between the Turkanas and the Samburus in the town. The police rushed in but not before Mr. Ehad received several blows and severely hit with a batton on the head.

The police arrested the three Samburus while Mr. E took the beaten man to hospital. But the police freed the men who came directly to the hospital where the Turkana man had been admitted. They threatened to beat up Mr. E but the Turkanas who had come to see their patient intervened.

“Tell me,” Mr. E asked breathlessly as a duel between the men became imminent, “what has this man done to deserve this battering?”

“This man here is a thief,” said one of the Samburu men, simmering with rage and frantically struggling to free himself from the Turkanas who had restrained him. “Yes, a thief. That’s what he is.” He said even as he tried hard to out-manoeuvre his arresters.

“Bring your evidence if you are truthful,” said Mr. E.

“What evidence?” The man posed. “He steals our cattle and takes them to the Pokots.”

“Who witnessed him stealing,” Mr. E asked him.

The man kept quiet, subdued. Even the other Samburus who had wanted to create a scene had nothing to say.

Speaking slowly but steadily, Mr. E entreated them to desist from mob justice. “Please, do not take the law into your own hands. An incident as took place today can easily trigger an all-out tribal war. And if a tribal war broke out now in Rumuruti, nobody would be spared. Believe me!”

Mr. E’s words were so touching that one of the Samburus apologised profusely on behalf of his colleagues for what had happened, and even offered to pay the hospital bill of the injured Turkana man. And it was joy as all embraced.