Email from Sister Freda

Dear Megan,

Greetings from Kitale Kenya. Thank you for your letter and all the prayers for me, my people and my country as a whole. It is wonderful to learn that you are there for us in every way.

Well Megan as you already know, Pastor Steve has now left briefly for California after visiting Ruanda.

Megan the refugee camps are now swelling with many people arriving daily.There are more than six camps with in reach of the Hospital so I can help them.Fresh eruptions of arson, killings, rape and other atrocities continue.

Conditions in the camps are appalling.Sanitation is very poor due to limited water supply and congestion.There is rape in the camps.therefore the risk is a high of HIV infection and other venereal diseases,and so we are dealing with depression in the victims.

The food ration is inadequate and many women and children do not have a balanced diet as they only eat what is offered,the other day I took some bananas to the children and up to three were sharing one banana,they have learnt to wait patiently for the little that is offered,no fighting or jostling for food I feel so sorry for them that I shed tears.This being the dry season and all the grass has dried up the camps are very dusty making it a fertile breeding ground for jiggers,and most people in the camps have no foot wear and their feet are now jigger infected you can see little children walking as if they are crippled due to the jiggers in their toes.

Today as I was doing a regular clinic at one of the camps,I came across several cases of malaria due to lack of mosquito nets,also malnutrition eye infections diarrhea diseases lung infections depression to mention but a few.

Talking to a few of the refugees none of them want to return to their homes as they have lost everything they owned.One of them an old man of 85 was milking his cow when the enemy struck and he was told to leave or die,as he walked a few meters away he looked back and saw his house and maize store burning and the enemy walking away with the old mans one cow.

Children mothers and fathers are separated and all around what we see is hopelessness.The day Pst.Steve left,another church was burnt near Eldoret and many people lost their lives as they fled others suffered severe injuries from arrow wounds the arrows cant be pulled out as they are barbed,which means in some cases major operations but in all cases a operation.

Yesterday we held another clinic by a Church refugee sanctuary here there are more than six hundred men women and children and their only shelter is the Church no beddings no clothes no food,Megan just pray that we get enough money to save my people,our people.

So long and God bless,

Sister Freda.