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Kenya Upheaval Hurts Charity Work

January 3, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute

As Kenya is rocked by rioting and political upheaval, an international charity is trying to keep its workers safe.

Ken Hall, president of Buckner International, a Christian charity in
Dallas that works in Kenya, writes on his blog that his groupโ€™s staff members are unharmed, but he is still concerned about their safety. โ€œThe rapid spread of the violence and its intensity has caught all of us by surprise,โ€ he writes.

Buckner, which primarily assists at-risk children, has postponed trips
to Kenya for volunteers and donors. If contributors canโ€™t witness the
charityโ€™s efforts first hand, donations may decline, he writes.

Since Kenya historically has been one of Africaโ€™s most stable
countries, a large number of aid groups have headquarters there and
could be hurt by the violence, Mr. Hall writes. So far rioting
triggered by a disputed presidential election has claimed at least 275
lives and displaced about 85,000 people.

What do you think? Are other charities being hurt by the instability in Kenya?


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