Bliss Women and Children Project

 

There is a strong need for this project.

The Bliss Women and Children Project is located in Kaptembwo, Nakuru. Nakuru is famous for its national park, a place of stunning beauty. Climb to the top of Babboon Cliff and you can savour a jaw-dropping view that stretches as far as the eye can see. The city also offers  nice hotels, complete with Olympic-sized swimming pools, excellent restaurants and a vibrant nightlife.

But then there’s Kaptembwo. Located less than 15 km from the center, the difference isn’t really something that can be measured in miles.

Instead, it’s the difference between those who have electricity, and those who don’t. Those who have running water, and those who have to drink, bathe, cook and wash with whatever they can find. Those who can eat in restaurants – and those who don’t know where their next meal will be coming from.

Last year, Kaptembwo became famous for a very different reason. During Kenya’s 2008 post-election chaos, it was the site of some of the worst violence the country has ever seen. Armed gangs torched houses, and plundered property. People were terrorized, and thousands were displaced.

 Kids in Kaptembwo.

A year later, the empty shells of destroyed houses continue to bear witness to what happened here.

But the post-election violence was just one more hit for a region built on adversity. Kaptembwo is a shantytown. Home to more than 20,000 people, there is a high rate of HIV/AIDS infection, many orphans, and a low rate of employment. Its shanty structures are unhealthy, and often shelter animals along with people. Many households in this region have up to 12 people. Families are often headed by single mothers, whose major occupation is trading in illicit brew and prostitution. These are the people we work with.