REPORT ON THE WORLD INTERNATIONAL NON-VIOLENCE DAY HELD
ON 2 ND OCTOBER 2008 AT MISHOMORONI SLUMS, KISAUNI MOMBASA.

The event was organized by Coast Women In Development (CWID) in conjunction with
Humanist Resource Network (HURINET), the activity which was held at St David’s
Primary School Grounds in Mishomoroni, Kisauni and well attended by the nearby
residents and invited guests was moderated by Selemiah Mbewa from HURINET who
enlightened the residents on the theme of this year’s activity: POVERTY IS
VIOLENCE.

He explained the objectives of marking the world’s Non Violence Day as:
    · Creating awareness on the effect of violence and poverty in the society.
    · Protecting individuals from insecurity and diseases like Malaria and HIVAIDS.
    · Protection of the individual rights especially women and children’s rights.

Considering that most people are not able to provide for all their needs as a result of
poverty and lack of enough information the outcome always increased violence and
Gender Based Violence on the women and children. Various guest speakers from
different organizations and government sector come up with the following ideas and
means of educating people and protection of their rights.

Curbing poverty
    · Being the main cause of major tribulations in the society, Human Rights
       organizations needs be introduced to educate individuals on how to generate
       income and provide for their basic needs.
    · The government should also reduce the high cost of foodstuffs and fuel price to
       enable the rural women access to them. With the current inflation, transport fares
       have gone up leaving students from poor families walk their way to school, this
       affects their education performance.
    · The inflation has also prompted some women indulge in illegal businesses i.e
       selling illegal local brews and commercial sex work to meet their needs and those
       of their children.

Protection from diseases .
    · Most people contact diseases due to lack of information on primary care and
       protection methods from diseases. By increasing the provision of awareness
       program to different communities this will help to prevent the occurrence of
       diseases and also informing them on how to enhance a healthy livelihood.

International Non-Violence Day Procession at the Mishomoroni Slums

Women and Children
Taking into consideration that women and children suffer most during violence
because, governments and NGO’s should come up with measures to protect them
in the community and also at the camps where in most cases they end up during
violence, sexual abuses i.e rape and defilement cases in the camps and even at
their homes is always on the rise during skirmishes leaving the women and girls
in more trauma. Women therefore need more protection at every hour, and not
just when violence erupts.

CWID’s Communication Officer Lorine Awuor presenting a
speech on the effects of violence to the rural women and children.

Insecurity.
Rural women are not able to access protection since they are always left behind
during decision making on development issues, they also lack enough information
on their rights, this has exposed them to domestic violence and intimidation from
the community and family members. Women and children therefore fall victims
of insecurity because in the rural areas children are kidnapped, poor women and
children are enticed with goodies thus they find themselves in the brutal hands of
rapists, wife batterers, murderers and kidnappers, this has placed them in great
danger on their security and well being in the society. Security should therefore be
provided by the government to enable the citizens to have a condusive living
atmosphere

Awareness of individual rights
Initiatives should be taken to educate individuals on their rights so that they can
know what they are entitled to. This will protect them from intimidation,
discrimination and exploitation in the society
GUEST SPEAKERS

1. Lorine Awuor Coast Women In Development
2. Fatma Rashid Kenya Redcross Society
3. Pamela Opepo COWETA Rehab Group
4. Raphael Mbune District Health Office Mombasa
5. Okeyo Benard Eco-Ethics Int. Kenya
6. Opindo John Agape Children Mtwapa
7. Judy Matu Pwani for Peace
8. Selemere Mbewa Humanist Resource Network

RECOMMENDATION
Human Rights organizations and Government institutions should unite and be ready to
work jointly towards promoting peace and security in the society especially the rural
areas since women and children in those regions are the most affected during violence
because they live in absolute poverty.