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Oria Douglas-Hamilton (of Elephant Watch Safaris) and her family have seen their beloved Kenya swept into chaos in the last few months. Following is an update from Oria on Save the Elephants and new peace project.

February 2008

Dear All, friends and family

It is the break of dawn, fish eagles call, the colobus raucous sounds drift from the forest, hodada ibis fly by and long chatters from the superb startlings announce the day Waking up in the cool morning of Naivasha. Yesterday Iain flew me here at the end of a long day in Samburu. I was painting his new office at STE streaked in shades of pink and orange. A sun set or was it a sunrise? A sun rise must be, ushering in a new life for Kenya.

Covered in dots of paint, dog tired and dirty we took off into the setting sun and landed on the green shores of Lake Naivasha together with Euan Macdonald [alias ‘Mzee Mwalimu’] a retired Banker from Warburg’s who is now settled as a voluntary teacher in Samburu and Fritz Vollrath, our brilliant Professor and Chairman of STE.

It has been in a hive of activity up north, away from the politics of Nairobi—BBC in full swing on their 2nd of three elephant films with Iain, Saba, Onesmas, David and Lucy—and getting great elephant behaviour day by day. Something you can look forward to seeing in the fall or winter. The Park is empty of tourists, still green from the gift of rains, where for this moment the animals can rejoice, feed, sleep, stalk, fight, cross the river—and all, for us. It is just the best time to be there. Three tiny fluffy-head cheetah babies are present and well —a radio-collared lion from Lewa has now taken over dominance, leopards and even a caracal was seen. The river is drying and now lots of well-digging are taking place while the weather is warm but not scorching and cool nights. Most of all are our wonderful Samburu staff just waiting to welcome our visitors at Elephant Watch—every time they hear another cancellation has come through, their lovely smiling faces turn sad.

I have tried to write this letter to you many times in the last 3 weeks, but events have taken over. With many others, Saba, Frank and I decided to throw ourselves into working for peace in this country, getting involved, trying to understand the sudden madness, feeding, clothing, helping, housing and talking to people from all levels of life and it has been, to say the least, a real learning curve and absolutely fascinating. We feel honoured to have been able to participate and when ever possible sending out a message of peace, unity and reconciliation. These words, I have read so many times about other countries, but never did I think it would happen so suddenly in Kenya. But to understand things, the only way is to be involved and in our small way, this is what we did.

It was suggested that we join a group called ‘Concerned Citizens for Peace’ started by a noble peacemaker, Ambassador Kiplagat [a Nandi] who had worked for months on peace talks in Somalia. [Rtd] General Opande who had been in Namibia, Sudan and Sierra Leone; he is a Luo, lives outside Eldoret and has given protection to 80 refugees on his farm, General Sumpeywo another peace negotiator, Dehka Ibrahim [a Somali and our upstanding Chairman] plus a wonderful inspiring group of Kenyans all working for peace. They met early mornings before work for a couple of hours at the Serena [where all the action is right now]. Each week someone had donated the use of a conference room and each day more people arrived, new faces, new voices, new ideas as the word spread about this amazing group of people. It was the most inspiring, important thing we could have done. At the end of each session, we would all hold hands sing the national anthem in swahili and everyone left with a mission to complete, an idea to execute and bring results

Flowers for Remembrance and Peace was our project—where and how could we find a place to lay flowers for healing, I thought. With all the flowers in Kenya and especially Naivasha, why not use flowers as a symbol for peace and healing. The idea evolved and grew, the group gave us the go ahead, and we were finally were able to find a place to erect a monument of white flowers with messages to honour all those who died and allow people to lay flowers around it—it might just work. One by one we took our responsibilities, went out to research, put together plans and talk to people on how to inspire people to join hands to heal Kenya and help stop the fighting. Every place we went to, we encountered fear but also great energy and collaboration—we met young people living in the slums, others in villages, towns or countryside, wonderful volunteers from universities, police heads and politiciansl.

By the end of January, we were finally given the all clear from up high—Saba raced from one office to the other to get permissions, Frank my ‘fundis’, some volunteers and I, built the monument, got the flowers and set up at Freedom Corner in down town Uhuru Park,with at least 30-40 Police from the General Service Unit to guard the area. The park had been closed to the Public due to political rallies. From a massive bed of flowers one could see our red board festooned with with white roses and messages and all of a sudden our Flowers for Peace Initiative was born. For 3 weeks now, children, women, men from all communities have come to lay flowers, to pray, think, heal and pay their respects. Our hope is to open Uhuru Park for Valentine’s Day with 10,000 roses, red for love and white for peace – the decision is out of our hands—but the mood has taken a momentum of its own and now so many people want flowers for concerned youth and couples and hope and of course love.

We have received so many letters, and thank you all so much for your thoughts, support and encouragement. We have been so busy, which is also one of the reasons I just have not been able to write. My family and I remain committed to this country. Watching parts of Naivasha burning and people being slashed, killed, and women raped due to ethnic violence and hatred has been a terrible thing to witness. Our small clinic [where I act as chairman] had to deal with 1,200 new patients last month, some arriving from as far as Eldoret with terrible burns and wounds. Teresia, our head nurse and staff have been heroic and like so many Kenyans, dealing with this tragedy. Alas, down there deep in the cultural differences lie grievances—grievances against our leaders, the people, the past and the present.

As a Kenyan, I apologise for the many awful stories and pictures the press have captured—some so awful that even we find it difficult to compare them to anything. This is what you have seen and I am ashamed that you have been put through this. Even for all of us, it is difficult to absorb. But there are many many wonderful people, places and situations where we can only be proud and happy but these are never shown to the outside world. I suppose, except for those who were plotting none of us expected things to errupt to that point, maybe we were all asleep. We are desperate for an immediate solution to this crisis; we all have to keep working for peace, and will need to find a long term solution for reconciliation and what to do with half a million IDPs One day the nightmare will pass

However, for the time being, all those who share the work, the pain and joys with me, including my family – are well and unhurt. Both our areas in Samburu and Lake Naivasha remain safe and so very beautiful. In this sea of animosity and fear, for once the wild animals are at peace. Help us with our mammoth task – join hands with us, come back to Kenya, come join us where we are the real Kenya, we need you, we want to stand tall and be proud, and show you what we really have achieved. Today, on the 11th of February, I am back in Samburu, after such a peaceful day and night in Naivasha, walking with zebras and flying with pelicans. I have finished the office, and we have 2 elephants in camp.

Stay in touch with us—we will look after you.

Oria

Oria Douglas-Hamilton Naivasha and Samburu