Sticks & Stones

ak. On our way to the hospital this morning, we came across a large group of women gathering and carrying wood. According to Ruth Schäfer, many of these women are IDPs (internally displaced persons) who sometimes walk several kilometers just to find wood, which they use for heating and cooking. In this case, the land on which we saw these women gathering wood was private, so not only did they endure physical hardship, they also risked imprisonment if caught. In Kenya, due to mass deforestation, cutting down trees or using wood for personal purposes without a license is illegal and can result in severe fines or long terms of imprisonment. Another unfortunate example of Kenya's IDP plight.