Just Retrieved from the Archives (2006) - Dan Gray's Volunteer Experiences when I was a volunteer director IHF Kenya

Dan Grays log from his trip to Kenya and Indonesia in September and October of 2006

9-28-06
Un-believable!
I remember the looting at the Rodney king trial and 'Katrina', it seems when all authority is removed, the worst and best in humanity comes out.  Remember the looting that took place, ok, now you can steal and you know you won't get caught!  Remember the news clips where even police officers were stealing from Wallmart stores!

Well, I guess this is part of being human, cultivated from years of evolution.  The Christians call it the depravity of man, but it's not in all humans, I see both very strongly here.

When I first was doing research on IHF in late 2005, I found some references on the Internet to a Kenyan paper where supposedly some scammers stole money from IHF.   Well, it's true, and unbelievable.  It happens all the time here, other charities are used to it, and chalk it up as a "cost of doing business".  It looks really bad to financial supporters to know that THEIR money has been stolen, so it's just hushed up.

Carol will not let that happen here.  The way it's supposed to work, is the investigation department of the police force is supposed to gather all data regarding the case, then the prosecutor is supposed to use this information in court.  After the investigators have done all their work, there is a pre-trial meeting, where the prosecutor looks at the data to see where the strength and weaknesses of the case is.  Well, the court date is set for today.  Yesterday was the 1st day we met with the prosecutor, and we find that the investigators have not done their job at all.

Ok, more info.... What I learn is tribes are everything here, and we find that most of the police force on the investigating force is from the same tribe as the defendant, and so it's no wonder that they are impeding the investigation to protect their tribe member, but it gets worse.  We find that the banker president is actually a relative of the defendant, and has absolutely been un-believable in obstruction of justice.

Yesterday as a last resort, after meeting with the prosecutor, we all went to the bank.  We had two police officers from investigations, and we had Juma, the pro-bona lawyer here, (he as evolved above the corruption and is wonderful), and Yumas, a Pokot Chief who is the primary signer on the bank account, (two others in the CON were the other two signers on the account) along with Carol and myself.  The police had earlier obtained a court order to get all the info from the account, which shows the withdrawals.  The bank president had intentional left out all the withdrawals over the time period of the theft, because it's too much of a coincidence that all the checks they listed were there from the times where there wasn't any theft, and the checks were missing over the period of time which the thefts occurred.  So, it's the day before the court date, we're in this meeting with the banker president, and it's completely obvious that this person is obstructing the justice.  Even thought we had the primary signer (the Pokot Chief), Carol, who was wiring the money to the account, the investigating lawyers, Juma, our lawyer, he would not give us any more information.  This is with the previous court order in place.  Unbelievable!  Also, since we don't have enough info for the case, we're going to try to get a delay in the case today.  It's the only chance we have to win this thing.  Both Juma and the prosecuting attorney think this will happen in any case, but we asked the bank president for a simple 1 sentence letter, explaining that he wasn't able to get the information in time, so we could show this to the judge, and get a delay, and he refused to even do that!  His excuse: "It doesn't go like that".

Well, I have my predictions, here they are.  We will get a delay.  The prosecutor is another man that I find has evolved beyond the selfishness we see, and wants justice.  He is almost ready to retire, but is a well respected prosecutor.  He has clout with the police department and I believe he will get the information we need.  Since then the case is cut and dry, I believe we will win this case, and justice will prevail.  But it won't come for lack of trying, only because of Carols insistence that the women and children will not be stolen from, and beware of any others that try.  I believe that after these cases are tried, and justice prevails that no one will ever try to scam IHF in Kenya again, so it will be worth it when it is all done.

Ok, well, we've been so busy with the case, I haven't had any time to email, I suspect I will be emailing this out after the court case today, as there is no time before.  But last night was soooo unbelievable!  The children from the Pokot orphanage were driven down from Pokot to Nakuru where the case is being tried.  They stayed for the first time at the new orphanage that the volunteer chiefs and others are getting ready for them.  They were brought down so they (along with several other chiefs as witnesses) could show up in court, and the oldest of them could actually be witnesses to the fact that the famine feeds were NOT happening, that the scammers were pocketing the money.  This happened for 5 months I think.  The scammers stopped the famine feeds and reported that they were doing them.  They pocketed the money that IHF was sending them for these months.  They did more too, too much to explain here.  But the point is, We had one last meeting with the lawyer and the prosecutor.  We decided to have it at the orphanage.  We arrived first, and the children were all dressed in their uniforms, and they ran out to meet us, and they all wanted to get really close to me, hug me and shake my hand.  I started balling (those of you that know me well, know that this was totally predictable).   Then what really blew my mind was that these kids started to sing.  No instruments. You could have set a clock by the rhythm.  Their feet were tapping, and their bodies were moving, and there was the soloist which would sing the first line, then the rest of the children would echo, in absolute perfect pitch and rhythm, like nothing I've ever heard.  Roberta I wish so much you could have been there, but next time you may.  They all called carol Mommy and they called me Daddy in the song.  After that we gave them the toys that Roberta packed in my suitcase.  They had so much fun, they have never had toys before, and it was unbelievable.  Well, we had our meeting with the prosecutor, and then we finally left and I was exhausted and fell into my bed (btw, they don't put chocolate mints on the pillows here).  We pay $8 a night for my room!

Today is the trial, which we expect to be very short with a delay until more fact finding.  This afternoon I hope to have time to email etc.  On Friday (tomorrow)we head out to Pokot (I think it's about a 4 or 6 hour drive).

So this is my life here so far!