A sad event, noted in the Journals today: Mark Agwonah

[Guest]

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[DianeCharlie]

Irene Kamau of Action Now Kenya (ANK) posted a Journal report today on the untimely and suspicious death of new client Mark Agwonah.  Rather than quote from her report here, I will leave the link for you to visit and read if you are interested.  I send condolences, thoughts, and strength to his mother, family, and friends at this difficult time, as I imagine many Kivans will.

Mr. Agwonah's loan was disbursed on July 3.  ANK has not addressed the subject of the loan with the family yet, of course.  The Journal report leaves me wondering whether ANK/Kiva would be wise to follow up with the police, or whether this is not advisable.  I have only been here for less than two months, so I don't know whether there is a precedent for this sort of tragic occurrence. 

I am sure the thoughts of the Kiva family are with his family and friends in Kenya today.

--Diane.

[wind5001]

Oh my gosh, Diane, what terrible news and I feel so much anger about what happened with Mark. It seems like the treatment that I have read a lot about before, but now, there is a face to it.

I sent my condolences to his mother.

Oli

[Jill]

     Just stopped in for a minute before needing to take off.  Had time enough to read Diane's
post and Mark Agwonah's story.  It put tears inside me.

      “Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life:
      the longing for love,
      the search for knowledge,
      and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.”                                 
                                                      Bertrand Russell

     I, too, will try to write his mom, later on.

    This is probably but another example of my innumerable delusions of grandeur,
    but.....

    Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if either today, or someday soon,
   
      if the Kiva community could be big enough and powerful enough and united in our outrage, enough,
      in instances, such as this one,

      where the sheer number and expressed voice of this world community we're trying to build

      could rise up and maybe not "Right" this kind of Wrong, but at least,

     maybe help ensure

     that JUSTICE WILL BE DONE ??!!!

     Thanks, Diane
    and may peace be with Mark Agwonah
   and with his family


         Jill

[wind5001]

Jill,

I agree...we're still some way to go, but I am really wondering whether there is something we can do....this makes me so mad and frustrated. It shows in such blunt terms how the abstract term "bad government" means a lot more in reality. Is there any sense in helping the youngsters, who went to the magistrate (mentionned in the report) pursue this matter? Like forwarding money to the MFI to assist them in getting counsel and getting things clarified?

Oli

[DianeCharlie]

That was my thought exactly, Oli....

And thanks for your thoughts, Jill.  I think we're all united in our thoughts on this.

[Jill]

    I'm going to be late for an appointment  ,

  but, as I was just about to leave the house,
I started wondering,

  What if there is a U.S. Ambassador to Kenya and

  What if somebody is able to track down a means for e-mailing that individual and,

  What if we were able to get hundreds (thousands) (why not tens of thousands  )
     of Kiva people e-mailing that Ambassador expressing our pain and our outrage
     and "demanding" (at least, requesting) an investigation and,

then after that (or before that), what if we could get some newspapers to pick up
the story of  Our United Front and our outrage  and maybe add to the political pressure --
maybe, only maybe, ultimately generating some kind of help/ "hope" (for justice, anyway)
for Mark's mom and, as a side and secondary benefit, more press for Kiva???

    Maybe the U.S. Ambassador (and other countries' ambassadors) to Kenya would not
be the best person/people to whom we'd want to write.  This kind of thing may not be
within their jurisdiction (within their aegis of power? -- whatever that might mean).

     If somebody has a better idea.......

     

    and Oli -- I'm not trying to ignore your suggestion.  I just don't know if that's the way to go.  It might be, though.
           At least you care.  And at least we are trying (and I bet more Kiva people, after reading this thread, will be trying)
           to come up with something....

[wind5001]

Jill,

I didn't feel ignored with my wonderings...don't worry! We're all trying to come up with something.

On the ambassadors: I know from personal experience that they are having a hard time with things like these. Raising such issues in the diplomatic world is quite difficult, as you never know how the government will retaliate or react. Normally they will point to the due judicial process in which they cannot intervene...and they normally do not have to, b/c the judiciary is on their side anyway... But the State Department could be a better point to address the concerns. The ambassador will act on State Department orders, this will give him the necessary backing, without which he would normally not act.

Maybe your idea about getting the press interested is also good. The question is how to do it. It could be a starter-piece about what's still going on in Kenya, which will have elections this year, I think...

I just hate this feeling of helplessness...

Oli

[Laurie]

This is truely heartbreaking.  If there is anything that we, the Kiva community, can do to help Mark's mother (through donations), or the MFI and/or Mark's friends/supporters (in any way), we're in.  

The brutality... it is just breathtaking.  Where does this inhumanity come from?  It is so inconceivable to me, so oppressive.  I can't imagine how his mother is coping with this.

I don't understand very well how "groups" work on Kiva, but it anyone more experienced than I wants to start a lending group to fund Kenyan (or other) loans in Mark's memory and honor, count us in.

Strength to all,
Laurie

[RichardF]

We share our condolences with Mark's mother and friends.  Who can contact the producer of the ABC News story on lending in Iraq?  This would be a direct channel to someone in the media who understands and sympathizes with victims of oppression and violence.

[wind5001]

Laurie,

you may just have come up with the perfect way to react: founding a group that supports Kenyan loans in Mark's honour. If I had a clue how that works, I would start it. Maybe it could go this way: I can start a group and then anyone who wants to join in can send a gift-certificate to this account. I volunteer to take care of the account and keep you updated on it all. We could try to find common ground on whom to lend to, I would put Mark's picture as the lender photo and explain why we set it up.

Does that make sense? Anyone with more experience with groups can help me with it?

Oli

UPDATE: I would certainly keep track of where the money comes from and anyone will be able to withdraw the money when it is returned.