A gift for Kenya's Young Marginalized men.

Below is an inspiring story of one great Christian organization working with former violent young men marginalized and used by powerful politicians to terrorize Kenyans. God is good, and we hope many more men's lives are changed.


Kenya: From violence to a peace culture

A project in western Kenya, supported by Diakonia, has helped young people out of a life of violence and criminality and into education and licit livelihoods. The formerly feared young men are now also involved in society through work on conflict solution and environmental protection.
Strategies and working methods

In Kenya, Diakonia focuses on supporting peace and the still “young” democracy, with an emphasis on human rights and equality. Kenya’s population is also young: three quarters are under 30 years old. Despite this fact, young people and the issues that concern them have been neglected in the political arena. Poverty, unemployment and injustice hit the young disproportionately hard.

In 2002, two of Diakonia’s partners started working with young people as part of a project to promote peaceful choices. The town of Kisumu on the shores of Lake Victoria used to be ruled by a group of young men who carried out violence on behalf of politicians. The young people felt that they were oppressed by the Kenyan government in the same way that the Iraqis suffered under the US-led forces in Iraq, and therefore took the name Baghdad Boys. The group became widely known and feared, and was employed by politicians across Kenya who wanted to harass and threaten their opponents.

The project in Kisumu focused on giving the young men vocational training and a path towards a licit livelihood. They also received training in peaceful conflict management. Throughout the process, Diakonia has provided the partner organisations running the project with resources and expertise in support of their
Concrete results

Now, the Baghdad Boys call themselves “Baghdad for Peace”, shortened to Bafope. The young people who have taken part in the project have radically changed their behaviour in terms of violence and drugs. “A culture of peace is gradually replacing the culture of violence and hooliganism,” says one of them, Maurice Masese.

Bafope’s story has inspired other militia groups, who have become involved in the project. Previously marginalised young men have found a way back into society. Via cleanup projects in the town organised by Bafope, several young people have been employed in local environmental protection work. Others provide a livelihood for themselves by working in a waste management company that they set up.