The Lost Children of Kenya's Political Violence

NAIROBI, Kenya - Among the children laughing and shouting on the swing set at a Nairobi orphanage is a boy who was pulled from his bed by men with machetes and an 11-year-old girl who assumes her mother was burned alive. They play as they wait for aid workers to bring news of their parents, to tell them if they're orphans or not. Waves of attacks since Kenya's disputed Dec. 27 presidential vote have uprooted more than a half million people and left more than 1,000 dead. In the chaos, many arents and children lost track of each other: Kenya's Red Cross says it knows of at least 500 youngsters who were separated from their families, and many more robably went unreported. With violence ending, more than 300 children have been reunited with their parents. But others remain adrift, stuck in orphanages or in camps for those forced from their homes.

I hate not knowing. I hate the waiting game. I am usually a patient person, but with bigger stuff, I just want to know. I don't like waiting for the surprise of life, of the future. But I have nothing on these kids. They don't know whether or not they are orphans. That would be grueling.

These children deserve to live in peace, in a safe place, with people who love them. I pray that they get there, wherever there may be.