Clear News

Its that time again! CLEAR 100 - what will you do?

100 Reasons why your contribution is so vital

We invite you to run, swim, cycle (or all 3!) or to sing, dance, party, fast, sit in a bath of beans - you get the drift - to rasie at least £100 towards the life saving work of CLEAR: Providing access to justice in Africa.

Access to justice:

• exposes corrupt officials and lazy administrators
• fights the inertia in Bleak House systems of justice
• holds the government to acount by enforcing the Constitutional human rights of its people
• encourages good governance and through all the above:
• saves lives!

You choose the means, we provide the materials:

• CLEAR 100 poster
• Sponsor Form
• Brochure - download or printed form on request
• Talks - powerpoint presentations and scripts
• Speakers - just contact Christine John

 

CLEAR Staff and Pro Bono Lawyers Visit IDP Camps

Lawyers from the KCLF's CLEAR project visited Internally Displaced People in the camp at Haruma, where they distributed gifts of essential items whilst looking at the issues of injustice that they will shortly be documenting and pursuing for clients just such as these.

Joyce, our CLEAR Advocate in Nairobican be seen getting to grips with one of life's essentials!

In all offices, including Eldoret and Kisumu, work is currently back to normal, except for the increased clientele.

 

Human Rights for Prison Officers!

This is not quite what it looks........

Over 100 prison officers from 7 Kenyan Coast Province prisons attended a conference hosted by CLEAR to discuss what human rights meant for the people in their charge. Speakers at the conference included Victor Kamau, CLEAR's senior advocate specialising in human rights and Miss Wanini Kireri, Assistant Commissioner of Prisons.  Miss Kireri strongly supports those who wish to see humane conditions in the prisons and has received the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Award twice for her work in prison reform.  She described the CLEAR conference in the following terms; ‘it is a dream come true that prison officers are able to sit together like this and talk about human rights’.  The conference came about when guards at prisons in which CLEAR staff were working with prisoners asked about training for themselves.

 

2007: CLEAR 100 RAISES £52,000!

Can we beat that in 2008?

Mount Kenya Challenge Raises over £10,000

The team of 8 climbers took 5 days to reach their summit on the snow capped mountain. Undeterred by the relentless grind of the walk and hit by various symptoms due to the altitude, they kept each other going under the guidance of a superb safari company and our team doctor.

The team stop for a moment at the National Park entrance

AND ELSEWHERE

• Parties were thrown in different parts of the country -wedding anniversaries, birthdays and just for fun - and guests were asked to donate rather than give presents
• Marathons and half marathons were run
• Brochures were circulated in law firms and collections taken
• Talks were given in churches and law firms
• Some law firms matched funds raised by employees
• Andre completed a triathlon!

A huge thank you to all who took part this year - and if you didn't, start thinking of ideas for next June!

We are hoping to double the activities and funds raised in 2008.

Summer Conferences

Commonwealth Lawyers' Association

CLEAR was priviledged to appear at the CLA Conference in Nairobi in September, speaking at a fringe meeting

The CLEAR team

And they ran a workshop for other African lawyers -

-at the Advocates Africa Conference in Mombasa

Social Enterprise Expands in Mombasa

The first businesses are underway in Mombasa and now Eldoret! The photocopying services at the court have been expanded, providing free copies of charge sheets to remand prisoners (who otherwise would not know what they are charged with) and covering its costs and making a small profit through services to advocates.

In addition, the first 3 tuk tuks have taken to the road, using local drivers and making an estimated profit, after deductions for replacement, mantenance and running costs, of KSH 39,000 (approximately £300) p.m.

And our swahili house is now fully rented at KSH 20,000p.m. with 3 more being acquired through a donor's generosity

 

 

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL VISITS NAIROBI!

Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General of England and Wales made a surprise visit to the CLEAR project in Nairobi 21st November. The staff and volunteers were very excited to receive such recognition of their work and they hope this will assist in their bid to take part in JLOS (the major donor governance aid programme). Having shared his own experience of pro bono work, Lord Goldsmith told the local press that he was pleased to meet with a project which was actually taking and running cases.

The Attorney General and CLEAR staff share their experience of pro bono work in the fight against injustice from 2 very different continents