Last Day in Nairobi

Cory, Gitahi, Colin & Sween

I'm trying to get this done quickly as I'm sitting in Nairobi airport with about an hour to go before boarding.  Trouble is, there's no power point to connect to and the battery on the laptop is a little suspect.

Had a good day in Nairobi with Cory:

• Went to the Kenya National Library to ask about possible courses for Lucas so he can upgrade his skills, and met a very helpful lady who was happy to give me the information I needed.
• Bought a wedding present for Cory;
• Met Cory's fiance for the first time - a lovely young man;
• Bought lunch for them and Sween and Colin - children of other friends in Nairobi - who bought me a lovely traditional bag;
• Bought more souvenirs!

At the cafeteria here, bought what looked to be a lovely almond croissant.  It turned out to be like a rock cake and gave the taste buds no pleasure at all! 

Another day of two halves!

It's farewell at Kitale

I thought there would be little to write about as Thursday was to be the day for packing up and leaving Kitale.  Not much news there then.

In fact, the first part of the day, once again, turned out to be the good part - relatively speaking.   It involved packing my case, leaving a few things for Rachel, discussing a few outstanding school/charity matters with Josphat and generally not doing a great deal.

The latter part of the day again gave us a few problems.  We have been caught out by the vagaries of the FLY540 service to Nairobi in the past so I had rung in the morning to make sure there weren’t any changes in the flight time.  I had also asked Josphat to get me to the airstrip in good time.

The twenty-one seater

We arrived just in time to see the plane come in on it’s way to Lodwar and I was satisfied that we had ample time before the return journey to Nairobi via Kitale, an hour later.  During the next two and a half there were various announcements about the late arrival of the plane, the non arrival of the plane, due to lightning and eventually the fact that the plane had gone directly to Eldoret, where it was waiting for us.  After another hour or so, shuttle buses arrived to pick us up for the a two hour plus drive to Eldoret, where we boarded a twenty-one seater five hours later than scheduled.

Good job my flight to the UK  isn’t until tomorrow!

Cory (Josphat’s daughter) met me at the airport and we are now at her flat where I’m staying the night.


I wrote this late last night but couldn't get an Internet connection.

Day of two halves!

Cindy learns about grafting mangoes

Good part . . .

We left early for Cheptebo, Rural Development Centre, located in Kerio Valley, more than three hours away from Kitale, to the south and east.   This is but a small part of the Great East African Rift Valley system.

The project was founded in 1986 by Bill Rettie and the Africa Inland Mission (AIM).  Joseph, the project manager, and his wife Sarah visited various regions of the UK last year as part of their twenty fifth anniversary celebrations, including Crieff, where they met Tina and exchanged information about Cheptebo and the Aquinoe Learning Centre.

As we are hoping to acquire more land and start  up a small “garden” project, we thought it would be useful to gain information from as many farming schemes as possible.

Super sized mangoes

Although farming forms a large part of the project, it has a Christian ethos and the compound  includes a church, two conference halls, accommodation for guests, a dining hall, a dispensary and a farm shop.  The farming side employs over thirty people now and there are several facets to it:

• Growing crops - mangoes, paw paws, avocadoes, watermelons, tomatoes;
•  Encouraging the best use of the land in the most sustainable way - e.g. grafting higher yielding plants onto local root stock;
• Keeping animals - cattle, goats, chickens;
• Using animals which can survive the sometimes semi arid condtions but still give higher yields;
• Keeping bees;
• Doing outreach work with local farmers and schools;
• Running courses for farmers and school children;

Joseph, Sarah, Cindy & Josphat

We were given an interesting and comprehensive tour by Joseph and the pastor and then treated to lunch.

Just before returning we drove the short distance to the bottom of the valley to see the impressive gorge and spotted a crocodile lazing at the edge of the water. 

Bad part . . .

While making the long climb back up out f the valley, the car started to overheat.  We made two stops to add water to the steaming radiator and eventually limped in to a garage in the town of Iten, where we waited for about an hour while a temporary solution was found for the water leak. 

Iten, incidentally, is the self styled “Home of Champions” as a large number of the elite Kenya athletes come from this area.

Crocodile at bottom of Kerio Gorge

 
 We had just set off again after our delay, when we were stopped at a police road check.  We have seen loads of them in the past couple of weeks but never been stopped.  Ann inspection quickly produced a rap o the windscreen and we were told that the insurance certificate was invalid.  No, it wasn’t out of date.  No, it wasn’t for a different vehicle.  We were informed that the insurance company had been wound up and therefore the certificate was worthless.  After a wait of over an hour, payment of a bail bond of KES5,000 and a demand for Josphat to attend court in Eldoret on Friday, we were allowed to go.

We had planned to get home before six o’clock get washed and changed and be out for eight o’clock as I was treating my hosts to a meal.  In the event, we arrived in town at the restaurant at eight thirty, tired and unwashed.

Phew!

Waggy wagtail?

Salama!

I’ve been using the little Kiswahili I have in my memory bank, revising what I ought to know and trying to learn a few new words too.  It really is words too, not sentences!  Still, I think my hosts appreciate the effort, although they still sometimes laugh at my pronunciation.

I spent the morning talking to a few of the school staff and helping Rachel in the office.  A frequent visitor to the water in a gulley nearby was what I took to be some sort of East African wagtail.  He certainly wagged his tail in an appropriate fashion and exhibited similarities to “our” pied wagtail.

One of the things that has struck me since my arrival is Josphat’s campaign to save the donkey from cruelty.  When driving along, he makes it his business to slow down and speak to anyone he sees “encouraging” their  donkeys along with too much urgency or too many cracks of the whip or stick.  This afternoon we stopped as we came upon a man with two donkeys pulling a laden cart and as Josphat and the driver chatted, I was surprised to see the donkeys continue on their way without any kind of guide.

Donkeys and cart

Just before I arrived in Kenya there was an announcement from an Anglo-Irish exploration company that there had been an oil strike in the northern part of the country.  It's not clear how viable the find will be - and there are mixed feelings as to what difference it will make to Kenya as a whole.  On the one hand it has been welcomed as  great new for this less developed, arid region that traditionally has supported a sparse population of nomads.  On the other hand, some commentators have pointed to the problems that oil has brought to countries like Nigeria. 

Qua heri!

Manor House

Bikes look ok but slums behind are sad

Manor House is an agricultural centre for sustainable farming located just outside Kitale, about twenty minutes away by car. 

We had heard of the centre last year, through a charity in the UK, when we were investigating sustainable farming methods for possible use at Aquinoe if we can acquire extra land.   The idea would be that the produce could help feed the children at the school and at the same time the farming sessions could be used as part of a vocational course to teach some of the pupils skills that they could take back into their communities. 

We had to pass through quite an extensive slum area on the outskirts of Kitale, which was packed with small flimsy houses, market stalls, goats, chickens and lots of rubbish.  Josphat told me that a landslip had occurred during a previous rainy season which had caused much destruction and some deaths.

Sow and ten piglets at Manor House

The road climbed up hills and dropped down to the valleys between, which small streams occupied.  It was easy to see how the water could overflow the mini plains beside the streams in the rainy season but the bridges over the streams had been constructed for the dry season and the capacity for water beneath was correspondingly small.  Josphat explained that the road was rendered impassable in the rainy season and it was easy to imagine the flooding that can occur obliterating the roads.

Sarah with some of the equipment

Nicodemus, at Manor House, gave us a very informative  tour round the property and explained all of the methods used, while showing us the plots used by the students participating in the variety of courses run by the centre. 

The most important principals are:
To nourish the land as well as the crop
To use the space as intensively as possible while using manure and compost
To prepare the land using deep tillage methods.

I hope, in time, these methods will be put into practice at Aquinoe. 

On our return to school I met Sarah, who works in the Special Needs department, and we discussed her work, the pupils and the equipment she uses and needs.  I handed over a few of the items I had brought out for her department. 

This afternoon a mother brought her daughter, Mercy, in to school and Josphat invited me over to observe the assessment.  She has a definite weakness with her lower limbs, although she can move around while holding on to the walls or furniture.  She appears to be very bright and has been attending a special school, although she has been receiving no treatment for her physical difficulties.  She was keen that Mercy should have the opportunity of being treated by the physiotherapist at Aquinoe.  

Easter Sunday

Josphat's father & uncle, Meshak

Rachel went to church early this morning but otherwise, you would be forgiven for not knowing it was Easter today.




I spent the morning proof reading Josphat’s thesis, at least, part of it. 

The other major event of the morning was hearing a pitter patter on the roof and the ladies (Rachel, Cindy and me) rushing out to save the massive load of washing on the line from a drowning fate.  We were fortunate that we were able to retreat indoors before the storm really set in and soaked everything. 

As often happens when it rains, the electricity went off but this wasn’t too much of a problem at lunchtime as the fridge was the only appliance affected. 

Our afternoon activity was a trip to Matunda to see Josphat’s father, accompanied by Josphat’s uncle, Meshak, and his brother, Peter. 

Trucks & pigs share the roadside

He was delighted to see everyone, especially as we brought presents with us.  Josphat's father has a very distinctive hat, which indicates that he is an elder of his church, 

Matunda is a much smaller town than Kitale, built either side of the main road, with dirt tracks leading off to some of the residential sections.  The main road is lined with shops and stalls and the whole environment is a mixture of new and traditional.  Computer repair shops sit adjacent to fruit and vegetable frontages and new pick up trucks alongside pigs rooting amongst the rubbish. 
 

Matunda shop frontage

On our way back, we stopped off at a pub in Kitale town to watch the Arsenal v Manchester City football match live on television.  Premier League is as big here as in many other parts of the world!  The place was packed and we were fortunate to find a tiny space.  I was not impressed with the result though!

Saturday Market

Typical market scene

Begged a lift with Josphat into town this morning and did a little shopping - small presents for home and some mini chocolate bars as treat for the ladies of this house, who don't usually have the pleasure of such things.  When I first came there was no fridge so chocolate wasn’t worth buying - just peanut butter, biscuits or jam.  Now there’s more of a variety of welcome items!  I also bought a few items to donate to the library and office at school.

We stopped off at the market for fresh vegetables - there really is a huge choice of stalls so you could look round for the best quality and competitive prices for ages!  It’s lovely to be able to go out as often as you like to buy fresh food and, of course, the prices are brilliant compared with the UK.

Josphat takes a rest!

The same is true of every town you pass through but Kitale is the largest settlement in the region, serving as a traditional market town, and it has the shops and facilities to go with its reputation. 



On previous visits I had noticed the shilling sign that we used to use pre-decimalisation of currency, but I don’t think I had realised how commonly it’s found on shop frontages and other signs.  It really takes me back to my childhood and youth.

Cheap Safaricom calls!

 

Sugar King Region

Sugar cane tractors waiting at the gate

We left Kisumu behind this morning and set out for Kitale again. 

Much of the region through which we drove is given over to sugar cane and there was much in evidence, both in the plantations and n the fields of small-scale farmers. 

I have noticed “Mumias Sugar” advertisements beside the road and on the sides/frontages of shops over the years I’ve been coming to Kenya but hadn’t realised that Mumias is actually a town in Western Province, and even the name of a wider area. 

Tractors with trailers loaded with the cane trundled along the road and, at one point, a whole series of them was waiting at the factory gate to be admitted.

Cutting cane in the fields

We saw a factory in the middle distance, and there looked to be significant pollution, although the company claims to be environmentally conscious.  Apart from sugar, and molasses, Mumias also apparently produces electric power, from burning some of the waste products.  In any case, it must be a huge employer in the region, obviously growing the cane itself, but also in the factory and in the transportation of the finished products. 

Another common  sight on the journey worth commenting on was the movement of lucerne or alfalfa from the fields and the verges to livestock for fodder.  Some of the small-scale farmers carry it on their backs, while the majority take large bundles on the backs of their bicycles to take to market.

Carrying the load

Word had it that the rains had started properly in Kitale but there was no real sign of wet verges or puddles when we got back. 


Whoops! Just heard on the news that the Kenyan airport staff went on strike today.   Sheena just managed to leave in time yesterday evening.  I hope the two sides can come to an agreement in the next day or so or there’ll be a huge backlog by next Friday - my departure date. 

Hip Hip Hooray

Zebra at the Impala Park, Kisumu

This is genuinely for the 5th April!  At least I hope so - you never know what’s going to happen before you actually “publish”.

Cindy and I spent the morning at the house, catching up with some cleaning and washing - and yesterday’s blog!

This afternoon we went to Kisumu, where I bought some souvenirs, and then down past Kiboko (Hippo) Bay, to  where the Dunga Wetland area is now recognised as being valuable for the number of plant, animal and particularly bird species.  A centre has been built which welcomes both locals and tourists  and does outreach conservation work.  The people who work there are locals and many of them are also  fishermen, one of whom took Cindy and I in his boat to seek out hippopotami. The guide who came with us was well-versed in the bird species we saw.  Fishing has declined in the area overall partly because of over-fishing and partly because of the invasion of water hyacinths.  

Hippo in Lake Victoria

We arrived at the bay just in time to hire the boat but were, unfortunately (for me), too late to see round the conservation centre - a “must” for next time. 

We were lucky enough to see at least four hippos (two male and two female) while out in the boat and, although the boat was rocking quite a lot in the waves, I managed one half decent photo.  It’s a little blurred, but probably worth showing just to prove my story! Hip Hip ...

Chris, "our" fisherman

The hippo photo adds to impala and zebra seen yesterday at the Impala Park.  Other animals were also in evidence (leopard, cheetahs, lions, ostriches, monkeys, baboons) but the great majority were in captivity so I wasn’t too keen to photograph them in such circumstances.  It was said that they were all endangered species or injured in some way and therefore the “wild” was not the best place for them but it is still sad to see them there. 

Farewell to Sheena

Josphat, Meshak's wife & Cindy

It was an early start - up just before 04:00 and out of the house by 04:45 in order to arrive at Eldoret in time for Sheena to check in for her 08:10 flight to Nairobi.  For various reasons we’d all got to bed quite late the night before so it wasn’t easy to rise and shine but we put on a good show. 

Eldoret is a much larger than Kitale and has an airport as opposed to an airstrip so I didn’t attempt to take any photos of her departure as I didn’t want to be arrested!  It was a very sad moment when we waved our final goodbyes as Sheena and I have become pretty close over the last few days.

After breakfast in Eldoret we drove at a more leisurely speed up to Kisumu, stopping off at a couple of schools where Josphat had family or friends and then at Meshak’s house to see his wife.  Meshak is one of the security guards at Aquinoe - a senior citizen of the old brigade. 

Tea!

We also passed by the primary schools Josphat attended and some tea fields.  These are owned by smallish farmers who often work as art of a cooperative, and not the big plantations further south, owned by famous firms such as Brooke Bond. 

Brick "oven" with logs flaming

We also stopped at the side of the road adjacent to a place where bricks are made in a brick “oven” on a cottage industry basis.  This kind of manufacture iss extremely relevant to the school and the charity.  On several applications for funding, we have been able to state that bricks will be bought from parents of pupils, thereby showing a community link and they also have the benefit of being cheaper than ones produced in a factory.  I thought it would be interesting to see such an enterprise in action and also take photographs for future applications.  

When we arrived at Kisumu we went straight to a restaurant beside Lake Victoria for the local delicacy - tilapia, a really tasty fish caught in the lake. It was good to see that the ater hyacinths were less in evidence than on  my previous trip, but unfortunately they are being blown back onshore by the wind. 

Pile of finished bricks

* This was all written last night and almost ready to go - was just uploading the last photograph when I was thrown offline by Safaricom and simply couldn't return!  This SHOULD be for the 4th April.

Library Update

Library exterior

I spent much of the morning in the library with Lucas, the librarian.  We met him two years ago when he first came to the school and the library was in the process of being set up, with many books from a variety of sources, including several charities and publishers in the UK. 


The books are now housed in a bigger building than that of two years ago, which has much more room for new shelves and the storage of books.  It doesn't have the same potential as the the one we have plans for, but is certainly an improvement on the shack-like original building. 

Lucas at work

Tina, Linda and I had managed to acquire many pieces of equipment from a couple of library services - items that had become redundant with the computerisation of services.  Chris had received much information on systems from his cousin and we had arrived with everything we needed to classify and catalogue the books already at Aquinoe and the piles that we brought with us.  The idea at that time was that the pupils would all be encouraged to borrow books from the library and would develop a love of reading. 

Some "little ones" enjoying books

Lucas explained that the lending system had not really worked for the pupils, although it was still in place for the staff.  Although the pupils loved having the books, they were almost too much of a prized possession and some of the books were not returned to the library.  Too many were being “lost” despite the threat of fines being imposed. 

The system at the moment is that teachers will bring the pupils in their class to the library once a week and the children will read a chosen book.  This will then be bookmarked and the pupil will read more the following week.  Some of the pupils are also allowed to come in small groups and will read informally

Older pupils choosing books & newspapers

There are newspapers for the older pupils to read at a table in the library at lunchtimes or after school. 

Four library monitors help to put books back on the shelves and generally tidy up. 

There is a possibility that an assistant may be employed so that the library can open in the evenings and  at the weekend. 

Even further into the future there are dreams that the library may become a community resource for local people. 

Parties and Presentations

This started with three pupils in photo!

Josphat took me out to St John’s Girls High School this morning to visit a former pupil of Aquinoe Learning Centre.  There was a calm, ordered atmosphere, but the regimented style of Kabuyefwe Friends School from yesterday was missing - thank goodness.  I’ve known Teresa for eight years (although she is very shy, so I haven’t known her well) and it was good to see her looking healthy and hear that she was doing well in her studies.

Sheena gives out stationery items

 

I spent time this afternoon talking to Esther, one of the teachers, who is about to take on the role of facilitating communication between sponsors in the UK and individual pupils at Aquinoe.  She will collect pupils’ letters and ensure they are sent to me in the UK for distribution.  She will also update photos and the thumbnail information about each of the pupils. 

The next two activities were all down to Sheena.  Firstly she had bought stationery items for each pupil in the school and we toured the classrooms this afternoon distributing some to the younger pupils.

Senior girls dance for Sheena

Sheena displays her carved figure

Secondly she had organised and bought food and soft drinks for a little party after classes for members of staff.  It was a lovely get-together and the staff certainly enjoyed the treat.  I knew about this part of the proceedings and helped Sheena to lay everything out and pass round the food.  I didn’t know that there was going to be some entertainment from several groups of children, organised by John, the Standard Eight teacher and boarding master - poems songs and dances.  Nor did I know that there would be presentations.  Sheena has done such a lot in so many ways for the school that I wasn’t surprised when she received a carved figure - a representation of a future African husband!  I was not, however, prepared to be presented with a painting myself.  I hope all “friends” of the charity will consider it as a communal gift. 

Not So Sunny Sunday

Local transport

April Fools’ Day!  Well, not sure how much significance over here, but apparently there was a spoof item on the six o’clock news this morning. 

As I went to bed last night I heard a pitter patter on the windows and was pleased for the local farmers, but this morning it transpired that the rain was short-lived.  It’s been cooler today though and there was about an hour’s worth of rain this afternoon - not enough to help the crops but hopefully it‘s the prelude to some “proper“ rains.  The sun has only been glimpsed a handful of times today and the skies have been cloudy, sometimes almost black. 

Rachel & Jean waiting to meet Lucy

We took a trip to Kabuyefwe Friends secondary school today to see Rachel’s daughter, Lucy, who began studying there a couple of months ago.  On the way, it was clear that the fields (loads of them) have been prepared and the maize & bean seeds planted, ready for the rains to begin in earnest. 

The school itself was an eye opener.  Despite having been told that it was a “visiting” day, we were at first told that nobody could see the pupils, then only for a few minutes.  Force of numbers of other parents prevailed and the authorities relented so we stayed for over an hour.  The regime does seem to rule with an iron rod and the pupils are issued with numbers printed on their clothing, rather like prison issue.

Threatening skies over the roadworks

There are (at least) two kinds of road repair.  Sometimes large potholes are mended, in which case the area is roped off for days while the road is improved and vehicles are simply driven off on to the “verge” as well as the drivers can manage.  For smaller (but sometimes deep) potholes the locals sometimes take it on themselves to fill the holes with dirt and try to flag down motorists to give them a few coins. 

Sunny Saturday ...

Meshak, security guard, & Sheena

Picking out the bad grains from the corn

... Yes, sunny again and even warmer than yesterday. It should be rining though and, apart from a few clouds

bubbling up in the evening, there is no sign of any precipitation yet. 

 I felt pretty groggy yesterday through lack of sleep but had a good eight hours sleep last night and felt refreshed this morning.

Since I arrived, the electricity has faltered occasionally and has gone off four times, but three of those were only for a few minutes sodidn’t cause any real concern.  I did ask Josphat to buy me a torch this morning

though, just to be on the safe side.  

Rachel doing the washing outside

Since I wrote that para, the electricity has been on & off on several occasions  so I didn't have the laptop connected to the power, for fear of a surge, and the battery ran out of power so I have come back much later on.

Josphat & the ladies

There have been various discussions today about possible projects for the future and priorities too - there are so many obvious areas which would benefit from extra funds!  Some of these relate to buildings, others are projects like growing food crops for the boarders at the school and also to provide another vocational course for some of the older pupils. 

Aquinoe Again

Welcoming Party

It was lovely to reach Kitale and be met at the airstrip by some old friends - and some of the youngest children too, who had never seen a plane on the ground before.   They were fascinated, especially when the Fly540 37-seater took off for the second leg of its journey. 

View of school compound from entrance

The ever-industrious Rachel

The international flight from Heathrow was host to a few little difficulties: like sitting behind a drunken fourteen year old who was with a group going to Nairobi to help with an AIDS orphans project; like knocking over half a glass of wine and soaking my seat, my trousers and my t-shirt; likTe the screen not working so no films were available.

On the other hand, my internal flight left two hours early which could have been a problem if time had been tight, but in the event, meant I only had to wait four hours for it instead of six. 

Grace Mungo, deputy head

Anyway, it was all worth it with a wonderful reception and it was really great to see the immediate differences in the school compound, with several new buildings.  The children, as ever, were delighted to see a visitor and happily posed for photographs!  The teachers were very welcoming too and it was great to see several friends from previous visits. 



Sheena took six of us out for a meal in town this evening which was lovely.

Boarders doing washing after lessons

Mad Scramble

Departure day is Thursday and I've still got loads to do!

I'm hoping that I've done all the bits in advance like applying for the visa, ordering Malarone tablets as a malarial prophylactic and picking up some Kenyan Shillings.  It's just ordinary household and personal jobs that seem to be on my "to do" list now - apart from the actual packing, that is! 

Anyway, apart from the suitcase of my personal items, I also have a suitcase that will be devoted to items for pupils and staff at Aquinoe that I've been saving up for months.  Books, football shirts, puzzles, wall charts, vision assessments are amongst a diverse assortment.

I'll be hoping to add to this blog on most days while I'm in Kenya (30th March - 13th April) so if you're interested, keep checking.

Jean