My Next-Door Neighbors

We were riding a Piki Piki from Kimbo School the other day when I looked to the left and saw two camels grazing in the bush beside me. Camels?! Christine always reminds me, TIK... This is Africa. (Expect the unexpected!)

And two nights ago, the three dogs at Bush Ventures were barking away all evening and looking at the river. A bit later, one of the staff called to me to go to the river and look- a hippo! I had heard that the girl staying here before me, Anna, had met a few hippos during her trip, but wasn't sure I'd see one in Bush Ventures during the wet season.

A Small World

Most of the clothing shops here in Gilgil sell secondhand clothing. The market is full of vendors selling jeans, shoes, and household items. There are a few shops that sell new clothing, but that is a treat for most of the local people here. I’ve seen two Kenyans in town with Cubs t-shirts, one with a Bears hat, and a few with Green Bay Packers jackets… Sorry, Bears fans!

The other day, I was taking a taxi through town early in the morning and when I looked out the window, there was a man riding his bike through this little town of Gilgil wearing a blue jacket with white embroidery on the back that read, “Sewickley.” What in the world are the chances that I would see a man in this small town wearing a jacket with the name of the small town I am from in the Pittsburgh area. It’s a small, small world!

Lake Nakuru National Park

From 7/23/2011

Today, John and I took a trip to Lake Nakuru National Park. What a treat for me! It was about an hour trip to the park, and even the drive into Nakuru was full of surprises.

When we arrived, we were immediately greeted by dozens of monkeys in the parking lot of the main gate. The monkeys see tourists all the time, so they are not afraid of approaching people near the front of the park. In fact, we were told to be very aware of our open car windows when driving through any of the monkey and baboon areas, as they would enter the car to get any food that was in it! In the video below, a small monkey was very curious to find out what was going on inside a car in the parking lot!

First, we went to the lakeside to see the spectacular view of pelicans and flamingos. The entire shoreline is dotted pink and white- millions of birds. We were able to exit our car and trudged through the muddy shores to get close to the shore. The sight of all of these birds is truly indescribable, and my pictures really don’t capture the experience.

After that, we continued through the park in the car (Nakuru National Park must be explored in vehicles due to the dangerous animals there) in search of rhinoceros and hippopotamus. To our surprise, a rhino was near the shore, and we could see several safari buses moving in on it.

We decided to take our smaller Nissan car off the road to catch up with everyone else, but to our dismay, as we set off on our adventure, we came to a pretty quick halt, stuck deep in mud and grass just off the main road. John and Ben (our driver) were kind enough to spare me the dirty grunt work as they carried rocks and dropped them into the muddy grounds by the car wheels. I was given the job as the driver, and although we were not successful in our efforts, we laughed throughout the experience.

After about 15 minutes, a white Kenyan man who looked quite a bit like Indiana Jones (picture the hat, rope, and clothing…) came to our rescue in a big green land rover. He opened the trunk of his car, took out some metal locks and chains, and pulled our car out of the muck and onto the main road. He spoke English and Swahili, but the only words I caught were, “Adventurous spirits, yes?” Later on, when we had to leave the park temporarily for fuel due to our “stuck in the mud” situation, the park rangers asked who helped us. When we told them it was Indiana Jones, they laughed and seemed to know exactly who we meant.

Phew! Well, while Ben went to fill the car with more gas, John and I were required to wait at the Flamingo Restaurant and Gift Shop. We ordered some lunch and enjoyed this little group of baby monkeys as we waited. They were playing on the restaurant porch and having a grand old time! I was a bit more amused than John and the restaurant staff, but since we were the only two patrons in the restaurant, everyone humored me, and the monkeys.

I insisted we continue searching for rhinos when Ben returned from the gas station. Along the way, herds of zebra (“my friends” according to my Kenyan friends/colleague), and many baboons and monkeys graced our paths.

Buffalo were starting to head towards the shoreline as well, but to be honest, from a distance, I really couldn’t tell if they were rhinos, buffalo, or hippos.

Later in the drive, it was obvious when we saw buffalo, and when we saw rhinos!

A bit later, I had a pleasant surprise when we saw four giraffes eating just off the road. They were beautiful with their long slender necks and legs. I could have watched them for hours.

Even better, as we neared the south end of Lake Nakuru, we were treated to an unusual sight- 2 lionesses sleeping under a tree. Supposedly, they were guarding the pond from monkeys and such, but they were in a deep enough sleep not to be woken by 4 safari minivans just beyond their tree/pond. I wish I could have gotten a good picture, but the tall bush grasses sufficiently hid them while they slept.

All in all, an absolutely wonderful day…  No hippos and no elephant sightings yet, but there have been so many surprises and beautiful animals, I really can’t complain. After today’s sights, I can only imagine what my safari to Masai Mara will be like. Stay tuned…

Transportation

Some of you have asked how I travel around in Kenya. Most of the local Kenyans do not own cars, but there are a few common means of travel here.

1.     They walk. The kids here walk a great distance to and from school each day-from 0-5 miles in the area schools, though I have heard of students who walk 10 miles as well. Some are able to head home for lunch, but many are not, which is why school feeding programs (gardens which help supply food for student lunches) are so important. Adults walk to and from work as well. What I have noticed is that the walking is fairly slow, but in the heat, dust, and sun that is common in Kenya about ten months a year, it makes sense.

2.     Bicycles. These are fairly common, but very difficult to ride on the hills and rocky unpaved roads here in the Rift Valley. Oftentimes, I see people carrying their loads on bicycle seats/handlebars, walking alongside the bike.

3.     Piki Pikis. These are motorbikes that are probably the most cost and time efficient means of travel in the area. Piki pikis can be taken like taxis, with the drivers often wearing a fluorescent-colored vest to indicate they are for hire. It costs me about $1.10 each time I want to ride a piki piki to the office, and a bit more to head into town. I have to say, the locals make riding the back of a piki piki look easy, with women often riding sideways in their long skirts, holding bundles, etc. I ride like I would a bicycle, clinging on for dear life to the back of the seat. I even had to keep my eyes closed the first few rides. I am supposed to have a piki piki driving lesson before I leave, which should be quite interesting!

4.     Cars for hire. These are often unmarked taxis parked on specific street corners. The car is almost always a Toyota or a Nissan- I’ve been told it’s because they are easy to fix and parts are very accessible here. Drivers charge for specific trips or one-day rates. Gas (petrol) here is very expensive here too, so you are also required to pay the fuel costs if you hire the car for any period of time.

5.     Matatus. These are small minibuses that they pack to the gills with people along certain routes. The cost is minimal if you can bare the stop-and-go along the way, have a lot of time, and don’t mind being squished like a sardine! A two-hour matatu trip to Nairobi cost me about $2.25. Not bad.

I’ve found most transportation has been fairly reliable and drivers are quite punctual, which is not a dominant trait of many here in Kenya. People often work on two time systems- British time (being punctual) and Kenyan time (a minimum of thirty minutes late!). 

Sanchat and Salsa

When we finished our work yesterday, John convinced me to head back to Sanchat with him to watch a salsa group practice. We were early (or they were late, which is all part of how things work here), so we played with the kids at the orphanage for a while before the salsa dancing began. The kids enjoyed posing for the camera and taking pictures for about an hour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then, the salsa dancing began!

Unfortunately, the video clip won't upload! 

The Better Water Maker- The Communities We Serve

We are currently using the Better Water Maker with a few different groups of people. Our goal is to help provide it to those who it will impact the most. Schools, hospitals, and youth groups are our biggest groups. The BWM can be powered by a hand crank (much like bicycle pedals for your hands), a car battery, or by electricity. We have to take this information into consideration as we place the pumps and as we help the organizations create plans for their use.

We are currently working with three schools on the use of the BWM. Kimbo School and Ngumo School have had the BWM for a few months. Kimbo School does not have electricity. Most of their classrooms are built from mud and sticks/wood, except for one building that was built by sponsors. The kids here often drink water from the Malewa River, which is close to the school. Kimbo has found ways to have students use the hand crank to pump the water during their breaks. This seems to be working fairly well for them, though we know it does not process enough water for the entire school. They are very grateful for the BWM. 

Kimbo Primary School

Everyone watches while we test the water.

John is using the hand crank to purify water

Love these faces at Kimbo Primary school!

Tires are toys for these kids. They roll them down the hills!

These kids were happy to get containers of water from the Malewa River for our testing.

Click on the following video clip to watch the kids testing the water. Everyone is eager to help!

Ngumo Primary and Secondary School

Ngumo is a larger school, with somewhere near 600 students. They actually have a primary and secondary school in the same location. They also do not have electricity and must use the hand crank for the BWM. They’ve had some more difficulty with its use, as it is difficult to find time within their day for the older kids to pump the water, particularly because it is exam time. They have also experienced situations in which the older students have been taking the purified water from the younger students in the school. We’ve tried to work with Ngumo to create a plan for a club to purify the water, and for the purchase of a car battery to run the BWM. This way, the BWM could be located closer to the younger students, who are at higher risk for dysentery and other diseases from contaminated water. Their students, however, have demonstrated the use of the BWM with ease at this school.

Kids get the camera!

Click on the video below to watch the Ngumo students pumping water with the hand crank.

Mwega Primary School

Mwega School is our newest school to receive the pump. This school is located close to where I live and to the office. The school was previously provided donations by a group in the UK, but apparently, there was some mismanagement at the school and the group withdrew their support. Mwega now has a wonderful new principal and has been very excited to learn about and accept the BWM. In fact, we have already provided two training sessions to the students in their after-school Boy Scouts and Girl Guides clubs. The principal and clubs teacher, as well as their deputy, all stayed for the demonstrations to learn more. After the kids tested the BWM with the hand crank (they hope to have electricity within the year), they all thanked us for the BWM and celebrated. I look forward to seeing the progress of this school with the BWM.

Click on the video below to watch the Mwega students pumping water with the hand crank.

Gilgil Hospital

Gilgil Hospital is the location of another Better Water Maker. At this hospital, a youth group runs the BWM every other day in the hospital and provides purified water to various wards. Can you imagine- a hospital still in need of a means to purify water!?! The group also brings the BWM out into the community to provide clean drinking water to those they can. The group has electricity in the hospital and tries to find places in the community that have it as well.

Karunga Youth Group

Karunga Youth Group is also working with a BWM. This group of young adults gathers regularly to play games and activities, and to provide assistance to the Karunga Health Center. We have met with them several times for demonstrations and planning meetings. The group is purchasing the BWM from us (the small fee for some of these organizations is shown to produce better results, as the group contributes to their mission with funding), and may use it in town to sell clean water, as well as at the health clinic to provide volunteer assistance to the doctors and nurses.

Click on the video below to see the BWM work with a car battery.

Gatundu Youth Group

Gatundu Youth Group has had the BWM for several months. They are in the process of gaining a permit to sell the purified water from a kiosk in town. I have struggled a bit with this group because every time we go to check on the BWM with them, we have to drive around town looking for new people. Their idea for its use is good, and we are working to try to support its implementation. Many people in town could benefit from the use of the BWM in their kiosk.

Gitare Youth Group

We also met with a youth group called Gitare. They don’t have a plan yet, but they work near a large natural dam that people use for drinking water. We hope they may have a plan in the near future for the BWM. The facilitator of the group gave us a tour of the dam and surroundings. They were beautiful, but it was here that I learned of Safari Ants- not a particularly wonderful situation when you have little creatures quickly crawling up the legs of your pants and biting you along the way. Having “ants in your pants” became a reality for me here in Gitare!

The dam in Gitare

I'm inside that classroom giving a presentation!

Utwtu Eco-Tourism Center

Utwtu Eco-Tourism center (mentioned in another blog) is also interested in the BWM, yet we don’t think it can provide the amount of water they need. We’re also working with a group called PureFlow that wants to purchase the BWM to support their other efforts with producing clean water.

Well, I think that sufficiently covers the BWM work!