Today, I met my guide for the week, Paul, who works as a facilitator for an NGO called Skills Ventures. He is very helpful in knowing about the communities and groups within Gilgil that have the Better Water Maker and those who would like to have it. There were already five BWM’s out here, and I brought six more with me, a few miscellaneous parts, as well as water testing kits. While Paul and I were having our introductory meeting, I looked up, and there were four warthogs in the grass right by us. Of course, they all ran as soon as I stood up, so there wasn’t a chance for a picture, but Paul said it’s likely that I’ll see plenty more of them. He also pointed out a dik-dik in the bushes, which is a small gazelle-like animal that comes to about my knees.
There is a group of high school students from a boarding school in England who are staying at Malewa Bush Ventures this week. The school, Ardingly, has sent groups to Kenya for the past three years. They have approximately 25 students here who are building and improving two schools (Ndogo and the future Lengalenga secondary school) as well as teaching lessons to the students. I’ll be eating breakfast and dinner with them each day while they are here and then will be cooking on my own next week. The students come from many different countries and the staff members are very welcoming. The kids are very mature and want to know all about our school system. It’s nice to have a bit of company on my first day in Kenya.
After my meeting with Paul, Christine (the owner of Bush Ventures) asked if I could help one of the kitchen staff to prepare her handmade goods be sold to the student group. Most of the Kenyan women over a certain age are often referred to as “Mama”… so I helped Mama Jane wrap and label her aloe soaps and lotions for the students. I had noticed the aloe plants here earlier today- they are huge!
