We have
only 6 weeks until our time in Kenya is done; to be honest I am starting to
think how I’ll need to adapt to integrate back into UK life… My vocab & the
African twang to my accent will have to go, negotiating for food & rides on
motorbikes won’t go down well in the UK, sadly I’ll need to get used to seeing
less happy and smiling faces - practically none during London rush hour! But at
least I’ll be unwell less! Our last visitors are here (Mum here now and
Mother-in-law coming in a few days), which is a good excuse to see some more of
this amazing country; I’m writing this under a palm tree looking at the Indian
Ocean. I am now winding down on the projects that I am working on…
Project Dairy Goat
Recently
completed was Project Dairy Goat. Goat milk is very nutritious and especially
improves the immune system of those with HIV, so I decided to introduce some to
a needy Health/Community centre in South West Kenya. The basic idea is to A)
provide employment for HIV Caregivers – they manage the Goat Farm, B) Provide
the healthy Goat milk for HIV patients to drink for free and C) to generate
funds for the health centre at which the goats are housed. The project is going
well, a couple of ladies are receiving the milk and production will increase
over time – but as with most projects in Kenya there are few challenges which
will be ironed out soon!
This
Project was funded those who sponsored a goat for 200 quid each. Thanks to: my
cousin Stuart for his goat Zanna, my Mum and Aunt for their goat Jan, my sister
in law Tania for the goat Bonnie, Melanie’s colleagues for the goat Anton and
finally thanks to my colleagues at Informa for the goat that they decided to
christen Princess Caroline.
In addition
to people who have sponsored a goat I have been very pleased to have received
donations from family, friends and even from people that almost lost touch with
who contacted me on facebook. Thanks to everyone who has contributed, some of
the causes have been: scholarships for slum kids, school supplies and trip to
the zoo for a deaf school, new clothes for 75 Orphans from the feeding centre.
IT Classes at Ujima
A couple of
months ago funding was received for Ujima foundation (teaches employability
skills to orphans in the city) to purchase 5 computers to enable them to begin
IT classes, I volunteered to run these! The vast majority of orphans hadn’t
used a computer before and some couldn’t event use a mouse, so the teaching was
tough going, but after about 15 classes both students and teacher are improving
- they are typing their CV’s & setting up Facebook accounts and I’m
sweating less! Also pleasing is that I have been shadowed by another member of
staff at Ujima who is now able in to continue classes when I leave.
What else
has happened? My employer Informa kindly let the Ogra Foundation be the
official charity of their conference in Nairobi, which was kind and went well
for Ogra raising cash and profile. Our Cows are doing well at the feeding
centre but we are awaiting them to give birth, we are planning to climb Mount
Kenya in early July – just before we get home – Wish us luck!!
