Week 2 in Kenya

MONDAY

We left Molo at 8 am en route to Nyeri. We briefly stopped at the equator, and at Thompson Falls where we met some cool chameleons (I named this one Chameleonaire).

We then visited the Mutitu B Water Project in Kieni, a town that relies heavily on farming for subsistence. However, this town has been in crisis since the Karmeno river (their primary source of water) has been dried almost completely due to climate change and overpopulation. This has left no water for the people, their crops, nor their livestock.

The lack of water has caused incredible tension between the residents who live near the mouth of the river and those at its base. To make matters more dire, the town hasn't seen rain in over a month, and most of its inhabitants do not utilize roof water harvesting, a tool for sustainable water catchment. The community is working towards alternative sources of income like beekeeping, but due to lack of government assistance, they are fending for themselves and all interventions are funded by the community members. This method proves very difficult, because the out-of-pocket expenses are exorbitant for those struggling with poverty as it is. As the chairman of a local water group pointed out, many people in the town go to bed hungry every night. NECOFA assisted the association by writing a grant proposal for monetary assistance from Slovak embassy which is still pending. 

After a night in Nyeri, we visited the Kenya School of Agriculture. We learned about how they train community members to increase crop yields and market access through contemporary technology, which they subsequently share with their respective communities. They also dedicate one day a week for drop in questions where the farmers can come directly for advice on specific issues, always resulting in nearly 100% turnout from those they invite. Additionally, the school has a department working on alternative energy sources which they hope to offer at an affordable cost to reduce the burden of resource accumulation for Kenyan citizens. These alternatives include solar energy, biogas, and jikos (energy saving stoves). This additionally helps combat deforestation, a significant issue for indigenous trees and a depleting tree cover.

On Wednesday we spent the day in Kachuru, a remote community in an arid region that relies mostly on livestock rearing for income due to the inability to grow crops. As pointed out by NECOFA's director and founder, Samuel, this is a place where Muslims and Christians coexist very peacefully, and represent a fairly even portion of the population. 

Until a few years ago, they did not have a school for the local children. Thanks to a generous donor from the US, they now have a primary school, but they are looking to expand because the three classrooms serve nearly 200 children from preschool to grade eight (although this number varies due to a highly nomadic population). Depicted here is the early childhood development center and some of their pupils.

This community is burdened by the fact that the majority of their children are unable to move on to secondary school due to lack of funds, and furthermore, lack of an accessible secondary school, with the closest one being over an hour away without regular public transport. Only five girls from the town have been able to get a high school education. The school and the police station are the only structures in town with access to regular electricity, and their access is very limited. Another challenge faced by this community is a lack of government assistance due to the fact that they are on the very outskirts of Meru county and only represent a small fraction of the voting population. Over the years, NECOFA has participated in several interventions in Kachuru including a school feeding program and a grant from the Community Development Trust Fund to construct a borehole for steady access to potable water. However, this is still a challenge for the community because the water contains a high level of salinity deemed unhealthy for human consumption. NECOFA is currently looking for a low cost and effective method to desalinate the water.

The most recent intervention was the building of a health dispensary for the community, desperately needed for lack of access to care, with the nearest hospital being located more than 75 kilometers from town. We were so excited to be there for the clinic's grand opening, and so proud to see NECOFA's name boldly displayed on the front as a key sponsor. We were honored by standing among Meru's governor as he ceremonially cut the ribbon and officially opened the clinic to the public.

On our way to Meru, we visited two students who have received scholarships secured by NECOFA at the St. Stephano Girl's Secondary School. They were shy to be among the principals and staff of NECOFA, but very bright and dedicated to their studies. Caroline and Maurine's soft smiles lit up the room, and we could tell how proud the school was of their accomplishments, as they have both come from very humble backgrounds. Caroline aspires to become a teacher, and Maurine intends to become a doctor. 

That night, we spent time in Meru town amidst rolling hills of lush green forest, a surprisingly stark contrast from the dry and dusty Kachuru we visited that same morning.

On Thursday we made the eight hour drive back to Molo. Along the way we caught a beautiful view of Mount Kenya, rising out of the clouds at just over 17,000 ft.

We also got to meet some beautiful rhinos, accompanied by their egret friends, which eat the ticks and other parasites and help protect the rhinos from disease. What a breathtaking manifestation of symbiosis in action!

Friday and Saturday were spent in the office creating spreadsheets of donor information and updating NECOFA's Global Giving page. For those of you interested in supporting NECOFA's dedicated work to vulnerable communities in Kenya, July 12th is one of Global Giving's Bonus Reward Days. From 9 AM to 11:59 PM EDT all of your donations to NECOFA will be matched by 50% and all new recurring donations will be matched 100%. You can view/ donate to NECOFA's Global Giving page here: 

https://www.globalgiving.org/donate/1523/network-for-ecofarming-in-africa/  

When we weren't inside working on the computers for office logistics, we got the opportunity to get down and dirty in the demonstration gardens. These gardens are planted so that visitors to NECOFA can see their agricultural techniques and technologies in action, complete with diagonal planted plots, kitchen gardens, and organic compost production. In the diagonal planted plots, we had fun planting spinach and kale, which we will harvest in three weeks' time. The seedlings were purchased down the street in a seedling garden nestled into downtown Molo, a quiet escape from the bustling shirt shops and street-side fruit stands navigated by noisy motorcycles and bustling Matatus (public busses). 

As always, if you have any questions or comments, leave us a message below or email us at emesselstyn@gmail.com. Thanks so much for tuning in, and we can't wait to describe our adventures next week as we head off to Ogiek and Mariashoni for traditional beekeeping methods, and waste management techniques, as well as an excursion to the Masai Mara national park. Kwaheri, tuonane baadaye! (Goodbye, see you later!)