I had a good time in Nairobi visiting the national archives, national museum, and various other tourist sites. It's quite an easy place to get around on foot but you do get approached by all sorts of people. In the evening I met up with a another volunteer who was teaching in a Masai village in some remote place in the bush. It was then an early night before a whole day's travelling on Saturday. Got back last night pretty exhausted but full of great memories from the past three weeks.
Suranya Wo!
Sunday, 12 September 2010
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Back in Nairobi
My meeting with the trustees (chairman, vice chair and treasurer) was very constructive and they were keen to take forward my recommendations. I later had my last supper at the Wafula household before sadly saying good bye to Jack, Peter, Jackline and Joseph at the coach station this morning. It has been a great 3 weeks. Jack, Everlyn, Peter and all the boys have been most welcoming at the house,keeping me fed, providing transport and showing me some of Western Kenya. Thank you.
I have just spent 9 hours in a coach and am pretty exhausted from the journey. It was a bumpy ride on the way and very slow coming into Nairobi. Now off on a search for Nyama Choma.
I have just spent 9 hours in a coach and am pretty exhausted from the journey. It was a bumpy ride on the way and very slow coming into Nairobi. Now off on a search for Nyama Choma.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Last day in Kitale
It's my last day in Kitale and I shall be sad to go. I have had a preliminary meeting with the Programme Director to discuss my findings and a further meeting with some of the trustees this afternoon.
It's gone so quickly but I feel a lot has been achieved in the short time I have been here - management letter, draft business plan, risk mangement framework, funding strategy, standardised reports that should be submitted to the Board of Trustees, provided advice on the day to day and monthly financial procedures and controls, and any other ad hoc requests.
I am catching a coach tomorrow to Nairobi to spend a couple of days exploring the city before I return to the UK.
It's gone so quickly but I feel a lot has been achieved in the short time I have been here - management letter, draft business plan, risk mangement framework, funding strategy, standardised reports that should be submitted to the Board of Trustees, provided advice on the day to day and monthly financial procedures and controls, and any other ad hoc requests.
I am catching a coach tomorrow to Nairobi to spend a couple of days exploring the city before I return to the UK.
A bit more about SMART....
For those who want a bit more information about SMART and what it does more specifically I have tried to summarise its operations below.
The SMART initiative is committed to discover, live and communicate what is needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the district’s communities and global living system through appropriate agricultural resource technologies utilization.This covers the following:
• To train community groups in sustainable intensive agricultural methods
• Establish demo plots on effective methods of soil conservation and soil fertility management
• Train farmers in small business management and skills on collective marketing for their produce
• Encourage crop diversity to meet both food security and income needs
• Introduce and promote locally high yielding dry land drought resistant crop
The training also covers group dynamics where farmer groups are taught about team work and participation; value addition - examples include making chapatis out of millet and wheat flour, chapatis from pumpkin and wheat flour, and making candles from bee keeping; micro finance - basic skills of managing funds which will provide a platform for any future micro finance obtained.
The SMART initiative is committed to discover, live and communicate what is needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the district’s communities and global living system through appropriate agricultural resource technologies utilization.This covers the following:
• To train community groups in sustainable intensive agricultural methods
• Establish demo plots on effective methods of soil conservation and soil fertility management
• Train farmers in small business management and skills on collective marketing for their produce
• Encourage crop diversity to meet both food security and income needs
• Introduce and promote locally high yielding dry land drought resistant crop
The training also covers group dynamics where farmer groups are taught about team work and participation; value addition - examples include making chapatis out of millet and wheat flour, chapatis from pumpkin and wheat flour, and making candles from bee keeping; micro finance - basic skills of managing funds which will provide a platform for any future micro finance obtained.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Weekend Wanderings
It’s been another good weekend in and around Kitale. We went to Jack’s uncle’s game sanctuary on Saturday about an hour’s drive away towards Mount Elgon and the Ugandan border. The road was quite challenging in parts but it was worth the trip out. It’s a beautiful place, an oasis in the Kenyan bush. You can also camp in your own tent, rent a pre-erected tent or stay in one of the bandas or spacious bungalows situated in the grounds. I would definitely recommend it to anyone coming up to Kitale and using it as a base to explore this part of Kenya. The grounds are beautifully kept with lush grass and bordering shrubbery.
We put on our boots and were led out to the game sanctuary on the other side of the campsite. Our first stop was to see Mike and Selina, the two rhinos wallowing in a mud bath in the afternoon heat. We were led past the electric fence and into the field where the rhinos were lying – I wasn’t so sure to begin with as we approached ever closer to the rhinos but was assured that they were quite friendly. We got to within 20 metres or soand was pretty special to see them so close up. However, as the rhinos got up from their mud bath we retreated to the perimeter fence and had a chance to get really close and give them a friendly pat.
Our next stop was to see the zebras, elands and gazelles in the adjacent field. We managed to get reasonably close to a group of gazelles and watch them run and jump through the long grass. The zebras were being a bit more elusive while we got a good sighting of the two elands – one of them was called John.
We were then taken to the “ostrich ring” where you have the chance of riding an ostrich. As we got close I saw two of them prancing around this ring about 5 metres in diameter. One of them had a saddle attached to its back and it was this one that was meant to be our ride. Unfortunately, he was new to the game (the usual and more tame ostrich had called in sick) and was not really keen on taking part, so it decided to sit on the ground in protest. He was a bit jumpy in any case so the ride would have been interesting.
Instead we mounted horses and took a ride around the grounds and passed by the field where Tom the giraffe had made his home - he came over to say hello as we rode by.
After our ride we were then shown the sustainable vegetable garden that supplied those staying at the game sanctury. We were told how they grew certain crops next to each other to ward of insects such as aphids – onions were always a good bet in these situations. She also explained that they planted Kales next to flowering plants – the latter attracted ladybirds, which would in turn lunch on the aphids,who in turn were more partial to the Kales. Fascinating stuff.
All this talk of food was making me hungry and by late afternoon we sat down for a delicious chicken stew with rice, kales and chapattis. The restaurant and seating area were on an elevated wooden platform, a bit like being in a tree house, where you could look out through wire meshing on either side. If you were lucky you could see Tom. After lunch we had a few games of pool and then said our goodbyes to the staff before heading back to Kitale.
Sunday was a nice relaxing day back at Jack’s house. The weather had been really kind to us over the weekend with the sun out most of the time compared to the frequent downpours we had had during the week. There is a nice seating area in the outside yard where you can eat breakfast while soaking up the early rays and pass the morning talking to the boys or catching up on a bit of reading.
In the evening we had an excellent barbecue – goat nyama choma (the last bit means roast meat in Swahili). Apparently the best bit of goat to roast are the ribs and they were delicious - expertly cooked by Kesito and Paul. We sat out talking until late before turning in for the new week ahead.
We put on our boots and were led out to the game sanctuary on the other side of the campsite. Our first stop was to see Mike and Selina, the two rhinos wallowing in a mud bath in the afternoon heat. We were led past the electric fence and into the field where the rhinos were lying – I wasn’t so sure to begin with as we approached ever closer to the rhinos but was assured that they were quite friendly. We got to within 20 metres or soand was pretty special to see them so close up. However, as the rhinos got up from their mud bath we retreated to the perimeter fence and had a chance to get really close and give them a friendly pat.
Our next stop was to see the zebras, elands and gazelles in the adjacent field. We managed to get reasonably close to a group of gazelles and watch them run and jump through the long grass. The zebras were being a bit more elusive while we got a good sighting of the two elands – one of them was called John.
We were then taken to the “ostrich ring” where you have the chance of riding an ostrich. As we got close I saw two of them prancing around this ring about 5 metres in diameter. One of them had a saddle attached to its back and it was this one that was meant to be our ride. Unfortunately, he was new to the game (the usual and more tame ostrich had called in sick) and was not really keen on taking part, so it decided to sit on the ground in protest. He was a bit jumpy in any case so the ride would have been interesting.
Instead we mounted horses and took a ride around the grounds and passed by the field where Tom the giraffe had made his home - he came over to say hello as we rode by.
After our ride we were then shown the sustainable vegetable garden that supplied those staying at the game sanctury. We were told how they grew certain crops next to each other to ward of insects such as aphids – onions were always a good bet in these situations. She also explained that they planted Kales next to flowering plants – the latter attracted ladybirds, which would in turn lunch on the aphids,who in turn were more partial to the Kales. Fascinating stuff.
All this talk of food was making me hungry and by late afternoon we sat down for a delicious chicken stew with rice, kales and chapattis. The restaurant and seating area were on an elevated wooden platform, a bit like being in a tree house, where you could look out through wire meshing on either side. If you were lucky you could see Tom. After lunch we had a few games of pool and then said our goodbyes to the staff before heading back to Kitale.
Sunday was a nice relaxing day back at Jack’s house. The weather had been really kind to us over the weekend with the sun out most of the time compared to the frequent downpours we had had during the week. There is a nice seating area in the outside yard where you can eat breakfast while soaking up the early rays and pass the morning talking to the boys or catching up on a bit of reading.
In the evening we had an excellent barbecue – goat nyama choma (the last bit means roast meat in Swahili). Apparently the best bit of goat to roast are the ribs and they were delicious - expertly cooked by Kesito and Paul. We sat out talking until late before turning in for the new week ahead.
Thursday, 2 September 2010
A Day at the Office
Now I have been here a week I can give you a quick overview of my day at work.
I get up around 7am for the usual morning routine before sitting down for breakfast. This varies and can range from boiled potatoes, boiled cassava, boiled green bananas, boiled arrow root with sesame seeds and roasted ground nuts, thick pancakes the size of your palm, boiled eggs, and bread which are all accompanied by a mug of chai. I’ve also managed to sneak in a tub of marmite – there are some things that are hard to restrain from.
We then drive into town to start work at around 9am. I meet with Jack (programme director) and/or Jackline (accountant) to discuss any issues and continue the work agreed at the start of the assignment. I am looking at number of areas including:
•Review of the Mango spread sheet accounting system recently adopted
•Review of the cash flow forecast and how this is monitored
•Board governance – especially how financial information is reported to the board including management accounts and the cash flow forecast
•Risk management – I am helping devise a risk management framework
•Operational plan – drafting an operational 3 year plan (a bit like a business plan)
•Draft a planning, monitoring, learning and evaluation (PMLE) policy document (basically an overview of their governance structure from the board down to the farmer group level)
•Generate ideas for future fundraising initiatives
There is quite a lot to do but it’s been really interesting looking more at the strategic side of SMART’s operations and how financial capacity can be built with the board of trustees.
The mornings are quite long and we do not have lunch until about 2-3pm. It takes a bit of time to get used to but we do not eat until 9-10pm in the evening so a late lunch seems to work. After lunch it’s a trip to the internet café to catch up with e mails, post my blog and do any research for my work. We then work until about 7pm before heading home, have a cup of chai and catch up with the family. Cuka, the youngest at 4, is an avid artist so likes to show me his pictures. His favourite activity is to get me to draw around his hand – his scrap book is now full of hand drawings.
If there is time I like to watch the worst soap I’veever seen called “Hidden Passion”. The acting and dubbing (I think it’s either a Brazilian or other South American soap) is so bad it is hilarious. This is followed by supper between 9-10pm and comes as a type of African tapas. It can be anything from rice, ugali (ground maize – a bit like polenta), sometimes goat, chicken or beef (the goat has come as nyama choma or barbecued) green grams (lentils),kales, night shade and/or spider plant (types of greens) a type of spinach, potatoes, matoke (boiled green bananas which have been mashed)and chapatis. Desert is usually one of oranges, mango or pineapple. So overall an extremely healthy diet.
I get up around 7am for the usual morning routine before sitting down for breakfast. This varies and can range from boiled potatoes, boiled cassava, boiled green bananas, boiled arrow root with sesame seeds and roasted ground nuts, thick pancakes the size of your palm, boiled eggs, and bread which are all accompanied by a mug of chai. I’ve also managed to sneak in a tub of marmite – there are some things that are hard to restrain from.
We then drive into town to start work at around 9am. I meet with Jack (programme director) and/or Jackline (accountant) to discuss any issues and continue the work agreed at the start of the assignment. I am looking at number of areas including:
•Review of the Mango spread sheet accounting system recently adopted
•Review of the cash flow forecast and how this is monitored
•Board governance – especially how financial information is reported to the board including management accounts and the cash flow forecast
•Risk management – I am helping devise a risk management framework
•Operational plan – drafting an operational 3 year plan (a bit like a business plan)
•Draft a planning, monitoring, learning and evaluation (PMLE) policy document (basically an overview of their governance structure from the board down to the farmer group level)
•Generate ideas for future fundraising initiatives
There is quite a lot to do but it’s been really interesting looking more at the strategic side of SMART’s operations and how financial capacity can be built with the board of trustees.
The mornings are quite long and we do not have lunch until about 2-3pm. It takes a bit of time to get used to but we do not eat until 9-10pm in the evening so a late lunch seems to work. After lunch it’s a trip to the internet café to catch up with e mails, post my blog and do any research for my work. We then work until about 7pm before heading home, have a cup of chai and catch up with the family. Cuka, the youngest at 4, is an avid artist so likes to show me his pictures. His favourite activity is to get me to draw around his hand – his scrap book is now full of hand drawings.
If there is time I like to watch the worst soap I’veever seen called “Hidden Passion”. The acting and dubbing (I think it’s either a Brazilian or other South American soap) is so bad it is hilarious. This is followed by supper between 9-10pm and comes as a type of African tapas. It can be anything from rice, ugali (ground maize – a bit like polenta), sometimes goat, chicken or beef (the goat has come as nyama choma or barbecued) green grams (lentils),kales, night shade and/or spider plant (types of greens) a type of spinach, potatoes, matoke (boiled green bananas which have been mashed)and chapatis. Desert is usually one of oranges, mango or pineapple. So overall an extremely healthy diet.
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