Down on the Farm

Today I ventured out to the rural areas of this lovely country. Where the air is clean and there's nothing but green and some more shades of green as far as the eye can see. My Program Manager, Pauline and I headed to Naivasha, about a one to two hour drive from Nairobi to visit farmers using irrigation pumps created by a local NGO named KickStart. 

KickStart has created durable, affordable, transportable irrigation pumps that are transforming the lives of rural farmers in Kenya and throughout Africa. Farmers spend so much time transporting water to and from their fields via many bucket loads every day. When the dry season hits, they struggle to sustainably water and grow their crops to continue feeding their family and generate income. 

KickStart has come up with a simple solution to aid farmers in managing their crops year round and to upscale them from subsistence farming to selling to neighbors and wholesale markets. Through the use of low maintenance treadle and hip pumps farmers can now easily sustain and expand their crops. Pauline and I were fortunate to meet a couple of farmers who have benefited from these pumps. 

An older woman using a treadle pump is able to grow her crops year round by easily pumping water from the small pond she dug last year and spreading it around her five acres of land. She and her husband have no trouble feeding their family and selling the excess produce to the local community, bringing in a significant amount of income each month. Another gentleman has been using his pump for almost 20 years on his twelve acres of land. He's been able to expand his crop varieties as well as try new things like beekeeping and operating a green house.

KickStart is greatly changing the lives of farmers every day all over Kenya. Pauline and I thoroughly enjoyed our time with the team and seeing the amazing impacts taking place in the rural communities. Just being on the farm today was such a wonderful escape from Nairobi and a reminder that some of the greatest things in life are simple. Those simple things found in nature, like wide open fields of green, birds chirping in nearby trees and a breeze that rustles past with a fragrance of fresh rain. And of course the hushed sounds of water swishing as it is being pumped by a treadle or hip pump to water the food so many in Kenya are dependent upon. 

www.kickstart.org

Farmer showcasing her treadle pump

I gave it a try - it's like a Stairmaster!

Pauline's turn....

Now for the hip pump - you've really got to put your hip into it!

Tough work!

Off to try and sell a pump or two

I'm holding one of the pump hoses after a demonstration at a local farmer's home - sale successful!

I Got Worms

Walking out our front door shoots us onto a busy street in one of Nairobi's main suburbs, Westlands. Thick dark clouds of exhaust fill the air as we turn to make our way down to the end of the road. Bicycles and pedestrians share the space with screeching matatus and a cluster of cars not adhering to normal traffic patterns, spilling over sidewalks and riding the middle line. After waiting and looking and waiting a bit more and looking once again, we finally cross to the other side. This is just one of a few streets we must maneuver on our walk to work each morning. 

There are many risks when living in Nairobi, the daily horrendous traffic, pollution emissions from gurgling exhaust pipes and situations with security. However, there are other risks that are not as apparent as these. They are tiny, minute hazards that can creep into your life at a moment's notice and stay with you until you return to the US or beyond.

What small perils do I speak of?

Lloyd: "This isn't my real job, you know."

Mary: "No?'

Lloyd: "Nope. My friend Harry and I are saving up to open our own pet store."

Mary: "That's nice."

Lloyd: "I got worms!"

Mary: "I beg  your pardon?"

Lloyd: "That's what we're gonna call it. 'I Got Worms!' 

Scene from the movie Dumb and Dumber.

We have been advised that if one remains in Africa for 6 months or more it is a good idea to get de-wormed. Yes I said it, de-wormed. Like what one does to their beloved pet back in the States. Despite how gross and unpleasant this subject is; it is a fact of life here, and all over the world for that matter.

In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one third of the world's population is impacted by parasitic infections. Of that, about three hundred million are severely ill and at least half of those are school-age children. This not only harms the health of children but also reduces their educational achievements. This is obviously not the sexiest topic in the developing world. Most folks want to put their money directly towards education or economic empowerment programs but if children are not well they won’t make it to school or do their best when they do attend.

Brian and I have the luxury of a pharmacy here in Nairobi where we can purchase over the counter medications for such ailments. 2 tablets taken at the same time with water and you should see improved results within just a few days. The cost for the 2 pills = Ksh 240 (approximately US$3.20). However, the WHO reports that the cost for a single treatment per child can be as little as US$0.02, some of the more expensive and effective drugs can be on average US$0.20. These medications can improve children's lives but so many are living in rural areas of the world making access and availability a challenge.

There are organizations out there that are working towards increasing availability, such as Deworm the World. This topic along with Deworm the World, amongst other groups working on life changing projects in the development field, are featured in an article from last December's The New York Times by Nicholas D. Kristof: check it out!

Deworm The World focuses on reaching children in schools all over the planet. They recognize that by piggybacking onto the already existing school structure they can minimize costs as well as impact the largest number of children at a time. According to a randomized trial in Kenya, de-worming children showed a reduction in school absenteeism by as much as 25 percent (Miguel and Kremer, 2004).

This experience is just another reminder of how fortunate we are in the West. The majority of Americans generally have ways of obtaining medications when we need them and live in relatively clean environments with access to running water and sanitation, significantly reducing the risk of parasitic infections. But for so many of the world's population, these basic items are not within reach, the very things all humans should have access to; thus making them vulnerable to parasitic dangers.

For those of us who are so lucky, do as your mother always said, wash your hands after using the facilities, before and after you eat and upon finishing a round of petting the family dog. But most importantly be thankful for your health and do something for those who are without.

http://www.dewormtheworld.org

Wild or Mild?

"Wild or mild" he asks? "Mild please" I respond with quivering lips. I know I will just cry if I have to go on the wild route. "Well we will have to see how many others are interested in the mild, I can't guarantee anything" states the Adrift rafting guide as he takes our money.

"Well we signed up for the mild" Brian interjects sensing my uneasiness. That's when our soon to be guide saw the fear in my eyes and knew that there was no way I was rafting down the Nile via some wild and crazy death ride. It was mild or nothing.

So mild it was. Fortunately for me, there were a few other scaredy cats (excluding Brian of course) to comprise a group of 6, including our guide, Kamo, a New Zealander with a sarcastic sense of humor.

Our mild excursion down the waters of the great White Nile began just after 10 in the morning in Jinja, Uganda. In addition to our small raft, with the lovely letters EXTREME painted on the side, there were about four other rafts out for the day. Straight away I learned that both the wild and mild groups followed the same course, the only difference was that our guide wouldn't try and purposefully flip our raft (oh great...).

To get things started, Kamo asked us to jump out of the raft to get used to being in the water 'just in case' we happened to fly out. So we jumped out just before a group of rapids. I freaked out, taking in larger than life breaths and Brian immediately swam to my side to calm me down. Of course I was fine but just nervous and overwhelmed. We quickly got back into the raft, which I'll admit is not easy or a pretty sight. You basically slither your body across wet plastic making an awful sound and flop into the boat like a fish out of water - but you're in and that's what counts.

Kamo had another exercise for our group, another 'just in case' scenario. This time we all had to sit on one side of the raft while Kamo flipped us over. This was to experience what it would be like in the event we fall out of the raft and get trapped under the boat. (Again, I'm still not keen on this whole rafting thing at this point. Let me just say this was not my idea but marriage is about compromise and I was compromising....) So there we were in the water again and under the raft, hoping we wouldn't have to go through the real thing down the river in a mad surge of rapids, which our guide so kindly equated to being trapped in a washing machine, but only for like 5 or 10 seconds (oh is that all...)

Now it was time to hit the rapids. We floated along and approached the first one. This is when all the safety alarms and anything I had ever learned about avoiding danger, not talking to strangers, stop drop and roll, get under your desk in case of a tornado, basically anything and everything safety related entered my head and went haywire. I mean all the meters and buzzers went over the top! So naturally, I asked to leave. I wanted to be excused from the rest of the trip. Our guide just looked at me and said "sorry, but it's too late sweetheart." 

GULP!

So I buckled down, gave myself a little talking to and just did it (I had no choice in the matter obviously). Our small little team, randomly named hippo by our guide, paddled as hard as we could flying into the waves, crashing through the water and dipping down a waterfall. I screamed and yelled, my heart racing as though it were going to beat out of my chest, and before I knew it we had made it. I was alive! Yeah! We did it! Wow - what a rush!

After that first hurdle of rapids, I felt like maybe I could really do this. I mean yes, I was scared out of my mind, but the rush of adrenaline I felt once we made it through successfully was exhilarating. Maybe there was a wild side to me after all! Brian was thrilled and excited as well but he was like a pro at this kind of stuff. Adventure is practically his middle name.

For the rest of the day, the fear coupled with the thrill, kept our spirits high as we worked hard to stay inside our tiny raft. While other teams, being wild of course, flipped with ease, we kept our balance and stormed through the rapids. We felt success each time we made it through, giving each other high fives with our paddles and then slamming them on top of the water accompanied with the necessary manly grunts only winners can pull off. We were a small but mighty team of first timers, scaredy cats and Brian.

The day ended around 5:30pm after many many rapids, lots and lots of paddling and a pint or two of unintentionally ingested Nile water. It was such an amazing experience as we were able to see the Nile up close and personal, view several types of beautiful birds, spot a monitor lizard and take in the splendor of Uganda.

I'm obviously not always one to jump at a daring escapade like Brian (which I admire and thank him for) but that is why we are perfect partners. We encourage each other and support one another in all of life's wonderful adventures! He's the best teammate a girl like me (i.e. scaredy cat) could have.

Enjoy the photos from our mild (wild) day on the Nile courtesy of Adrift: (I'm wearing a long sleeve brown shirt in the yellow helmet behind Brian who is in the front with a pink helmet)

A Girl Named Jalyn

Jalyn is not a common name. Since 1880 only 2,378 people are named Jalyn in the United States according to babynameshub.com. I've only met one other Jalyn in my life and that was in San Francisco when Brian and I were scoping out various churches. I found it surprising that we even spelled our names the same. To date, that has been my only run in with another Jalyn, until now. 

Today I was introduced to 3 month old, beautiful, wide-eyed baby Jalyn. She lives in the Mathare slum of Nairobi and is the third of three girls to her mother Asha. Asha is a young woman engaged in the YWE program. 

Last July Asha was recruited into YWE and throughout the two week recruitment process, I was in the slums meeting with the young women. It was there that Asha learned my name and then decided that if she were to have a girl she would name her Jalyn. She did just that on October 28th, ironically just one day before Brian's birthday. 

Baby Jalyn is such a healthy bundle of joy. Asha was so kind to welcome me into her home this afternoon so I could meet and hold the sweet little girl. 

I don't really know what to say about having someone name their child after me. I didn't really think of it as more than them liking the name Jalyn than actually naming it after me. But then again, one of my colleagues pointed out that if the mother didn't like me she wouldn't name her child Jalyn. You just don't go around picking up names of people you don't care for. So with that, I'll blushingly accept the honor and pray that baby Jalyn grows up to be a strong vibrant woman; maybe even the first female president of Kenya! 

Here's to you sweet baby Jalyn, may you have a happy childhood and grow up to be anything your beautiful heart desires.

Lovingly, 

Big Jalyn

When Baboons Attack

There we were, stomachs growling,  mouths drooling, ready to dive into the lovely picnic Anna and Greg had packed for our safari group of five when out of nowhere: ATTACK OF THE CRAZY BABOONS!!!!! 

They came from all angles, underneath benches, leaping from tree limbs, these large, ferocious, angry browed baboons. Their mission: consume as much highly processed sugary foods stolen from the trunks and coolers of silly humans as possible.

Fortunately it wasn't our picnic lunch they stole. We had the luxury of witnessing stupid humans dole out their treats while lurking baboons waited for the right moment to spring. Just minutes after spreading out all the fixings, the large hairy primates lunged for a bag of chips and another whisked away a handful of goodies. 

It was clear we could not enjoy our lunch at the aptly named Baboon Lookout which gave fantastic views of Nakuru National Park where we were spending our day on safari. Anna, Greg, Payal, (all from TNS) along with Brian and I instead took in the views on empty stomachs while keeping our distance from the furry food predators. 

As it came time for us to depart and find another picnic location one of the baboons took rest on the hood of Anna and Greg's SUV. Not long after that one popped a squat, another joined, positioning himself so he could peer through the back window at our awaiting lunch. He tried to open the handle, he even picked at the fuel tank door. He was unsuccessful (thankfully Greg had just locked the vehicle) so decided to just hang out. 

Payal and I were both in agreement that we were not going to get in the way of any baboon that wanted to sit on top of an SUV. Greg and Anna (having lived in Kenya for several years now) were much more brave and weren't going to stand idly by while baboons took charge of their vehicle. So they approached, Anna stomping her feet on the ground, and Greg yelling at the male baboon in an ultra  manly voice in order to exude his alpha status. The male baboon didn't take too kindly to this confrontation and yelled back a couple of times but in the end took off and we humans were once again in charge of the Rav4.

The rest of the day proved to be less strenuous, no more crazy altercations with the wildlife. Although I did sense a few water buffalos giving me the stink eye - but I didn't want to cause a scene so I let it pass. 

After our safari we headed north to an out of the way farm where you can stay overnight in quaint little bandas or what your average hobbit would occupy. There we enjoyed dinner and an enjoyable evening with one another.  

The next morning we took our time checking out the nature walks and farm animals available to the guests. The air was so fresh and the landscape lush with vivid green foliage and speckled with an array of beautiful flowers. 

We took our time heading back to Nairobi, taking in the beautiful green scenery (such a nice change of pace from the past four year drought). Our journey had taken us across the Equator the night before so this time we had to stop and take photos. We witnessed the amazing effects of the poles whereby when you place a toothpick in a bowl of water and walk about 20 meters north of the equator that toothpick will rotate clockwise. If you do the same thing 20 meters south of the equator that toothpick will rotate counterclockwise. And at the equator it won't move a bit. Neat! 

After the equator, it was back to Nairobi after a nice stop for lunch.

Speaking of lunch, a few other folks from the TNS office (we won't name any names) also ventured to Nakuru over the weekend. Unfortunately, they were not able to peacefully enjoy their packed lunch, instead they had to helplessly sit by and watch the baboons enjoying it - inside their car!!!

View along the drive to Nakuru

Even before we enter the park this guy made his way into somebody's back seat

We saw loads of rhinos throughout the park

Here we are at the baboon lookout point

I try not to notice the baboon in the background

Yep - that one

Brian just carries on, smiling casually

While this guy creeps along behind us

A female baboon gets comfortable

And is soon joined by a young male

The male tries the gas tank door but fortunately to no avail

We finally escape unscathed and are ready for lunch!

Lovely flamingoes in the distance

Pumba running from danger

A pair of secretary birds hunting for food

Mr. Giraffe enjoying his lunch

Are you guys ever in a good mood?

Remnants of the drought

Acacia's in the distance

Our hobbit abode

Equator!

Two happy Feth's