Settling Down

My first week here was interesting, my second just hard and the last week’s been quite fun. I finally feel like I’m settling in a bit and learning how to cope. I’m coping better with sharing a room I was definitely resentful when Katelin moved in after I’d had the place to myself for a week.

Katelin and Jordan are both 20 and from St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York. They’re working with Watamu Turtle Watch who’re based across the road but sleep here and have their meals with us. I wasn’t looking forward to sharing with a 20 year old student and have definitely had to grit my teeth a few times but actually they’re quite fun. Jordan fulfils a certain stereotype by talking loudly at every meal on any subject. They’ve been in Kenya nearly 4 months now and he’s quite clearly an expert but he has a great sense of humour and can always take a joke on himself and his country.
We’ve also done more since they arrived. Their presence highlights the fact that not a lot goes on here in the evenings. H&B disappear soon after dinner to attend to their 10 month old and the staff have all gone home. There’s no TV which is not a bad thing (although I am missing the news – what’s happening in the world?!) We’ve been asked not to go into Watamu to the night clubs there. They don’t have a great reputation locally I think while Arocha is trying to maintain one. Going to Palms Bar is deemed OK though. I suppose it’s our ‘local’ it’s a bit of a dive where you can clearly see the prostitutes come and go but its only a short walk and I think safe once your face gets known. Also a pint of Tusker is only 100 KSH, very reasonable. Otherwise there are regular Trips to Ocean Sports Hotel - K&A both have laptops so can make use to the free wireless they have there.

Last weekend the four of us enlisted Albert’s services and went on Safari to Tsavo East Park, the closest National Park to where we are. I went on Safari once before but was so young I have very little memory of it so I didn’t know what to expect. It was an amazing and surreal day. You really do leave humanity behind and enter the animal kingdom, having to stay on the road in your vehicle while the animals roam free enforces the feeling that you’re a visitor in another world. I was really impressed with my little compact camera as well, managed to get some great shots – especially of the 3 Cheetah’s that crossed right in front of us just as we approached the park gate - that was a good start to the day! (see above picture)

On Thursday as we were about to go to sleep Jordan knocked on our door- Turtle Watch had called him - there was a green turtle laying her eggs on the beach. We jumped in the back of the van and then stumbled across the sand in the dark - torches confuse the turtles. The last few metres we had to crawl on our knees getting covered in goodness knows what and then she was there the biggest turtle I've ever seen laying eggs in the sand. Good evidence of why you're not really supposed to go walking on the beach at night here - not only would she be distracted she could be quite scary if you stumbled across her by mistake. I guess that's the kind of thing that happens in the evenings here...

I've felt better this week after getting my head around exactly what the problems in management are where I'm staying. I think at a basic level there's a lack of understanding of the help westerners need to culturally adjust. Nobody wants to behave like a spoilt brat but a look of mystified confusion when you're struggling to adapt to a toilet that doesn't always flush or ants in your dinner isn't always helpful. Aaron has been an absolute rock. He and I are opposite temperaments and capable of clashing totally but he's extremely kind, patient and open minded. He also gets on with Henry really well which helps. We're now having weekly meetings with Henry and Aaron and I are going to write a volunteers handbook to make life easier for future volunteers - both his ideas. The upside of working for a place that is struggling is the sense you're part of something that's growing and that will be better if you come back and visit in a few years. We have a real chance to permanently contribute while we're here which is exciting.

Too much has been going on to write it all. A busy weekend including a visit from our director Colin - finally got to meet him - and a UNDP rep from Nairobi who was here to carry out an audit on the place (funding dependant!) We now have a centre full of guests from a group called Earthwatch and I have moved rooms - long story.

Some things I've noticed while living here so far

• You can't go anywhere without seeing people you know on the way back and giving them a lift - especially if you take the pick-up - we took a whole bunch of teachers in the back once who'd just left school- friends of Tsofa who used to teach in the local area.


• When you're travelling the children on the roadside will always wave and shout at you and appreciate a wave a back. They normally assume you're Italians - the majority tourist in this area - and shout Ciao! Don't wave at the adults though they'll just think you're weird.


• Power cuts are a regular thing - always back up your work frequently! They can last anything from a few minutes to a whole day sometimes! If its a long one the best thing to do is go to the beach.


• Goats run across the road here like cows do in India - although they're not considered sacred its just easier to graze them that way than keep them fenced in apparently

Finally, this week I visited a tree nursery with Jonathan, one of the staff. I had visions of a long neatly layed out green house under the trees. Instead we went to a local school and looked at some small plants in the back yard. These were planted by the parents of the Assets children - their part of the bargain when Assets sponsors their child to go to secondary school. They use their own shambas (plots) and school land as well and have been learning how to treat the soil in some areas where its weak. This was conservation meeting poverty alleviation head on and I felt privileged to be there. I guess this is the whole reason why I'm here at all. If you want to find out more about Assets go to http://www.assets-kenya.org/

Thanks for reading

rx


For Those Who Pray
Thank God that I'm settling in and coping better

Thank God for Aaron!

Pray we get our money from the UNDP (united nations development fund)

Getting Around

My first picture I took on the first day - Aaron holding the Monitor Lizzard that lives in the garden - he likes wildlife...

Travelling around Watamu is an interesting experience. There’s a variety of transport methods at differing prices and levels of comfort depending on what you want to spend. I feel the UK could learn a thing or two.

If you want to go any distance you stick your hand out and get on a Matatu, a mini van that can take about 8 passengers (or more if the need arises). There are normally about three guys sharing the jobs of driving, taking the money, opening and closing the door and playing the music loudly. The vans are the fastest and worst driven vehicles on the road but they do get you from A to B swiftly. You can go all the way to Malindi (25km) or just from Watamu’s small town centre down to Turtle Bay Beach Club, a couple of miles for just 40 shillings (currently 118 shillings to the GBP).

Turtle Bay is the last big hotel along the spit of land that Watamu is on. Public transport stops here but it’s over a mile further to plot 28 (Arocha) so unless you want to wilt in the heat you need to transfer to another mode of transport. Taxis are always available but hardly worth it for the short distance. If you have luggage hiring a tuk-tuk (auto rickshaw) is best but they’re slow and bumpy. On your own you can take a ride on a picky-picky (motorbike) for a mere 50 shillings but the ultimate way to go has to be on the back of a boda-boda - a bicycle with a seat attached. They look precarious and it takes guts to get on your first one but they quickly become appealing. The drivers – always young guys – are incredibly steady, carefully avoiding the pot holes and also pretty strong to haul these heavy Wazungu (white people) back and forth all day. The pace is gentle but fast enough to get the wind in your face and if you’re unlucky your driver’s BO as well - all this for only 20 shillings to Arocha’s gate.

Then there’s just a walk up the dusty drive way, watching out for the Safari Ants if its evening and when you reach the top of the rise the sea comes into view, an especially welcome site on your first day.

It’s the short rains season here at the moment so it’s hot with occasional refreshing showers and everywhere is still green. The garden was in full bloom when I arrived, every day the frangipani flowers have to be swept off the path. The beach is less than 50 metres away down a path. If you go at the wrong time if day it’s a blinding strip of white, painful to walk on but after about 4pm it’s cooler and cloudier. The water is full of seaweed - and lately some strange earwig like creatures that bite you - but always warm and a great place to watch the sun set from.

We’re in a mainly rural area, only built up at all due to tourism. I was told that 80% of the locals are farmers, mostly subsistence apart from those who fish of course. Arabuko Sokoke forest is a few miles away where Arocha’s Assets scheme is focussed enabling some children from poorer communities to get into high school while their parents get involved in local conservation work in the forest

Working Sleeping & Eating

I’ve got blogs coming out of my ears. I’m glad I started this one and got the practice because now part of my job here is to write 2/3 entries a week for the ARK blog http://arochakenya.wildlifedirect.org (You can see a picture of H&B and Ivy here). This is a little ambitious as the internet here is slow and not as reliable as in the UK. “Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t”. Henry’s response after I’d been on the roof for an hour trying to publish one article and wasn’t very happy.

I’m also gathering items for the end of year newsletter and yesterday I was at Mida Creek replacing some of the signs from the information boards. There’s a board walk through the mangrove trees which leads to a bird hide. Keen birders pay a small fee to use it which goes to Assets.

A typical day here revolves around the meal times. If you’re lucky it was a cool night. (I’ve actually slept better here than I thought I would – the fan helps! We’ve been blessed with a double mosquito net too so no getting tangled up). If so waking up is not hard but by 7.30 the heat outside is already intense in fact the morning is always the hottest time. Breakfast is self service and slow – after all it’s not like you have to travel to work. About 9am I start trying to do something useful, this will largely depend on whether the ‘volunteer’ computer is free. There might also be an outing to go on perhaps to the forest, bird counting or with Tsofa to take an environmental education class and I’ll take some photos.

The staff members all eat together at lunch, it’s usually rice, maybe ugali and beans and salad. We eat well and I’m not missing my sweet snacks much, you just don’t need them here. In the afternoon you try to keep yourself occupied, there might be some maintenance work – on Friday I painted a sign for the gate – or some admin – I also filed some receipts for Belinda. Then about 4.30 it’s cool enough to go for a jog along the beach or throw yourself into the sea to cool off although the water is as warm as a bath by that time.

For Those Who Pray

I’ve had a dodgy stomach over the last few days although I haven’t actually been sick thankfully. It’s sapping my energy though so please pray it would clear up soon.

Please keep praying for the general organisation and attitudes here at Mwamba. It’s been a really hard week and I’ve felt quite isolated at times. I think there is a lack of understanding about how much cultural adjustment those from ‘the west’ need not in terms of time but encouragement. Everybody means well but there are often failures in communication.

Pray for ARK in general because they really need more money. We're having an audit soon and and there's a chance we'll get some more funding out of it but only if we do well.

Thanks for reading

rx

Arrival and Beyond

Hello from 4,500 miles away (or thereabouts). Having been in Kenya for a week now I'm sure you can imagine there is so much I could write about that it's hard to know what to leave out. I'll try not to overload you (or run up a huge bill in Dreamworld - Watamu's internet cafe).

My journey here was uneventful until I got to Nairobi. I found domestic departures easily enough then I was told that my flight to Malindi wasn't happening today and I should go to Mombassa instead. I'd been awake all night, I had big bags to carry and people I'd never met were meant to be meeting me in Malindi not Mombassa so I was determined not to go. However the check-in assistant was very accomodating and promised they would arrange a car to take me the hour or so's journey from Mombassa to Malindi free of charge so I assented and got straight on the plane as it was about to leave - no hanging about for me. Once on the plane I got chatting to an English woman. When I told her my change of plans she said "good luck with getting the car".

They did get me a car, I was very impressed when a man found me at the airport and had my name on a bit of paper and it was even spelt correctly! Then he waved me towards a taxi driver who was quickly walking away with my bags and I had to follow slightly nervously. I thought for security reasons I should stay awake during the drive and also because I wanted to see the scenery but I was asleep within a few minutes. The very nice taxi driver woke me up as we arrived at Malindi airport and for a minute I was worried. If you've ever been to Sheffield airport you'll know the size of the one at Malindi only it's slightly smaller and scruffier. However, it does have a TV showing CNN. Welcome to Kenya :)

A little while later a young white man appeared at the door with something resembling my name on a bit of paper. This was Aaron, he's another volunteer with ARK, he's Canadian, 22, a Menonite, he's been here for nearly 2 months already but going home about the same time as I am, he's getting married next May and he's obsessed with birds, as is Albert. Albert is in charge of research and monitoring for ARK and is a total dude. He speaks Swahili, English and German and has worked as a Safari tour guide. He drove us to Watamu really slowly (compared with my speedy taxi journey) and he and Aaron had their heads out of the window most of the time looking into the trees. Welcome to Arocha :)

On arriving at Mwamba I finally met Belinda who I've been emailing on and off since May, her husband Henry and their nine month old Ivy who is gorgeous. Julia was another British volunteer who was in her final week. Everyone was very friendly and I was told I could go to sleep in the afternoon if I wanted and I'd have several days to acclimatise before I had much to do. Despite the heat I went to sleep straight away.

What have I done so far?
I've been into Watamu on a shopping trip where Julia showed me what was where
I've been to a school on the edge of the forest to present a gift of some desks from a local church
I've watched a turtle being released back into the sea and visited the Watamu Turtle Watch centre across the road. And yesterday we watched a tiny hatchling battle his way across acres (for him) of sand to the sea for the first time.
I've found the internet cafe - yay!
I've re-ordered Mwamba's library (OK it's a book shelf)
I've met the rest of the ARK staff and those who keep Mwamba running and been to my first Monday morning meeting
I've got sunburnt - impossible not to if you do a beach clearing at 10am
I'm gradually getting my head around the IT infrastructure here and accepting how slow everything is and how often the computers break!
I've gone on a crow count (yep we actually counted crows as they flew past)
I've welcomed a guest
Done my washing by hand - not much fun
Been to a church service in Malindi
Enjoyed watching the Kenyan's celebrate 'Obama day' :)
I've had to say goodby to Julia after she'd been so helpful at settling me in :(


Ups and Downs
Although there is a big spider that lives on the kitchen ceiling (no Liming its not as scary as you described more colourful and spindly) that's not been the hardest thing to deal with so far and I'm actually quite enjoying watching the gheckos on the walls and the occasional crab that scuttles across the dining room in the evening. I've also been looking out for the monkeys who seem shy most of the time and then on Monday decided to surround our rooftop meeting in the trees and make a lot of squawking and were almost agressive. Turned out they were just trying to distract us while they stole a loaf of bread.

The hardest thing has been accepting the lack of efficiency in the office at Mwamba and getting my head around such concepts as 'wireless dial-up'. They really struggle to get wireless reception -possibly due to being surrounded by so many trees. The old landline is unreliable because the monkeys swing on the lines. This makes phonecalls and internet connection intermittent and slow. We have to take the wireless phone up onto the roof to get 2 bars. They could do with a big extension arial but this would cost them about 850GBP - about 68000 Kenyan shillings I think(?) Unthinkable for a struggling charity but they are trying to fundraise.
They also want to get more guests to stay and improve the place as a guest house but while they are trying to run it as a working environment it kind of pulls in opposite directions.

Saturday was the first time I was given any formal introduction to Mwamba and Arocha's work. There are understandable reasons for this - H&B only started a year ago and have been very busy. At the end of last December the violence in Kenya meant a lot of bookings were cancelled and volunteers pulled out or went home early. Then in January their daughter Ivy was born several weeks prematurely. By the time Belinda was back on her feet the director Colin had left for South Africa as his wife (a South African) was admitted to hospital there. She has a very rare condition where she has too much iron in her blood and could have died. Since last March Colin who is supposed to be in charge has visited only twice. So as you can imagine things are not running as they're supposed to be. On the plus side H&B are open to new ideas from volunteers and are a very genuine and sweet couple and Ivy is lovely.

For Those Who Pray
Please pray for me that I can encourage H&B without criticising them and accept the way things are here.
Pray for H&B that they get enough rest - they are going on leave in December and Ivy will meet some of her extended family for the first time.
Pray for me that I can cope with the facilities some of which are basic - made harder because I'm now sharing a room and with the creepy crawlies (Aaron enjoys anticipating with creature I'll see next, maybe a Whip-Scorpion this week?)
Pray for the work of ARK in general that they can raise enough money through eco-tourism to pay their costs and cover the Assets scheme (more on that later)

More next week!

rx

Take Off...

Actually I'm still in the UK (feels like I'm never going to leave!!) but I have left Leeds now for at least 4 months - strange feeling - and I fly tomorrow so next time I'll finally have something interesting to write about :)

However I don't know when that next time will be. I'm not sure what my internet access is going to be like in Kenya seeing as I don't have my own laptop and so far my phone has been pretty useless. ARK (Arocha Kenya) have advised me that I probably won't be able to use their office computer as it will naturally be tied up with Arocha Business. And as yet I don't know when my days off will be when I'll get time to wander into Watamu and search out an internet cafe. It could all be a bit hit and miss...

So this could be it... the shortest blog in history :(

Plans for tomorrow & the next day
Manage to get all my bags on the train to Kings Cross and then as far as Archway Tube station without collapsing (Archway is on the way to Africa honest)
Have lunch with a friend - I hope you're looking forward to some bag carrying Trudi
Get back on the tube to Heathrow in one piece after leaving a few items at Trudi's that will come in handy next February - brrr!
Finally get rid of my luggage - yay!
Get very excited about going through the barrier - it was never me while I was growing up!
Enjoy the flight a lot
Regret not having slept all night when I land at Nairobi Kenyatta Airport at 6.30am
Walk around in sunglasses trying to look confident and not get approached by anyone while waiting for connecting flight
Finally arrive in Malindi at 12.15 (9.15 GMT)
Get met by someone..? Possibly Henry and Belinda but not confirmed...
Get my first real taste of Kenya

After all that who knows... soon find out though...