tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45285489328498017422011-11-27T23:14:47.903ZMy head (if not my mind) is usually in the UK. But this is more about where my heart is.BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.comBlogger3531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-55764651619993027492011-01-05T08:23:00.000Z2011-01-05T08:23:51.430Z

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-64162160420095315542010-07-13T19:06:00.002+01:002010-07-13T19:06:57.850+01:00

Wednesday 7 July 2010 We had to take Esther, the girl we re-homed from Maasailand to Kisii, to court in Kajiado to give evidence in the case against her former employer for employment of a minor. As the trip is almost 400 km and there is no direct transport, we hired a car. We left Kisii at about 6am and made good time to Narok, where we stopped for breakfast. We sailed through Nairobi,

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-84370077959162353412010-07-06T21:10:00.000+01:002010-07-06T21:10:53.585+01:00

It is difficult to blog when the power keeps cutting off, or the Internet connection fails ... or both. This visit seems to have been blighted with more than the usual number of power cuts and in the last two days, we have had no power at all during  the day. On both days, the power came on at about 6pm, but yesterday, it went off again within 30 minutes and it took an age for the standby

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-87196020457166833742010-06-27T20:59:00.000+01:002010-06-27T20:59:15.975+01:00

 Before my arrival, the rains were particularly hard and the bridge across the little river that separates the house from the road was washed away, apart from the two trunks that everything was attached to. So we have to use the alternative path, the path to the road is less steep, but it is a long trip to get to the road. Still, at least we can get to the road. I am quite proud of myself, I

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-74426905619085106102010-06-23T11:32:00.002+01:002010-06-23T12:42:01.918+01:00

The journey was thankfully very uneventful, although Vincent and I managed to miss each other at the airport terminal, maybe because I was desperate to get out to my "private corner" to have a cigarette. It had been too long since my last one. We soon met up and had a bite to eat before haggling with various taxi drivers and touts to get a good deal for the city centre. Having sorted out a bit

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-79110427867574483172010-06-12T19:38:00.001+01:002010-06-13T23:53:47.211+01:00

A photo gallery of the latest Rhino Charge, as well as the Hog Charge and Quattro Charge have been posted on the Rhino Ark website. 2010 Rhino Charge 2010 Hog Charge 2009 Quattro Charge

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-53634261877989438442010-06-08T00:00:00.000+01:002010-06-08T00:00:23.208+01:00

The results for the latest Kenyan Rhino Charge have been posted on their website, which can be accessed at http://www.rhinocharge.co.ke/event-info-a-raffle/results.html A record 72.5 million shillings was raised at the event. Details at http://www.rhinoark.org/RC2010/rc2010.htm

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-63643838458817775542010-06-05T19:24:00.002+01:002010-06-05T19:24:28.754+01:00

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-66899988273522511072010-06-03T09:54:00.000+01:002010-06-03T09:54:37.907+01:00

On a bushcraft/rural cooking website, I read not so long ago, that a whole chicken can be cooked in a clay oven with an open can of beer inserted into it ... er ... rear opening, and being a chef of little talent but great aspirations, I thought I would give it a go. Now, my kitchen in the UK is not a bush kitchen. It has an electric fan oven, not a clay oven, but I thought that would do. I

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-45133020313828211082010-06-01T21:11:00.003+01:002010-06-01T21:16:07.093+01:00

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-21318484986935629062010-06-01T16:33:00.001+01:002010-06-01T21:16:35.695+01:00

of some of the kids in Kisii.

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-39343467566407377082010-05-22T17:42:00.001+01:002010-05-22T17:42:54.846+01:00

I have just been called into the garden by Nyanya Mzungu who, apparently, had caught a snake! More curious than worried, I ambled into the garden to find her with a flowerpot and inside was ... a slow worm, not a snake at all. I would guess that it is the same one that the dog caught last year as it had obviously lost its tail at some time. A creature of habit!

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-44767294784399649642010-05-18T09:11:00.003+01:002010-12-19T17:32:14.138Z

Just received this email, thought it could be useful For the people intending to do attend the Rhino Charge - see notice from the organizers :GARMIN/ TRACKS4AFRICA- SPECTATOR'S MAPRhino Charge, Garmin and Tracks4Africa have collaborated in producing a Spectator's Map which will give spectators all the information they need to navigate to and around the Rhino Charge this year.Because the details

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-23339300560094631442010-05-18T08:52:00.000+01:002010-05-18T08:52:57.402+01:00

This blog is categorised as "Curiosity in a field I know nothing about" As my regular readers will know, we have a deaf child at the Twiga Centre, Simon, who is around 8 years old. As a baby of about 5 months, he contracted malaria and as a result [?] became deaf. Consequently, he has never learned to talk. While I am wasting away in the UK, I am looking for ways that we may be able to help

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-61760558281226532162010-05-17T09:05:00.000+01:002010-05-17T09:05:52.171+01:00

Well, it is 10 days since the UK elections which did not produce an overall winner, and it is a few days now that we have been presented with a coalition government. David Cameron and Nick Clegg have cobbled together a government from their two parties and are getting down to the business of running the country. But now, as there is no Labour government for the press to snipe at, they are trying

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-91096656834451717672010-05-06T16:30:00.002+01:002010-12-19T17:35:57.236Z

Lifted unashamedly from Witterings from Witney This post may be considered presumptious and egotistical, but it is one that I feel has to be written, so with those caveats - here goes:I am of an age that some still have to reach and having reached that age I hope that in those years I have acquired a wisdom that those younger than me still have to attain. In my life I have seen many changes, some

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-71422670408819831082010-05-06T13:19:00.000+01:002010-05-06T13:19:51.052+01:00

I acquired a satnav or GPS at Christmas. I wanted a particular make, apparently the only make that is compatible with a South African digital map organisation, T4A, which is steadily mapping the whole of Africa, but this make is more expensive than the others, so I was forced to get the base model – no matter. So I happily played around with it, pressing the various touch-screen buttons, and

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-42727485298694674642010-04-29T09:10:00.001+01:002010-05-18T17:37:27.312+01:00

Taken from a previous post and expanded Earlier, I wrote that my proposed overland driving trip to Kenya was one of the things I want to do before I die, and I could not think of anything else that falls into this category. But now I have thought of something else I would really like to do. I would love to see the Rio Carnival. So, having started, I am going to try to make a list of ten things

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-12951176586407418242010-04-23T15:50:00.003+01:002010-04-23T15:55:47.024+01:00

What a wonderful scheme Freecycle is! For those who have not seen it, it is a way of getting rid of stuff you no longer want, but which still has life left in it, so someone else might like to use it - anything from furniture to odds & sods. I use it regularly to get things for the kids at the Twiga Children's Centre in Kisii, Kenya. The last time I was  there, all the kids wanted to listen to

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-89031077243287121532010-04-22T21:00:00.000+01:002010-04-22T21:00:47.694+01:00

Blogging could be a little scarce for a while for several reasons: Real life is getting in the way of my e-life, demanding that I get off my ... er ... seat and get out of the house; My DSL router is a bit flaky, and I lose connection more than I find it Nothing much has happened. The volcanic dust hasn't affected me as I'm not going anywhere in the near future, the election campaign passes me

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-86221004450482601772010-04-14T19:40:00.003+01:002010-04-14T19:50:11.668+01:00

BEFORE (as I bought it) AFTER (as it is today) Looks a bit better now, doesn't it? (And it's legal)

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-46757425955834768032010-04-14T15:11:00.000+01:002010-04-14T15:11:51.127+01:00

As my regular reader will know, my second home is in Kisii, in the Western Highlands of Kenya. It is a provincial town of some 70,000 souls, bustling, vibrant, perhaps a little chaotic, busy, colourful. I know what I think of the place - I love it, and I feel that it should be brought to the attention of other visitors to Kenya, but why? What is in and around Kisii to attract tourists?

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-91382892634002182752010-04-13T19:26:00.001+01:002010-04-13T19:26:50.027+01:00

Malaika, nakupenda Malaika.             Angel, I love you Angel. Malaika, nakupenda Malaika. Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio,         What should I do, your lover? Nashindwa na mali sina, we,               I don't have any money                                                           (LITERALLY:  I'm defeated by wealth, I don't have any.) Ningekuoa Malaika.                           I would

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-69785650531739435732010-04-13T12:29:00.001+01:002010-04-13T12:30:14.401+01:00

What are we voting for on May 6th? Why do we need a Government at all? Below is a list (not exhaustive) of the responsibilities our last Government signed away to the European Union. We were promised by our last Government that we would be allowed a vote as to whether we should sign away all these, but we didn't get it.Competition Trade Asylum and Immigration Foreign Affairs Industrial Policy

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-8229834956579974882010-04-12T21:50:00.000+01:002010-04-12T21:50:08.102+01:00

Below is our national debt and it is increasing at a frightening rate!

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-50790379642534767252010-04-12T16:41:00.002+01:002010-04-12T16:42:30.381+01:00

Labour has released their manifesto, outlining what they intend to do should they win the upcoming election - or not. Speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister at Brighton County Court, Miss Cecelia Ivimy, Gordon Brown's legal representative, said that "manifesto pledges are not subject to legitimate expectation."Oh well ...

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-8136481556733923692010-04-08T13:14:00.001+01:002010-04-08T13:14:40.389+01:00

OK, so I've had it a couple of days now, driving around the village to see what it goes like, and I have to say that it is a nippy little machine. It is also reasonably comfortable and so far, has not let me down. But ... but (there is always a 'but'), today, I found a major fault with it. I went to do the weekly food shopping at our local superstore (which for my Kenyan readers, makes Nakumatt

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-51755480858344436902010-04-06T16:26:00.000+01:002010-04-06T16:26:33.335+01:00

It's a bit strange. I am used to driving automatic transmission Isuzu Troopers, Nissan Terranos, Pajeros, Transits and Mazda Bongos, so getting into a manual transmission Subaru Justy is odd. I can't see over the car in front and the door mirrors are so small that I can't even see them! I'll get used to it, I'm sure. I will have to. This is my new mode of transport. It needs a bit of fixing. It

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-83629440503241445272010-04-06T13:16:00.002+01:002010-04-06T22:36:16.298+01:00

**Unashamedly pinched from Dick Puddlecote who pinched it from somewhere else The Government has refused proper health care to many elderly citizens due to their advancing years. It is a worrying problem for many but help is at hand. Join the new free care plan today. If you are 60 years or older, you can apply. All new members will receive a gun and four bullets. You are allowed to shoot one

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-11920207888221242152010-04-03T19:26:00.006+01:002010-04-03T20:24:05.341+01:00

The election still hasn't been announced, but the posters are appearing all over the place, especially the Internet ... This is an unofficial poster - but I like it. I have been saying this for a long time. This is the official Labour Government's poster ... and this is a Tory spoof on the above. Another unofficial poster Would going back to the 80s be such a bad thing? What do I remember of

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-4391310555243846612010-04-03T13:04:00.001+01:002010-04-03T13:05:48.575+01:00

What am I going to do when I next get out to Kenya? What dreams and plans are buzzing through my head? With difficulty, I have to sort all that I want to do into an order of importance, so I suppose the top of the list (and potentially the most expensive) project is to complete and improve (or improve and complete?) the anaerobic digester so that we have a storage tank of methane that can be

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-51053952889974505252010-04-02T11:43:00.002+01:002010-04-06T08:20:02.178+01:00

We in the UK are due a General Election sometime before the end of June, and it seems that the pundits are backing 6th May for the date when the great British unwashed choose a new Government (or not). However, reading the various political blogs, as I do, you would think that the campaign is already under way. The bloggers that I follow (from the three major parties and a few from the smaller

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-91544950037827891222010-03-29T10:21:00.000+01:002010-03-29T10:21:05.877+01:00

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-60889886956469259862010-03-29T09:21:00.000+01:002010-03-29T09:21:22.325+01:00

From the BBC website The opportunity to save tens of thousands of HIV patients with a simple, cheap, drug treatment is being missed, say researchers.According to this article on the BBC website, administering a certain antibiotic would significantly reduce the death toll in the early stages of the disease, possibly halving the mortality rate. This treatment is endorsed by the WHO, but people are

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-32452623658904914072010-03-23T19:48:00.000Z2010-03-23T19:48:15.049Z

Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti, Gordon Brown announced that he had "purchased all of the UK’s available corrugated iron sheets to provide shelters for victims of the Haiti earthquake". So far, so good. UK doing what it can for the people of Haiti, wouldn't you say? The move would provide ‘2,000 homeless families in Haiti with hurricane proof shelter’. Still so far, so good, yes? OK,

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-64751698093587831702010-03-23T17:53:00.000Z2010-03-23T17:53:26.947Z

Just been through the websites for the 3 airlines that serve Nairobi, Virgin, Kenya Airways and BA. Prices are sky high! So I guess I won't be going out to Kenya for a while, especially after the heavy month we have had; £100 hospital fees for one little girl who had malaria and pneumonia and the cost of getting a Gusii girl relocated from Maasailand back to Kisii. Oh well, it seems I can do

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-1528183840264971982010-03-23T10:36:00.000Z2010-03-23T10:36:19.904Z

On the local radio station this morning - "Rain will be light, but it will be wet." Who would have thought it?

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-3186564578175145182010-03-19T09:58:00.000Z2010-03-19T09:58:47.783Z

Simon is about eight years old. He is a stocky, healthy-looking child with an open face and ready smile, but he is deaf. I don’t know quite how deaf he is. If I clap my hands loudly enough, he will sometimes hear it (or sense the air pressure?), and if I make a loud, high-pitched sound with a reed, he will hear that. In fact, he gets quite excited when he hears it, which leads me to believe that

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-77341192365606025362010-03-18T22:39:00.003Z2010-03-19T14:34:57.402Z

Having put the few thimbles full of diesel that I can still afford into the car, I went to pay. As I paid, the cashier said, "Do you want free sausage rolls?" My ears pricked up. "Free" is my favourite four-letter, F-word. I followed his pointing finger to a basket with the ticket stating, "Sausage Rolls - 3 for £1.00" I was disappointed, but I remembered a discussion on the local BBC radio

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-84472475631520484332010-03-16T19:10:00.000Z2010-03-16T19:10:39.964Z

I have read various accusations and counter-accusations regarding the efforts of Band Aid to raise money to alleviate the Ethiopian drought, and how that money was diverted (or not) to buy arms. I read that NGOs and other organisations are going around the Third World sinking boreholes in villages to give them easy access to clean water, but make little or no provision for maintaining the

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-57034347524446069712010-03-15T11:58:00.001Z2010-03-15T12:00:33.217Z

I have been bombarded with literature (adverts) from SAGA. For those who don't know, SAGA is a company that offers a host of services for over-fifties, such as car insurance, holidays, etc. It is not necessarily the cheapest or best, but it is tailored for the over fifties - so I was annoyed, very annoyed, until I realised that I was over fifty. Now, I am approaching the age when I will be

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-37863736811320442512010-03-15T09:23:00.001Z2010-03-15T09:24:39.248Z

Taking a leaf out of the Millennium Housewife's book (or blog) Good morning, Mum It's Monday Do you want toast or Museli? Marmalade or honey? It's Monday You asked for honey. I am sure you did. It's still Monday Yes, you take all the pills after breakfast. Yes, all at the same time. Look at the top of the paper, it's Monday MONDAY! I am not shouting. Put your hearing aids in. Both of them Well

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-14238117936164523712010-03-14T19:18:00.004Z2010-03-14T19:31:35.219Z

The idea was to put an electrified fence around the Aberdares Conservation Area. Why? To stop wildlife marauding onto farm land outside the fence To protect the farming communities and their crops that border the fence. To curb illegal log extraction. To promote harmony between wildlife and local farmers. To prevent illegal entry into the Conservation Area. So why is the Aberdares so important?

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-19892006280153830702010-03-09T11:16:00.003Z2010-03-10T13:51:30.159Z

Originally posted on KCIS blog The Twiga Children's Centre has  today been informed that if Esther (13), a Gusii girl who is lodged at an orphanage in Kajiado is not taken in by Twiga Children's Centre very soon, she will be taken back to her parents. This is not good news. Esther's parents sent her out to work as a house girl, where she suffered beatings and other cruelty in the hands of her

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-36013460535626999642010-03-02T17:43:00.000Z2010-03-02T17:43:58.178Z

I have just checked the UK pound against the Kenyan Shilling, as I do from time to time. Today I checked it because I read that in Zimbabwe, you could trade UK pounds against the Z$. So I checked the pound against the shilling and found that it has dropped about 5/-. OR, put another way, the pound has lost between 4% and 5% against the Kenyan Shilling! So, we are losing out against the US$,

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-16807014880230011752010-03-02T17:19:00.001Z2010-03-02T17:20:20.098Z

Why is it that when I am under the desk with my head stuck inside an errant computer, the phone rings? And why is it, when I answer it, it is either a cold sales call, or someone wanting a chat? And why is it that the person wanting a chat does not understand when you answer rather abruptly? And is it me, or am I the only person who prefers to receive work-related calls during working hours (I

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-10833130443160857422010-02-28T08:43:00.001Z2010-02-28T08:43:39.918Z

This article was sent to me: Studies have shown that the nutrients in water hyacinth are available to ruminants. In Southeast Asia some nonruminant animals are fed rations containing water hyacinth. In China pig farmers boil chopped water hyacinth with vegetable waste, rice bran, copra cake and salt to make a suitable feed. In Malaysia fresh water hyacinth is cooked with rice bran and

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-65762210039922907902010-02-28T08:30:00.000Z2010-02-28T08:30:01.787Z

I was reading a back issue of the Standard the other day, where it was describing how cattle in the Isiolo region were dying because there was no cattle feed. Regular readers know that Baba Mzungu, with Kenyan community Initiative Support has met up with Salim Shaban of the African Christian Organnization Network, who are researching ways of using harvested water hyacinth taken from Lake

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-77014121039510467572010-02-20T16:03:00.002Z2010-02-20T18:47:54.409Z

A friend of mine in Kisii would like to buy up a recently closed business close to her home. But she needs to borrow the money to get started. I think that a change of name would be the first step - but that's just me. What do you think? Does Shabby have a different meaning in Kenya?

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-55971993643185515002010-02-19T13:08:00.001Z2010-02-19T13:09:23.132Z

A selection of photos of birds I saw in Kisii in November/December 2009

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-38149063861943736672010-02-13T10:53:00.002Z2010-02-13T10:53:54.380Z

Please read this

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-87289290671042733972010-02-06T10:08:00.004Z2010-02-22T22:41:52.885Z

Earlier, I wrote that my proposed overland driving trip to Kenya was one of the things I want to do before I die, and I could not think of anything else that falls into this category. But now I have thought of something else I would really like to do. I would love to see the Rio Carnival. So, having started, I am going to try to make a list of ten things to go on my bucket list: Drive from the

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-11588085471064252962010-02-05T22:12:00.001Z2010-02-05T23:08:08.658Z

This blog is getting taken over by my dream/hope or whatever it will eventually turn out to be, so I have decided that all further posts relating to it will be on this new blog.

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-51960465503730050932010-02-05T20:40:00.002Z2010-02-07T00:04:08.551Z

Dreaming of (or maybe secretly planning) a 'gentle' drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles. When I ... sorry, if I ever get my project going, I will be driving through the whole of Europe, through Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and finally Kenya. But then what? I will be in Kenya with a car I cannot sell, 

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-33248243528541510992010-02-04T20:58:00.004Z2010-02-07T00:05:10.275Z

Dreaming of (or maybe secretly planning) a 'gentle' drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles. I have been thinking a lot, talking to lots of people, and reading accounts of others who have done the same trip, one way or the other. One thing I have found is a suitable vehicle, a 1996 Isuzu Bighorn Irmscher (a grey import

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-77824712522637671772010-02-04T09:44:00.006Z2010-02-06T10:35:15.147Z

Update: Following on from a comment to this blog, there are a lot of Kenyans living abroad in Europe, USA and even Japan. You must have seen things in your host country  that strikes you as funny, peculiar or even downright mad - things that would fall into the "Only In ..." category. So, let's hear about them. -oOo- Oh! How many blogs have I read with this title? Most are humorous, one or two

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-5123745912897079962010-02-02T12:47:00.003Z2010-02-05T18:58:16.429Z

I have just been listening to the  headmaster of Eton College on the radio, explaining the differences between boys and girls, when it comes to education. Girls will sit down and apply themselves to work, whereas boys' minds will wander, they are restless and cannot sit still for too long. There is a good  reason for this, an inbred reason, which will apply even more in developing countries.

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-46071942196764648912010-01-31T17:50:00.005Z2010-02-07T00:06:38.887Z

Dreaming of (or maybe secretly planning) a 'gentle' drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles.Since my last blog (not that long ago) in the subject of a fantasy[?] overland trip to Kisii from the UK, I couldn't find a way to get from Syria or Jordan to the west bank of the Suez or Red Sea. But now, I've found it! So, the

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-82665685520113101352010-01-29T11:41:00.003Z2010-01-29T11:51:12.543Z

In the aftermath of the case of the boys from Edlington, who beat and tortured two other boys, a youngster, Ben (13) from Cheshire, wrote to the Daily Mail, suggesting that these youth offenders need to be taught self-respect, regard for others, respect for authority and a sense of responsibility for their actions.He continued that he attends a school with good facilities and considers himself

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-62011381527164207832010-01-28T22:37:00.003Z2010-02-05T18:59:42.314Z

I watched a very interesting programme this evening on BBC2, Jimmy’s Global Harvest. I hadn’t seen the previous episodes and this was the last one, and it focused on Kenya. First stop was in Luanda where he visited two shambas growing maize. The first showed a poor crop which did not provide enough food to feed the farmer’s family. The second, smaller farm was not only growing enough to feed his

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-21372486687727068372010-01-27T13:16:00.010Z2010-02-07T00:07:59.604Z

Dreaming of (or maybe secretly planning) a 'gentle' drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles.I have been getting advice from all over to the effect that parts of and Ethiopia are safe/unsafe, certain areas should be avoided and that the best route is through the Sahara, etc. Now I am so confused about where I can go, where

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-27366622277405143672010-01-25T21:32:00.009Z2010-02-07T00:08:19.082Z

Dreaming of (or maybe secretly planning) a 'gentle' drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles. I asked for advice, ideas and comments on my proposed route, I have been told that parts of it are very dangerous. A stretch of a particular road is mined and in other areas, fundamentalists will take a pop at anything that moves -

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-23639363707712701772010-01-24T23:19:00.006Z2010-01-28T10:37:45.042Z

Dreaming (or maybe secretly planning) of a gentle drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles. This is the first leg of the journey, from the UK to the Turkish/Syrian border as dictated by GoogleEarth (2687 miles) Unfortunately, GoogleEarth refuses to plan my route between the Syrian and Kenyan borders.

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-72464100005143948812010-01-24T22:05:00.004Z2010-02-05T19:00:46.957Z

Dreaming (or maybe secretly planning) of a gentle drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles. Within my self-imposed budget of £3,000, I have so found the following diesel, automatic vehicles: Isuzu Bighorn (Trooper). 3.1 litre, very strong car, needs new tyres; Mitsubishi Pajero LWB, 2.8 litre, fine except it has not

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-85691215740304606892010-01-24T17:22:00.009Z2010-02-09T21:57:10.647Z

Dreaming (or maybe secretly planning) of a gentle drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles.I wonder how much the insurance will be? After all, it is not your regular stroll down a country lane, is it? From what I can gather, the route from Calais to Ankara is dual carriageway, apart from a stretch in Bulgaria. But once

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-38787157775239919802010-01-24T11:59:00.002Z2010-01-24T17:30:27.687Z

I was talking to a friend yesterday about my fantasy/project/dream to drive from my home in the UK to my "home" in Kenya. He thought I was mad, and he is probably not too far from the truth. Then he said it was one of my "bucket list". My face must have shown my confusion so he explained that it is one of the things i want to do before I kick the bucket (wherever did that phrase come from?).

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-62702267135208164992010-01-22T19:23:00.005Z2010-01-25T08:53:50.747Z

A gentle drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles. I slept on this and I am still enthusiastic, although I can see a myriad of problems. Still, it would be no fun without problems. First off, I need to choose a vehicle. I have decided that I should not spend more than £3,000 (not that I have £3,000 at the moment), which

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-89670016199882000222010-01-22T12:34:00.000Z2010-01-22T12:34:36.968Z

When I started this blog, I thought that blogging was going to be one of those fads that disappears within a few months. Well, this is the 2nd anniversary of the Baba Mzungu blog, so I guess I was wrong. This is the 287th post on this blog although I also write on the KCIS blog (89 posts) and Tool-Using Thing-maker (92 posts). I didn't know I had it in me. Anyway, thank you to all those who

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-87694793900009814712010-01-21T13:16:00.003Z2010-01-24T22:13:25.605Z

The dream of a "gentle" drive from home in the UK, through Europe, Asia, and some of Africa to home in Kenya, a total of about 6,500 miles. When I returned from South Africa, I wanted to go back. I wanted to drive the length of Africa. That was my dream. Since my first visit to Kenya, I have dreamed of driving there one day - not in my present vehicle as I doubt it would get to Dover - but in a

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-27930539399428472062010-01-19T11:33:00.001Z2010-01-19T11:33:43.784Z

I have just seen on Twitter that one of the people I follow promoted a fund to rehouse a couple of Vietnamese families, and within a few hours, quite a lot of money was raised. Which got me thinking ... What is the most pressing need at KCIS? There are many, but I suppose that we need to build the planned dormitories so that we can offer a secure and adult-supervised home environment for a few

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-70478598529323345132010-01-15T18:00:00.002Z2010-01-15T18:02:42.084Z

The first thing anyone asks me is what side of the road Kenyans drive on. Well ... I am no expert, but I have covered a few thousand kilometres on my various visits to Kenya, so here goes. Officially, Kenya drives on the left, like the UK, but unlike the UK, this rule has conditions, like which side has the fewest potholes, least traffic, fewest pedestrians, cyclists, other obstructions. That

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-63412408986541918942010-01-13T09:31:00.001Z2010-01-13T18:12:21.046Z

Originally posted by Bizarre news 13/01/2010 If you have been reading or watching any news at all in the last couple weeks you have noticed an unusual weather related trend to the stories. Record cold temperatures, record snow-falls, cold related deaths, frozen crops, severe weather. This is odd when compared to what half of the climatologists [Ed: what about the other half?] in the world have

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-86012837459295444912010-01-11T15:57:00.001Z2010-01-11T16:05:56.628Z

She may be old (1994), she may be tired, but she is a good ol' gal in the snow! I am, of course talking about my old Mazda BongoWagon, or as I affectionately call her, Zola, the Zola Budd, or the Matatu. During normal weather (UK normal weather, that is) she leaks rain over my legs, gives me a stiff neck from all the drafts that are let in due to windows not closing properly, she is

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-19591541378964126902010-01-11T09:59:00.002Z2010-01-11T15:13:27.221Z

The speed limit in our village is 30 mph (48 k/hr), but we are quite used to vehicles passing through at 50mph, sometimes faster. But the stupidity of drivers was really shown up today. The road is covered in frozen snow, so is very slippery. There is a major accident at the north end of the village as a result of the snow. But drivers, who have passed the accident, are still passing my house,

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-37899622111560620182010-01-10T11:04:00.000Z2010-01-10T11:04:25.194Z

I am not a political pundit. I am just an ordinary person who keeps an eye on what is going on in Westminster, and what the PM and his gang are doing. So, last week, two former cabinet ministers mounted a coup to try to oust James Gordon brown from the office of Prime Minister, but had so little open support that they ended up with egg on their faces. The dust hadn't even settled when a former

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-44376394380038327652010-01-10T09:51:00.000Z2010-01-10T09:51:07.472Z

Still a bit chilly here ...

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-91512541387473630102010-01-09T21:42:00.000Z2010-01-09T21:42:44.814Z

The road to Ashmansworth What I do for my clients.

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-42074130225972116912010-01-08T10:52:00.001Z2010-01-08T10:53:41.518Z

While I am in the UK, I make pleas for old cell phones that I can take out to Kenya. We sell them to raise money for KCIS and Twiga. Also, in the past when I have been in Kenya, I had to carry two cell phones, an all-singing model that I use in the UK, which has all my contacts, email addresses etc., on it, and another, cheaper (and heavier model) with a local (Safaricom) SIM card for making

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-7784135009821496762010-01-07T16:50:00.001Z2010-01-07T16:53:21.945Z

It finally happened - I was called out to a computer breakdown, in a little village in the back of beyond. This is one of the roads I had to travel on. Thankfully, the old matatu has selectable 4-wheel drive. Having managed to get there and back, I braved it into town to top up food supplies. Below is the main road into town, while the temperature was hovering around 0°C Pretty, isn't

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-66105810854951642312010-01-06T14:35:00.000Z2010-01-06T14:35:15.542Z

Back garden at 8:30 The "matatu". I won't be using this today - I hope! The driveway Pretty though, isn't it? ... and this is what I am dreaming about! Watamu, June 2009

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-55438386936175542292010-01-04T17:06:00.002Z2010-01-04T18:48:06.279Z

On my trip to Kenya in May 2009, I showed a simple finger trick to the neighbourhodd children, the Twiga children and anyone else who wanted to see it. Simple, yes? Apparently not! On my visit in November, there they all were, still trying to do it, most of them without success. So I was asked  time and again to do it again ... and again ... and ... Funnily, girls seems to pick it up

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-5503945476068200992010-01-04T12:54:00.001Z2010-01-04T16:45:20.862Z

I am not going to go on about the difference between UK English and Kenglish - I have already covered this. No, this is a much greater problem for me. In the UK, I have rarely had  to communicate with anyone who is profoundly deaf. Most people have some sort of hearing aid here. But in Kisii, we are regularly visited by Simon, a profoundly deaf 8 year-old. He is a smashing kid, with a ready,

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-15441401871191896362010-01-03T22:41:00.001Z2010-01-03T22:42:50.223Z

The twelve days of Christmas have not passed yet, our decorations are still up, but Easter Eggs are already on the shelves in the stores. Now, I may be mistaken, but I think that Easter Day is  April 4th - most of the eggs I have looked at have a sell by date before then! What a sad old world we live in.

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-79872513262121539742010-01-01T11:41:00.002Z2010-01-01T11:44:27.719Z

I have suffered from it, becoming blasé about my surroundings. When I lived in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacré Coeur, became everyday sights and soon, they became invisible. And so it was for my associate in Kisii. We walked into the reception of Kisii Hotel and the first thing that struck me was the garden. It was just a canvas of colour, vibrant, eye-watering colour,

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-454038535761475922009-12-31T11:47:00.001Z2009-12-31T11:48:47.198Z

I wish a  Happy New Year to all who follow my blogs, and to all who know me the world over.

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-78802875747499001832009-12-30T12:28:00.001Z2010-01-04T16:46:50.719Z

"We end this year and indeed this decade with the worst deficit in our history, the worst deficit in Europe, simply as a result of measures taken by this government." Gordon Brown, 29 December 1989

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-18408790282592396122009-12-29T11:14:00.001Z2009-12-29T11:16:05.693Z

I can really only look at my second home from a European perspective. But, first impressions for most people, Kenyan and non-Kenyan,  on visiting Kisii for the first time must be that Kisii is vibrant, bustling, busy, chaotic. They would not be wrong. Kisii is all of these things. But it is more. It is big enough to boast two national supermarkets, Tusky and Nakumatt, as well as the many

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-66654255656537024572009-12-29T09:49:00.001Z2009-12-31T12:24:58.996Z

About this time last year, I made, and recorded on this blog, a couple of New Year's resolutions. So how did I do? Did I keep them? The first was that my glass should always be half-full rather than half-empty. Well, I have to say I think I have  been far more positive this year, and although I have had a couple of fits of depression, they have been less severe and much shorter than in the past

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-54351593909822216032009-12-28T22:02:00.002Z2009-12-29T09:15:22.804Z

On the whole, it has been a good year. I have been to Kenya twice, and I feel that we (that is, Kenyan Community Initiative Support or KCIS) have actually achieved something tangible. On the first trip, in May, we cleared a small vegetable plot at the Twiga Centre, sowed some vegetable seed, with a view to supplying the most needy children with fresh vegetables all year round. OK, it didn't

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-58263248909995700542009-12-25T10:52:00.003Z2009-12-25T16:57:40.910Z

Christmas ... a time for rejoicing, giving and receiving. But at 8.00 this morning, as I logged onto the Internet, I was hit with the news from Kenya that the wife and two daughters of my good friend and business partner had been involved in a road accident on the way to church. They were accompanied by one of our Twiga children, Benta, who is living with them. The four of them have been taken

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-41386446196923751752009-12-23T20:42:00.001Z2009-12-23T20:43:22.525Z

... when the supermarkets are full of people rushing around buying too much, when some kids get far too much in their Christmas stockings, and when I look around me and think of my friends in Kenya, struggling to make a living, struggling even to put food in the bellies of their children. And a song comes to mind: It's Christmas time There's no need to be afraid At Christmas time, we let in

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-8122992226719100722009-12-16T10:50:00.000Z2009-12-16T10:50:34.822Z

Water Hyacinth - its the scourge of the waterways of the warmer bits of the planet, including Kenya. As I have posted in a previous blog, while I was in Kenya, we had a day trip to Bungoma - it should have been longer, but the car hire charges didn't allow us to stay - and I was amazed at what these people are doing with this weed. But our visit was to advise them on the use of water hyacinth

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-10864289527673851112009-12-15T23:02:00.001Z2009-12-15T23:03:54.791Z

During my stay in Kisii, I was asked by someone in the USA to travel to Bungoma (4 hours by road) to meet up with an organisation that is doing all sorts of research with water hyacinth, a water weed from South America that has found itself in the waterways of much of equatorial Africa. The first thing we needed was a car, so we contacted the guy who had picked me up from Nairobi, Dennis. Of

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-18325486317774514332009-12-15T12:35:00.000Z2009-12-15T12:35:47.983Z

I am astounded at how local workers for major charities are sometimes treated. As far as I can work out, there is a fixed pay scale for local people working for charities and NGOs, but many don't get anywhere near this, and some don't get paid at all. I have been told of one case where someone worked for a NGO for over three years and has never received a penny. The NGO is making placating

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-57478949933406585882009-12-14T22:09:00.000Z2009-12-14T22:09:18.365Z

Apart from a shortage of food, one of the big problems in Kenya, indeed Africa, is the lack of clean water to drink. I have seen a few "gadgets" that allow people, particularly children, to drink dirty water through a special straw that filters the water instantly. I have seen others that the drinker fills with water and shakes, producing clean, clear water. But, will these ever get down to the

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-973389983179704362009-12-14T20:28:00.001Z2009-12-14T20:28:40.225Z

I have looked up tilapia, or Nile Perch on the Interweb, with a view to possibly breeding them in still waters for food, and also as a means to reduce mosquito larvae (tilapia love mosquito larvae). But I had never eaten one, although they are common enough, being sold raw or ready-cooked in markets, on the roadside ... they are the East African MacDonald's. A couple of weeks ago, I travelled

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-46622814571834968692009-12-14T09:42:00.000Z2009-12-14T09:42:13.616Z

Soon after arriving in Kisii, I could be seen rummaging through the Kisii markets and street traders for bits to (finally) build an anaerobic digester, to produce methane, which i believe can be used as a cooking fuel, amongst other things. I have ranted on about finding a sensible alternative to wood or charcoal for cooking and stating that methane is the best for most people in rural areas, so

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-3174479722002364802009-12-13T17:06:00.000Z2009-12-13T17:06:03.979Z

Although I have posted a couple of blogs about my latest trip, I will now blog in detail! I arrived at JKIA early on Thursday 12th November and was met by Vincent, who had hired a taxi in Kisii to take us back. We had negotiated the price beforehand (Ksh 7,500), so there were no nasty surprises in store - or - but this is Kenya. The driver, Dennis, drove out of the airport and got us onto the

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-18575549005943183392009-12-05T06:55:00.002Z2009-12-05T06:58:27.733Z

I like Bob Marley, well, most of his stuff, anyway, so I brought along a few tracks on my PC to keep me amused. I didn't reckon on Josephat (6 years) being totally in awe of the great Rasta. It is amusing, listening to this little Kenyan child, who speaks no English, singing in a Jamaican accent, "No Woman, no cry" and Buffalo Soldier". He also loves Michael Jackson, especially "Thriller",

BabaMzunguhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02423217043240843105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528548932849801742.post-5621383037255850432009-12-03T05:19:00.001Z2010-02-21T09:16:59.430Z

We should be reaching the final phase of our project to build a cheap anaerobic digester today. We have the actual digester producing a gas of some sort, which I guess is methane, as it is flammable. Today, we connect it up to a calor gas table-top stove and we will see what happens. We have been approached by an organisation in Bungoma that is looking for uses for the infernal menace, water

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