Kenya Trip May 2009 Part 5

24/5/09 Sunday
Sharing a small bungalow with two other adults, four young children and two chickens has its moments.

Despite being 4,500 miles from the office, I still have an obligation to keep my clients’ websites up to date as well as other work. Today was such a day and I set about modifying a page of such a site.

Unfortunately, the software that I usually use is not installed on my laptop so I had to work in text mode and code, not something I particularly enjoy. I was about 30 minutes into the modification when one of the children switched off the wall socket and my computer went dead.
I was not amused. 30 minutes of the work I dislike disappeared literally at the flick of a switch.

On the upside, today is one of those balmy warm days with a slight breeze. There are cotton-wool clouds in the sky and it is peaceful (apart from the kids running around the compound, that is). But even the kids cannot take away the feeling of well-being inside me. After all, they are making the sound of their own happiness. Who can complain about that?

We will be going up to the Twiga plot again today to continue preparing the patch to receive vegetable seed. I have never seen so many kids so enthusiastic about working. But then, They will benefit, especially the poorest of them, with free fresh vegetables.

I have brought some good quality seed from England for leeks, cauliflower, onion, tomatoes, cabbage, perpetual spinach, beetroot and broccoli.

We showed the children the seed packets yesterday so that they could identify the different vegetables by the pictures on the packets. None had ever seen purple broccoli before.

The plot we are preparing is partially shaded by two enormous banana trees, which I think will be a good idea as the mean average temperature here is 25°C and can get higher on some days. Unlike most of Kenya, Kisii does not have distinct wet and dry seasons, but rather seasons with higher and lower rainfall, so there will be no problem with irrigation. This being the case, I hope that we will get two, or even three crops a year, providing vegetables all year round. Maybe I am just dreaming …

We also have guava, mango and avocado trees which I hope to prune and bring back to full productivity. I just wish I had Alan Titchmarch, Monty Don or even Berkshire’s own Colin Evans here to advise me.

Update
This plot is small, but right next to the hut which will be extended to provide accommodation for about 40 orphans and vulnerable children, eventually.

We have decided to use traditional building methods, that is, wattle and daub for two reasons, speed and cost. We will still have to buy roofing timbers, steel sheet and cement for the floors, but for the rest, it is all around us.

Another reason is that traditionally built buildings are not considered as permanent, so do not need permission.

Vincent and I got to the plot rather later than we had said as we had visitors at the house. When we did arrive, we had a reception committee comprising several of our kids waiting for us at the junction to the plot.

Once at the hut, all the kids rushed inside and started singing.

We raised our new Kenyan flag to show that the Twiga kids were officially in residence, then went up to the plot. By the time I got there, Edwin and Dennis had already roughly tilled about half of the area and with help from all the other kids, it started to resemble a vegetable patch rather than a bed of weeds. It was to be said that the soil is very good and fine, once broken up.
Vincent showed the way, and the other kids followed. A second hoeing had three raised beds ready for planting, so we sowed the seed, marking each row with the empty seed packet, just like my father used to do so many years ago.

As the seed was planted, it began to rain so we covered the beds with banana leaves to protect against the heavy rain that was to come.

We got back to the hut as the heavens opened. The kids looked delighted with themselves and rightly so. They had all worked hard, even the smallest ones and the teenage girls who had turned up not suitably dressed for work in the fields. Girls will be girls.

Drinks and sweets later, the kids were in very high spirits if a little tired and were singing and joking around, especially when they though that Vincent and I were not looking.

But although they were having fun, and I was enjoying their company, at 18.30, it was time to send them home, especially as there was a break in the rain.

Of course, Vincent and I had to wait for a matatu and when one did stop, the tout or conductor turfed off three or four passengers to get us on, those having been displaced hung on to the outside. To say it was overloaded would be an understatement. I also noticed that the oil pressure and brake warning lights were on and wondered if this ancient machine would get us the short distance we wanted to go. Of course, it did. It was a Toyota and as Jeremy Clarkson and co have proved in the past, they seem to take all the abuse that anyone can throw at them.

The last leg of the journey is always my nemesis, a steep downhill path which is made worse when it rains. I always dread it, but this evening, in semi-darkness and in rain, I was cringing at the thought.

In the event, I slipped only once and managed to stop myself from falling. The bridge seemed more rickety than usual and the climb up the other side of the valley to the house just about finished me off.

I must be getting used to the altitude (5,720 ft) as I seem to recover more quickly from my exertions.

Kenya Trip 2009 Part Four

23/5/09 Saturday
Today I had a shock – but more of that later.

and I set off for the “plot” by motorcycle taxi and arrived just after 13hrs. As we approached, we were aware that some kids had already arrived, so we wne straight up the hill to the hut.
The turn-out wasn’t great, but most of the regulars were there, particularly Edwin and Dennis,
Aloys and Nyachuba.

We hoisted the Kenyan flag over our hut for the first time and played a few games until we got down to the serious work of clearing a patch so that the kids can grow their own vegetables.
It always worries me, seeing kids with sharp objects. Unfortunately, I am the product of the Nanny State of the UK where all danger should be eradicated. Kenyan kids aren’t so fortunate.
Edwin, Dennis and Aloys set about chopping down the seeds while all the other kids pulled weeds and collected the resulting heap of potential compost.

That done, we returned to the hut where two big bags of boiled sweets were waiting for the attention of the little hard workers.

After a few more games and general messing around, we all set off for the compound where Edwin and Dennis, Aloys and Nyachuba live.

That is where the shock came.

Edwin and Dennis have been living with their sister and her children since their father remarried and moved out of the area. Aloys and Nyachuba are less fortunate. When their mother died their father also moved away leaving the two of them to fend for themselves.

They have a two-roomed hut with minimum furniture. Aloys cooks the food for the two of them, which he buys with money earned from selling milk from his cow.

Aloys is barely thirteen.

Both he and his younger sister attend school and both are working hard, gaining high marks in their exams.

Despite this, both Aloys and Nyachuba are very cheerful children, but look forward to the day when they can move into the Twiga home, where they will be looked after like the children they still are.

What can I say? I was saddened to see four wonderful, hard-working, cheerful children living is such circumstances. But it has strengthened my resolve to get the orphanage built as quickly as possible so that they can at least have some time to be children.

Kenya Trip 2009 Part Three

20/5/09 Wednesday
Today is a day for thinking. There are no kids in the house, so it is relatively calm. Had to send home for money as it is not lasting as well as last year.

Heard that Mum is very confused, which worries me, although I know she has a friend calling in at least twice a day, as well as her carers, who also make two daily visits.
Vincent and I have discussed the possibility of extending the existing hut to three times its present size, and building a second one next to it, one for boys and one for girls.

Apparently, if we use traditional building methods, wattle and daub, we do not need building permission as it is not considered to be a permanent structure. Maybe so, but the ones I have seen are pretty solid.

21/5/09 Thursday
Vincent and I will be going into town this afternoon, but with two kids to get ready for school and two others that stay at home, mornings are a bit frenetic, food shopping, kid washing, laundry, cooking for later on, etc. But we will get there.

I have quite a shopping list. I have also been contacted by Dennis in Kisumu, who is Alison Lowndes contact regarding MMS.

[Note to self] Do not take phone into wet room. It is bound to ring in the middle of a “shower”.
I am seriously beginning to miss Internet connection and I will be looking for a cell modem this afternoon. Unfortunately, there are several companies to choose from, all with different packages. This could be a mammoth task to find the best deal. Oh well, I know that Vincent will be more than willing to help as he will benefit as well.

Another little annoyance is that the left Ctrl button on my laptop has decided not to work in the prescribed manner. That and a persistent virus which I picked up off Vincent’s laptop are little annoyances that, at home would not worry me.

Vincent and I went into town by matatu just after lunchtime with a big “to-do” list and a bigger shopping list.

The first stop was the bank to obtain local currency, then a tour of the various mobile phone shops to see who was offering the best modems, as I was not going to waste half my time in cyber cafés, trying to get my emails.

We settled for Safaricom, not the cheapest, but with good quoted speeds, if offered the best value for money.

Next stop was Nakumatt, the Kenyan equivalent to Tesco, although not quite as grand. This was mainly for food shopping. We bumped into another mzungu, a rare enough sight in Kisii, let alone the supermarket. We stopped and chatted for a while before finishing off and making for the tills, where we queued behind another mzungu! They are getting everywhere, these white people.
We took motorbike taxis home, and again I threatened my driver with a fate worse then death if he went too fast, bearing in mind that the journey home is downhill with a major junction at the bottom. This is where I was pleased to be on a motorbike rather than a matatu as we weaved – slowly – through the jam and out of the other side in very little time.

But then my driver went and spoiled it by asking for 50 shillings for the 2 km ride. In the end we settled on 30/- for each driver and they went away, seemingly happy enough.
But then, I had to negotiate the dreaded hill, loaded down with the shopping, but as it hadn’t rained, it was quite easy.

At the time of writing, 22.15 local time, it still hasn’t rained. This is the first day that it hasn’t poured down before teatime. And I can see stars for the first time, too.
There are electric storms all around us, so I don’t think that the rainy season is quite over just yet.

After a slight struggle, we got the modem working on my already creaking laptop and I had the pleasure of downloading over 200 emails – mostly junk mail, of course. Still, there were a few interesting ones, and a couple of important ones as well. So it wasn’t all a waste of time.

22-05/09 Friday
It was a bad night. The local dog population decided to howl at the moon for the third night running, but this time, it sounded as if they were right outside my window. And, as it hadn’t rained yesterday, it was warmer than usual, so sleep eluded me for quite a while.

That having been said, I woke this morning feeling reasonably refreshed. I didn’t have a choice in waking up. We had one extra kid I the house overnight, and long before 7am, they were all up and making the din that only small kids can make.

So I crawled out of bed, into the porch and had my first fix of the day, a local brand of cigarette that doesn’t quite take the skin off the back of my throat.

It seems that the kids are not going to school today, which means that my little shadow, Joespat, is following me everywhere – well, almost everywhere. He is not allowed in my bedroom, which is a blessing, as I keep my cameras, cine equipment and other assorted non child-friendly equipment there.

I had a good play with the new cell modem, which seems to work at the speed it boasts, about 3.6Mbps, which ain’t half bad and a lot faster than offered at most cyber cafés in town.

After a breakfast of cinnamon tea and a type of local hard doughnut, I had another play with emails and similar. I have now received all of the back-log, a total of 846 emails. That will teach me to keep on top of them! Still, some of them were actually interesting, but, as I said before, the majority were rubbish. I don’t have the same filters on my laptop as I have built up on the main PC at home.

I spent too much time in the sun this morning and by lunch time I was definitely suffering with a dizzy head and a feeling of total lethargy. But with 5 young kids in the house and no other adult, I was not about to crawl into a corner and rest. As soon as I could, I took a “shower”. Of course this is not a real shower. I wet myself all over, soap myself then pour the water over my head. It is refreshing if not a conventional way of washing – not for me, anyway.

A couple of glasses of water later, I was feeling almost human again, but I have turned distinctly pink in certain places. But I suppose that is better than the colour of a plucked chicken, i.e. “white”.

The weather was funny today. It started to rain in the early afternoon and cleared up for a while at about 1600. But it is now overcast again at 1800 and there is rain in the air again. It is also very cool (18°C), which to me is a blessing.

I don’t know if I will be able to face a full supper as this will comprise an overfull plate. I just don’t know where my hosts put it all!

I went to bed early, but was awakened by a terrible sound and realised that the whole house was shaking. It lasted about 20 seconds and I lay there waiting for an after-shock or something. I have never been subjected to any sort of earth tremor before, but have, of course seen plenty of TV coverage of disasters around the world. This was in fact a very minor tremor, but it scared
me. I cannot imagine what a force 8 or 9 earthquake would be like.

Kenya Trip May 2009 Part Two

17/5/09 Sunday
We packed my backpack with clothes and I took my camera and video. But matatus with three places just weren’t coming, so we took three motorcycle taxis, and my driver was instructed to go slowly, on pain of death! I am more used to being in the command seat on these machines, but I need not have worried. My driver was good – that’s to say, we arrived in one piece.

We eventually arrived at the plot and I could see a small bunch of our kids already waiting for us.
After greetings and making a fuss of my little “Pixie”, Divina minor, we climbed further up the hill to the plot where we hope to grow our vegetables.

Upon our return to the hut, a few more kids had turned up, making a total of 12.
I searched the hut for remnants of the toys and games that KCIS had provided over a year ago, but apart from a hula hoop, I found only two balls, both somewhat deflated.
But we made good use of them until the rains started.

In a hut with a corrugated steel roof and no false ceiling, tropical rain and hail is deafening. It was impossible to hear myself speak for a few minutes, but once it had subsided, we started to dish out pens and pencils that had been donated in England.

Then the fun part, sorting out the clothes and finding recipients that would fit them. This almost became a free-or-all with certain garments, but we had to prioritise the kids whose circumstances are worst.

At the end, everyone got something and all the kids were happy. We sang a couple of songs and played a few improvised games before we sent them back to their lodgings, telling them that we would be at the plot on Saturday and Sunday of the following week, and to wear their oldest clothes as we intend to start preparing the vegetable plot.

18/5/09 Monday
I woke up stiff and sore, and with a mild case of sun burn, but as we had nothing planned, I contented myself with planning and brain-storming

19/5/09 Tuesday.
Vincent and I went to town, somewhat later than planned. Our first stop was a cyber café, where we got two adjacent computers. Vincent logged on immediately but my machine was obviously steam-powered. It took over 3 minutes to log on to the Internet and never actually opened up my webmail. I gave up as there were no other computers free.

We had a look around town. It had become apparent that at this time of year, it would be folly to put seed straight into the ground. The rain would dig them out and wash them away in no time. So, in order to follow my “3 crop a year” programme, we need seed trays and a watering can. The can was easy enough, but when asking for seed trays, I just got blank looks!

I also needed to change some sterling into shillings. The first bank had a long, long queue which didn’t seem to be moving. The second was virtually empty, but could not change currency unless I had a bank account with them. The third was happy to change the money, but their anti-counterfeit machine wasn’t working – so I gave up.

We went to the local supermarket, Nakumatt, where Vincent decided that he was going to give the banks one more try. I stayed at the store and watched the world go by. Vincent returned just as the storms started. We bought some provisions, chocolate for the kids and the watering can. We were in no hurry as we could hear the heavy rain on the roof of the shop.

We waited outside for the rain to subside when a matatu pulled into the car park. They were no to keen to take us as we did not have to go far, but eventually we were on board and on the way home. The road at the bottom of the hill was totally flooded with cyclists and barrow boys stranded, knee deep in swirling brown water.

The final leg of our return home was, of course, the hill that had cost me my dignity upon my arrival, but in daylight it was somewhat easier, although still fraught with the danger of me butt-skiing to the river below. As it was, I negotiated this obstacle course without too many near misses.

I was glad to get back to the house though.

Trip to Kenya May 2009 Part One

13/5/09 Wednesday
I was not in the mood. I couldn’t say that I was ready to go. Nothing was packed properly and I had doubts that my luggage weight was close to the upper limit for the trip. But finally, I closed my suitcase and backpack hoping that I was somewhere close.

At the airport, my fears were realised, in a way. My suitcase was over limit but I was allowed two pieces of hold luggage, and the rucksack could take more, if only I could cram it in. I did.
The plane was an Airbus A340, which is not the most comfortable I have ever flown in, but the ticket was the cheapest on offer, so I put up with the discomfort. At least I had the double seat to myself – the plane was only about one third full.

14/5/09 Thursday
We arrived in JKIA somewhat early, but immigration took longer as there were extra forms to fill is due to swine flu. On the upside, visas are now cheaper by £10, and eventually, I got to the bit I always hate, Customs. I always seem to be carrying something a bit dubious. The last trip it was several mobile phones which were donated in the UK to be sold in Kenya to raise money for the orphanage.

This time, it was seed. We want to grow vegetables on the plot and I know that the branded seed in the UK is of good quality.

I need not have worried, I just walked through.

But that is where the worries started. I could not see Vincent, who was supposed to meet me.
I bought some currency, a SIM card and some cell phone credit and got the guy in the phone shop to get it all going for me. Then I phoned Vincent – his phone was unavailable!

I wandered around the airport for a while and tried again. I was luckier this time and he assured me that he would be with me shortly – obviously a Kenyan shortly.
I went to the café and had breakfast.

Eventually Vincent arrived and we took a taxi into Nairobi. Working on past experience, I had a good look over all the shuttles waiting to go to Kisii. I did not like the first two in the rank, so we plumped for the third. I would not take long for the ones in front to fill up and go – I was wrong. We left Nairobi at about 13.00, but my choice of vehicle was good, the suspension still worked and it was quite a comfortable ride.

In the Rift Valley, the weather let loose and the heavens opened. Roads quickly flooded and we weaved left and right between ponds in the road.

We eventually arrived in Kisii after dark, and here was another shock. Vincent and Abigael had moved house and the new one is bigger and better, but to get to it involved negotiating a very steep, wet, slippery, muddy, downhill slope in the dark, carrying luggage. I failed at the first fence, so to speak, and crashed into a wall. But after a couple more undignified slides, we reached the bottom of the slope. Here I was confronted with a raging torrent of a river, to be crossed on a rickety, home-made wooden bridge that swayed and bent under my weight. Then a scrabble up the other side of the valley to a rather comfortable little house in a row of three, and with electricity!

After a clean-up, a change of clothes, something to eat and drink, we went through the clothes that had been donated to the orphanage.

I wanted Vincent and Abigael’s two daughters to benefit, as well as Benta and Josephat, two of the Twiga kids lodged with them.

Today's The Day

I just thought I would write a few words during this moment when I am sitting down to catch my breath, after running around like a headless chicken, getting ready for my trip to Kenya later today.

Firstly, I would like to thank the people of Thatcham who collected used children's clothes for me to take over to the orphanage. I have far too many to take in one trip, so I will just have to plan another trip, won't I (heh heh)?

Secondly, I want to thank the people, mainly my clients, who have donated cash and computer equipment, which has been sold to raise cash.

Lastly, I want to thank my Mum, who, despite the fact that she is dreading being left home alone, has made every effort to make this trip possible.

I am leaving today at 19:15, arriving in Nairobi at 06:05 local time, then straight off to Kisii to the orphanage and farm, where we will set about preparing the land and sowing seed.

I am also meeting up with other NGOs and between us we will be launching an anti-malaria campaign through the schools - teach 'em young!

I intend to keep this blog up to date, Internet connections willing, so watch this space.

On My Way: Part III

This is it. It's official. I have the ticket in my grubby little paws. I am going to Kenya.

Now all I have to do is decide what to take and how to pack it. I am not going to make the same mistake as on previous trips. I always take too many clothes. I am not alone there, am I? We all do it. But I know that it will always be warm - especially by my standards (i.e. better than 18°C), so I don't need any warm clothing, other than the fleece I will be wearing to get there.

So, how many shirts? Three? Four? Five? One on me, one in the wash, one drying - three. Simples.

Trousers? Two, plus jeans and shorts.

And a hat. I don't have natural head protection (any more)!

Hey, this is easy! Well, that bit was. But now it gets more complicated. The technology.

I have available 1 digital camera, one analogue camcorder, two Canon EOS bodies (film) (but only one lens), and a Pentax ME Super with 80-200mm. This last would be acceptable if I were going game hunting, which I am not - well, probably not.

So, digital camera and camcorder, spare batteries and chargers (and tapes for the camcorder). I will forget the film cameras. But I'll take my lightweight tripod.

Laptop. Of course I will have to take the laptop. How else will I blog and Twitter when I am out there? Then, card readers and USB cables, etc.

Toys, clothes and books - not for me, for the kids at Kisii. I have been given a load of both. These need sorting out and only the things I know will be used - and things that are not too heavy.

The other mistake I made was taking a large suitcase that was very unwieldy. I need one that is more square, preferably on wheels. £14.99 at the local InStore.

I will take my small back pack as hand luggage. It is big enough for my laptop and digital camera, and my fleece once I get to Nairobi, as well as duty-free and other bits and bobs needed for the journey.

Sorted, isn't it?

The one thing I am really not looking forward to is the shuttle from Nairobi to Kisii. I have now done two return trips, so I know what to expect, six hours of sitting cramped in a 12-seater minibus travelling down barely made up roads. In fact after Narok, the road is atrocious. We stop in Narok for a nature break and a cuppa and that is the only (scheduled) stop, unless we go off the road, or crash.

I had always taken the back seats. I don't know why, but thinking about it, these seats are over the rear axle, so every bump is transmitted through the seat and up my spine.

This time, I am going to get a seat between the axles. I am sure the comfort difference will be marginal, but believe me, any improvement will be most welcome.

Once in Kisii, transport will be on foot or by matatu. There are no tuk-tuks as the roads are too steep - unless we can beg or borrow a car - or even hire one for the days we want to go further than the town centre, or carry loads to the shamba.

So, that's sorted. Simples!

On My Way: Update

Well, that was short-lived!

I will not be leaving on 7th May after all - I have to take my Mum to the hospital - nothing serious, but it has to be done. So, my new date is on or about 12th May depending upon availability of tickets.

On My Way: Part I

So, I have settled all the affairs I can, posted out loads of reminder invoices and checked all my commitments for the next two months.

And I think I can finally get my butt out to Kenya. It has been over a year since I was last there, about 9 months too long a gap between visits.

I am planning to leave the UK on 7 May, flying overnight to JKIA, arriving early on the Friday morning, then a shuttle to Kisii, unless a miracle happens and I can hire/borrow/beg/steal a car - forget the steal bit, just hire/borrow/beg. I really do not like the trip from Nairobi to Kisii on shuttles. I feel that it is akin to suicide.

After an as yet undefined stay in Kisii, where I will be getting the shamba into some sort of order, and kick-starting an anti-malaria drive in the area, I will hop across the country to Malindi to see my girlfriend and the kids. I suspect that I will do very little as I find the coast just too hot.

Finally, I will probably have to stay a few days in Nairobi to catch up with contacts and see what the job prospects are. Then home to UK.

Shouldn't take more than a month to six weeks. It's a tough life but someone has to do it.

Doctors Welcome Malaria Microchip

Now this is good news - but not for countries crippled with malaria!

Dr. Joseph Mugasa (Kenyan Tanzanian) and Project leader Dr Lisa Ranford-Cartwright at Glasgow University claim they have created a device which can detect malaria within minutes.

From the BBC News website:

Doctors have welcomed the development as more travellers go abroad without taking proper precautions against the disease.
The flu-like symptoms can be missed until the patient is critically ill.
Blood samples are placed in the microchip, which is designed to detect the strain of disease. This means the best drug can be used to treat it.
Last year a study revealed more cases of the most dangerous type of malaria than ever before are being brought back to the UK from trips abroad.

The Health Protection Agency study identified 6,753 cases of falciparum malaria diagnosed between 2002 and 2006.
Experts said many of the cases arose from visits to west Africa made by people visiting relatives and friends.
Project leader Dr Lisa Ranford-Cartwright said: "The current way of diagnosing is using a blood smear on a slide and examining it on a microscope.
"That will take a good microscopist a good hour to reach a diagnosis, it's extremely difficult to make that diagnosis accurately.
"The chip can give us a result in as little as half an hour."

Unfortunately, this device will only be available in the developed world, where malaria is only a problem for travellers who do not take adequate precautions, as it will be too expensive for developing countries, which are the ones that really need it!

Of Google Earth and Cheese

It is funny how a particular activity can trigger memories, often mundane, and so it was today. I was scrolling along the French coast in Google Earth, looking for a friend's new house, when I passed over Deauville ...

My family and I were lucky enough to live in France for several years, in fact most of the 1980s. We were nicely established in a suburb of Paris, but enjoyed, like many Parisiens, to escape to the country at weekends.

One Sunday, we drove out to the Normandy coast to get a bit of fresh air in our lungs. It was fresh alright! We arrived at our destination close to Deauville just after the passing of a thunderstorm. The tide was out so we elected to go for a walk along the beach, which was strewn with enormous, purple jellyfish, presumably dead (but how can you tell!!?)

We walked for about a mile along the deserted beach, when my son turned round and saw another storm approaching from behind us.

We turned and walked briskly, then ran, towards the sanctuary of the car, but the storm got there before us and we were drenched.

We drove into Deauville and found a cosy bistro where we had hot drinks to warm us up, and after having revived ourselves, set off for home.

To get to the motorway from Deauville, you have to pass through Pont l'Eveque, a village famous for producing a particularly fine full-fat cheese. So we found a farm and bought four of these squares.

The journey home was long and slow as we were not alone in trying to return to Paris and by the time we got to our apartment, with two, still wet and miserable kids, a half-drowned dog, the last thing on my mind was the cheese we had bought.

Now, like many Parisiens, we only used the car at weekends, preferring to use the excellent public transport to go to work.

So it wasn't until the following Saturday that I was reminded of the cheeses that we had bought - when I opened the car door and was regaled with the odour of sweaty teenager's socks. No, it wasn't really socks, but the cheese which had been left to fester in the car.

In the event, the cheese was fine, just a little smelly, which is a feature of Pont l'Eveque cheese, but it took a long drive with all windows open to get rid of the smell in the car!

My Dinner in the Bin

After arriving in South Africa, for about a month, I lived in a hotel not far from Jan Smuts Airport. Then another ex-pat asked if I would like to take his rented house over, as he was returning to the UK.

I jumped at the chance and moved in about a week before they left, to get a feel for the place - and act as unpaid babysitter.

Then I was on my own. I still hadn't got used to the 7.30 start at the office, or the altitude and heat - although it was winter, the daytime temperature could rise to 28°C.

But, I was out of the hotel, I was free to do what I wanted, eat what I wanted. And I wanted cassoulet. I had all the ingredients so I set about soaking the beans for 24 hours and preparing everything else I needed, ready for the big cook-up the following evening.

So, the following evening, I started to make the most delicious meal I had ever had when I was living in France (each to their own). Everything was on the stove and I was very pleased with myself. I had prepared enough for that evening, and also for the two street kids I was looking after at weekends. It would be a real treat for them, I hoped.

I sat in the lounge and waited for my meal to cook - and fell asleep.

Now, do you know that smell of burnt meat, I don't mean singed around the edges, not BBQ burnt, I mean fully burnt right through to a cinder?

That's what woke me up. I sprang into the kitchen through a brown fog, opened all the windows and the door to try to dispel the odour. My maid, who lived in the compound rushed in.

"Devit, Devit! Dey being burn! Fire!"

I calmed her down (she had been caught up in some riots in a township and was a little anxious at the smell of burning flesh), and eventually sent her back to her room.

I had fish fingers for dinner that night.

That was a Wednesday. The cassoulet and the pans I was using ended up in the dustbin.

On Friday evening, the boys got to the house soon after I arrived.

"Ag man! Devid, what is this smell?" This from two township kids who live in an area where the smoke from the burners hangs around for days. It must have been really bad.

They were not amused when I told them that it was their dinner.

Kids and Curiosity

Sitting at a table outside a café in Kisii, I naturally become the centre of attention, especially for the kids walking home from school.

The bigger kids smile shyly and wave, the little ones stare, wide-eyed.

Some of the bigger kids encourage the smaller ones to come over and touch me. I hold my hand out so that they don't have to get too close to this weird, pale person sitting in the main street of their town.

Kisii, is not a major tourist area and as such is visited by very few Europeans or Americans, other than volunteer students, usually young and female, taking a gap year.

So, to see a mature white man in town is quite a sight.

It was the same in Komarock, a suburb to the east of Nairobi. As my hosts do not smoke, I took to sitting on the step outside their walled plot to have a cigarette.

At first, the local kids passed on the other side of the road. Then, some became braver and walked closer so that they could get a better look.

The ice was broken when I sat there with my digital camera. "Please, take my picture." "No, me, me, mimi!"

These kids live near the capital city, but many, especially the younger ones have never seen a white man, certainly not in their neighbourhood.

Watamu was different. Although it is still a small fishing village, because of the white sands protected by the reef, it has become a tourist attraction. There are many high-end hotels, run by Europeans. There are a lot of white people around. In the local supermarket, next to the Commissioner's office, European customers outnumber local residents.

People do not look twice when I am walking down the road, unless I am accompanied by my two step-children, Natasha and Ian, who are Kenyan.

It can be a bit disconcerting, being stared at, but I quickly realised that it is sheer curiosity - nothing sinister, just inquisitiveness - I can happily live with that.

Of Police, demonstrations, dying, etc.

This account may sound familiar.

There is an incident involving the deployment of a number of uniformed police officers. There are also various members of the public present; some violent offenders, some completely innocent and some, no doubt, able to switch either way depending upon how they feel or how much alcohol they have consumed, or what their cultural attitude to authority (specifically the police) might be.

During this incident, a man is pushed over and later dies of a heart attack. The man who pushed him over was trying to push him, of that there is no doubt. But he wasn’t trying to kill him. The Coroner declared that the victim died of natural causes and the perpetrator was never charged with anything even approaching manslaughter or murder.

Sound familiar?

Here is where the story changes dimension.

The national papers cover it as a factual piece, BBC News Websites give it a bit but not too much and national radio is almost silent over the issue. Almost no one howls for summary justice or a special enquiry. Do you know of this incident?

The dead man was PC Chris Roberts, the offender was Patrick Savage and it happened almost invisibly in Brinkburn Gardens, Edgware on Boxing Day 2007. At first, when initial reports flashed out on the wires that a policeman had died during an incident in London, the media ran it as “Breaking News!”. As soon as the circumstances became clear, they binned it pretty quickly.

H/T Inspector Gadget

And They Wonder Why We Complain ...

MPs rack up £1.4mn five-star free trips

Taxpayers are funding dozens of overseas “fact-finding” missions with many committee members staying in five-star hotels and flying first class.

Evening Standard - London

Backbench MPs racked up almost £1.4mn of free trips last year with a further £1mn of excursions already booked this year.

Full story on Gulf Times

What To Do ... ?

I have been planning to go out to Kenya immediately after Easter to get things started at the shamba.

But I have just received a text from my significant other, who lives in eastern Kenya. She has applied for a job with a Tanzanian company and has been "invited" to their headquarters for a few weeks. She is parking the kids with her sister and will be gone during the time I had intended being in Kenya.

Although my trips are mainly to work with KCIS and the Twiga home, I like to steal a few days to see my Sig. Other. I can't afford two trips in quick succession, so what do I do?

Either I go as planned but don't see my partner and kids (I haven't seen them for a year,now), or I put off my trip until the end of May so that I can see her, but putting off overdue work that really needs to get done now.

I am fresh out of ideas. I'll have to sleep on it.

Goodbye, Jade

So Jade Goody is no more. Her funeral took place yesterday, but apart from her immediate family, especially her two sons, she will not be missed.

I would have liked to have met Jade. OK, she came over as a thick, fat slob of a person, but she was a WYSIWYG*.

But, firstly, I don't think she was thick. She was certainly uneducated and ignorant. That was not her fault. It was the fault of the circumstances of her childhood and her education.

It struck me that all Jade wanted was to be loved. She finally achieved this when she was chosen as a competitor in Big Brother. She became an overnight celebrity, and loved every second of it. She had arrived. And she capitalised on it, but then blew it with her appearance in Celebrity Big Brother. She didn't even realise what she was doing to her "career". When she saw the footage after she emerged from the Big Brother house, she was shocked, ashamed.

She was not a racist. But, she let her mouth do the talking with little or no intervention from her brain. In effect, she was acting like the big kid that she still was.

She made great efforts to make amends, and succeeded. She entered the Indian version of Big Brother. And it was there that she learned that she had cancer. She was open about it, because that was the only way she knew how.

This is where her canniness came out. When she realised that she might not survive the illness, she made plans to ensure that her two beloved boys would be well looked after. She sold her story, her life, to the media. And she made a fortune.

Most people, when they find that they are likely to die, do not broadcast it, and certainly would not advertise it. But Jade was an in your face sort of person. Take it or leave it.

Many people, especially young women, took it. The number of cervical cancer tests increased as a direct result of the publicity surrounding Jabde's illness.

Theoretically, many lives will be saved because of Jade Goody.

There are many people with a worse epitaph.

*WYSIWYG = What You See Is What You Get

The Giant G20 Con Trick Is Unravelling

Peter Oborne has a very good analysis in the Mail today, exposing the G20 summit as a giant con trick. Here are a few extracts...

The biggest falsehood concerns the belief that the G20 nations have pioneered a $5trillion spending boost to global economies. Although Gordon Brown and President Obama had originally hoped to get world leaders to agree to such a 'fiscal stimulus', they actually failed to secure a single penny of extra government spending anywhere in the world.

Rather than admit defeat, however, they pretended they had won. So they invented the $5trillion figure. They arrived at the number by adding up the extra government borrowing expected to take place in G20 economies between 2008 (when the recession began) and 2010 (when world leaders hope it will end). It is a completely arbitrary figure.

The next fabrication concerns the claim that G20 leaders agreed a 'programme of support to restore credit, growth and jobs in the world economy' - worth some $1.1trillion. It was this headline-grabbing figure which caught everyone's imagination - yet sadly, it too is mainly a bogus number because much of the money had already been pledged in recent months.

Almost half of that $1.1trillion - some $500billion - takes the form of extra money for the International Monetary Fund to bail out countries that run into trouble during the economic downturn.

Although Gordon Brown brazenly asserted that this was new money, this is simply not true. Japan, for example, gave $100billion to the IMF last November, while the EU offered the same sum earlier this year. Admittedly, China did agree an extra $40billion last week. However, this contribution is very much less than Gordon Brown had hoped - and, most worryingly, indications emerged after the summit closed late on Thursday that the Chinese were having second thoughts.

Next, Gordon Brown claimed that some $250billion has been raised to regenerate world trade with the help of extra finance. Once again, his claim is an invention. Indeed, the small print of the G20 communique suggests only $3-4billion of new money has been committed, and the $250billion figure is only a vague pledge.

I fear that the more we look beneath the headlines of the London summit, the more its achievements look threadbare. I would estimate that no more than $250billion of the much vaunted $1.1trillion is genuinely new money. The true story is that Gordon Brown seems to have corralled fellow leaders into perpetrating a gigantic collective fraud on world public opinion.

Amid all the hoopla of Thursday's triumphant communique, it must be remembered that Gordon Brown has a long and disgraceful track record of this kind of bogus financial announcement. When he was Chancellor, many of his Budgets turned out to be contain fabrications.

This week's hubristic G20 communique reminds me vividly of Brown's notorious Comprehensive Spending Review of July 1998. Back then, Gordon Brown declared: 'On the 50th anniversary of the NHS, the Government will now make the biggest ever investment in its future.'

This announcement was given a euphoric reception by the media - only for it to emerge some time later that there was no extra spending and that the Chancellor had merely made the figures look huge by double and treble counting.

The problem with this kind of duplicity is that you always get caught out in the end. So will be the case with the G20 summit. Gordon Brown has achieved brilliant headlines in the short term, and it is likely that Labour's rating in the polls will soon start to rise as a result.

This week Gordon Brown and his fellow world leaders played cynically with the hopes and fears of these desperate people. They made promises they can't keep, made claims that they can never substantiate and triggered hopes that undoubtedly will soon be dashed.

The Prime Minister has won short-term plaudits, but over long haul his cheap and dishonest tactics will gravely damage the esteem in which politicians are held, and do great damage to his reputation.

Oborne's analysis is right. The con trick is unravelling and unravelling fast. Once the markets realise this, who knows what the consequences may be. Read the entire article HERE.

Computer, computers everywhere ...

I have not bought a new computer since 1994. That was a Intel 486-66 machine and it cost me the best part of £1,200!

Since then, having carried out many office clearances, I have always managed to keep myself relatively up-to-date by building PCs from the junk collected from others.

So, presently, I am running a home-built Tyan with an Intel Pentium-D 2.8GHz with 3 x 250GB SATA hard disks (OK, so I am greedy). I always have a second machine on the network so that if the Tyan crashes or is busy, I can continue to work.

The other day, a client asked if I could replace a hard disk that was threatening failure. This caused me to rummage through my "stock" to find one. At the same time, I had a look for a working PC that could be used by a pensioner who wanted to "have a go" on the Internet.

The result of my search revealed two partial computers, a home build and a faulty shop bought machine, both with 2GHz processors. Both machines accept SATA hard disks and both would be better than my No. 2 PC, if only I could get them to work.

So, that's what I am doing - trying to get them to work, finding various drivers for sound and video cards, etc. - it is not as easy as it used to be. Whereas I used to visit various sites and get the required software, now they all insist that I download DriverDetective, which tells me which drivers I need, and then try to charge me to download them. And paying for things is not in my psyche, as you may have gathered by now.

But, it will be worth it. I will have two PCs, both with at least 2 x 250GB drives in each, both capable of being RAIDed, so I am looking forward to never losing data again.

So, back to my pensioners. They seem to have been forgotten in the melée. I think I have unearthed a working 1GHz PC with W2K - that would do for one, but I am not having a lot of luck finding a replacement hard disk.

It Can Only Get Better Part III

I have just heard that down the road from our cyber café, which will soon have to close, another IT consultancy has shut up shop and ceased trading, and its premises are available.

We have put in a bid on the place. After all, people that go there expect to find a computer geek, so we hope that we will pick up custom from the previous trader.

We are also going to start a "college" for people who are terrifed of computers, as well as office services such as typing up documents and spreadsheets.

Oh well, here's hoping!

It can only get better (part II)

I have just heard from Vincent and he has found two premises, in the same town centre block, one on the 4th and one on the 5th floors. The higher we go the less we pay in rent. On that premise, I would be happy with something on the 10th floor, but it only goes up to 6th.

As we have proved that there are too many cyber cafés in Kisii to make any inroads, I have told him that we are changing direction slightly. We already offer computer repairs, configuration etc., and I want to introduce office services and IT tutoring (I taught IT to adult classes for several years in the UK and still have all the course notes).

Thankfully, Vincent is in agreement with the idea, so it looks like the week is improving.

And the kids are going to start clearing some of the land at the plot so we can start planting our crops.

We have a good supply of manure and I want to get a compost heap going as soon as possible.

I have to say I feel a lot more upbeat than I did this morning.

It can only get better ...

The day has started badly.

A couple of days ago, I installed a new hard drive in my laptop and installed Windows XP. Today, I tried to activate Windows and the registration process refused the key. So I had to phone Microsoft and go through their activation process, typing in a string of digits on the phone, then another string onto the PC.

I knocked my tobacco tin off the desk onto the floor wasting a lot of cigarette-making paraphernalia.

I spilled a cup of very hot tea onto my lap.

This, on top of the news of our pending eviction in Kisii (see previous post), and my week so far is not going well.

My man in Kisii, Vincent, thinks he has found new premises, but it is more outlay of scarce funds that I could do without. So, either I go to Kenya next month, or I send the money over to bail out the business.

My heart says go to Kenya, my head says bail out the business - why don't they ever agree?

I will have to make a decision very soon. My bag is more or less packed and ready to go.

OK, so it's now Thursday. Can the week get any worse? Probably, if I let it. So I am searching around the recesses of my head, looking for positive thought - something to cheer me up.

And what pops up?

A herd of giraffe serenely munching away at trees with thorns the length of my finger.

A little girl kissing a rhino.

A bunch of South African township kids mesmerised by the antics of meerkats frolicking not three metres away from them.

Stroking a cheetah.

A Maasai kid trying to separate his herd of goats from the zebra that have wandered into "his" patch.

Baboons sitting on rocks watching the traffic go by.

Flamingoes on Lake Nakuru.

Watching and listening to the kids at the Twiga Children's Home playing - for a couple of hours, without a care in the world.

There, I feel a lot better, now.

It never rains, but it pours

We have been given notice of eviction. At the Internet Café in Kisii, Kenya and we have to be out by the end of the month!

In this time of recession, and Kenya is affected as much as anywhere, our landlord has decided to pull down the building and build a tower block.

We have been offered other premises, it has to be said, better, more central premises. But there, they want one year's rent in advance - no chance of us finding that sort of money.

Kisii is a vibrant, bustling town. Commerce is thriving, so finding premises to rent at a price we can afford is virtually impossible. But my manager is on the case. If there is anything available, he will find it. But if there is nothing available within our price range, it could be the end of my first enterprise in Kenya, although the business is registered, and I have the certificate.

Of course, there is another course of action. We have the (dormant) business to export Kisii soapstone carvings. We had intended exporting in bulk, but we could sell individual items or small quantities. The problem is that the price soars as soapstone is very heavy. It is also very brittle, so we would have to increase the packaging, which again increases costs.

Maybe, fate (or something) is trying to tell me something. I am not a businessman, I am an engineer. Maybe I should keep my fingers out of enterprise and stick to designing and making things. But the idea of the cyber café was to give my friend, Vincent, an income so that he could then put more energy into looking after our kids at the Twiga Children's Home.

Why Kisii?

Kisii is a town, but also a District in the province of Nyanza, Kenya. It is situated in the SW of the country, in hilly country, mainly above 5,000 feet. Although it is only some 70km south of the Equator, the climate is pleasantly warm, around 25°C during the day and rarely drops below 15°C at night.

There is no rainy season as such. It can rain pretty much all year round, and the soil in the area is extremely fertile, except where it has been over-farmed.

The area was a coffee-growing area, but due to difficulties in receiving payment, the local farmers have reverted to subsistence crops.

The area also supports bananas, avocados, pineapples and other exotic fruits.

So, why have I made my base in Kisii town? I have been asked this many times, so it is about time to put the answer down "on paper".

First, I think it is necessary to explain briefly my connection to Africa.I was contracted to South Africa in 1989, during the apartheid era. I was politely asked to leave when the authorities found out I was too friendly with the ethnic population. I always wanted to go back to Africa, it had got under my skin.

Then, a few years ago, I was asked to manage the Rhino Ark website. Rhino Ark is a conservation charity in Kenya, so there it was, a (rather tenuous) connection to Africa.

A little later, I was contacted by ACIS, a Nairobi-based organisation, asking if I could supply cheap computers to schools in Kenya (I was, and still am a computer consultant in the UK). I couldn't help, but in conversation, I got roped into building them a website.

Soon afterwards, a children's home in Kisii contacted me, also looking for computers. Again, I offered to build them a website. We communicated regularly and became cyber friends.

Then, purely by chance, I met a rather pretty, intelligent, educated, Luyha lady over the Internet. She lives on the coast with her two children.

With all this going on, I was beginning to plan on going out to Kenya, which I finally managed in September 2007.

I was hosted by the director of the Nairobi-based organisation, who made me very welcome. He booked my coach to the coast so that I could meet up with my lady friend (that worked out rather well, by the way!).

On my return to Nairobi, I met people at WHO and KeNAAM. Then I arranged a trip out to Kisii to visit the children's home.

As soon as I arrived, I was "adopted" by a cute little boy, Josephat, who dubbed me his Baba Mzungu (hence the blog name). I met many of the kids, and was shown the plot where it was hoped the orphanage would be built.

I returned to the UK after a month in Kenya, and vowed to return as soon as possible.

I did, in March 2008, after a delay caused by the post-election troubles.

I went straight to Kisii, where I stayed for about 10 days as a guest of my friends Vincent and Abigael, the directors of the children's home. I made another vow. I wanted to work with Vincent and Abigael, in Kisii.

After another 10 days on the coast to see my "New family", I returned to Nairobi, where I stayed a further 10 days.

Upon my return to the UK, I started to work on the projects we had discussed.

Vincent and I eventually decided to form a new organisation, KCIS, of which we would both be directors, or trustees, and we would incorporate the children's home, renamed Twiga (giraffe in Swahili).

Vincent, Abigael and I are now ready to start the practical work that we have been planning for a year. We will turn the plot into a shamba (farm), where we will install the projects, grow food for the children, hopefully with a surplus that we can sell.

So, that is "Why Kisii?" Pure chance, if you believe in chance, or was I guided there?

The Matatu

When in Kenya, I tend to try to live Kenyan. I am there on a budget so I am not going to hire a car, and the only car I did have the use of was destroyed during last year's PEV.

So, it is public transport for me, usually matatu or shuttle, or coach, when going to the coast (because going to the coast is 'holiday').

Matatus and CitiBuses are fine to get from the suburbs into town. Mataus are 14 seater minibuses that run a specific route which is displayed by a hand-painted number badge in the windscreen. This is fine as long as you know where the routes go, not so good if you don't. You can always ask a tout. They are usually very helpful.

On a short matatu journey, it does not matter too much where you sit. Every seat is uncomfortable and these vehicles are usually packed with people and luggage, which can include livestock.

For longer journeys, there are the shuttles. These are 12-seaters and provide a non-stop service between far-flung towns, stopping only for a refreshment break.

When using shuttles, there are a few points I would make.

Firstly, there is fierce competition for your custom. Touts will guide you to their vehicle. Don't be bullied. At the very least, check the tyres and if possible, get a general idea of the state of the vehicle.

Shuttles do not leave until all seats have been filled. Having found one in reasonable condition, try to get a seat between the axles. The back seat is to be avoided at all costs, unless you like being bounced between the seat and the roof of the vehicle. Personally, I like second or third row, right window seat. If you are brave, you could sit up front, next to the driver. But in a head-on crash, front seat passengers are the first things that get hit. Avoid the seat over the engine. Six hours on that will cook your butt!

When travelling by matatu or shuttle, remember that fares are the premium for the driver and tout, and more journeys mean more fares. So they get to wher ethey are going to as quickly as possible - they have two speeds, stop and full speed.

And to give you an idea, I was once in a matatu during a driver change-over. The driver got out while the vehicle was still running and the new driver jumped in to take over. We lost about 3 seconds on the journey!

Also, don't be surprised if the vehicle breaks down en route. But don't worry. The tout will climb under the bus and usually get it going again.

That's a Rash Idea

My imagination has been running away with me - again!

OK, so the idea is this - I don't remember suffering a fever at the time ...

On our plot in Kisii, Kenya, there is a two-room hut, not a cottage, not a bungalow, a hut, made of sticks, stones and mud. At least the roof is corrugated steel. There are proper windows and doors, with security grilles.

There is a corridor running front to back between the two rooms with doors to the outside at both ends.

As the hut is built on the side of a hill, the back faces a small cliff and there is an open passageway running between the hut and this cliff. There is also a small appendage which could be used as a "kitchen".

So, my idea is ... to live there for a while ~ no electricity, no running water.

But, while I am there, I want to carry out some minor improvements.

First off, I will install water, with a tank on the cliff behind the hut, to give a head. This will supply an outside shower and maybe running water to the kitchen.

Second, a home-made portaloo. I want to use the waste to collect the methane, which will eventually power a generator and a water pump (there is a river at the bottom of the plot).

Then there is the land itself. On top of the cliff, the land is a lot flatter than in front of the hut. It is very fertile and I reckon, from memory, there is enough to grow crops to feed all the kids on the orphanage register, with some left over to sell.

A by-product of the methane production is fertiliser. This together with composting will keep the soil rich, which will be necessary as I want two or three crops a year - it rains all year round in Kisii.

Linking into these improvements, I will be experimenting with using the sun to warm water for washing, and water filtration and purification. I also seem to remember building a food cooler when I was at school - but that was in 19 - yes well, it was a long time ago.

To finish off the place, I will make a BBQ out of ½ an oil barrel, so that the kids can sample the delights of a burger or hot dog (you know the type, burnt on the outside, raw in the middle).

What I had forgotten when dreaming up all this is that I am approaching 60, I am not the fittest person in the world, and I am mildly disabled. Further, Kisii is at 5,700 feet and oxygen is a bit thin.

Still, it will be an experience and it will allow me to tinker with the project designs and get them to work to their best effect.

Wish me luck!

I Don't Get Sick ...

... very often. I cannot remember that last time I visited the medical centre other than to get anti-malaria pills etc.

But this week, I had to give in. Two or three weeks ago, I sneezed and promptly became deaf in one ear. I was not too concerned ~ it has happened before and cleared itself after a couple of days.

But this time, it hasn't. And on Wednesday morning I woke up to find my face was swollen and resembling a misshapen pumpkin - nothing new there then I hear someone retort - cheek.

So I trotted down to see a doctor, who confirmed that I had an abscess in my jaw. Brilliant.

I am now on a course of antibiotics to clear the abscess and hopefully the infection I have probably got in my ear. Cost? £7.30.

And then, of course, I will have to line up a visit to the dreaded dentist.

Oh well, it could be worse. At least I am in the UK at the moment. Although I have complete faith in the Kenyan health service, it is a question of the comfort of surroundings I am familiar with.

Power Cuts

It was about 7.30 last night. Both computers were humming contentedly, the TV was on and I was reading through emails, whilst keeping an eye on Twitter.

There was a flash and everything went dark - power-cut. After 15 seconds, everything came back on and I was just reaching the power button on computer 1, when the power cut again. This went on for about 3 or 4 minutes before it want altogether.

OK, nothing for it but to find the torch (always at hand), then dig out the paraffin lamp and candles.

Having restored some level of light, the old Calor stove was retrieved and I started a brew - after all, what else is there to do, other than drink tea?

We were without electricity for about 2½ hours - not too bad.

When it was restored, I reset the clocks and re-booted the computers. They fired up without complaint, thankfully. So I made another brew.

Brew made, I sat at the computers to continue checking the latest mail - when the power went out again.

So I reached for the torch, re-lit the candles and paraffin lamp, etc ...

This outage was for only about 45 minutes, but when I re-booted PC1, it complained by taking an absolute age to get through its self-check procedure. In the end, it sprang back into life.

I re-set the clocks, put away the candles and paraffin lamp. The power stayed on and we haven't had another outage since.

And no, this was not in Kenya, this was 50 miles from London, UK.

How is it that in the 21st Century, 50 miles from London we still get regular power outages?

Fruit 'n Veg

When I have been in Kisii, fruit and vegetables were always in abundance, for sale in small stalls or stacked on blankets all along the Rongo-Kisii road, in the open market, in fact anywhere someone could set up a stall.

However, having been indoctrinated in the buy-everything-in-one-shop mentality of most Brits, if I was in the local supermarket, I would go through the fresh food department, only to find two or three shriveled carrots, a moldy mango, no sukuma, and little else.

It soon struck me that if I wanted fresh fruit and veg, I had to get it outside. But, buying from these stalls along the side of the road, so close to the road, where overloaded lorries laboured up the hill, belching out black, choking diesel fumes all over the wares, was very off-putting.

Venturing into the open market by myself was also a little daunting.

Don't get me wrong. I don't feel threatened in Kisii, or anywhere else in Kenya, but I am aware of pick-pockets, and I have been accosted more than once by people asking for handouts, sometimes quite forcefully. So I only venture into the market when accompanied by a friend (or two!)

So why do the supermarkets have such a poor selection and quality of vegetables and fruit? It's not rocket science. I guess they can't compete with the stall-holders. It is just not worth their while to stock quantities of the stuff. After all, right outside, there is a stall selling mangoes, pineapples, apples, bananas, as well as various fresh herbs and spices - no contest.

Thinking about it, most fruit comes well wrapped in its own skin. Once peeled, with a bit of luck, they are just as wholesome as the sterilised, force-ripened, over-priced junk we buy from our supermarkets in the UK.

And we have fruit on our plot. This is well away from the main road. The soil around Kisii is very fertile and of course, it rains all year round, so growing two or even three crops a year should not be impossible.

There is nothing better than fruit ripened on the tree. I am always disappointed when I get back home and tuck into a regulation straight banana that was cropped green and ripened on its way to the UK. They are tasteless.

We have avocados growing on the plot as well. The problem is that I have yet to meet anyone in Kisii that knows what to do with them! Maybe I should ship Jamie Oliver, HFW or AWT over there - or how about Steve and Dave, the Hairy Bikers? They would know what to do with a tree-full of avocados- and enjoy the ride as well.

Food - for thought

Interesting Point of View

KCIS has recently posted a blog, asking for donations to get a project off the ground, and it brought an interesting comment from a Kenyan, apparently in the town where we are based, Kisii.

"I could give you a donation, but I'm opposed to this kind of aid, because it encourages dependency and entreches the aid industry. Poor people don't exist in Africa so Westerners can get an opportunity to "help" them and feel good about themselves."

I could not agree more that poor people in Africa are not just "feel good" toys for Westerners, and it made me think long and hard about what I am doing, and why.

1. KCIS is run mainly by Kenyans, I am the only non-Kenyan in the organisation.
2. Second, I was asked to join the organisation. The other directors, both Gusii, asked me to join their efforts to help them to offer shelter to the children in their care. They were my friends before I started to work with KCIS.
   
3. My main role is to raise awareness of KCIS in the developed world, and to try to raise funds for the organisation.
4. As a mechanical engineer, I have designed systems that can be built for little money, that will improve the lives of the poorest families, those who have lost the bread-winner and are literally scraping a living. These people do not have the time to worry about building a safe water system. They are too busy surviving.

OK, that's what I do. So the next question is why?

Do I do it so that I get plaudits from people, either in Kenya or here at home? Definitely not.

Do I do it so that the kids at our home treat me like a demi-God? Again, no. I like the kids and they like me. Why? Because I am friendly towards them, and probably there is the curiosity factor. My skin is the colour of a plucked chicken, theirs is dark. My hair, what little i have left, it straight and soft to the touch, theirs is black, curly and course. So, especailly to the little ones, I am odd.

So, why do I do it, why do I work for a Kenyan organisation?

I like the people. I like the country. I like the climate. In other circumstances, I would be living in Kenya. But that's another story.

It also gives an outlet for my low-tech approach to engineering. If people can benefit from my possible solutions to their problems, why shouldn't they?

I am not offended by the comment in the KCIS post. It did make me wonder, but now, in my own mind, I plead "Not Guilty".

Beware SATA

Not too long ago, I built a "new" computer (see previous two posts) from other people's scrap. It included something new to me, SATA hard drive interfaces. 'Fine,' I thought. 'I can cope with this new technology.' And I did.

However, I have found that the SATA data and power sockets and plugs are not as robust as the old IDE types. My new computer is still flaky and doesn't always boot up - I have found the reason.

The power plug to the boot drive (C:\) is cracked and although it delivers enough for the drive to be recognised at boot-up, the drive cannot be read!

Fiddling about with the plug into the drive allows the machine to boot up correctly, but I am now wary about even touching the tower in case I dislodge the power cable to the drive again.

I know that an IDE to SATA power adapter is available. I guess this is going to be my next move.

It's Fixed ...

OK, I'm happy again!!

The new posts to fix the heatsink to the CPU arrived by post this morning (less than 24 hours since ordering) and I have put the computer back together.

Everything works. I have access to all my data, website files, contacts, diary and emails.

Oh joy!

It's Broke ...

Being a bit of an IT geek, I recently built myself a quite nice computer from bits and pieces lying around. So I have the folowing machine:

CPU Pentium D (2 x 2.8GHz)
1GB RAM
3 x 250GB hard disks (SATA interface)
etc., etc.

So far, so good, but remember, this was built from other people's scrap. And that's where the problem starts.

Last night, the heatsink fell off the CPU (well, not exactly, but you get the idea!), causing the machine to switch off after about 30 seconds of frying the CPU.

Never mind, I thought. I will get a new heatsink and in the meantime, I will transfer all my hard disks to another machine. This is where the problems started.

I have only one other PC with SATA interfaces, and it only has two. I have 3 drives.

Oh well, I will just have to keep fiddling until I find out which drives I want most, or keep switching them around, copying data ferom one to the other - how boring.

For the want of a nail (or, in this case, a fixing post), the shoe (or CPU heatsink) was lost ...

UPDATE

The cause of the heatsink becoming detached from the processor was that the plastic posts had deteriorated (probably from constant heat) and snapped.

I have ordered four new ones for the princely sum of 99p each (+99p p&p). AS long as they arrive in the next couple of days, I may just survive.

At least I have Internet access, email after a fashion, blogs, Twitter and Skype.

WhatI don't have is all my records of clients and my diary, other than what was downloaded to my PDA.

I'll survive ... I mean, it's not as if I need all this data every day ~ is it?

I am overwhelmed

From the KCIS blog ...

Since pushing to raise the profile of our organisation KCIS, I am overwhelmed by the amount of support I have received from people - people I know, people I don't know, people on Social Network sites, all sorts. We received pledges, not enormous amounts, but all together , they would get us started.

I became very positive, something I find difficult in February, in the UK, in a grey and chilly climate. But positive I am.

We have not received a bean. I checked our PayPal account. Not a single pledge has been received ~ what am I doing wrong?

At least I won the Lotto last night, not the big prize, but £25. That will go straight into the pot. Maybe this is a start?

C'mon people and tweeple. Let's give some people in Kenya clean, pure drinking water, clean cooking fuel, "home-grown" fertiliser ...

Kenyan Community Initiative Support
Helping People to Help Themselves

Ready to Lose weight?

I know I am overdue to return to Kenya when my trousers start to get a bit tight round the waist.

It's not my fault, but my job in the UK involves sitting in front of a computer all day, and being mildly disabled, I find exercise difficult. I have bought a bike, but in the recent bad weather , I thought it a little imprudent to go cycling.

And chocolate is for to easy to acquire in the UK.

What I need is a good stay in Kenya, eating only fresh fruit and vegetables, with a bit of meat on Sundays, no sweets, chocolate, candy, no cakes, biscuits, etc.

And most important, no car. Trying to stay in your seat during a six hour matatu ride must burn off a lot of calories, and just walking a few hundred metres at 5,700 feet altitude is also hard work. Just being subjected to 26°C to 35°C every day is hard work.

As soon as I get to Kenya, the pounds will soon drop off and I will be able to wear my trousers again, comfortably.

Ready to Produce Clean Water

Based on a principle we submitted a few months ago to a major Clean Water charity, I have finally drawn up a design for a water filtration system that can be made from materials that are available in just about any small town in Kenya. It is easy to construct, easier to use and will filter to >100 microns.

Of course, water will still have to be UV treated to kill pathogens, but this filtration system weill get rid of grit, insect eggs, larvae and most other little nasties, making it taste better than boiled river or well water.

I am ready to travel to Kenya under my own steam (our base is in Kisii). We just need some funding to buy materials and tools to make the first unit. £500.00 or Ksh 57,500 should do it.

Of course, if someone would like to lend us a vehicle for the month that I am in Kenya, that would be a welcome bonus.

Alternatively, if you know how we can raise these funds quickly, please contact us.

At the same time, we are ready to make our first methane collector and introduce our mosquito reduction education plan.

Rhino Ark

During the course of a year, there are usually four or five off-road events held in Kenya and the UK to raise funds for the Rhino Ark charity. These are the Rhino Charge, Rhino Charge UK, Quattro Charge and the Hog Charge.

We have already had the Hog Charge, the Kenyan Rhino Charge is at the end of May and the UK Charge is usually sometime in September. But I hadn't been given the dates for the Quattro, a 4x4 event at Athi, in one of the quarries. This is usually held twice a year, but this year, there is only one, and it is on 31st October - 1st November.

At last, the Rhino Ark Events calendar is virtually complete - we are just missing the exact dates for the UK Charge, but there is time for that.

Donations to KCIS

You can now make cash donations to Kenyan Community Initiative Support using PayPal.

There is a link in the right-hand column ----->

Snow

Highclere, Hampshire, morning of 2nd February 2009.

Back garden

Back garden

The pond

Bongos?

I have just left a client who has decided to let me design a website to sell his wares - Bongos.

No, not a form of drum struck with the fingers and palms, but a rather adaptable Mazda vehicle imported from Japan.

It's going to be a fun project - I hope, with lots of updates as stock moves.

Rhino Charge 2009

Having followed the Rhino Ark fund-raising antics of a bunch of 4x4 enthusiasts dashing through the Kenyan bush for several years (as the webmaster for said organisation), I keep promising myself that I will arrange to be in Kenya when the event is on, this year it is 31st May.

Somehow, though, I doubt that I will be. I haven't even been able to attend the somewhat tamer UK version in Pippingford Park!

Rhino Ark supporters hold four main off-road events each year, The Hog Charge, which has just passed, The Quattro, which is organised by one of the regular entrants to the Rhino Charge and the UK Rhino Charge.

With the exception of the Hog Charge, which is kids on bikes getting very dirty, the events are for serious off-road vehicles - you wouldn't get far in a Vitara!

Being a frustrated 4x4 enthusiast (frustrated because although I have the potential use of a 4x4 vehicle, it won't run!), I would love to attend these events. And it would give me an outlet for my other passion - photography. Of course, I could always use the excuse that my attendance was as the webmaster taking photos for the website, but as I always receive loads of photos after each event, that would be a bit lame.

Anyway, when I get back out to Kenya, I think I will have enough to do with our KCIS projects without disappearing off to some sun-baked corner of the Rift Valley or wherever to watch a lot of lunatics trying to go where vehicles were never intended to, just to get from point A to point B (then C, D, E, etc.) in the shortest distance and time.

Oh well, maybe next year.

The Rhino Ark Hog Charge

Why is it that, when I decide to update or upgrade one of my websites, a client sends through a whole ream of updates for their site? And then another lot before I have finished the first lot?

And, when I have finished all these updates for my clients, I am all washed up and have lost any idea of creativity?

Over the weekend, I have received the report and photos for the annual Rhino Ark Children's Event, The Hog Charge. This is a Kenyan cross-country event where a horde of children cycle an all-terrain track in teams and the muddiest one wins - er, no. I think it is the fastest team and also the team who has raised the most sponsorship money (for Rhino Ark) that wins.

I have to say that if you can judge how much fun a child has had by how dirty he or she has got, then these kids had one heck of a time.

This update was quickly followed by the announcement that Rhino Ark, in the form of Rhino Charge UK will be represented at the Total Off-Road & Planet 4x4 at Donington Exhibition Centre on 22nd February. This update/announcement was, of course, urgent.

Then I get the problem that people in Kenya checking the site don't have fast connection and sometimes photos don't download, or their cache is open and they don't se updated pages, so I have to check to make sure that everything is in order. I now check all work on two PCs and a Macintosh ~ belt and braces!

Then, of course, before all this is ironed out, I get updates for another client site ~ then another, they arrive just like red double-deckers, in convoy.

Oh well, it's all good fun and it buys a crust of bread.

Only in Africa

1 Year of Blogs

The Baba Mzungu blog celebrates its first birthday today, with blog No. 160.

Thanks to all who have read and/or commented.

Dementia - Part II

Well, the panic is over, for now at least. One of Nyanya Mzungu's carers is trained in spotting the signs of dementia and she says that Nyanya Mzungu is OK. Forgetful, yes, but nothing more.

This is a big relief, although I am going to have to keep an eye open for any signs. I cannot leave her for 4 or 5 weeks, while I visit Kenya and/or Cameroon if she is less than capable of doing the basics of looking after herself.

Dementia?

No, not me. Well, I don't think so, anyway.

Let me explain. I share Mzungu Mansion with Mama Mzungu, my mother, and I occupy the south wing (a large bedroom that doubles as an office, with my bank of various home-built computers, laptops and a Macintosh). It is tranquil and peaceful. I look out of my window over a valley and woodland.

Since Mama Mzungu was diagnosed with and treated for cancer in 2006 (OMG, was it that long ago?), I have been looking after her, as her memory slowly deteriorates, although her physical health remains good - for an 86-year-old.

But last weekend, I sensed more than just a lapse of memory. She was confused. Is this the onset of dementia?

And this may seem selfish, but if it is dementia, what is my future? What of my plans to visit Kenya on a regular basis?

When it Rains, it Pours ...

As an Englishman, living in Britain, I am used to rain ... and more rain.

In the UK, when it rains, we just get on with life regardless. When I lived in Paris, it was the same story. We just wore appropriate clothing, or used an umbrella, or both.

And I would have thought that this would be true of anyone living in an area where rain was common.

But in Kisii, SW Kenya, where there is not wet or dry season, (it can rain at any time) life stops when it rains. Mind you, when it rains in Kisii, it does so with vengeance! The roads flood (Kisii is a mountain town where all roads go up or down, never horizontal) forming rivers in a matter of minutes. Everyone dives for shelter in the malls or under canopies in front of shops. Except me.

I don't know about midday sun, but this mad dog did go out in the rain, without a waterproof or umbrella, just my broad-brimmed hat as protection. The rain is warm. It is pleasant - OK, the heaviest rain stings a bit, but I loved it. I wasn't exactly doing a Gene Kelly in the rain. I didn't sing and dance. But I didn't let it stop me from going about my business.

And that enhanced my reputation in this town where a mzungu is an oddity. The local people considered that I was mad, totally bonkers. They are probably right. But I was surprised to see people who are obviously used to heavy downpours let it interfere with their day.

In Nairobi, it was the same. People ducking for cover. Except a few who were armed with umbrellas. But their progrgess was impeded by the throngs gathered under the shelter of shop fronts, blocking the pavements. And this is when Nairobi takes on a London-esque appearance. The people with umbrellas barging and forcing their way through those less fortunate, or with less foresight. It is the only time I have seen Kenyans actually getting annoyed with each other.

I have yet to experience rain at my third "base" in Kenya, Malindi. The last time I was there, it was just before the rains, and it was insufferably hot with not the slightest breath of air. No soothing breeze off the Indian Ocean, just heat. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't work on my computer as the sweat poured off me onto the keyboard - dangerous, not for me, but for the laptop.

But, sitting here, where the temperature has struggled up to 4°C, with the threat of rain sleet and snow within the next 24 hours, I long for Kenya, heat, rain and anything else it can throw at me.