Blog from Kenya
John and Mary Home provide a regular update on their November 2010 trip to Kenya
Thur 2nd December
John & David met up with John Parit who we spent time with on 6th Nov to find out a little more about the bee keeping he would like to introduce to his Masai people near the border of Tanzania between Mombasa and Nairobi as well as the other projects he does as fund raising ventures. Mary had time with Christine who managed to get some time off work. Friday was spent preparing for our journey back to the UK. The overall impress of Kenya now is that they are trying to sort out the mess that caused the disruption after the election but when 1/3rd of the Kenyan budget is lost due to corruption within government they have a long way to go.
Wed 1st December
We had a interesting time at the ERMIS office hearing about the mapping work they do covering land that has been "grabbed" and illegally allocated. It will be returned to the rightful owners over the next few years . Of course this is going to difficult for those who believed they now have the correct documents as owners and will have to be relocated. We also worked on a joint proposal for bee keeping in the arid and semi arid lands in Kenya where all the present projects are situated to see if we can interest a funder for the work.
Tuesday 30th November
This morning we had a meeting the Nelbem officials talking about the last year and how bee keeping has progressed. We learned that they have 300 people have received training. This was achieved with the help of David Njuguna last year with 65% women. There are still some challenges due to the need to reforest the Mau as a water catchment area .This means some of the group will have to leave their farms. Those remaining will be able to get licenses to have bee hive in the forest under strict supervision They will not be allowed to cut any trees. The secretary Thomas who attended the business training course plans to pass his knowledge on to other group members as he realizes their lack of knowledge in this area. The women's group are going to concentrate on adding value to their hive products.
This afternoon we went to visit the home of Lord Egerton whose family has their ancestral home in Cheshire at Tatton Park. A real tear jerking story. The site is being prepared as a World Heritage site for 2020 Absolutely superb grounds with magnificent views
Only a few days left. We travel back to Nairobi tomorrow calling at the ERMIS office on the way
Monday 29th Nov
We had a really beneficial time with the group in Sinyati. They were certainly a self help group in all senses of the word . They have so many challenges yet they take them in their stride.They support their community in many ways and share with two other groups in a sparsely populated arid area. They needed to gain knowledge in bee keeping .They had been given hives by the Arid lands department but no instruction or protective so they were not able to harvest the honey and relied on men to do this for them. They were so delighted with the protective clothing they made and David will be going back to help them with managing the bees.
Two of the group are going to see which recipes for value added hive product will be best for the group from materials they can source locally
It really was a pleasure to work with them
On Sunday we had a leisurely drive to Njoro looking at lake Baringo as well as lake Bogoria before arriving at the ARC at Egerton University
Today (Monday) we have visited the Nelbem group nearby. Bees Abroad have been supporting this group on the Mau escarpment for 5 years They have had to overcome the post election disturbances as well as drought conditions but they have been encouraged by their Patron as well as active members and bee keeping has enabled them to expand the work of Nelbem and help members in different ways.
The women have formed themselves into a linked group and are producing handicrafts which are selling well. More about their achievements on our return
Saturday 27th November
Reports have been diifficult to post this week because of poor connectivity. We are with the Sinyati group in the Kerio - a lovely group of women who have been a joy to encourage and empower. We are traveling to see them today - it's quite a journey . The weather is very hot and humid but we are coping ok. Will be in touch again later if no power cuts and good reception
Saturday 20th November
The groups we visited yesterday and today have encouraged us so much. The 2 days training we did last year motivated them and each group has planned their way forward.
Chepsicote Group has 20 members who are women plus the secretary who is deputy head at the school where we meet. The co-operation between the school and the group is beneficial and will be a great asset to the community.
The school have a farmers club and they are planting us fruit bearing plants which are also useful for the nectar for the bees. They will soon have a Bee Keeping club and will learn how to make and site a KTB hive as well as beekeeping skills. The women are in the process of purchasing their own 1/2 acre plot to manage their groups hives. They will be surrounded by good nectar producing trees and plants. They do have some log hives which are fully occupied and David Njuguna will be showing them how to make KTB hives from local material. We showed them how to make their protective suit from available maize sacks which will cost about £1. The women were so happy and talked about making them for sale.
The group of 15 today are mixed with more women than men. They too have consolidated their group and have some occupied traditional hives and one KTB and are looking forward to David's help in making hives from locally available materials. The 10 who attended worked as a team to make a bee suit;it was pleasing to have an older beekeeper who said he would now be able to collect his honey during the day, not at night naked and smeared with mud to avoid being stung.
Tomorrow we will have a rest day in the peaceful grounds of the African Inland Mission Station although it is much hotter and rather humid compared with Kitale.
Thursday 18th Nov
So today farewell to the Bees Abroad SMART project knowing that our time there has been most successful acknowledging the help of David Njuguna who has assisted us with the work of Bees Abroad in Kenya. We took a break in our journey at Eldoret to pick up supplies. After several poor year of maize harvest we saw large quantities of this years crop being dried on large canvas sheets before being bagged for the market. Our journey continued into the remote deep Kerio Valley where we will experience some very hot humid conditions for the next week.
Wednesday 17th Nov
Early start poor roads but spectacular scenery to another of SMART projects in the Charingany Hills with12 men and 17 women. Following the traditional long introductions the task was set that half should build a KTB hive from available material around the farm and a full set of protective clothing also of readily available material. Interestingly the women made a good job of the sawing of wood and the men were equally adept at sewing. Celebration at the end of the day was hanging the hive on a low branch and the modeling of the protective bee suit made from maize sacks and old mosquito nets.The suit has now been branded The BA A-Maize-ing Bee Suit.
Tuesday 16th Nov
Today we have seen the same group of bee keepers work as a team to make protective clothing from maize sacks as shown in the Basic Beekeeping Manual written by Pam Gregory. This manual is being followed by this group to help them make a start b/k with locally available materials - in fact the hive they made yesterday is also shown in this book. The women were helped by the men who wanted to be involved. One great idea they came up with was to apply heat from a burning stick to the cut edges causing the material to melt and stop fraying. There was such a sense of achievement among the whole group when they tried on the finished suit and hung their hive all the more so when a hunting bee came to find the source of the wax smell as it was applied to the top bars. More tomorrow when we visit another group from the SMART project.
Monday 15th November
Today we commenced work with SMART near Kitale on the Charingani Hills. This Bee Keeping project is currently without funding so we are making what little money we have go a long way. Although last year a funder did provide sufficient to provide a 4 day training course for SMART's senior staff and field officers. Subsequently many in their groups have received training and some have been able to set up groups of KTB hives. So this visits training has the emphasis on using locally available materials with a group largely made up of women who took to hive making both sawing and splitting wood as good as any man. The completed hive including top bars was a great credit to them and a pleasure to us to be involved with it while sat under the shade of a huge tree. Mention should be made of our Kenyan b/k trainer David Njuguna who continues to be a real asset to the work of all our projects in Kenya.
SMART = Sustainable Mobilisation of Agricultural Resource Technologies
Sunday 14th November
Up bright and early to complete packing and be ready for our 8 hour journey to Kitale we did have a break on the way but is was tedious at times with the varying conditions of the roads and mad drivers. The b&b is very comfortable and quiet after Nairobi. So we get ready for our visit to SMART tomorrow.
Saturday 13th November
Today was our rest day so we planned to meet a contact in Nairobi who is working with the Masai people in Kenya and is interested to know if bee keeping would be an income earner for them. At present he is helping to find markets for the distinctive beading work they do. He was an interesting guy with a lot of local knowledge as a Kenyan working with an American Charity. Afterwards we went to Wilson Airport used by in-country flights to meet friends from the UK. Rob is the chief engineer for the Missionary Aviation Fellowship - he is responsible for keeping six light aircraft in good order. Most of their work is flying to Sudan to bring personnel back to Nairobi for a break from the pressures they encounter. He took us back to his home where his wife Kath had prepared lunch. So it was a pleasant relaxing time - all the more when our daughter texted the score of the rugby from Twickenham.
Friday 12th November
This was the final day of the course so the trainers were in their groups and each presented their business plans which were judged by a panel of 4 people. The standard was very high and was gratifying to us to know that so much of the course had benefited the entire group. After the final presentation of certificates and sincere thank you's to the facilitators, organizers and kitchen staff, many photographs were taken before the participants departed to various parts in Kenya. One unexpected bonus with bringing representatives from Bees Abroad projects in Kenya is the networking and interchange of ideas with the apparent enthusiasm to assist each other in marketing their honey.
Wed 10th & Thurs 11th November
Yesterday was very wet in the morning and made the way to the venue difficult because of the muddy conditions none of the footpaths or side roads have any tarmac on. Today there is beautiful sunshine but there are still a lots of puddles.
The course is going well and the bee keepers are all finding that it is giving them good business ideas which they will be sharing with others when they go back to their groups. With 2 from each Bees Abroad project they can work together to make the best use of the information. There is one more day when they will be presenting their ideas and receiving their certificates.
We are looking forward to next week and helping with beekeeping
Tuesday 9th November
Today the group were introduced to writing a business plan and then to the legal requirements they needed to be aware of. In the afternoon there was more on writing up a business plan and tomorrow they will start to put their ideas together. The beekeepers are getting on well as a group and are learning from each other. More very heavy rain this afternoon the drainage system is poor so very muddy conditions.
Monday 8th November
Today was the start of the Business Training which did have a few hitches but we have to accept that things in Kenya do not work the same as in the UK. The rest of the day ran smoothly and soon the group were getting to be more comfortable with joining in discussions and sharing ideas. Jeff Moi the trainer introduced entrepreneurship and types of Business and businesses. During the breaks the beekeepers were introduced to each other - they are all in the same b&b so there will be time for networking and sharing each others experiences. It was a good day.
Sunday 7th November
We attended a Church service in the Quarry slum in Nairobi which had recently been rebuilt. Our local church in Southam helped with some fund raising for the pillars and now we are trying to recharge our batteries ahead of the training course in management skills. This course is for some of Bees Abroad project members, to help them to develop the business skills of their groups.
Saturday 6th November
Today we went to meet Julius at ERMIS headquarters. It is a newly built station on the outskirts of Nairobi. They were just moving in but we were made very welcome. Together we spent the morning sharing information and seeing how we might collaborate for the benefit of both Bees Abroad and ERMIS. ERMIS has done some interesting work in mapping the areas where the indigenous people lived - particularly on the Mau escarpment - the government have started to move people back to their homelands and return the land to the local people . This will also benefit water conservation by stopping the de-forestation. Bee Keeping will be allowed in the forested areas as it was part of the way of life - honey hunters.
David Njuguna will be able to help the Bees Abroad projects as well as assist with the bee keeping training and field work that ERMIS plan to do. ERMIS are involved in training courses on subjects related to farming and plan to add more, which will be of interest for adding value to products. We had lunch together before the long journey back to base with many jams on the way.
Friday 5th November
We met with Mr Moinde and traveled to the National Beekeeping Station and met Grace Asiko the Officer in Charge as well as old acquaintances from previous visits. This gave us the opportunity to discuss the work of Bees Abroad, share ideas and where we could work together. During a tour of the departments we discussed short courses that would benefit our project members. David Njuguna will follow this up. On our return into Nairobi we picked up some smokers needed at the projects. We had lunch with Mr Moinde before returning to base.
Tuesday 2nd November. Roger took us into Nairobi to meet with the the minister Mr James Moinde who is deputy director in the Ministry of Livestock Development and responsible for bee keeping in Kenya. He was very interested in the work of Bees Abroad and was pleased to accept the lastest annual report. He approved of the way we approached the training and the encouragement given to bee keeping. He has a background in bee keeping and did some training at Cardiff University and is very keen to improve the skills needed in his country.
In the afternoon we were able to meet some of the personal who are involved with the training in Business Management Skills we are jointly promoting with the charity Wings of Mercy. Two selected members from each bee keeping project are attending with a view to helping their groups with running their beekeeping as a business. Time will tell.
Monday 1st Nov. Arrived safely in Nairobi to be met by Roger who was hosting us and David who is helping with the bee keeping projects as an in-country trainer. It was great to catch up with them. Our journey to Roger's home was tedious due to the traffic jams.
