Knowledge is Power

What can I say, life has changed! So much has happened, from hosting two or more trips to committing to stay on into the fall. Kenya is good. The Mara is good.

But drought is apparent.

As I’m sure many of you know Northern Kenya and Somalia are experiencing the worst drought in 60 years. 300, 000 people are in the refugee camp, Dadaab, northern Kenya, probably even more now, in a camp that is meant for 70,000. Last time I checked World Food Program wasn’t able to provide food for all the people that the camp was holding. At least 3000 people are dying daily from malnutrition.

I recently had the pleasure to meet actress, and human rights activist Mia Farrow. She speaks freely about the real problems plaguing Dadaab and other African regions. She is a great resource to follow www.miafarrow.org , she paints a picture of despair but gives YOU an opportunity to help. So there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I urge all of you to get informed, watch the news read the papers.

Free the Children has been doing its part. Although we are development organization, it is obvious that we can’t turn a blind eye to the struggles in the Horn of Africa. One of our mobilizers, Justice, spent 2 weeks in Dadaab recently. He was able to place 15 metric tonnes of food and non-food items to new refugees arriving at the camp. The only reason FTC was able to do this was because of the help from overseas donors and fundraisers.

Please check out http://www.metowe.com/shop/products/rafiki-friend-of-east-africa and support our efforts in Dadaab.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. I once again urge you to spread the word. Hope lies in the efforts of us all. I just recently received an e-mail from members of a school that I hosted in May. The students and teachers that were on the trip are currently in the midst of educating others as well as conducting enormous fundraising efforts. I shout out to these students and teachers from the bottom of my heart. Let us all be the hearts of compassion like they are. Knowledge is power.

This is a sign that is present at one of Free the Children's primary school's called Pimbinet

Seychelles

On a whim I called my good friend Paddye since I had some time off to see if she would accommodate me at her home in Seychelles. I was in luck. Instead of spending another week in Nairobi, I booked a ticket, and headed down to the islands.

Paddye greeted me at the airport, first time we had seen each other in a year. Paddye and I not only were roommates throughout university, but played ball together since we were 13. It was extremely nice to see a familiar face after such a long time in Kenya. She was a piece of home.

We spent the first day on the beach, eating banana chips and drinking local beer, followed by a Creole meal cooked by her new man Hendrik.


The rest of the days were mostly spent lounging on the beach catching up, getting to know Paddye’s life and friends. Overall Seychelles is a dream, beaches that go on for miles; water the color of aqua, and people that are way too relaxed. If you are a beach bum or a diver these are the islands for you.

So that’s what I became, a beach bum that dove and relaxed. After a few games of basketball and seadooing at Beau Vallon, it was time to head home to Nairobi to face the next trip coming in. However Seychelles hasn’t seen the end of me yet.

That's what she said

I’ve been back in Nairobi for too long now, but it’s nice to have the house full again!

St. Peters was an amazing group. They were engaged, excited and passionate about Kenya. They were overall 22 students and 7 teachers. All the teachers were supportive and great role models for the students and myself. Stationed at Old pimbinet just behind the Kisaruni girls high school was a prime location for all activities (WE DIDN”T GET STUCK !!). Every activity was a success, from mama walk to safari, nothing could have gone more smoothly.

----------------------------------------------"On safari day"-------------------------------------------

A highlight on the trip was Olympic day. We were at Motony primary school with 714 kids. They were split up into 11 groups and all given a different color headband. St. Peter’s students each took a group and they made a cheer. It was incredible to see all these kids from baby class to grade 8 participating in each activity fully. As I looked across the field all I could do was smile. The day was a complete success!
Saying goodbye to St. Peters was sad but also happy because I know these students will make change when they get home! So here’s a shout out to the amazing students and teachers of St. Peters, a truly inspiring group.

Its official I love my job!

P.S Everything is Bigger in kenya

"Baboon Spider we found in our tent (quite abit larger then the palm of my hand)"

Vacay..

Mt. Longonot
Mt Longonot was a great adventure, and the first mountain that I ever climbed. However it was a success, Brandon and I climbed the 2, 776m elevation. It is a dormant volcano located southeast of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley. It was a challenging climb, but satisfying and well worth the view.



SA.. return..
Back in South Africa was something I had never dreamed would ever happen. But it did, and I found myself in Durban city centre. My first stop was on the beach, diving was a priority as well as strolling down the boardwalk beside the ocean. A visit to Victoria street market, a local Indian market was educational but somehow it seems that every market is almost the same. I enjoyed some beers and finally a drum circle at a local joint called Cool Runnings on my last night at Tekweni, a city centre backpackers. From here I hitched a ride to Umkomass a town near the famous dive sites of the Aliwal Shoal. Top 10 dive spot in the world. Due to bad weather and a fishing boat flipping the launch pad was closed. I continued to coffee bay, where the real magic happened.

Coffee bay is a small area situated south of Durban about 7-8 hrs from the city. Here lies a coast line that is easily hiked, and a surf that is to die for. The Zulu culture is prevalent here and the people are all relaxed. No worries, beach life, and smiles all around. I fell in love with the people. Unfortunately my journey had to come to an end, and I took the long ride back to the city of Durban. I couldn’t help but be sad when thinking of how long it would be before I would return to Coffee Bay. Good people and good times.

Now I’m back in Nairobi, soon to be on a trip in the Mara again.

Oloosiyoi

An adventure.. My first youth trip is over.. after many good days and many challenges. The trip obviously started out smooth sailing as we all travelled to Oloosiyoi, a Maasai community where FTC has been working since 2008. As soon as we got there we had a warm welcome from the amazing staff! The first week and a half we stayed around Oloosiyoi, building, interacting with the kids, and seeing the community. The community was amazing everyone we met was kind and gentle. The people were unbelievable.

"My co-facilitator and Felix"

After spending almost a week there I realized how different these people were from those back home. The main difference is a smile. I wonder how many people I pass on the streets in Canada and don’t smile or say hi to? At Oloosiyoi and the majority of FTC’s community’s this is not the case. Smiling is contagious here.Soon it was Safari day, and the rains had come. The roads were muddy and the vehicles were struggling. We finally made it into the conservancy, saw a Cheetah lounging and here we remained for 10 hrs. Our Lorry was stuck in the mud, really stuck. The back-ups tried to come and they got stuck. Our final rescue was out of the movie which involved lights coming in from all angles of the four landcruisers, and our lorry simultaneously being pulled out by the long awaited tractor. It was a day that I will never forget, a true safari adventure. The rest of the trip involved mud, rain and positive attitudes. We made it through the grit and finished on a high note. With the help of the amazing staff, this includes Stanley and our Maasai guide Felix. Big shout outs! You are good men.

Lil Rascals..

My great housemates threw me an early birthday party. The lil rascals had me fooled up until an hour before departure. We went to get some excellent sushi at Onami, and then we proceeded the night festivities at Black Diamond, where we dominated the dance floor. It was extremely nice and unexpected. Great friends!

The last week in Nairobi has been a great break but there is no rest for the wicked.

After some fun and games its back to work, my trip comes in tonight and we head to the Mara tomorrow. My fly in facilitator arrived last night and he is awesome. We are going to make a great team. Everybody keep your fingers crossed from me as I embark on my first lead trip. See ya when I see ya.

P.s Later Dread head!

Kilifi

Aqua colored water, white sand beaches and palm trees that stretch across the blue sky in Toriana, Kilifi, a Me to We property where we just spend the last 5 days. Kilifi is off the Indian Ocean about an hour and a half from Mombasa a coastal town in Kenya.

We were lucky enough to have great weather and activities every day that really allowed all of us to spend quality time with each other. Beach football to swimming in the ocean and beautiful pool it was a much needed break after a month in the Maasai Mara.

A few highlights include the Gede ruins and snorkeling. The Gede Ruins are the remains of a Swahili town from the 13^th or 14^th to the 17^th century. The town consists of a mosque and several stone houses, excavations revealed the town in 1948 and 1949. The ruins were incredible with wells that dropped down hundreds of feet and a smaller filtration system built into the structures walls were breathtaking.

Sadly the break had to end and we flew back to Nairobi to answer e-mails and prep for the chaos of March trips.