Nakumatt fire

On Wednesday afternoon a generator blew up in the Nakumatt store in downtown Nairobi causing an inferno. Nakumatt is roughly the equivalent of WalMart for the range of items it sells. By the accounts of eye witnesses and those who escaped, the doors were locked to the outside. Guards are always most interested in preventing theft and at the first sign of trouble the shutters come down and egress is controlled. This is what happened when we were caught in the riot in Kisumu last year. They have now announced the recovery of 25 bodies and there may be more. The fire hydrants were inoperative and the response of any fire fighters extremely slow. We have learned that a Fire Safety Management Policy was presented to Parliament three years ago but has sat gathering dust. At that time only 12 of 175 existing councils had established fire brigades. Of these only 3 have the basic capacity to carry out rescue operations but depend on the Armed Forces, the Airport Authority and the Kenya Ports Authority.One must also it seems have a licence to install fire extinguishers in a business and it is not easy to obtain one.Another scandal to be investigated.On the good news side, the teachers’ strike is over, although some protests continue. It is hard not to sympathize with teachers who were to receive 3,000/- (about $45) per month raise - and there was dispute about paying it all at once-, when MPs earn nearly 1 million per month (about $15,000) and only pay tax on one fifth of that. In the hunger crisis which the government claims will be helped by importing maize, a report today says that 8,000 tonnes of the cereal are sitting in Mombasa because of delays in ‘paperwork.’ The longer a consignment sits in the port, the higher the demurrage charges to shippers and handlers.Meanwhile we find small joys and things to gladden our hearts. The computer school, after its move, is doing ok. We have students, although not full classes, and Vincent is marketing furiously. Pineapples are large, juicy and plentiful at this time of year. I stopped to buy one from a street vendor a couple of days ago. "How much for this one?" I ask. "120 bob." (That’s just about exactly $2) "Hmm. Do you have anything for 100?" "Yes, this one," patting the exact same pineapple. This is bar- GAIN-ing Kenyan style
I told you about mpesa which now has 5 million subscribers. (By the way I ws wrong about the upper limit. It is much closer to 30,000/-($500) and more by arrangement) Safaricom also has a small modem which we have been using for internet and email. It is a small attachment (a bit larger than a flash drive) which contains a SIM card just like a mobile phone. So it is basically a dial up connection with a number of MG attached to each top up. We top up through our cell phone just as we do for regular phone service. Although it can sometimes be slow, it is a wonderful improvement on carrying the laptop to a cyber cafe.

Mpesa

Mpesa
As I settle down to write this Rod is sending money through his mobile phone. Safaricom (linked to Vodafone elsewhere in the world and local E African networks ) is a leader in this technology. You simple register for mpesa (which means ‘money’ in Swahili) with your phone number and you are given a PIN code. At the Safaricom outlet (there are dozens everywhere) you ‘top up’ your account and then can send cash to anyone with a cell phone. I think the minimum you can send is 300/- (about $3) and the most about 6,000/-. This has caused a revolution amongst the ‘unbanked’ of whom there are millions in a country where a banker’s cheque would cost you at least $10. People are sending cash home to relatives, some top up their phone before going to a restaurant and pay by mpesa. Travelers do the same and withdraw the money at the destination with no risk of being robbed en route. To withdraw the cash you have to show ID, so even if your phone is stolen your cash would be safe.
Safaricom is negotiating with the UK to extend the service overseas to catch the custom of the ‘diaspora’ - all the Kenyans working abroad and who send floods of money back home.
It’s nice to have a good news story where Kenya is in the lead.
Elsewhere things are not so good. The Deputy PM, leaving for a conference in Spain with a delegation including the Minister of Agriculture, announced that the Kenyan government has the famine situation well in hand and ‘no one will die of hunger’. Over the last few days the newspapers reported that people are eating grass in some places and that three children have already died of malnutrition. Other children are too weak to go to school. One of the government’s main strategies (of which he seemed proud) is to ask for donations from the international community. He wants to revive the child feeding programme which, if I remember correctly, was stopped by donors because of corruption.
The Agriculture Minister was censured by the President last week for mishandling his ministry, but it has made no difference.
In the cabinet reshuffle, a man who was Minister of Finance (and reportedly a good one) was reinstated and caused a furor. He was implicated some months ago in a very shady scheme to sell a 5 star hotel in Nairobi to a Libyan consortium in secret and with no tender process. In a rare show of integrity the MPs gave a vote of no confidence in him and he stepped down. So now the Pres has seen fit to bring him back to a different portfolio.
It’s similar to what happened in the Electoral Commission. The highly paid and incompetent members were at last dismissed after a long fight. (They were blamed for much of the mayhem at the beginning of 2008) Then a temporary body was needed and the one in charge of that quite simply recalled 20 of the dismissed members to serve anew.

But in our small corner we are doing the little bit that we can. as I mentioned before scholarships have been awarded to six or seven needy boys. There were 300 applications and 50 interviews.
Here is the account written by one of our colleagues after the interviews:
One boy comes in and sits down. He is wearing a torn sweater and black boots with fur that are held together with tape. He sits down and tells me he doesn’t need a scholarship as he has one, but he needs the money to shop and get to the school he has been called to. Harrison Nyongosa is an amazing young boy and instantly I know this is one young man that needs help. He wrote his Kenya Primary School Exams in 2006 and scored 413 marks out of 500. He was called to Starehe Boys School. a prestigious school in Nairobi. He had a fully paid scholarship but needed to pay for his trip to Nairobi and an additional fee of 5000 Kenya shillings for uniform and other items. He did not have the money so could not go. He was then called to Kakamega high school and could not afford the fee s so he went to a local school near his home where school fees were less. So he started form 1 in 2007 and went through term 1 and term 2 with straight A’s. He then started term 3 and was chased from school because his family could not pay the school fees. So in 2008 he had no money and could not continue in secondary school so he returned to primary school and redid standard 8 and scored 433 marks out of 500. One of the highest in western province. Again he was called to Starehe boys school and could not pay the shopping and transport fees. So he came to the interviews with his father to ask if we could help him. It was a very easy choice for me to make as I saw how smart this boy was and how determined he was to get to school. His father had tears in his eyes when I asked him why he could not find the money. He said he had tried everyone and no one would help. So I did not hesitate and told him Iwould pay those costs. He came back to see me the following Tuesday and I took him shopping and got his bus ticket and sent them on their way to Nairobi. I will go visit the home on Monday before I leave Kenya. This young man has a future now, and it will be exciting to see how well he does. I can’t wait until September when I see how well he did.If you are interested in the scholarship organization run by Canadians who have spent several years in this area, check out http://www.kenyaeducation.org/

Lastly here is a picture of the meeting with the head teacher of Emmaloba when we looked at the book requests for the Rotary grant to the school. I hope I will have pictures of the children when the strike is over.

Things are quiet

The long rains have arrived early by at least a month. It rained all night for the last two nights with lightning, thunder and power outages. The temperature has cooled considerably. We sometimes have to wear a long sleeved shirt in the evening!
Things are fairly quiet for us since the elementary schools are closed with the teachers’ strike. Despite the government threat of firings 200,000 teachers have not reported to school.
Today I met (off site) the Head Teacher of Emmaloba, the recipient of our Rotary ‘Adopt a Village’ grant and received his first list of books they want to buy. I am pleased they have chosen books for teachers (revisionary series) in this first ‘tranche’ that will help the school assess specifics of learning and thus improve their performance.
We have also set dates in February for Virtues training for three schools in the area. Improving relationships, eliminating the free use of the cane and setting clear rules will go a long way to improving school atmosphere and performance. Another head teacher in the area who is a strong proponent of Virtues will assist me.
The head teacher is hopeful the children will be back next Wednesday when we will be able to embark on the uniforms and feeding program for vulnerable children.
The well we put in two years ago has gone dry so we have arranged for the workers to come to dig deeper while the children are out of school. This will start tomorrow.
Obamamania peaked this week and now we have many articles telling us why we should not expect too much even if he is black and his father was Kenyan.
What the presidential inauguration has sparked is a serious look at governance in this country. Everyone knows that a man like Obama could not have been elected in Kenya. He is of mixed race, bears no allegiance to a specific tribe, has values that would not allow him to indulge in the rampant corruption around him. His father was fired from his government job for speaking his mind too freely. Who will come forward to lead and put things right?
Today the President shuffled the cabinet (there are 42 of them) in a token gesture of reform after having told them to work harder and stop public backbiting.

Strikes, hunger and more corruption

The teachers are threatening to strike tomorrow (Monday) One group (secondary) signed an agreement with the government but the other group says they are not a legitimate union and cannot take part in negotiations. There are threats of firings, pay stoppages and a long term disruption of the school system. I don’t know where this will leave my computer distribution, the Rotary project in one school community and the Virtues training I had planned.
On Saturday we interviewed about 50 boys for six or seven KEEF scholarships. All had very high marks in the recent exams and had maintained high positions in their class throughout elementary school. It is very hard to do the selection. I thought a couple of them I spoke to would burst into tears. One young boy had repeated a grade in elementary because he had nursed his ailing mother who later died. He teared up and tried hard to be brave. I’m glad to say he is one of our selections. Others told stories of having no family whatsoever and working in fields and for the school to stay in class. If you are interested in the scholarship organization check out www.kenyaeducation.org
School fees have gone up because of the costs of fuel and food. The maize fiasco continues. The government has abandoned the cheap maize scheme and the missing 100,000 bags are being investigated. We have small hope of an answer. One company that ceased business in August received 80,000 bags in December. It is believed they are now sold to Sudan.
Newspaper articles continue their scathing tone. Ten million people face starvation and the President has declared a national emergency (at last) and appealed for donor aid. At the same time a high level group of politicians are traveling to Washington for the inauguration of Obama although they will not be invited to any functions except at the Kenyan embassy and will watch the proceedings on TV. We are reassured that they will promote tourism while in the US.
The good news is that they are repairing the road in front of Fomat, obviously shamed into it. (I posted pictures of the signs erected a few days ago) The bad news is there is absolutley no parking left and the gas station where the long distance buses pick up and where we moved the computer school is a mad house.

Our son, Matthew has a birthday today. Lots of love, big M. Miss you!

The town of Homa bay and the road

Homa Bay

The Rotary Club of Homa Bay participated with the RC of Victoria to receive a matching grant from Rotary International to send two containers to Kenya. One of school supplies to the Kakamega area and one to Homa Bay with medical equipment. Unfortunately the second container for Homa Bay never arrived because of the turmoil at the beginning of 08. The delays and price increases ate up most available funds. The remaining funds were used to purchase medical kits for Homa Bay. They were carried to Kenya by NGO agents and early this week I delivered them to the Rotary Club.
We have travelled some pretty awful roads, but the one to Homa Bay has to be amongst the very worst. We bumped and swerved around the potholes on the road from Kakamega to Kisumu, then sailed along a wonderful road built by Israelis for just an hour. Then we hit the dirt road. It must have been tarmacked at one stage, but the cover has completely gone leaving a roadbed of rocks and stones. This was for about an hour and a half. So it took a total of more than 4 hours to cover about 160 km.
Very hot and very dusty we arrived at the hotel owned by a Rotarian to discover our front tire was deflating. The askari (watchman) helped change the wheel (there was also a rip in the sidewall) and we had the puncture fixed on our way out. In addition, the shaking had broken the clips holding the front grill and lights in place. The askari wired it togetehr for us and it held until we reached our mechanic in Kisumu.
However, we were of course warmly received by the Rotarians who were delighted with the drugs and supplies and we had a very pleasant evening with them. The public hospitals have no drugs and few pharmacists (none in Homa Bay) can afford to stock them. The doctor who received them kept saying: We never see this... this is impossible to find..no one can afford this...I have sent them the group picture with all the drugs displayed hoping they will be able to use it for publicity. The doctor calculated the supply will last about 3 weeks since they treat about 35,000 patients a year.
I have posted pictures of the Rotarians receiving the drugs and a couple of the town of Homa Bay and the road. There is also a picture of the past president of the club sitting in a chair that

was in the container. I saved it for them so they can use it as a fund raiser for their club.

scroll down!

to make sense of these recent posts, scroll down to 'Varanasi' and then back up.

Buddha

We were surprised by the number of Japanese tour groups in our hotel, only to learn that Varanasi is also a site of pilgrimage for Buddhists. We went to the site where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon. Buddhism also sprang from Hindhuism but has been changed and adapted to different cultures.

The Bristish excavated the site of a vast monastery. Pilgrims mainly from Asia & Tibet circle the huge edifices still remaining, often on their knees prostrating themselves, and place gold leaf on the stones.

The last picture is of a weaver making hand woven cloth. We did buy some of the scarves to bring home. You will notice he has a series of punch cards for his design, although the most intricate and expensive cloth is still woven from memory.

We flew back to Delhi after a 5 hour delay because of fog and spent the last day visisting the Red Fort, which was the British occupation barracks for many years and is still largely occupied by the military. We also went to an incredible temple complex but were not allowed cameras. It is called the Swiminarayan temple and there has been a TV documentary, here is the link: http://www.my-india.net/tour/delhi/akshardham.shtml It is an Indian Disneyland with movie theatres, food concessions, but all based on the Hindhu faith.

Town

In the town pilgrims can find all they need for their devotions. Wood for funeral pyres is stacked in bundles. Small packages of sandalwood add a perfume and mask the smell of cremation. Special ornate shrouds as well as plain white funeral shrouds are on offer. Out of respect we were not allowed to take pictures close to the funeral pyres, but we do have a shot of the wood stacked ready.

Temples

When the Muslims conquered India and set up the Moghul dynasties, many Hindhu temples were destroyed and mosques built on the site. People began to make their own temples in their houses to worship in private. The patron god of Varanasi is Shiva and he is symbolised by a bull. One picture shows the entrance to a rather grand private temple with the form of a bull outside. The large tree is a peepul tree which is sacred and can never be cut.

Bathers

The shore is lined with bathers and professional Dhobi or laundry washers. These are mostly men because the beating of the wet clothes on the rocks requires stamina. Like most other traditional occupations this work is passed down in families. For bathers there is no longer segregation by sex, but some women prefer to bathe together. The lady sitting alone in one of the pictures is a resident of a hospice and has come to make the best possible death for a Hindhu.

Ghat steps

The steep stairs down to the water lead to ghats or quays. The shore is lined with hostels and temples. Alittle girl sold us a lighted floating candle to let drift in the water symbolisong prayers.

Varanasi

Our last stop somewhere new was in Varanasi (Benares) on the Ganges. We were down by the river before dawn and taken in a rowboat to watch the rituals of those acknowledging the sunrise and bathing in the river. A devout Hindhu will want to make a pilgrimage to Varanasi at least once and if possible die there ensuring passage to eternity. I don’t pretend to understand completely the paths of the believers although our guide did a good job of trying to simplify things. The town is built upon the pilgrims who come to die or to bury their dead.
I think the best things for me to do is to post a few pictures with a brief word about each set.

The first ones here were taken when it was barely light. The umbrealls shelter the Brahmins, a herditary caste, who offer special prayers for the dead. Men's heads were being shaved as a sign of mourning. To the left of the steps is a Sudi, a self proclaimed holy man, celebrating the sunrise with fire.

Away for a couple of days

We will travel to Homa Bay tomorrow for a meeting of the local Rotary Club who were our partners with the container. This area is even poorer that where we are and HIV/AIDS is rampant. The schools lack the most basic supplies and there are virtually no health clinics. They were to have received a medical container but the turmoil last year ate up all the funds. We will be finalising the report to Rotary International and I will be carrying three boxes of medical supplies for them. I also saved them a nice office chair from the container that did arrive, so they can use it as a fund raiser for their club.
We are working on the possibility of sending a container of medical supplies to them if we can find corporate sponsorship. If you have any ideas of who might help this very needy area, let me know!
When we return I will send out a few more computers to schools (I'll save the story of how I got them) and this coming weekend we will be interviewing for scholarships for KEEF. Go to www.kenyaeducation.org for details.

Taj Mahal

Everyone has seen pictures of the Taj Mahal and it’s beauty is recognized all over the world. (Remember that picture of Princess Diana looking so miserable in front of the monument?) It is a breathtaking sight. The white marble contains tiny sparkles and shines in the sun and in the moonlight. You can make a booking to see it by moonlight. I don’t think there was a full moon while we were there, so we wouldn’t have had the opportunity. What I didn’t know was that both the outside and the inside are decorated with inset precious and semi precious stones in patterns of leaves and flowers as well as verses from the Koran. The descendants of the artisans still do this work on marble and again we let ourselves be tempted by a small sample. We watched them grinding and setting in the tiny chips of coral, lapis, jade and so on. The king had three wives, one Hindu, one Muslim and one Christian. The Muslim wife is the one for whom he built the tomb. She traveled everywhere with him and bore many children (I think it was 14, but several did not survive) He intended to built himself a similar monument in black marble on the opposite side of the river and laid the foundations. What a sight that would have been! Before he could begin the construction his son, by the favourite Muslim wife, captured him and imprisoned him for several years until his death. I am going to post some pictures rather than write any more. There will be the obligatory full view, but I have added some of the stunning internal and exterior decoration. A couple of the shots are of the mosque standing alongside.

Tiger Park and Kenya update

After Jaipur we spent two nights in Rathtambore, a tiger reserve which was once the hunting ground of the Maharaja. The number of wild tigers is diminishing rapidly and since they require a large range and are territorial, we were not fortunate enough to see one, although we heard one and heard the monkeys and deer giving warning calls. The temperature drops to about 10C at night at this time of year, so the early morning safari in an open vehicle was an experience! Christmas eve was marked by an outdoor barbeque which was very nice with blazing log fires and great food, but we bundled up in socks, hats and as many sweaters as we had. Then it ws on to Agra.

Maybe it's time for a short break from India and let you know what's going on in Kenya. Despite many protests the President signed the Media Bill into law. This gives the government the right to seize equipment, regulate coverage and close down broadcasts. The PO can open mail and email can be read. After a huge outcry, the Pres decided to 'take a second look.' He's probably going to appoint a commission, hoping it will be forgotten in some new scandal, which usually happens. Problem is the second look is generated by fear of unpopularity at the next election, not by any concern for democracy and a free press.

Hunger is acute in the drought ridden areas of the north and in places like Baringo where no one planted early last year. The 'cheap' maize proved a fiasco as we suspected. 100,000 bags (yes, you read the number right) have disappeared without a trace, leaving only 44,000 for processing.

Results are out for the Primary (gr8) leaving exams. 250,000 children will not go to high school for lack of a place available. Disputes are rampant about increases in school (boarding) fees and teachers are threatening to strike for more pay on Jan 19. They have actually been awarded raises but the government wants to pay an average of about 1,000 sh ($15) per month over three years. CHES is busy interviewing and KEEF will interview next week. We will see mainly boys since CHES has a lot of scholarships this year for girls.

At the end of December Rod closed the computer school because of low income and rent increases. It was in a poor location, received little support from the diocese and January is usually a lean month for people with school fees and bills from Christmas. The news is not all bad because Vincent, who was one of our first students five years ago, has taken over in a new location. He was one of our instructors and we trained him as a technician. He has a thriving little business and has agreed to maintain the instructors, the salaries and the policies, at least for the foreseeable future. He is working very hard at marketing and we have good hopes of success. Rod is glad to be rid of the stress of keeping it going, particularly during our time away. We have trained a lot of young people in computer skills and we are proud of a great number of success stories. In the picture (l to r) is Johnstone, our 'daktari' in training proudly holding his graduation gift of a phone; then Ben who is doing Business Studies and runs the computer school; next is Vincent who has taken over the school; the young woman in dark clothing is Magdalene who received an A average from a school with no power and mud walls. She wants to do medecine if she gets a place. Lastly is Carolyne who would love to train as a teacher, but for now is working in the computer school. She is a skilled dressmake and a very enthusiastic and hard worker.

On a final note, I will post a couple of pictures of the main shopping street directly in front of Fomat for those who know Kakamega. The 'river' you see bears the name of the local MP. Next blog will cover the visit to the Taj Mahal.

Jaipur

Just before Jaipur is the ancient Amber fort. Long walls reach out on the surrounding ridges, making the second largest continuous wall after the Great Wall of China. The steep climb to the entrance to the fort is done on elephants. Apparently the government has put a stop to the use of animals in tourist destinations, so these elephants will be the last, and they will retire in 2010.

In Jaipur (state of Rajasthan) is the City Palace, a blend of traditional and Mughal architecture, originally built by Maharajah Jai Singh 11. The palace complex occupies one seventh of the old walled city. The Jantar Nantar is a collection of massive astronomical instruments built of local stone and marble. Each instrument carries an astronomical scale marked on the marble lining, and bronze tablets for calculations. They were built to assist in coordinating the Hindu calendar (based on the sun) with the Muslim calendar based on the moon. Adjoining this palace is the Hawa Mahai (Palace of the Winds) known as the pink palace. Built in 17 99 by Maharajah Sawai Pratrap Singh, it overlooks the main streets. The name probbaly translates better as Palace of the breezes. The ladies of the court would sit in the screened windows and watch the streets below.
In Jaipur we visited a block printing factory. The British destroyed the industry but a young woman who specialised in Indian culture found examples of the prints in the British Museum, had blocks made and revived the industry. The prints are amazingly complex and done by hand on cotton, silk etc. For those who love fabric, I bought a few samples which I will include in our sales table when we come home.

After Delhi

We did succumb to the temptation of a silk Kashmiri carpet. The government brings families from Kashmir to Delhi for two years to sell their family's work. Then it's back home and another family arrives.

We drove to Jaipur on a new and wide expressway. Although we read newspaper articles on corruption and have certainly heard stories, there seems to be a lot of money going into infrastructure. The main roads are in great shape and there is construction going on everywhere. We were interested to see water pumps (often more than one) in every town and village. One does not see the small shambas (house surrounded by cultivation) as in Kenya. Although the fields look large, they are apparently divided between families who all grow the same crop. The two main ones we saw were the yellow flowers of mustard (used for oil) and green grams. The highly decorated trucks and buses and the camel carts added another new element to the trip.
Children were still in school until Dec. 24. There is no concession made in the school system, in business or government for religious holidays of any kind. Muslims work on Friday with no time off for prayers. The standard day off is Sunday, which we found interesting. In government schools, the teaching language in this part of India is Hindi. English is started around grade 6. Education for girls is free although we were not sure what fees applied to boys. We saw many girls in their uniforms of narrow white trousers, sky blue tunics and white scarf.
The private schools (called ‘public’ from the British system) advertise themselves as "English media" which means their teaching language is English. Large families are strongly discouraged. In fact we saw one school article where the institution refused to accept pupils from families of more than three children.