Belated Update, from Canada

Hello again,

I realize it has been a whole month since my last update. It has been a mix of business, laziness, rest and work.

View over Nyukambani area and Kisayani

In the past month I have concluded my final interviews with community members and government employees, held several workshops to share some of my initial findings, revisited the Umani Springs, travelled to Uganda, and returned home to Edmonton. It was challenging to know what and how exactly to communicate my finding back to the individuals and groups that I had promised. Some of my findings I think they could benefit and learn from, while others they sure didn't want to hear. Ultimately, I am learning the future of the community and the project lies with them, not me. It is their project and they must learn to be stewards to the things they have been given and work hard at extending its benefits to others in the area in this time of a changing and increasingly unpredictable climate.

Significant progress on the new project at the Spring

It has been a whirlwind of a month, mixed with lots of travelling and meetings and writing. I am currently sitting at my parent residence in Edmonton working on my final report to be handed in before the new year. It's becoming quite the task to synthesize all of the knowledge I have taken in and learned over the past four months and summarize in a single paper to be written during the holidays. But it is not only important but stimulating. I strongly believe my findings are important and relevant. In time my professor Dr. Spaling and I hope to have a published paper (maybe even 2) out of it. Something I can only hope with be of use to development practitioners

In other news, I will be returning to Kenya in early January. I was given a short-term job contract with CRWRC (Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) and their Disaster Response Services in East Africa, where they are quickly expanding their relief programs throughout the region with the assistance of the Canadian Government & the Canadian Food Grains Bank. I am extremely excited as this is an organization I know well, and one I know does good work throughout the world. My work will be conducting further research on their more innovative approaches to relief work as well as writing and reporting on behalf of some of their relief projects.


I hope to have at least one more post summarizing some of my findings and conclusions. Until then, enjoy some of the photos I have taken over the last month, including my travels to Western Kenya and Uganda with my friend Amelia.

Biking...

Visiting Sipi Falls in Uganda

... and hiking through wildlife parks

Drenched at the bottom of the falls

Visit Hell's Gate near Lake Naivasha

Soaking in the beautiful wildlife and scenery of Kenya

Stories

I realized my last few post have been a bit ‘heavy’ so I thought I’d also update on the lighter side of things and share a few stories with you.

Since I moved to my new place at the University Farm, I have been living a bit outside of the actual town of Kisayani. Furthermore, since I make a lot of field visits I also thought that I could have use for a bicycle instead of paying for bodaboda motorbikes to take me everywhere.

I tried finding one to rent for a month, but bikes here are used heavily (most often to transport water) and I couldn’t find one to use on a constant basis. So instead I ended up buying a bike, with a friend of mine who split the cost. When I move I’ll leave it with him.

To shop for bikes, we had to go to Kibwezi. We looked around for a bit but I didn’t find any I really liked for a good price. The next day I gave my friend the money and entrusted him to bring me back a good one. He came back with a bike, but not any ordinary bike—a sturdy one made bike that everyone else has. Instead he brought back a mountain-bike (I use the word ‘mountain’ lightly). It came with all the bells and whistles (literally) including: bells, flags, front and rear lights, gears, horn, mirror and fenders. As if I didn’t already stick out enough here  …

"Long long ago...MEN of making bike have a DREAN..."

Anyway, this has been my casual means of transport over the past few weeks. So far I have had 5 flat tires, the horn has fallen apart, the flag blew away, and the lights don't work. One time I was riding and the handlebars nearly fell off. Needless to say, this was cheap Chinese-made bike. The label itself reads “Star Plan: Long ago…. Men of making bike have Drean”; whatever that is supposed to mean.

The bike has served me well though, and I get around on short distances. On the longer distances I have actually taken motorbike lessons and learned how to ride which has been a good side-result of my Star Plan shortcomings.

So cool

Another fun story from the past week I thought I’d share comes from a visit to a school I made. Another good friend of mine is a teacher (he also knows of my blog-hello!) at a school well off of the main road. Just this past week was the Kenyan National Examinations, a pretty big deal around here. All students finishing primary school and moving to secondary have to write standardized tests in English, Swahili, Science, Social Studies, etc.. The best of the best go to the top national schools while the bottom percentiles are held back or put it not so great schools. I went to visit his school the day before the examinations, a school that is 40 minutes out of Kisayani even more underdeveloped. The school was underfunded, understaffed, and has no water or electricity.

Once I arrived at the school I was introduced to the head-teacher showed around the school and I was able to greet the classes. At some points I was left to talk to the kids about Canada: what we eat and how cold it is there. The kids are unbelievably shy and would just inaudibly whisper their names if I asked them. After giving a few lectures on the wonders of Canada to the children I was called outside.

The head-teacher had arranged the entire school under a giant baobab tree, maybe 200 students from pre-school to standard 8. I was told I was supposed to give a speech to encourage the kids before their national examinations the next day.

Children eagerly awaiting my words of wisdom.

Not too surprised—having often been called out on the spot to give a sermon or in a church—but a little hesitant, I stood up and addressed the kids about the importance of education, and how I had spend the last 19 years of my life in school and how I too had written my fair share of exams. Since it was a very rural community, most relied on their 'mother-tongue' (Kamba) for their day-to-day language so I needed a local teacher to translate, which allowed me some pauses to figure out what to say next. Nonetheless I ended up at one point saying some stupid phrase like “knowledge is power”, to which the teacher got the kids to shout it and pump their fists in the air.

By the end of my speech I asked if anyone had a question for me. Since the kids were very shy I didn’t expect any. But one of the older children asked me “how old are you?” I told them I was 23. The kids all laughed at some of the older students. One of the teachers later told me that some of the 8^th graders were 22.

I also asked why these kids were so shy. The teachers explained to me that it was because many had not seen a white man before. Then the teacher in front of the whole crowd asks for show of hands ‘who has seen a mzungu?’ Less than a quarter put their hands up. Then one of the teachers thought it was a good idea to get each of the kids to greet me. So, they formed a queue and one-by-one I shook the hands of each of the 200 or so students.

Some speech that was.

Smile!

Other stories:

• slaughtered a goat

Don't know what it is, but it was under my bed.

• Killed 7 scorpions and a stinging centipede

Honey... with real bees, so you know it's fresh.

• Bought some fresh honey.

Corruption and Frustration

Nearly every time I drive south down the kibwezi-kitui road from my village of Kisayani to the town of Kibwezi, I get stopped by the traffic police. It is usually the same two men, dressed in their blue uniforms and black leather shoes, with a ticket-book in hand and usually with a stern look on their faces. They are putting on an act, looking for a bribe.

Since there are no cars in Kisayani I take bodabodas (motor-bike taxis) sometimes tripling even quadrupling up with others (sometimes goats too) to share the cost. Usually these drivers don’t have licenses, their bikes may be missing a light or two or aren’t registered and carry too many people. As a result the bodaboda is pulled over. But rather than ticketing the drivers slyly shakes hands with the driver who feeds them a bribe—usually 50bob (~$0.60). They look the other way and let us move on and I get dropped off.

This always boils my blood, and I usually have to restrain myself from saying something stupid and getting myself in trouble. It makes me furious that these policemen tasked with keeping and upholding the law are the very ones making a spectacle of it, sometimes even laughing when I ask them from the back of the motorbike “unafanya nini?” (What do you think you’re doing?). To me, they are stealing from the local people most of them what we could consider ‘poor’ and who don’t make a lot (especially now with the fuel costs so high) and eroding the foundation of law in the country. It is unjust.

"confusion" -- probably not a registered vehicle

While I don’t want to draw a negative picture of Kenya, I still feel the need to tell the truth and share my impressions. I see these injustices everywhere, in almost every level of government and society.

I have seen it on the most basic community level. The community project I am looking at—with ‘Christian’ in it’s name—is showing signs of inequality, corruption and mismanagement. Even the neighboring water project is facing a court case over broken relationships between the community and the project managers. Furthermore, the local District Water Officer is on a sort of ‘leave’ due to quieted accusations of stealing.

The corruption in the Kenyan government travels up the chain to even the highest positions of government. One of the most significant changes to the water project that has come in the past ten years has been the creation of the new Water Act. Amongst a whole heap of changes that went along with an overhaul of the entire water sector was the formulation of Water Service Boards, which are tasked with the responsibility to provide or allocate the provision of water to the people of Kenya.

In fact I just got back from a trip to Kitui where I met with some high level officials in the regional office for the Water Service Board in charge of the area I am in. While they were helpful and open to me, the leading officials in those offices are making headlines for embezzlement of funds exceeding 100 million KSH (more than $1 million) intended to support and construct water projects to serve the poor.

Also gripping the front pages of papers of the local papers are accusations against the Minister of Water herself for corruption.

But it is not only corruption. I see ‘injustices’ in many other places too. The area of Kibwezi has been undergone massive resettlement displacing many people. The very place I am living, the university farm and research station is 16,000 acre plot of land acquired from local people. Just down the road there is another 25,000 acre farm of prime agricultural land usual to grow the cash crop sisal for export. This is all in an area that has been labeled ‘in crisis’ by the UN due to drought and famine and is a recipient of food relief since it is not food-secure.

Two good friends.

As a researcher this is often frustrating and disheartening. I feel powerless, and in fact in almost every sense I am. I am not in a place of authority to correct these wrongs or in a place of power to be a donor to fund some other venture. Yet at the same time I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to the people here. Through my interviews, friendships, and daily interactions with people I empathize with their challenges, frustrations and hopes. And in so many ways I want to solve and fix them.

I often also feel a need to blame someone for this. Nearly every story I hear, it is someone (or something) else at fault: the corrupt civil servants, the local project management, the NGOs who seem to have abandoned this project, the massive restructuring of the water ministry that leaves to many grey areas, the local users abusing and misusing the water, the effects of climate change and those of us who unfairly contribute to it, or just the corruption in general which permeates all levels of society. In some sense, none alone are to blame and in another they [we] all are. I am learning a lot about the complexities of poverty, the importance of good leadership and relationships and standing up for what is just.

In the end I have to weed through all of these stories and find a sort of narrative, the story of this project and this community which can answer the research question of what has changed and how is the community adapting. I could have done my research with a survey, passed out 100 copies and returned in a month to pick them up. But instead I am gathering stories and getting involved. So in these last weeks in Kisayani I will soon head to Nairobi to meet with more influential decision makers and policy planners. I am attempting to put together the rest of the loose ends and eventually write a report. I have also made a promise to the community to share my preliminary thoughts on the research which will bring me back to Kisayani for a few days to share. I'm hoping for the right words to say and the ability to say 'I can't solve ___ problem' if needed.

A sentimental shot to close this depressing post

Rain and Famine

The rains in Kisayani have finally come. After a few night-time drizzles which most Kenyans insist were not real rains, hard rain has arrived. Farmers and their whole families are now busily plowing their fields and planting seeds. A transformation from a dreary brown and grey landscape to a rich red and green has already emerged as if it too was greatly anticipating the coming rains.

Along with the budding trees and plants have also come the bugs, a lot of them. To preface, I just recently moved residences from my old place (appropriately titled ‘white house’) to the University of Nairobi Research Station where they have a large farm and rangeland for a variety of research purposes, including hosting people like myself and my fellow Kenyan researcher, Njoki. Despite the $2/night bargain at my last place, it couldn’t beat the student rate of $0.30/day or $9 a month for a 2 room and full-bathroom place where I am now just outside of the main town of Kisayani.

Within a few hours...

One of the only downsides, along with no longer having as many neighbour children around to play with, is my place is situated on the edge of some grasslands, where insects and birds are thriving. When the rains came, the dormant eggs that had been waiting patiently for water hatched and on my first night in my new place I was swarmed by a variety of flying insects. Almost unable to sleep the first night, I asked my neighbour if this was going to last the entire rainy season, which he answered “yes”. Thankfully he was wrong. Each of the first nights brought forth a different wave of insects, but a week later they have died down significantly.

Mangoes

But more importantly, the farmers are busy. During all my interviews with local people, nearly all of which are farmers, I ask the question of whether or not the climate (rainfall, wind, seasons) is changing. With the odd exception, they tell me there is not only less rain today, but a different rains. In this area of Kenya there are two rainy seasons, a long (March-May) and a short rain (November-December). Decades ago there were also two rains, although both were reliable enough to get two harvests if possible. Today, farmers have begun planting during the short season (now) since even the long rains have become unreliable with days or weeks without rain. I have also attained rainfall data from a local sisal plantation and from the university station which seems to confirm the shifting climate patterns.

An irrigation scheme

The effect of this changing rainfall has delivered consistent drought in the area stunting the growth and productivity of many crops. Thus, the area in which I am situated is now a recipient of food aid coming from the Red Cross and other organizations. The same is true for much of Kenya and in some areas--namely the northern areas--famine is reoccurring in what was recently in the news.

Just before I arrived, the famine in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia were grabbing headlines as the Horn of Africa was experiencing the lowest levels of rainfall is almost 60 years. Failure of the long rains denied farmers their expected crops (food and income) and nomadic herders the grasses for their animals deteriorating their ability to access food. The Dadaab refugee camp (designed for 90,000), just across the border into Kenya, grew in size to nearly half a million people. And millions were and still are announced at being at risk of starvation. However, today even I find it difficult to see any news on the famine despite it still prevailing severely today.

A recent sand dam put up in along the Kisayani river

While I am no expert on the causes or solutions to famine, natural disasters cannot solely be held accountable for the famine. Skyrocketing food prices, population growth, environmental degradation, political instability, lack of infrastructure, a less spoken about land-grab, and other human-caused factors all come into play. For example, the famine is worst in Somalia where the Islamic militant group al-Shabaab (which Kenya has recently declared war with) has long tried to prevent Western aid organization from delivering relief and development services.

With the arrival of the short (but more reliable) rains throughout East Africa, we hope that the current situation will be relieved. It is difficult to write about such a daunting issue ridden with statistics and so reoccurring, but it is reality. What brings me hope (and in another sense dismay) is that this famine and food insecurity is largely human-caused. Therefore, in a large part these things can be dealt with and improved. Projects in communities such as the one I am looking at is just one example. Above are pictures of water and irrigation projects that are aimed at improving living standards and increasing food security additional to the piped water in Kisayani. There are many projects like these being done, not just in the community where I reside but throughout Kenya and the world. They are examples of solutions and innovations some implemented by Westerners, some by locals, and some by the Kenyan government. 

To me it is also a reminder of the value of the Kisayani Water Project and the need for the water in the pipes. Despite being just a researcher, unable to assist in any physical sense, I feel a responsibility to the people here. It can be frustrating to be doing academic research under a hefty research grant, when in many ways I want to be helping in a more tangible way. It gives me motivation however, to do a thorough job, speak to the right people, give recommendations and ensure that my research is shared with the community with the purpose of a sustainable future for water resources and this project.

A view looking over Kisayani

"Maji ni Uhai"

"Water is life"

This is a phrase I hear almost daily here. And it is true. The provision of water to Kisayani has had dramatic effects. The occurrence of water borne diseases had been cut by around 50%; the value of land in Kisayani had grown by over 1000%; people walked less than 1 hour to fetch water compared to 6 hours previously; and people were irrigating crops and fruit trees generating income and increasing food security for their families.

Umani Springs

Yet the reality is that in Kenya it is estimated 60% of people have access to safe water. In the rural areas such as where I am now, the number is closer to 40%. Kisayani is therefore fortunate to have the water supply project as are the tens of thousands of others getting their water from Umani Springs. 

straight from the source

While this post was originally supposed to be about the general picture of water in Kenya, some recent unsettling findings this past week cause me to combine the two, the former offering context.

- - - 

In 1974, Kenya pledged to give each of its citizen’s access to clean water. Despite making some positive strides, the government had taken on more than they could handle and were unable to fulfil the promise. In 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (agreed upon also by Canada and all UN states) pledged that by 2015 they would half the number of people in the world without basic access to water. Again in ~2002, Kenya created a vision that by 2030 all would have access to clean water.

This was done by a complete restructuring of the water sector via the Water Act (2002) in Kenya. This is one of the central areas of focus of my project. Without boring you with the details of the 200 page legal document, the bill supposedly invests all power over the regulation, conservation and licensing of water to the Minister of Water, while also decentralizing water service provision by handing over water systems to communities and private companies—water provision and services is too much for just the government to reside over.

Yet some projects such as the Kisayani Water Project were already in the hands of community management during the restructuring phase. Once financed by a NGO, the ownership of this project and it’s management was invested in a community self-help group: the Kisayani Community Christian Development Programme (KCCDP). The project was completed in 2003 and the Water Act passed in 2002, although it is still being implemented and enforced to this day. Thus, the Kisayani Water Project was developed in a time of transition of management (and still is).

Njoki and I at the Athi River

One of the new water management bodies in the Water Act is the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA), which is in charge of management of water resources in each of the 8 catchment/watershed regions. It is the role of WRMA to give approval to projects, giving them permits, and co-ordinating management. The Kisayni project has a permit to draw water from Umani Springs, which is shared by a variety of other projects, including the newest project the Mtito Andei Umani Water Project, still under construction. This project is to serve the current 90,000 people of the Mtito Andei area. The put this in perspective the Kisayani project was designed for 12,000 people; the size of this new project is massive. Meanwhile, the source spring is already suffering shortages.

My research is examining the sustainability of the water project in Kisayani and the management of the spring. 


At the moment, there are several evident problems indicating threats to it’s sustainability: some people who once got water no longer do; some are using water to irrigate while other have none to drink; and both the demand and population are clearly growing. One of the pressing issues that keeps coming up i is how there is less water in the pipe or/and less water from the Spring itself. In fact, the river that leads downstream of the springs has shrunk drastically. The river once had a 2-3m deep riverbed, but now is a small trickling stream. Even 4 years ago I was told one could swim in the river. This is just one of the many indicators that show the Spring is undergoing some major challenges.

While I do not have the skill or capacity to measure the flow of the Spring, I had the idea that this new water project (Mtito Andei) would by law require an Environmental Assessment which I hoped would include data on the flow of the Spring and whether or not this new project was feasible. I also have the advantage of working under my professor who had once done the Environmental Assessment for the Kisayani Project and had flow data from the 80s to the late 90s.

After weeks of hunting this document down, I finally met with representatives of the WRMA who are in charge of examining the flow of the spring and permitting allowable withdraws. They not only had the EIA report from 2009, but also a Hydrological Report of the Umani Springs done just this July. They also had the power of granting or not granting the permit to the new water project, so these reports would surely show that where was enough water since it had already been approved.

The report revealed that there was enough water; in fact the report stated there was plenty of water! It claims the current abstractions along with the new proposed project would withdraw just 6% of the total flow. This wasn’t very reassuring, however. The report done in 2001 by my professor Dr. Spaling found that the Kisayani Project along with the other projects was withdrawing closer to 60% of the total flow of the river (not 6%). Since the anecdotal evidence from the local people indicated that the spring and the river downstream was significantly less today than 10 years ago, and the fact that there was a new project much larger than any existing project, something didn’t add up.

looks like 7

Trying to figure out where they got their flow data from, I contacted WRMA again, who is supposed to be measuring regularly the flow of the spring. Yet, what I got from them was about 10 individual sporadic data points from 1987-2011. The data points from the 80s to 2001 confirmed the data used by my professor that the flow of the spring averaged 18.5 million L/day. Yet the data points from 2009 and 2011 somehow showed 82 million L/day (4x as much). The latest data seems to have been used by the hydrological report which showed how the total projects added to 6% total abstraction from the natural flow. No one really knows who made the measurements either, the meters at the spring were stolen long ago.

without piped water

Furthermore, these reports are unclear on how many projects are even at the source. One report says there are two legal ones, one says 4, while WRMA people themselves say 6. My observation at the spring itself (see post from mid-sept) shows 7 individual pipelines.

with piped water

I hope that I am wrong, and that there is plenty of water. But my assumption is that there is not enough water for all of the existing (struggling) projects let alone this new mammoth project. Perhaps the local politician for the area, happening to reside in Mtito Andei has pushed this project through to please his constituency, thereby putting at risk the spring and all communities downstream as well as all those reliant on abstractions and pipelines. I have heard it as if it were a catchphrase, that “Water is Life”. This is indeed true. The communities I have seen with water and without have been stark differences. It would be heart breaking to see this community become one without water and suffering from even more severe shortages.

I hope I am wrong about the spring. 

Kuku Chakula

I've been away on the Kenyan coast for a few days, and decided to add some photos my chicken dinner (kuku chakula). It all started over a conversation with the local police officer (a friend of mine) of what we eat in Canada. I have repeatedly been asked the questions, 'what do you grow?' 'what are your staple foods?' and 'what do you mean you don't have ugali?' After some lengthy discussion over how in Canada just 5% of Canadians are farmers compared to about 75% in Kenya (and my estimate of about 90+% in Kisayani) it led to further discussion on our radically different food systems (localized vs. globalized; small family farms vs. industrialized factories; meat-centred diet vs. non-meat diets). I also explained how I have never killed a cow, or goat, or chicken; rather, I buy them by the skinless/boneless pieces in a super market. So I told them I had no idea what to do.

Not only were my friends stunned, they decided to host a feast (also in lieu of Thanksgiving). The first step was to find a chicken. Very few people raise them here. The ones I see running around town are being shipped to Nairobi where they fetch a good price. After making a call to a friend, who made another call we found a chicken about 5km away. The owner used his bicycle to bring it to town. The next day we bargained and ended up paying 400KSH (~$4) for the bird. However, since the feast was growing in size, as more and more people wanted to come, I ended up buying 2 more the next evening. Splurging $12 on chicken is a bit extravagant, thus many wanted to come. It is also a reflexion of why so few people eat chicken here--expensive. While nyama (beef) and mbuzi (goat) are readily available at the butcher, chicken is not easily found.

Patiently waiting.

Finally the day arrived. But when I went to pick up the two new chickens, the first had got away. After about 20 minutes we found him hiding under a nearby shop, cowering from his inevitable fate. Once the chickens were assembled, I was called to the police officer's home, where he has prepared a cooker for bbqing (called 'choma' here) and had some boiling water ready do de-feather the birds. He insisted I watch him butcher the first bird and then carry on with the last two. ...

The victims.

while pinning the two legs with one foot and the
wings with the other, it's prevented from running 

there are now blood stains on my pants

After about 1 minute of struggling, when the chicken is limp
I put it into a bowl of boiling water to loosen the feathers

at peace 

Mmm...

Not so handsome anymore

Cutting each of the joints

kuku choma

The three day journey comes to an end!

By the end of the meal, I was quite satisfied and had a new appreciation for Safeway's $8.99 chicken specials ready to eat. The chicken was dry, tough, feathery, thin, but delicious. Happy belated thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoyed your 20lb turkeys.

Karibu Kisayani

These past 3 weeks I have spent getting to know the area of Kisayani, learning to cook local food, exploring the pipeline area, and conducting interviews. I have already finished 8 interviews and have a good introductory picture of some of the contributions and challenges of the water project. This is something I will comment on in more depth later. But for this post, I’ll update on my day-to-day activities and what I have been learning.

Baobab trees not far from my house

A few of the children

I have been here long enough to get to know some of the people around my area. My home is shared with about a dozen children and a few mamas who are their mothers, or hired to care for them. I wake every day to their crying and/or laughing have slowly begun to befriend me, though they were at first skeptical of me. The other children in town have made a habit to chasing me through town repeatedly shouting Mzungu (‘white-man’). While I am used to this from Tanzania, these kids are relentless. Plus the cuteness of it wears off quickly. I decided to teach them my name, so instead they chase me shouting my name repeatedly—a bit of an improvement, I guess. I tried learning their names, but there are too many of them, so I just shout back ‘Mtoto!’ (meaning: ‘little kid!’). I have also gotten to know where to buy the best veggies, who to go to for Papaya, and made friends in the market area, which has been beneficial.

Second on the left is all mine

Thus, I have not stared to death. In fact, I have learned to cook ugali (maize meal) and several other dishes (pilau—spiced rice, sikumawiki—boiled kale, and maharagwe—beans). When I tell Kenyan most Canadians have never heard or seen of such a dish, they are astounded as it is a daily meal for them. I ate it everyday if not twice when I was in Tanzania and didn’t have much of a taste for it, but for some reason the ugali here is actually delicious. I have also learned to cook beans (who knew how difficult it could be to cook them once they had been dried—I will never take for granted canned beans.) Tomorrow, the local police chief has organized a feast; he could not believe that I had not killed a chicken. So tomorrow I get to kill 3. The chicken I bought from the market actually ran away since I didn't know how to tie it up. After about half an hour frantically searching in the dark I found it... first time I ever lost a meal.

Cooking up a storm with Njoki - my UNairobi partner

I often get asked what our staple foods are, and what we grow. They are amazed just 5% of Canadians are farmers, and that we simply buy butchered chicken and have no idea how to harvest or process grains. I often avoid explaining how big area farms are and how much our land cost, since many farmers have just 1 acre or less and pay just $50-1000 for it.

As for work, each day is unpredictable. The interviews I schedule often don’t happen, and then they do it is often in the middle of another one I am doing. Moreover, the interviews are sometimes done in Swahili 
with a translator. My decent ...

Line-up for water at a kiosk

...comprehension of Swahili is good enough to know how much I am missing, but without knowing what exactly is lost in translation. At times people don’t understand Swahili well enough and I have to use a tertiary translator to go from Swahili to Kikamba (the local mother-tongue). One of the most frustrating things I deal with, is having to attain one's signature before the interview begins. Due to our Western bureaucracy and formality, research ethics requires me to hand out 3 page documents in English explaining the interview, research, and protocol before the interview begins. When they have been walked through it, I need to get their signature. Despite their verbal consent, many are very reluctant to sign as in Kenyan culture they are never or rarely asked to sign anything that doesn’t commit or bind them to something significant. Research ethic protocol is supposed to respect individual’s rights, but in this context and culture it seems to intrude on it more than respect it.

Kiosk without working water

Regardless work is coming along and I am learning lots. I have made several bodaboda trips (motor bike taxis) to the far ends of the pipelines to visit each of the kiosks and interview some households in those areas. These always prove eventful as I realize how Kisayani is much more developed than these areas, many of them lack electricity, selection of goods, access to basic medicines, and simple shops. Sadly, I have found that some of the communities at the very ends of the pipeline are not receiving water.


I am learning to conserve water myself (10L bucket showers) and also boiling the water I need to drink. It is still extremely dry here. Every interview has reaffirmed the bad drought for the past 4 years, and how it is affecting their crops and the water supply of the project (as well as demand). Along with the local farmers, I too am awaiting the rains which are to come in a week or so, and the transformation they will bring to the environment.

It has been a great experience thus far. The Kenyan reputation of being warm and welcoming is well surpassed, and my work is moving along. 


Stay tuned for:

• rain and greenery
• mangos
• pictures of me killing the chicken that ran away