Last days in Kenya

Dear friends,

this is my last post from Kenya! But before returning to Germany we will spend two weeks on Zanzibar! I can´t wait to reach this paradise for a little vacation in the sun! We will spend most of the time in Nungwi, at a friends place.

Our last days in Kakamega were nice and successful. We had several meetings with the core team and discussed the future of our project. Besides, we visited Kipsangui Village, which is close to Eldoret. There, we spent one night at the place of assembly member Florence Masika. She showed us her village and introduced us to her family. One last nice trip in Kakamega County.

Me with Florence`family

Children of the village

The River of Kipsangui

Sebastian discussing with Florence`father and her brother

Borehole of Kipsangui

The home of Florence´family

Now, we are back in Nairobi and will cath the flight to Zanzibar tomorrow morning. But the time I had in Kakamega was incredible and indescribeable. I will miss a lot of people, I got to know very well over the time. Right now, I´m leaving friends, my host family and a place behind, where I have learned so much. Not just about Kakamega, Kenya and its people - but moreover about myself and my personal aims in life. This internship is a time, I will never forget and I deeply thank everyone, who made it possible and that special! I hope, once I get the chance of coming back to my temporary hometown!

Our dearest friend Mophat

Our costermonger of trust

Me with my friend Eddah

Sebastian with our host family

Sebastian and our friend Brian

A canopy of leaves in Nairobi

Also thanks to everyone, who followed me, so far!

Cheers,
Frauke

Kakamega-Kampala-Najembe-Jinja-Kisumu-Kakamega

Dear friends,

first of all: Happy New Year! Long time, no see. But the last week we have been touring around Uganda. Our journey started with a Matatu drive to Kisumu. There, we picked a bus bringing us directly to Kampala. Unfortunately, we had some issues passing the border and had to pay extra money. But after 13 1/2 hours of driving, we finally reached Kampala. In the middle of the night a taxi brought us safely to our hotel.

Busy Kampala

But already the next morning there was the next suprise: In front of our hotel was a demonstration taking place and we were woken by shoutings. The religious motivated demonstration was even in the news coverage of national television, that day. However that be, we took a walk around the city, seeing the Parliament, the National Theatre, the High Court, the Delegation of the EU and also an African Craft Village where we bought nice handcraft. Kampala is a real nice, but very crowded place. During these days I got a cold, with the result that I had to stay in bed during New Year´s Eve. But after some rest, I got better, so we could leave Kampala.

Demonstration in front of our hotel

African Crafts Village

Sebastian in the building of the Delegation of the EU

Out next stop was Najembe. There, we took a walk around Mabira Forest Reserve, seeing the Griffin Falls. The Forest was amazing and the stay at Griffin Falls Camp delightful, because we met a very nice couple. After this short visit, we took another Matatu to Jinja. In Jinja, we stayed at the Nile. The backpackers was lovely and we used the time to enjoy the beautiful landscape and hang out at the source of the Nile!

Griffin Falls

Oldest tree of Mabira Forest Reserve

Village Najembe

 

 

 

 

The Nile

Jinja Bridge over the Nile

Our backpackers at the Nile

From Jinja we took the nightbus to Kisumu. Fortunately, passing the border was much more easy this time. Arriving in the middle of the night, we had some hours of sleep in a nearby hotel. After this short night we walked around the city to find the Immigration Office, to extend my visa. With the help of some officers we found the Office. And after about an hour in the office, I finally got the extension! On our way to the Matatu station we ran into another demonstration, this time of people demonstrating for higher salary. After the last Matatu ride we returned home, safely.

All in all, it was a nice and eventful week and we met a lot of friendly and helpful people. Once, I will go back to Uganda, that is for sure!

Cheers,









Frauke  

Transition Town Kakamega & Rainforest

Dear friends,

the last week was full of meetings. But, it was worth it: Transition Town Kakamega is finally registered on TransitionNetwork.org (https://www.transitionnetwork.org/) as mulling initiative! Together with the core team we met Florence Masika, an assembly member of Kakamega County, and also visited the Mission of the Fatherless as stakeholder of TT Kakamega. On Friday, 19th the registration of the initiative was successfully completed by the core team! Lets hope for a good development of the newly founded movement!

Sebastian, Florence Masika & me

Prisca of the core team & Sebastian

Hillary, Bridgid & Sharon of core team

On the weekend, we had a trip to Kakamega Rainforest. There, we took the Yala River Walk together with Nixon, chairperson of KEEP. He told us about the challenges of preserving the rainforest and gave us some hints, how to survive in the wilderness. After 6 hours of walking and enjoying the beauty of the forest, we ran into people, caring their selfmade brew out of the woods. All in all, it was an enjoyable and nice trip after all the hard work!

The Yala River

The beautiful rainforest

Nixon at the Yala River

Field of tea at the entrance of the rainforest

People caring brew

Wish you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Cheers,
Frauke

Walk around our new hometown

Hey friends,

the last weekend we had a walk aroundour new hometown Kakamega. Mophat showed us all different districts of the city. And we really fell in love! But see on you own:

Neighborhood of Mophat

The green campus of Masinde Muliro

Mophats home and our friends!

A view over the city

The county court

The beautiful countryside

 Kwa heri,

Frauke

Kakamega-Nairobi-Nakuru-Kakamega

 Hey friends,

Railway of Nairobi

last week I went to Nairobi to pick up Sebastian from Jomo Kenyatta Airport. We spent some days to explore the city a little more. Besides the Uhuru Park, we saw the parliament, different colonial style buildings and the railway station.

Uhuru Park

Crowded junction

After some days in the busy city, we headed back to Kakamega and stopped in Nakuru. It is the fourth biggest city of Kenya and the capital of Rift Valley Region with 200.000 inhabitants. There, we met Vera, Susi and Markus. Together we went to see the Menengai Crater, which is 2490 metres high and its caliber adds up to impressive 12 kilometres! The view was beautiful and the wind was howling. One could imagine the dramatic battle between the two Masai clans Il Purko and Il Laikipiak, where hundreds of Il Laikipiak warriors were chased over the cliff and died. This incident created the name of the crater, because Menengai means place of corpses.

All of us at Menengai

Me at Menengai Crater

Cliff of the Crater

It took us 5 more hours by bus, to come back to Kakamega. But today we enjoyed the sun and now we are going back to work!

Cheers,
Frauke

Transition Town Kakamega

The managing committee of DEMA

This week I gained the first stakeholder over to participate in Transition Town Initiative Kakamega. After meeting the managing committee of Disaster & Environement Management Association (DEMA) of Masinde Muliro University, Alexis and I attended the weekly meeting of the association. We had the possibility to present our project idea: Next week the teamwork will start. Since, together with the most interested members of DEMA we will identify other stakeholder relevant for the project. Then, we will arrange interview appointments with the aim to find more stakeholders willing to participate. All in all, the project starts to fall into place!

Garbage dump of Masinde Muliro University

Weekly meeting of DEMA

 Besides the project, we celebrated the 30 wedding anniversary of Rev. Timothy and Jael Olubero. It was a great and joyful ceremony at Abundant Church in Kakamega.

The happy couple

Alexis, Markus & Susi with our friend Margret

The wedding party

But the celebration was tainted with sadness due to the terrorist attack near Mandera. 28 innocent people died. I´m sad and shocked about this iniquity. My thoughts are addressed to all the victims and their families. Let´s hope for a peaceful future and the end of Al-Shabaab terrorism!

Always yours,

Frauke

Kakamega Rainforest

Hey friends,

the last week was full of work: I finally met Morphat (president of Disaster and Environment Management Association [DEMA] of Masinde Muliro University) and we will start our project in association with the student group. Next week we´ll have a presentation and students who are interested will support us! Finally, the interviews will be done and I´m going to meet a lot of different people. Really looking forward it!

 

Meeting with Mophat

My new rafiki!

Besides, Ivakale had a big stakeholder meeting for the stove project on Friday. It was a big success and everyone was satisfied after 8 hours of enriching discussion.

Stakeholder meeting

Tree planting in the end of the meeting!

The highlight of the week was the sunrise walk on Saturday morning, starting at 5 a.m.
We had a beautiful view all over the rainforest. On our way back we met a goup of 38 Olive Baboons coming along with us.

 

Our Banboon friends

The rainforest and fog indicating the river

Sunrise in the rainforest

Cheers,
Frauke