LTK
Issue #02 - November/December 2014
SAFARI
#THEONLYABLETEAM
NJEMA !
Host Homes Profiles and Mid-Phase Review Plus: Volunteers’success stories- Interview with the ChiefDevelopment Issues - Family Portrait - Find Your inner tribe - Committees Final Words - Success stories
LTKMAGAZINE021112ABLETEAM
CONTENT BIG STO R IES
SH ORT STOR IE S
D E V E LOP MEN T ISS U E S
VSO MPR STORIES : - MPR Naughty - MPR: A review by the committee - Brain Twister
VSO Success Story: Laura
Climate Change
VSO Success Story: Melvyne
Youth Empowerment
Host Homes Profiles COMMITTEE FAREWELLS: - Social - CAD - Team Leaders VSO Family Portraits: The volunteers 2 LTK
My Dad is a Chief: an Interview Find your inner Tribe VSO Comments: Skylink Placement Supervisor Working with my UK counterpart Final Words...
Grow Your English Club Ridin’ Dirty Just One Africa: A visual Story
VSO ICS MPR STORY
There were a few late arrivals to the standard Illaramatak rendez-vous. Eventually the fuller of the two waiting matatus sped off into the desert in frustration, only to enact Wrong Turn Kimana and actually arrive at Teen Ranch after its chillaxing brother, how lame. Two of the volunteers arrival time was so Kenyan in fact, that they were actually picked up on route by the cool matatu, no such thing as an early start in this town. After a short transgression from the Kimana highway, and bearing witness to some impressive boulders, VSO arrived at Teen Ranch and excitement was already brewing at the prospect of all the available sports; there was so much room for activities! The volunteers were split into pre-arranged groups, and allowed to check out the swanky accommodation which came in the form of hutentcabin things with sit down toilets! Nice. Having deposited their bags, the excitable but slightly sleepy volunteers wandered up to what can only be described as a teepee shaped cabin, an impressive structure nonetheless, for a full day of activities focused on what they had achieved so far on VSO, and where everyone was headed. Lunch time is worth a mention, the food provided was phenomenal*, like nothing we had had previously in Kenya, some said it was like a beef stroganoff, yum. Eventually the clock struck 3, and the volunteers were finally set loose on the outward bound playground which boasted some relatively impressive facilities. Once people had changed the first stop was the climbing wall. Practically everyone had a go with the entire team cheering them on, with Raphaella setting a precedent as always, and braving the wall first, thats what we call a team leader. Abilities varied significantly; Andrea managed to scale the wall in approximately 0.0634 seconds whereas Laura is still on it. Some seemed content to gently swing from left to right while admiring the UK and others never quite made it. It was team-building at its best. Other activities included an impromptu basketball and volleyball matches while some of the cheekies snuck off in search of some happy juice for Laura and Sikwattahs’ joint birthday which conveniently fell on MPR, what a recipe! As the sun came down over Kimana the volunteers retuned to their huttents to treat themselves to some sitting deifications and hot showers before congregating at the birthday tent/ant farm for some civilised evening goon and birthday songs. The night had officially begun. Alcohol tolerances were low after such a long stint of good behaviour and the goon claimed some early victims but there was no stopping others. After a wobbly dinner, more alcohol arrived, whether it was needed or not, and the night proceeded at pace. There were card games in the main hall, and eventually everyone bar a few sleepies gathered around the campfire to play a detective-esque game of which there were only two survivors; Kaci and Raphaella, probably the two most suspicious individuals in these kind of circumstances, but nonetheless both proved to be innocent. No night is complete without a good stint of truth or dare, and the MPR was no exception. Debauchery was unleashed, there was stripping and many were dared to kiss around the campfire, what a perfect opportunity to experiment. Much like climbing wall ability, the kisses varied significantly in both passion and teeth clashing but all provided great entertainment nonetheless. One of the volunteers eventually had consumed enough alcohol to declare that due to his northern roots, was up for anything, and actually removed his clothes before entering a tent and propositioning one of the sleepies in the ant farm; access was denied. As the writer I am forced to admit my memory does become hazy around this point but I do recall several of the volunteers also deciding that clothes were no longer a necessary feature of the MPR and that running down the hill to go 'swimming' in three inches of water was not only a good idea, but was positively imperative to their well-being. After some low quality sleep, the volunteers were forced to make another early start for training in the teepee, and lord knows there were some sorry sights to behold. The sea of red and puffy eyes looked like something from a first year lecture, and some of the volunteers were but a shell of their former selves. Occasionally a volunteer had to make a tactical exit to one of the bathrooms but everything was just about held together and the integrity of the session remained in tact. Luckily, the more than competent MPR team had factored some of this in, and the sessions were relatively easy and relaxed. After a final, and very merciful session from the project coordinator, Yvonne, the sessions came to an end and the team was allowed to enjoy the remainder of the day how they pleased, which for most, meant sitting very still in a cool shaded place. The matatus arrived for collection at 4 o’clock to whisk away the already recovering and once again vibrant VSO Loitokitok team. In the words of Borat, a great success!!
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*Phenomenal in Kenya with regards to food means not Ugali and Kale.
MPR...
NAUUUUGGGHHHHTTTTYYYYY
T E X T KACI
T E X T EMILY M P R CO M M I T T E E
The Mid-Phase Review (MPR) began with a host of high expectations, ones that the MPR team were committed to meeting despite encountering several problems from the start. Unfortunately, the MPR Committee felt like a disaster case with the original venue being changed three days before it commenced due to budget constraints. Budgets were further cut a day before MPR was to begin. On top of that all of the committee members had never organized or facilitated a session before, so all of us were understandably quite nervous. Despite the challenges facing us, we hit the ground running, setting off at 7:30am on Saturday morning to head to Teen Ranch, the new location for the MPR. Upon arriving we found Teen Ranch to be not as we had expected. Yes it looked somewhat deserted but it was well stocked with sports facilities, including a volleyball area, a basketball court and a pretty sweet climbing wall. The tents we were sleeping in were equipped with a shower (that didn’t require the use of a bucket) as well as a flushable toilet; two wonders that many of the volunteers had not been able to experience for some time. We started events with a session led by Joan. All of the sessions that were facilitated were conducted with confidence
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MID-PHASE REVIEW
VSO ICS MPR STORY
and professionalism as well as loads of fun. After the day’s sessions were finished we went outside to reclaim the rest of the day for fun. Congratulations to Andrea who climbed the wall in an impressive 25 seconds and to Laura who was determined to defeat the wall! After defeating the climbing wall everyone gathered into the dinner hall for a delicious evening meal. The whole week was spent gathering 80 shillings off everyone to buy a special birthday cake for Sikwattah and Laura, the birthday girls. The huge cake was presented at dinner with two amazingly drawn birthday cards from Andrea. Hopefully it will be a birthday that Sikwattah and Laura will remember. After the cake, some of us went to bed whilst others chose to stay up further into the night celebrating the birthdays with numerous drunken activities. All in all, the Mid-Phase Review was a roaring success despite the challenges that came our way. I hope we managed to make the MPR memorable for all of the volunteers in Loitokitok.
Over the MPR, the volunteers slightly overdosed with the classic and physically aggressing energizers. So, Felix came up with a new idea: why not twisting our brain and meninges rather than our ankles. Please, take a seat and challenge our very own master of riddles.
YA L P S C I O S V
BRAIN TWISTER
VSO ICS MPR STORY
1. What English word retains the same pronunciation even after you take away four of its five letters? 7. What building has the most stories? 2. What is the longest word in the world? 3. What is in the middle of Paris?
8. The man who invented it doesn't want it, the man who bought it doesn't need it what us it? 9. What animal is your girlfriend?
4. Who is the ruler of the beach? 5. What is harder to catch the faster you run?
10. If a man carried my burden, he would break his back, am not big but live silver in my tracks what am I?
6. What goes up when the rain goes down?
ANSWERS: 1. A queue (Q-eue). 2. Smilse , because there is a mile between the letter “S” (S-mile-s). 3. The letter “R” (Pa-R-is). 4.The Sandwich (Sandwitch). 5. Your breath. 6. Umbrella. 7. A Library. 8. A coffin. 9. A deer (dear). 10.The snail 5
T E X T L AU RA
LAURA, THE CLIMBING WALL CONQUEROR
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VSO ICS SUCCESS STORY Y R OT S R P M S C I O S V
Teen Ranch was the location, mid-phase review, the event and the Kilimanjaro climbing wall; the opponent. As each and every volunteer was climbing the wall with ease, I eagerly asked for a chance to refresh my rock climbing skills. To follow Andrea’s superhero time of 27 seconds, I was nervous, but confident. With my courage intact, I got strapped up and started my ascent to the top. After climbing halfway and losing my footing many times, I decided to kick off my ballet pumps to achieve ultimate grip. What a mistake I made. Barefoot on a wooden climbing wall with only small stepping stones, never a good idea. I completely lost it. Swinging from left to right, just hanging from the rope with no hope. With my sister cheering me on, I regained my footing and tried again, reaching the image if the monkey in the tree. Before I realized, my legs turned to jelly, I couldn’t straighten them or stand up properly, and being the prissy princess that I am, I have no upper body strength. No matter how hard I was trying, there was no way I was getting up even one more stepping stone. As I hit the four minute marker, I looked the monkey in the eye as if asking for support, but receiving nothing back other than a blank stare straight through me. At which point, still stuck in my tracks, I asked to be let down, defeated by a pile of wood and nails. I was so gutted, so let down with myself, so disappointed that people witnessed my failure. Despite the well-wishers telling me “You did well,” and “at least you tried,” I still felt horrible. Why was I so overconfident before I went up there? Couldn’t I have just tried then to be happy when I came down? Clearly not. After watching person after person defeat the wall, I decided I needed another try. I
shifted the blame to the lack of support from my shoes and squeezed my size 6 feet into Josephine’s lovely pair of size 5 trainers. I got strapped into the harness for the second time, with determination in my eyes and assurance from my team. As I started the climb, I felt at ease, the shoes really helped, until the dreaded point where I made eye contact with that stupid monkey. I knew this was the point that my heart sank having to descend last time round, so I tried to power on. After getting 2 steps higher, I was stopped in my tracks by my leg, trembling, the rest of my body paralysed while my right leg spazzed. After a harsh kick to the wall, it decided to behave and I took another step. After losing grip wherever I helf, I was so close to giving in before noticing how close I was, not only to the top, but also to the edge of the wall. The cheering from my fellow volunteers was astounding, they really wanted me to succeed, I couldn’t let them down. Using my initiative, I latched on to the edge of the wall for guidance and pulled myself to the ledge. As I clambered into the den at the top of the tower, I felt so much pride. And everybody was screaming and shouting, for me. Getting back to ground level, I felt so emotional, everybody ran up to me and gave me such a tight cuddle. I was so lucky to have such an amazing support system with me. The coach, that had saved my life on several occasions, came over to get me out of the harness and insisted on giving me a pat on the back. Not good enough, I felt so thankful and I literally trusted him with my life, there was no way he was leaving without a hug. I just kind of jumped on him, unexpectedly for the both of us. I was just so overwhelmed with gratefulness. I couldn’t have done it without him, or my fellow volunteers that I am so happy to be able to call them my FRIENDS!
VSO ICS SUCCESS STORY
T E X T M E LV Y N E
Kimana. A little town in Maasai land that seems to be growing too fast within the great city of Loitokitok. They call it, “The city in the sun.” Here comes Noomayianat. “Blessed One.” Being places here was really a big blessing to me. Through this organisation, I have learnt so much on environmental issues and women’s development. It’s here where I got the chance to visit and interact with Maasai women’s groups. I was so amazed with what I found out. The groups have got local saving methods whereby every member is given a share pass book which is supposed to record any saving one makes in every meeting day of the week. They also have a local saving where money is kept in a metal box and is locked, until the next meeting day. After a period of time, members can qualify to take out a loan. Well, I thought of a way I could talk to the groups and share some few ideas and make them understand the importance of saving and investing in some income generating activities which could enhance their lives. The groups seemed not to be impressed with the idea at first because they were afraid of investing in a group. But again, I did not give up on having an open discussion with them where they could hopefully see the importance of a group. Most of them could mention some of the crops they have at home; watermelon, bananas, avocados, potatoes and so on. I made them understand how they could invest in their local resources and earn money. The idea seemed great to them and so they yearned for its implementation. Having knowledge on this, I decided I should train the groups on making fresh juice and potato crisps which will be sold locally. Some women were fast learners and promised to teach their fellows. Since the groups had saved a lot, they suggested purchasing a blender for juice making as fruits were readily available. For the potato crisps, they suggested purchasing pans and other equipment and in fact they have sent someone to Nairobi to look at the prices of these items. Unfortunately, our ICS program in Loitokitok is ending but I will leave the project to Noomayianat to continue and also hope that the next volunteers in February will take over and encourage these women to diversify their produce and help secure livelihoods.
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01
Climate Change
02
Youth Empowerment
03
Grow Your English Club
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LTK CLean Up / Ridin Dirty
Uchi, VSO RedCross Volunteer, picking up rubbish on the market place. 8 LTK
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES: Challenge yourself to change your world
01 Development Issues
Article 1 of the UNFCCC states that the adverse effect of climate change will not only be felt in natural and managed ecosystems, but also have “significant deleterious effects” on the “operation of socioeconomic systems or on human health and welfare”. The impact of climate change also constitutes an opportunity to leverage positive social transformation with a particular focus on the needs of the most vulnerable within a comprehensive sustainable development framework. Climate can be defined as ‘average weather‘ and is described in terms of the mean and variability of rele-
vant characteristics such as temperature, precipitation and wind over a period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years. Climate reflects how weather behaves over the long-term, and as such needs to be distinguished from weather which is a particular meteorological condition that we experience daily, characterized by precipitation, temperature, wind, and so on. Meteorological conditions, like the annual average temperature at the Earth’s surface, change overtime. Small changes in these conditions can result in ice ages, or warm periods. Over the past century an increase of the Earth’s average surface temperature of about +0.76°C has been observed. There are several natural factors that can influence the climate, such as changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun, volcanic eruptions, or even periods of heightened or diminished solar activity. However, the current warming trend we are experiencing has been primarily linked to an increased concentration of heat-trapping greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as: Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the atmosphere. The 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report confirms that the warming of the global climate is unequivocal and that it is very likely due to human activities (also known as anthropogenic activities) and has been increasing since the dawn of the industrial age (circa 1750). These activities
CLIMATE CHANGE
T E X T ANDRE A
Few issues over the past two decades have brought with them as many challenges as that of climate change. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. While climate change is global, its negative impacts are more severely felt by poor people and poor countries. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly, undermine national development efforts and hinder progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. More specifically, climate change exacerbates problems such as poverty, disease and gender inequalities that already afflict – albeit to varying degrees – individuals, communities and in some cases whole nations.
include, among others, the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), clearing of forests, and agricultural practices that lead to increased GHG concentration in the atmosphere.
The impacts of global warming are already apparent today in melting glaciers, increased frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, cyclones or heavy rain falls, sea level rise, and changes in plant growth affecting agriculture and food production. These and other observed changes are expected to intensify and inflict a significant impact on human societies and the environment around the world especially if no drastic efforts are undertaken to reduce the emissions of GHGs into the atmosphere. During our time in Loitokitok, we have witnessed the impact of this climatic phenomenon. The town lies at the foot of Kilimanjaro, the mountain once described as beautiful and covered in a white coat of snow. However, to our surprised eyes, the snow was now long gone as the inhabitants of the town struggled to catch up with rare rain falls. In November, the weather was similar to the one expected in January enabling the planting of food. Our placement was supposed to be over the rainy season, all volunteers were surprised to take out their raincoats only late in November. In the farm, the crops struggled to grow and the lack of water quickly became a challenge. Climate change is real. It is affecting all of us and the quicker we make efforts to change, the better we can save our planet.
TEXT UCHI
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
Grow Your English Club
T E X T J OA N P H OTO G R A P H Y J OA N
The Grow Your English club was started after the need to improve English speaking and literacy among students in Loitokitok was noticed. To bridge this gap, Sikwattah, Joan and Emily decided to go round schools and mobilize students as a holiday program to join the Grow Your English club. The students and teachers were quite positively receptive of the idea and one could tell this by the number of students that signed up. The main aims and objectives of the club wee to bring students together, improve English speaking, public speaking, writing, spelling, as well as engaging them in drama, debate and interviewing to boost their confidence. The first class was on November 17th at the Youth Resource Centre at 2pm. Initially, only four students showed up due to heavy rains and there wasn’t much we could do. We engaged them in spelling activities where they had to write down a series of words. They seemed enthusiastic for the whole session especially when they had to verbally spell the words. A group of students later walked in after the rain had calmed down and the numbers were out of our expectations. The turnout went from 4 to 22 students from primary to university. They introduced themselves, we did a bit more spelling and they were given a take home activity to prepare a 5minute speech about their family. Their expectations for the club were to improve their English, composition writing, public speaking and spelling. Looking forward to the next class! To make the club sustainable, the students will act as ambassadors in their own schools where they will initiate the same clubs in their schools with the help of their English teachers. More activities for the club include spelling bees (competitions), tongue twisters and handwriting improvement. Overall, we want the students to have fun while learning. The class has been having an increase in size, showcasing the young people’s interest in learning. It’s been three weeks and counting since we began and big thanks to Betty, Sikwattah, Joan and Emily for successful running of the club!
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02
Many people may ask themselves, why youth empowerment? Youth is a generation that is very energetic and they are good resources when it comes to man power. When left idle they end up misusing the energy they have in wrong way. Most of the youth in Kenya are victims of drug abuse and HIV. This is because their time is not fully utilized. Most of youth lack skills and knowledge on what to do to better their lives. In Loitokitok community there are so many youth who are drug addicts .The community refer to these people as ‘wendawazimu’, a Swahili word meaning ‘mad people’, in real sense these people are not mad. I hope when they are taken to rehabilitation centers they will reform within a short period. How sad it is to see energetic youth, like Tony, a friend of VSO, roaming in the town aimlessly .We say prevention is better than cure. Before we reach the stage of drug addicted youth in rehabilitation centre, it is better to create awareness in advance. My fellow young people let’s all rise and empower our fellow youth in the different skills we have. Let youth realize that they are useful in the community. Share knowledge to know that the resources and opportunities available in the community can change their life in better way. No one can save our generation except us.
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04 Development Issues VISUAL ESSAY No 1
Ridin
Dirty T E X T K AC I P H OTO G R A P H Y E R I C K
The VSO-Red Cross duo Ie Uchi and Robert organised a community clean up. The volunteers arrived at Boma La Tumaini along with the Red Cross members, Skylink students, reformed convicts (Ulinzi Shirikisho) and various other members of the community to help rid the town of some polymers. The turn out was significant and the group was split into two teams as there were two tractors available, each drawing a trailer in which everyone could dump their collected refuse. Like the gangs of west side story, each team headed to opposite ends of the town. Everyone was gloved up, and looking like the environmental surgeons they were born to be. At around 12 these environmental renegades began extracting rubbish from their surroundings, with a particular emphasis on plastic. Many members of the community looked on in admiration. Eventually the vastly superior group 2.0 arrived at the market and began cleaning until the trailer was totally full. Everyone was reasonably tired and slightly more smelly than normal by this point. Nonetheless, the driver managed to convince everybody that it was imperative they bear witness to the location of the Kimana dump, and thus hanging precariously off the stink wagon any
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way they could as it trundled through the desert to an undisclosed location, was the next logical step in the lives of these volunteers. Those who could not fit on the tractor were forced to perilously hang off various protruding metal objects, or just sit in the rubbish filled trailer. One lucky volunteer opted to balance of the tow bar, which twisted, turned and swivelled for the entire duration of the journey, which as it happens, was significantly longer than anticipated. The journey began with a glorious procession through the town of Loitokitok, which involved the volunteers waving their gloved hands to the tens of fans which had gathered throughout the day like the dirt emperors they felt they were. Then the team hit the highway in the filth wagon. This part of the journey was relatively pleasant despite the fact that I found myself sinking further and further into the collected refuse at an alarming rate. At this point getting any dirtier seems quite implausible and thus acceptance of the amusing state of affairs played a key role. The problems arose when the filth wagon left the highway onto what was a very rough and muddy lane. Towbar Claire began to struggle with the aggressive twisting tractor, her situation was compounded by one of her students from Skylink hanging onto her shoulders for his own support. Eventually everybody arrived, alive and well, at the glorious eye-sore that is the Kimana rubbish dump. On the way back, life was marginally better for trailer dwellers as it was now empty; the disadvantage being that without any of the rubbish to cushion the volunteers, some rear ends were subjected to a violent half an hour. The unforgiving terrain of the dirt path meant that volunteers were occasionally sent airborne as the trailer slammed into various undulations. Upon returning to the tarmac road, the initial relief brought about by flat ground was short lived as copious amounts of mud which had been gathered by the rear tyres was slung back into the faces of the trailer dwellers whom were already nursing bruised rear ends. A few of the volunteers situated at the front of the trailer were very quickly pasted with large amounts of Kimana and had to make a tactical retreat to the back of their five star cabin. Eventually this effect subsided as the rear wheels ran out of ammunition. The volunteers returned to Loitokitok town tired, muddy, but more appreciative of their existence than they had been in a long time. Debrief was held at Boma as various speeches were made and gratification demonstrated to the various attending parties. Soda and biscuits were then served to the deserving dirty street cleaners. Volunteers were still receiving words of gratitude and appreciation from various members of the community in the street weeks later. Well done guys!
MY DAD IS A CHIEF
Hi, so what is your official name? My name is Isaiah Samana and I have been Chief of Loitokitok for 16 years. What are the requirements to become a chief? First you should be a mature person, over 30 years old. Secondly, one must be educated and a man of the people, a chief has to be able to accommodate the people. Also, a chief should be married to show that he is a family man. Why did you choose to become chief? I saw that I can be a leader of the community. I grew up in a big family and so I got to know what I was good at doing. Have you ever been a leader anywhere else in your life? From Class 3 to 8 I was a school prefect. Then from Class 6 I was the head boy at school and a prefect again in Form 2 and 3. What are the vital issues in Loitokitok? A big problem in Loitokitok is school dropouts. For instance, a school could have 100 girls
and by the time they finish, only 30 girls remain. This is because of issues like early marriages and FGM (female genital mutilation) which affect young girls and I am trying to fight these problems. Another problem is illegal alcohol (moonshine) which some men spend a lot of money on and forget to pay important things like school fees. What is your vision for Loitokitok? I want to help realize Vision 2030, a Government initiative for Kenya. This includes universal education for all children, gender equality, ensuring public services get to the community and environment issues. For example, Tanzania gets a lot of water from rainfall but Loitokitok doesn’t. What has changed since you became chief in Loitokitok? -There was a shortage of tree seedlings. Places like Nkama were semi-deserts. I started a tree nursery in my office and I give out 20 trees a year to people who need them. -Loitokitok used to have a lot
An interview by BRENDA
of alcoholics and this would lead to deaths and people being idle but this has now changed a lot. -There were a lot of thieves in town but I have partnered with the police and come up with a community policing strategy. -Education was a big problem because parents were refusing to take their kids, especially girls, to school. We have now created awareness on the importance of education. -There were inadequate hospitals within this area but during the years I’ve been chief, we have started three more dispensaries in Elangata, Olonka and Moilo. -Also there were not enough schools in the area and I have supported the opening of four new primary schools.
daughters.
Has VSO helped you? If so, how? Yes, VSO has helped me because it has helped the community I serve. I get feedback from everybody that VSO is
Would you like to see more volunteers in Loitokitok? Yes, the exchange of cultures and ideologies is great. We are
What do you think of taking on volunteers, especially from overseas? What I can say first for the Kenyan volunteers from Nairobi and Kilifi that the Loitokitok people are wishing to be in their shoes. They will be able to educate their own people and tribes about Maasai culture. In fact I urge VSO to continue recruiting from more diverse communities. As for the UK volunteers, they have helped us understand their culture and diminish the myth that the whites are ‘superior’ to us. Their presence has helped us believe that we can do our own things without depending on others. We are equal.
very happy about them.
helping people. The volunteers are working in AIC school so they are even educating my
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Rob and Erick: Living in what is indisputably the best host home, we consider ourselves very privileged with Mama Hellena. It is impossible to go hungry as there is almost always something cooking on the jikoni. With frequent visits from Mama Shelvin (our host sister), we always receive the highest quality chapattis Loitokitok has to offer. Situated on an extremely large shamba, the homestead comprises of three homes, the largest being ours. Our bedroom is ideal as we both have double beds, despite them being four feet apart. We are fundamentally forbidden from showering with cold water, unlike other host homes. Hot water is prepared by Mama Hellena before we wake up, along with breakfast, and heat-
ed to a charming 500degrees.
HOST HOMES
Kaci and Kenneth: It was always going to take something special to handle the boisterous KK duo, and so it was with either some excellent strategic reasoning or a stroke of great luck that Mary Wanjiru Ndiritu was selected for the task. Not only does she more than match them in terms of dominance, volume and making fun, but also enforces a strict code of conduct with the use of various household implements. The Ndiritus include three children; the eldest Brian, is also somewhat a comic. The second, Morris, is an extremely bright 12 year old with impeccable English, and a heart of gold. The youngest, Angela, is six years old. She is a textbook extrovert; impressively loud and confident, much like her mother. In fact, her constant full volume is yet another potent source of amusement in the Ndiritu household, of which there are many. The father, Justus, is busy working as an accountant in South Sudan. The dynamic of the household is pretty much perfect, and we look forward to returning to our host family after a busy day at placement to mess around not only with the children, but Mama as well; she often has us in stitches. They will all be sorely missed when it is time to leave, especially by Kaci who is now used to (for the first time) having a large number of family members present all hours of the day.
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telling stories, no matter the time and situation.
Uchi and Emily: Living with Mama Florence, Peter, Carol and Baboo is a pleasure. We have a positive attitude towards living with a family from a different culture/tribe and have nothing but good memories of our host family so far. In the last two weeks left we hope to have a few more laughs with them and we will miss them when we leave
Simon, James and Felix: First of all, everybody knew that Simon wanted Mama Kim because Kim’s are the best mums in the world. Mama and Baba Kimani are no different, they are the best host parents. Our host mum always cooks the best meals which always make us compete for the toilet. We have a nice compound with rather liberal parents who allow a certain someone to bring another certain someone over to the house all the time. This person warns his brothers not to sit on his bed because of the ‘watering’ that goes on there. We know this because the walls are very thin. Our host home is the best because it has sufficient water, which is a problem in Loitokitok. We have massive beds and three blankets so the cold is not an issue. Host Mama and Baba like chatting to us, especially Baba loves
Joan and Claire: We are living with Mama Margaret, the principal of AIC Secondary school, with many sisters; Christine, Mercy, Faith and our host nephew, Eugene. We love the food that we get as it is always delicious and having a busy house is great fun. We dislike trying to light the jikoni when it has been raining and washing the ugali pot is always messy!
Laura and Brenda: There are six people in our family and we live with the Chief’s wife. We have teenage sisters and live in the Ministry of Transport compound. We don’t have running water but use solar power and stay in a wooden house. Goat, maaaaa!
Andrea and Melvyne: Located by the custom, slightly outside of town, we have found the warmth and love of a home under the roof of Mama Saitoti. Welcomed by the entire family, from the granny speaking only maasai to the toddler with his big smile, going back to the house after a day working was a sight for sore eyes. In the morning, the joy and laughter of the youngsters would wake us up soon followed by the smell of chai boiling in the kitchen. When the power wasn’t bailing on us, the TV would sing Gospel or r’n’b tunes and it is not rare to see Moses (about 4-5months) giggling in front of it. Living in this house was a real privileged for the both of us. Thus, Andrea has a UK counterpart experienced the daily task of squatting, tried herself of chopping wood, hand-washed her clothes, etc. Melvyne learnt more on the Maasai culture and the two of us just felt part of the family, playing with the children, helping on daily duties or simply sitting down together for dinner and watching
soap on TV.
been the best home away from home. We are the best sisters ever! The rich kids of Beverly Hills!
Amina and Sikwattah: Living in a family of 12 was scary at first! We didn’t even know if there was enough space at the dining table for us! We were wrong of course! It has been amazing and we wonder what we would do in an empty house! We love our younger brother Gerald waking us up before he leaves with his constant reminders that it is going to rain on our shoes. His concern, “SIKWATTAH, AMINA WAPI?” “AMINA, SIKWATTAH WAPI?” is also most amusing. Everyone at our house speaks English so we have not had a lot of trouble with language. We love or youngest Lenkai as he never lets us out of sight! The girls are so lovely, they made our birthdays amazing! We haven’t had much to complain about and our parents are the best. Honestly, it had
Raph and Josephine: It’s just the three of us living at our host home, Mama Helen and us, but we have two older host sisters and their four children who live next door and come every morning to say ‘Hi’. Baby Moses is only a few months old and has the cutest cheeks in the world. We also have a dog, cat, Puss puss the kitten and several chickens. Our mama is undoubtedly the best cook in town and she says, ‘We don’t play, we eat.’
Katie and Betty: Betty was content from the word go when she first set eyes on her gigantic bed. Katie was equally happy when she found out that contrary to her preconceptions about Kenyan life, she was able to have a hot shower every day. We were glad to know that our Mum (Mama Soila) is one of the most jovial, kind and loving women in Loitokitok. She always gives us cuddles in the morning as we leave for work and in the evening when we come back home. Even though our mum hurt her finger halfway through the programme, we’ve both been happy to help her out with household chores as she is such a sweet lady! We will be sad to leave our lovely home but we will be sure to keep in touch with Mama and our little sister Nicole.
PROFILES
VSO ICS SOCIAL COMMITTEE
SDROW LANIF SEETTIMMOC
VISUAL ESSAY No 2
The ‘A’ Team (Social Committee) Call it turning a desert into an ocean, Loitokitok has been the best place, contrary to everyone’s expectations. All thanks to the great social team. Loitokitok is one small dry place; one mini supermarket, no pubs and literally no modern places to hand out. We all thought we would die, I mean what would we do without a pizza place. Had you even thought a place as strange as this existed??? Anyway, as we say now, ‘We don’t need it!’ Social team has made every step of the way worth living. They have turned this journey all around. We don’t need all that crap to be happy, we just need to be here; we need one another! The movie nights, the Halloween party, the soccer friendlies, the birthday parties, the bonfires, name them, they have been the best moments for most of us. Did I say we have a found a new place? You will all definitely love it. It’s been easy working together as a team, everyone loves fun, everyone loves to be happy. We no longer want to go home. Long love Loitokitok, best home away from home. Kudos to the great team, thanks to everyone for their great ideas, cheers to friends for life. Amina, James, Simon, you guys rock! Love, Sikwattah.
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VSO ICS CAD COMMITTEE
COMMITTEES FINAL WORDS
TEXT CLAIRE I think it is safe to say that the Community Action Day (CAD) committee possibly had the most stressful job; however we definitely got some of the greatest rewards! The first mission that the CAD accomplished was organizing the inter-school sports day and area clean up. The main aim of the day was to educate the local people about the importance of looking after the environment and how to tackle the issue of littering in Loitokitok. After a great deal of planning, stressing and changing of minds, the day arrived. Almost 300 people turned up for the event and after a lot of bottle collecting, testosterone fuelled races and eyebrow raising dances, we had pulled it off. Our next task was an outreach for World AIDS Day on December 1st. After a seriously last minute change of plans, we managed to hurriedly pull together a day of speeches, performances and food all with the aim of increasing awareness about HIV/AIDS. 100 young people turned up and the room was packed, it was a great day. Working as a member of the CAD team is stressful and there are always a million and one things to organize. However, at the end of the day, once every chair has been put away, every biscuit wrapper picked up, the feeling of relief and satisfaction that the day was a success and not the complete disaster that you had envisioned, makes it all worth it! Claire x
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VSO ICS TEAM LEADERS
SDROW LANIF SEETTIMMOC
We are so grateful to work with the volunteers because they are the best! We’ve learned a lot from them and we are proud to say that we have been a great help to them. The International Volunteer Day was a huge success and the team really worked so hard from 9-3pm with no lunch to dig a path, paint a wall and create numerous learning materials. And who can forget the creativity on display at the Recycling Fashion Show? Overall, we know that the whole team will go on to do great things! Big thanks to boss lady Y-vonn-eee for her freestyle approach and guidance. It’s been wonderful! Thank you Team Loitokitok, the only able team. Lots of love #caringteamleaders
20 LTK
FIND YOUR INNER TRIBE
During our time here in Loitokitok, the team has come to realise that there is quite a focus on tribal differences in Kenya, even to the extent that people vote on tribal lines, regardless of policies. So we’ve decided to write this guide to help you find your inner tribe. And please forgive the stereotypes!
ARE YOU TALL?
YES
MaasaI
Contrary to popular opinion, not all Maasai are tall! The Maasai tribe belongs to the Nilote ethnic group. They are recognized by their unique tradition and cultures displayed through elaborate beadwork, facial markings and the wearing of red shukas. The Maasai own a lot of pastoral land in Kenya and are the only tribe permitted to carry a panga (sword).
ARE YOU A MARATHON RUNNER?
NO Kalenjin
A sister community to the Maasai, the Kalenjin also belong to the Nilote ethnic group. They mainly live in the Rift Valley and the high altitude is often perceived as a reason for their success in long distance running. Since 1980, Kalenjins have won about 40% of the top honours at international athletics from 800m to the marathon.
DO YOU HAVE DARK SKIN?
YES
LUO
The Luo tribe is characterized by their dark skin and exemplary use of the English language. Based in Kisumu, the Luos are also Nilote and descend from Bhar el Ghazal in South Sudan. Luos love fish and are particularly active in politics, that’s why we call Kenneth ‘governor’.
MZUNGU
NO
NO
YES
NO
DO YOU LIKE THE SMELL OF MONEY?
KIKUYU
YES
This tribe represents the majority of people in Kenya and forms part of the Bantu ethnic group coming from Congo. The Kikuyus are astute business people and President Uhuru Kenyatta is a Kikuyu.
NO DO YOU WALK SLOWLY?
Mzungu is the Swahili word referring to people originating from countries outside of Africa. In Kenya young children jubilantly shout ‘Hello mzungu, how are you?’ everywhere you go!
YES
COAST
The Coastal region is actually home to 9 out of the 42 tribes in Kenya. People from the Coast are often unfairly accused of their slow pace of life and insecurity issues due to the high muslim population. In fact, the Coastal region boasts the best food in Kenya VSO ICS PLAY and places like Mombasa are famous tourist sites.
VSO ICS PLACEMENT SUPERVISOR COMMENTS
W O R D BY P E T E R N ’ M U H OYA D I R E C TO R O F S K Y L I N K P O LY T E C H N I C I am delighted to say that working with both Claire and Erik was a momentous experience. A huge thank you goes to VSO and ICS for giving us this delightful pair. They are young people with great visions and working with them has made a difference to our entire staff and students. They have left behind a legacy of energizers, life skills, mentoring, awareness in global issues and even how to carry out community projects. In fact their time with us was very short but we are sure that the fruits of their labour shall be experienced for a very long time. Our thanks go to Claire for her volunteering efforts in coming all the way from the UK to work tirelessly with us and to help us secure new sponsorship outlets. Our thanks also go to Erik. We realize that this was a new experience for you but you have shown us what volunteering means. Thank you to VSO and may God bless you.
VISUAL ESSAY No3 With the help of the NGO Just One Africa and Mme Lenkai, some of us were able to go see traditional Maasais in the countryside in order to give out water filters.
VSO ICS FAMILY PORTRAIT - VOLUNTEERS
VSO ICS PORTRAITS – THE VOLUNTEERS
Starting the VSO adventure, we had all different expectations and dreams that we wanted to achieve. There’s a family of the LTK Team 2014 also known as #theonlyableteam.
ROB Expectations of VSO ICS I expected VSO ICS to be a life-changing and eye-opening experience that would give me a chance to grow as a person.
BRENDA
Reality There are always challenges when Expectations of VSO ICS working in an under-developed so- To give the programme my best shot. ciety. Reality I had a mixture of fun and hard work which was Learned That being flexible and adaptable is lovely! vital to making a positive impact in a Learned community. Good things come to people who work hard. There lies greatness in every man it just needs to be discovered. UCHI
LAURA
Expectations of VSO ICS Expectations of VSO ICS I was expecting a loving communiTo learn about new cultures and ty and experience networking with to experience poverty first-hand. different people.
Learned I learned a lot about community work at the Red Cross. ANDREA
JOAN Learned How to live with others in a small community without going crazy.
Expectations of VSO ICS I wanted to challenge myself to make a change. I also expected to meet new people and discovering African/Kenyan culture.
Learned That cultural beliefs are extremely different between cultures.
Reality I made a lot of friends.
Reality It takes more than 2 months to make a change.
Reality Making lifelong friends with people from different cultures.
Expectations of VSO ICS Opportunity to gain new skills, meet new friends and challenge myself to leave a positive impact. Reality With the right attitude and mindset you can overcome anything. I also gained a new appreciation that diversity is crucial to teamwork. Learned I learned how to work with others, respect other peoples’ opinions and to be innovative.
Expectations of VSO ICS I expected that it would be really hard to come up with innovative ideas for project placements and would be quite difficult. Reality I actually found the programme really easy and not nearly as challenging as I thought. The community is also welcoming and loving.
ERICK
KACI Expectations of VSO ICS I really put my expectations in my pocket. I have learned that if you don’t know, don’t expect, especially with pioneering. Reality It has all been a lot more fun than I anticipated, and I have more life friendships than I thought I would. Learned Anything is possible with a positive attitude and people are capable of so much when working together.
JAMES
Expectations of VSO ICS To learn about new cultures, give back to the community and develop different skills in life.
Reality I have learned a lot about UK culture, met friendly people and have also developed a lot of skills.
Learned How to work in a team with others, how to socialize with other cultures and I have also
learned that everyone’s opinion counts.
Learned That you can achieve anything as long as you have a positive attitude towards.
SIMON Expectations of VSO ICS That it is difficult, challenging and nerve-racking. Reality It was really difficult at times and had its challenges but overall it was extremely rewarding. It was the best time of my life. Learned To be open minded, flexible and adaptable.
MELVYNE Expectations of VSO ICS I expected to learn about a new culture, to make friends, build my confidence and also to help fight poverty. Reality I made many friends, had an opportunity to address several issues on the ground and learned about a different culture. Learned Adapting in a new environment helps one to learn. Experience with problem solving is the best weapon in fighting poverty. BETTY Expectations of VSO ICS To meet new people and learn different things from other cultures. Reality It was a great experience living with a different family and a UK counterpart. Learned To work as a team and know how to solve a problem whenever it occurs.
VSO ICS FAMILY PORTRAIT - VOLUNTEERS 26 LTK
SIKWAT
Expecta I thoug pecially and ar though fice wor
Reality Really lots of e no long found a
Learned Networ nication fident n lots of edge th
Expectations of VSO ICS I thought it would be a challenging experience with my peers. It also seemed like an opportunity to meet and make new friends from another culture. Reality It was challenging but good in terms of team-working. Learned I learned how to work as a team and how to be positive in the face of difficult situations. CLAIRE
EMILY
Expectations of VSO ICS To make a lasting positive impact in a community. To also make friends for life and learn about a new culture. Reality Worked on an amazing placement and got to know all of the team really well. Learned How to work as a team regardless of people’s background/abilities. Also that in Kenya you will end up eating a LOT of food.
AMINA Expectations of VSO ICS I expected the programme to be well organized. I further expected to have a lot of things to do and to always to be busy. Culture shock was another expectation. Reality I made lots of friends. Things were a little unorganized but I had lots of fun. Learned A lot about issues affecting third world countries.
FELIX
Expectations of VSO ICS To be the change and gain relevant skills for changing the world.
KENNETH
Expectations of VSO ICS Since I am a pioneer for the ICS journey in Loitokitok, I expected to be working together with a team for the greater good.
Reality It is young people’s responsibility to take action for global good.
d rking skills and commun skills- I am super connow! I have also learned new agricultural knowlhanks to Noomayaniat.
Learned How to create work for myself and how to kick start my own projects. I also learned entrepreneurial spirit in making things happen when no guidelines are given.
Reality ICS has molded me into something different from before.
y fun and I have gained experience. Strangers are ger strangers and I have a home away from home!
Reality A non-existent structure on placement with few guidelines from supervisors.
Learned Interpersonal skills and community development experience.
ations of VSO ICS ght it would be boring, esy being away from home round strangers. I also ht that it would be all ofrk.
Expectations of VSO ICS I expected structured 9-5 office hours with clear guidelines for placement activities.
Learned I have learned how, as a youth, I can challenge myself with different ideas and skills to make a positive impact in the local community.
ATTAH
KATIE
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VSO ICS SUCCESS STORY- CROSS CULTURAL TEAMWORK
WORKING WITH MY UK COUNTERPART T E X T JA M E S
“The grass I never on the other side its greener where you water it. Keep calm the community needs you to change the world�
28 LTK
Working with my UK counterpart (Laura Beeley) at our placement Lenkai Christian School in Kimana has the best experience I have ever encountered with lots of new things to learn. She has helped me learn about the UK culture of which to me it was one of my best moments. On matters concerning work and placement she has helped me know and discover new skills and the same time develop the ones I had earlier. Her nature of being ready to learn new cultures, new language and her urge to get herself involved in each and every work that arises and this has shown how hardworking she is this been demonstrated through the way the children, teachers and the school fraternity as a whole. She has helped me understand that we have issues that affect the whole globe of which they need to be addressed. Her communication skills has helped a lot of people espe-
cially the school girls at Lenkai Christian School mostly those in the rescue program through guidance and counseling which she initiated to help the girls. We have spent some good time that I can term as one of those fun and cherished memories. Our time in the Manyattas (in the Maasai community) is one of the cultural and fun experiences that I and my counterpart have through while giving back to the community. As and understanding, supportive, caring, loving and open minded person she has made my time working with her enjoyable, fun and made me have full urge of giving back to the community. For the 3months I have worked with her she has shown me the importance of time management. Lastly for the 3months I have been with my placement counterpart I have to believe that you have to challenge yourself to change the world.
FINAL WORDS... The Media Committee are ending this cycle on a high after finding out that Team Loitokitok’s magazine shall be used as an example in VSO’s promotional work. Things started off slowly, with perhaps not as much organization as there could have been. By Mid-Phase Review however, we made sure that our first set of articles for chapter one of LTK was complete. We hope that this magazine is both informative and entertaining and for those readers from Team Loitokitok, that it brings back happy memories. We couldn’t have done it without the truly fantastic design work from our dear fellow volunteer Andrea. We owe you Andrea. X Katie
Acknowledgements: The LTK magazine team would like to thank all the volunteers (Amina, Brenda, Claire, Laura, James, Simon, Felix, Betty, Kenneth, Katie, Kaci, Robert, Melvyne, Joan, Emily, Uchi, Sikwattah, Andréa and Erick) for their hard works and efforts put into this magazine. We would like also say a massive thanks to their Team Leaders (Josephine and Raphaella) and Yvonne (project coordinator) as without them, we wouldn’t have been able to be so awesome. Plus, last but not least, we would like to thanks the entire Loitokitok community and all the special persons that have made our expe-
rience unique and unforgettable. We owe you memories of a lifetime. Thank you