LTK magazine - VSO Jitolee Kenya

LTK

#THEONLYABLETEAM

Issue #01 - October/November 2014

WALIFIKA

LOITOKITOK Placement Profiles and VSO Community Welcome

Plus: Volunteers’success stories- Interview with a Gangster - Development Issues - Clash of the Titans Goat Tails - The Governor says - New Experiences

LTKMAGAZINE011011ABLETEAM

James, Simon

and

Claire

CONTENT BIG STO R IES

SH ORT STOR IE S

D E V E LOP MEN T ISS U E S

To u c h d o w n VSO

Inter v iew with a Gangs te r

F.G.M

VS O C o mm u n i ty We l c o m e P l a ce me n t P rofi les

VS O S uc c ess Sto r y; A F r i end c alled Bles s ings

VS O C a s e St u dy : Re d C ro s s

New Experien c es

A Tre e p e r C h i ld

Goat Ta ils

VS O C a s e St u dy : N o o may i an a t

Clash of the Titans

2 LTK

The Govern o r says

Illiterac y Community Action Day; Clean-up/ Inter school Sport Day Plant not Cut - a campaign by S. Doreen

TOUCHDOWN VSO T E X T & P H OTO G R A P H Y KACI It all started one sweaty London morning. After a bit of luggage comparison, some team-building, and team photos we were all loaded onto the bus.

Emma gave a us a rapid goodbye/please just go now, and we were on our way to Heathrow terminal 3.

After a sleepless, bloody mary/wine infused flight we landed in Dubai, made our connection and boarded the plane, only to then be told it had a fault and we would need to board another plane.

Off the plane we got, and the connection was extended by 5 long hours.

The cracks were beginning to show on the faces of some of our volunteers, alas the group resilience was also obvious and we eventually boarded our plane and were off to Nairobi. 4 hours later, touchdown! Nice one guys.

Next phase, handing out passports to strangers, loading up the rickety bus with our luggage and our first Kenyan hobo jacking, at least we were all together. Offskis to the hotel to meet our Kenyan volunteer counterparts!

Having met our Kenyan counterparts and having dinner, it was time for some well deserved showers and bed, simple enough surely? Turns out the hotel wasn't equipped for 60+ showers at the same time, the early birds were lucky, but some were caught out when the water ran dry. Situations ranged from people covered in soap, to some stinkies going without. Furthermore, it transpired that there was not enough beds for all, so some romantic nights were in store for many of the volunteers, including myself; The next day, it was time to leave to our respective towns. The Loitokitok, Machakos and Nanyuki buses were all ready and waiting outside, time for some more precarious luggage loading, spot the goat.

Team Machakos were off first in there bright pink 'turbo' bus.

Meanwhile the full force of the African sun was being felt by some of the more ghostly members of the volunteering brigade.

Off we went, and had a free Safari taster on the way.

The next four days were spent at the Mount Kilimanjaro Guest House, training, bonfiring, dancing, enjoying the view of Mount Kili. Finally, the Loitokitok pioneers were let loose into the wild.

Go on heroes, make VSO proud!

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Dullah

T E X T KACI P H OTO G R A P H Y ANDRE A

No one can doubt that Wednesday the 15th of October was a momentous day for the town of Loitokitok. The stage was set, the marquee was up, the program was ready, some chairs were missing, and the clock struck 2pm.

Kaci

It would be lie if anyone were to say the day got off to a flying start. There were so few attendees at the scheduled start time that some of the volunteers took it upon themselves to wander into the empty town and attempt to coax some of the locals along to the day with the promise of free food. Easy sell you might say? Turned out few were interested. It looked as though the event was a flop, especially to anyone unaccustomed to the concept of 'Kenyan time', like most of the UK volunteers who were only two weeks into the program.

The promotional renegades returned empty handed and disappointed. Heads were dropping, when at around 2:20, none other than the entirety of AIC girls form one came parading down the road and into Boma La Tumaini, shortly followed by the students of Skylink Polytechnic, all was not lost!

Very shortly the venue was filling up fast. Lenkai Christian School, the host families, placement colleagues and other members of the community meant that for a short while the venue was short of chairs and extras had to be drafted in from the venues offices and clinics. Luckily, the additional chairs did arrive, well done chair team! The show started at 3 o'clock.

The masters of ceremony were Kaci to make the announcements in English, and James to follow up in Swahili. The program opened with a prayer, followed by the Kenyan national anthem.

The show included some dazzling performances from the schools. Some well rehearsed singing and dancing from the AIC form one girls, an excellent musical performance from some of the Lenkai students as well as a Maasai song from the students of Sylink Polytechnic.

James

and

Betty

There was also a very well received rendition of HELP by the Beatles performed by the aforementioned UK volunteer and MC Kaci, as well as a lively and crowd engaging hip hop performance from Kenyas home grown Nairobi based rapper Dullah.

A certain highlight of the day, not to mention an important section, was when the VSO volunteers introduced themselves, their host families and their placements. Each counterpart pair very bravely announced key information to the attendees regarding what they are doing, what others can do to get involved, and what they hope to achieve; each to a loud round of applause from the interested listeners.

The day was rounded off with Speeches from the VSO coordinator Yvonne, and then an epic speech from none other than our very own Kenyan VSO volunteer Governor Kenneth. Kenneth's speech touched on themes of unity and peace, included some inspirational quotes from Nelson Mandela, and received a standing ovation from his VSO peers.

After what was a lengthy, but continuously entertaining spectacle, it was time to feed the hungry audience. Drinks and refreshments were provided all around to settle the stomachs of the masses.

Simon

As the day drew to a close, everything was promptly packed up as the majority of weary guests made their way home. Fortunately, one piece of equipment was left behind and functioning; the PA system. As such, the VSO volunteers, Lenkai school and other members of the community danced until that hot African sun came down.

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Felix

and

E r i ck

6 LTK

aka

Kenneth

McRixx

Interview with a gangster

An interview by McRixx

Hi! Thank you for having taken part in our community welcome. Perhaps, you could tell us a bit more about yourself.

I am Abdullah Salama Jabir, popularly known as Dullah. I am a member of a CBO called wazoefu where we do events and community empowerment. Passionate about music, fashion and community development projects. I see myself as a survivor and a fighter because I have lived and struggled on my own since I was 12yrs old due to the death of my parents.

How would you describe your music?

I call my style Zuku, a combination of African sound and hip hop. In my music, I talk about love, motivation in life and issues such as drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. Music is my life, it gives me hope, it has taken me to different places and I have met a lot of different artists because of music. I respect, value and love my music.

How did it feel to perform at the VSO community Welcome Day? I am used to performing in the community, but on this day it was different. In Oloitoktok it’s not easy to perform in front of elderly people but VSO gave me a chance to perform in front of our parents and leaders e.g. chiefs. It was a very humbling experience.

What’s your take on the event?

I loved the event, I really had a good time. It was a mix-up of two groups of people, those who did not understand English and those who did not understand Swahili. I loved what the MCs did, it was entertaining and different. They made it fit for everybody but the crowd was not so big given that the event was big so I feel like more people would have attended the event if it was publicized to the maximum.

Let’s talk about what you wear.

Like I said, I love fashion so much. As an artist, I have to be different with my music and outfit. So I design what I wear, I have my own designer and fashionist, plus I am also a designer myself. We have our own fashion company called Wazoefu Wear.

What do you think about volunteering?

Volunteering is good, I also volunteer. Sometimes we even volunteer without our knowledge. VSO Jitolee has done a good job by bringing youths to volunteer in Oloitoktok because most of the youths in Oloitoktok are money minded so they see no need of volunteering, VSO is showing a good picture of volunteering because it’s also a way of giving back to the community. I would advise people to volunteer wherever and whenever possible.

What’s your take on development in Oloitoktok?

As you can see, Oloitoktok is a growing town and it has a great potential of development. The problem is our youths are not actively participating on development and we have so many unused resources. Again, I would say, VSO is really boosting Oloitoktok development by what the volunteers are doing here and we should also educate and encourage youths to participate on development in Oloitoktok; don’t give them a fish, teach them how to fish.

Dullah

What they do: Trying to give every child a tree in 20 primary and 10 secondary schools and each school a fruit tree to enhance agribusiness and food security. Their aim; to have as many trees as possible, they have about 16 000 seedlings to be planted before December.

Placement: Illaramatak Volunteers: Kenneth and Katie

T E X T ERICK P H OTO G R A P H Y ANDRE A

PROFILES

PLACEMENT Placement: A.I.C Girls Secondary School Volunteers: Betty and Kaci What they do: Teach and aid their students in the sciences and life skills in addition to helping to build their personal development. Soon, they will begin a new agricultural project and help with the construction of the new classes, all on the school grounds.

Placement: The Volunteers Volunteers: Josephine and Raphaella (#caringteamleaders)

Placement: Illaramatak Volunteers: Joan and Emily What they do: Implementing Environmental Advocacy whereby they create sensitization on a project called ‘Tree per Child’ and educating schools around Kimana about environmental issues. They also work with local communities and organizations to promote a greener environment.

8 LTK

What they do: The Team Leader role is extremely varied and often unpredictable. In the morning we could be attending sick volunteers, by afternoon we're organising placement supervisions and in the evening sending group info texts. Overall, it's our job to make sure the volunteers are all surviving and encouraging them to be creative with their time.

Placement: Teule Orphanage / Kibo Slopes Academy Volunteers: Felix and Andrea

What they do: Teaching primary education to young homeless children in order to give them better opportunities in the future. Teule Kenya is looking to become self-sufficient, the volunteers are helping Robert and John with feeding the livestock, looking after greenhouses, hydrophonics and planning out projects in order to improve life quality.

Placement: Youth Resource Center Volunteers: Amina and Brenda What they do: Conduct sessions on contraceptives in which they demonstrate the safe ways of using them e.g. condoms. In addition they provide forums for young mothers on family planning, in school sessions and outreaches to the community.

Placement: Lenkai Christian School Volunteers: James and Laura (& Kaci on occasion) Placement: Skylink Youth Polytechnic Volunteers: Erick and Claire What they do: Facilitate sessions on different types of life skills, helping the student’s personal development and raising awareness about global issues. They are also trying to find ways to gain more funding for the college and helping them form a youth club as a means of combating drug abuse.

What they do: Teaching life skills including good communication; where they do guiding and counseling to the students; implementing the Plant not Cut project where they look to plant at least 500 trees and drip irrigation method.

They also do chicken raring, landscaping and helping the school to form a strong school football team. Kaci teaches guitar classes two days a week.

Placement: Red Cross Volunteers: Rob and Uchi What they do: Tree planting project for 250 trees this season in primary and secondary schools.

They also market Red Cross services to schools and the entire community and organize clean – ups.

Placement: Noomayianat Community Development Organization Volunteers: Sikwattah, Melvin and Simon What they do: Installing gabbions in the Odounyo Oloile community to prevent soil erosion and flooding. They plant grass for farmers to graze cattles and raise awareness about the benefits of crop diversification by planting sun flowers.

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VS O I C S C A S E S T U D Y

RED CROSS KENYA T E X T RO B

When I began my placement at the Red Cross Kenya on the 9th October I found that the placement coordinator had failed to inform my team leaders that both the projects had finished before we would arrive. The first was a Toms shoes project in which the Red Cross deliver Toms shoes and Lifebuoy soaps to communities where children are suffering with the parasite ‘Jiggers’ due to them having inadequate or no footwear. The Inkisanjani project was where the Red Cross introduced a drip irrigation farm into the community and allowed local farmers to become stakeholders and this was completed on the 6th October.

On top of this my placement supervisor also had no new activities planned for myself and my work counterpart, Uchi, let alone the rest of the local volunteers at the sub county office, except a rather ambiguously named activity called ‘dissemination’.

In practice, ‘dissemination’ involved carrying letters to local schools to recruit the students as Red Cross members.

At a rate of one letter per day, and bearing in mind that the longest distance to walk in Loitoktok is 30 minutes, we quickly realized that this was not what we intended on doing for the remaining 10 weeks. Admittedly, Uchi and I spent a significant amount of time complaining and in dismay that none of the projects we wanted to do were running; but then we started thinking about how best to spend our time and within a few hours of brainstorming we had come up with a whole new plan of projects we could implement as the Red Cross.

The two projects we decided to run with were a tree planting project, in which we would plant one tree for every two children enrolled at each school, and a community cleanup where we would invite local organizations and schools to contribute either man power or resources toward the efforts of the Red Cross. To implement the tree planting we contacted the Forest Department and asked them to donate seedlings from the government nursery. The Red Cross is the only placement which is located on the side of town with the government departments so this allowed us to easily contact people in power and request their support for our projects. The Forest Department granted us permission on the condition that the seedlings would be cared for in non term time. With the ministry able to guarantee us all 250 trees we aimed to plant before the start of the rainy season on November 17th. We were able to start contacting schools with information on the programme and the local knowledge of the Red Cross volunteers was a great help to us. The first school to give us a date for their tree planting and prepare their grounds was Kibo Slopes Academy which was also a placement school for other ICS volunteers. On the 30th October we went to the school, and with the help of 6 other volunteers, we successfully planted 36 trees.

A Tree per Child A project by Illaramatak

T E X T KATIE P H OTO G R A P H Y KENNE TH

‘Tree Per Child’ is an initiative by Illaramatak to distribute trees to over 9,000 school children in 30 schools. Although we had a rocky start getting the programme of its feet, tackling limited finances and rain, we have finally set a date to begin planting trees on 5th November. We are aiming to plant 10,000 trees across Kajiado County in Kimana, Entonet, Rombo and Imbirikani before schools break up on November 14th. before our placement finishes in mid-December to coincide with the rainy season that is soon to begin in Loitokitok.

We will mainly be distributing Gravellier and Cyprus trees to schools from our three nurseries at Rombo Mixed School, Saint Clare’s near Rombo and the community nursery E R I Renghai C Forestry Association ( just outside of Loitokitok).

Some fruit trees from our community nursery will be distributed at the schools for sale to ensure greater food security in the region . We hope that tree planting will raise awareness about the pressing issue of deforestation in Kajiado County, as well as promoting an ethos of agribusiness in the local community.

Loitokitok and the surrounding area faces increased pressures on land, forests and water resources in a bid to meet the required needs of the community living in the area. Illaramatak has been active in environmental education and it has a good record of raising awareness in local communities about the perverse effects of certain traditional agro-pastoralist practices. It has empowered local communities with teaching them about the protection and extension of the local forest coverage. The Tree Per Child Project hopes to consolidate these aims by targeting the next generation who will be responsible for taking care of community environment in years to come. Although tree planting is inherently a slow activity, we hope that by giving children ownership over a tree they will have the initiative to care for it. It would be great if in 10 years time Kenneth and I could return to Loitokitok and see all of the trees we planted still alive and thriving.

The benefits of tree planting are well known, as well as absorbing carbon dioxide and alleviating the greenhouse effect, trees produce more oxygen, prevent soil erosion, provide food security, provide shade and create a habitat for natural wildlife. On Wednesday 5th November we will begin distributing trees across our 30 chosen schools in the district. The distribution will be accompanied a talk on the environment, educating the children about how they can take care of their trees. We hope that the children will be empowered and will take the initiative to really care for their tree and surrounding environment. We will be awarding a prize to the school with the tallest trees and the student with the single tallest tree. Hopefully this competition can carry on until next year so that the next cycle of VSO volunteers in Loitokitok will be able to continue to monitor the tree growth!

We have a lot of work left to do but we hope that all goes to plan and we have 10,000 trees planted by the end of our cycle!

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T E X T & P H OTO G R A P H Y SIM O N

NOOMAYIANAT

VS O I C S C A S E S T U D Y

KIMANA COMMUNITY WATER RESOURCE CONSERVATION PROJECT As we left Nairobi dry arid savannah stretched as far as the eye could see. This landscape stayed with us for the duration of our journey, until we came across a blip in the scenery around the town of Kimana. Within this vast savannah lies an oasis of lush, green vegetation which is the consequence of the Kimana water project.

The Kimana Community Water Resource Conservation project was established in 2010 with the aim of addressing environmental and water related issues., This was accomplished through enhancing water use, along with proper management of water catchment areas thus improving the livelihoods of local communities. To achieve the desired state, four objectives weere laid out: • Rehabilitation and restoration of water catchment areas to enhance the quality and quantity of water available to the local communities for commercial and domestic use; • Develop and promote tools and technologies that will improve water use efficiency for the farm-based enterprises; • Develop community-based structures to address/ resolve existing and potential water use conflicts; • Empower local communities to manage water and other natural resources on their land for improved livelihoods and sound environmental management.

The 22,488,937 million (Ksh.) budget, donated by the Commis-

sion of European Union through Community Development Trust Fund (CDTF-CEF), unfortunately did not stretch to cover all of the targets Noomayianat wished to achieve. However this did not dampen the impact of the project, and they were still able to rehabilitate and protect Impiron spring which was one of the most critically degraded water catchment sites. Furthermore, construction and cementing of irrigation furrows at Tikondo, Elerai and Impiron was completed. As a result water loss through infiltration was reduced, leading to an increase in water availability to the community downstream along with partial improvement to the water quality. Additionally, the improved furrows condensed the time taken to irrigate the adjacent farmland.

The physical impacts of the project are all well and good, however the longitude and success of the Kimana Water project was greatly dependent on capacity building of the local communities.

It was vital to create awareness of the importance of environmental protection. A core aspect of this, in order to guarantee sustainability, was to create a sense of community ownership and stewardship of the water resources. A number of avenues were utilized in order to achieve these principles. One such avenue was to include the affected community members in the labor and planning aspects of the project; thus creating an aura of ownership towards the furrows and springs. Furthermore, workshops were held in order to equip and empower the local communities with the knowledge to properly manage and utilize their water and other natural resources.

Building of a gabbion

Vegetation growth around one of the furrows

ODOUNYO OLOILE COMMUNITY The community of Odounyo Oloile is situated around 2km south west of Kimana. Its population has been increasing in recent years, which has had an adverse affect on the area. The number of farms currently stands at approximately 500. With this increase comes a demand for land for grazing and cultivation thus the local terrain has been under intense strain. In order to accommodate the local farming practices the community has had to fell a vast number of trees.

Within the last two years the community has been devastated by flooding during the rainy season. Large furrows cut their way through the landscape and become raging torrents after intense rainfall. These large flows of water, in recent years, have had dire consequences on the community as a whole. Farmers have lost livestock and in extreme cases people have been washed away.

Furthermore, vast quantities of soil have been eroded, which has been exacerbated by the deforestation. As a consequence, land has become degraded and therefore results in poor crop yield.

If action is not taken then the local community will stop farming and may migrate to another region.

In order to combat this Noomayianat started a community project to install 260 gabbions along 15 acres of land. The gabbions aim to reduce the flow and volume of water coursing along the furrows resulting in a decrease in soil erosion. Furthermore, it is expected to have favorable impact on safety. Along with the gab-

Building of a gabbion

bions, planting of grass along the banks of the furrows and the surrounding area is planned. This will reduce surface run-off during peak rainfall again reducing the amount of soil erosion. All of these activities should help ultimately to protect the environment and increase food security for the local people.

“Working with communities in Loitokitok to promote sustainable development through resource mobilization, training and knowledge dissemination.�

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01

F.G.M

02 Illiteracy 03

04

Community Action Day; Clean-up/ Inter school Sport Day Plant not Cut - a campaign by S. Doreen

DEVELOPMENT ISSU Challenge yourself change your world 14 LTK

Yvonne, Project Coordinator, planting a tree at Lenkai Christian School

UES: to

01 Development Issues

F.G.M.

T E X T B R E N DA

Long Term consequences can include: - Recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections - Cysts - Infertility - An increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths - The need for later surgeries, for instance, the FGM procedure that seals or narrows a vaginal opening (type 3) needs to be cut open later to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth.

Sometimes it is stitched again several times, including after childbirth, hence the woman goes through repeated opening and closing procedures further increasing and repeating both immediate and long terms risks.

What is FGM?

The cultural, religious and social causes of FGM:

It is the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia.

External genitals include: - The clitoris - Labia - Mons Pubis (the fatty tissue over the pubic bone) - The urethral and vaginal openings

The causes of FGM include a mix of cultural, religious and social factors within families and communities.

The practice of FGM is often called 'female circumcision' (FC), implying that it is similar to male circumcision. The degree of cutting is however much more extensive, often impairing a woman's sexual and reproductive functions.

FGM is often considered a necessary part of raising a girl properly, and a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage. FGM is often motivated by beliefs about what is considered proper sexual behaviour, linking procedures to premarital virginity and marital fidelity.

The age at which girls undergo female circumcision varies greatly across ethnic groups. Female circumcision may be carried out when a girl has just been born, during childhood, adolescence, at marriage or during the first labour while giving birth.

However, FGM seems to be occurring at earlier ages in several countries because parents want to reduce the trauma to their children. They also want to avoid government interference and/ or resistance from children as they get older and form their own opinions.

Types of female circumcision:

Where FGM is a social convention, the social pressure to conform to what others do and have been doing is a strong motivation to perpetuate the practice.

FGM is in many communities believed to reduce a woman's libido and therefore believed to help her resist 'illicit' sexual acts. When a vaginal opening is covered or narrowed (type 3) the fear of the pain of opening it and the fear that this will be found out, is expected to further discourage 'illicit' sexual intercourse among women with this type of FGM. FGM is associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are 'clean' and 'beautiful' after removal of body parts that are considered 'male' or 'unclean'.

1. Excision

Removal of the clitoral hood with or without removal of part or all of the clitoris.

Where FGM is Practised:

-Removal of the clitoris together with part or all of the labia minora.

FGM is practised globally. It is practised in at least 26 of 43 African countries. The prevalence varies from 98% in Somalia to 5% in Zaire.

This is where all external parts of the female genitalia, i.e. the clitoris and labia minora and labia majora are excised. A small hole is left open at the bottom towards the anus to allow urine and menstrual blood to flow from.

The practice is most common in the western, eastern and north-Eastern regions of Africa, in some countries in Asia and the Middle East, and among migrants from these areas.

- All other operations on the female genitalia, including pricking, piercing, stretching or incision of the clitoris and/or labia - Cauterization by burning the clitoris and surrounding tissues, incisions to the vaginal wall; scraping (angurya cuts) or cutting (gishiri cuts) of the vagina and surrounding tissues and introduction of corrosive substances or herbs into the vagina.

Reasons why FGM is carried out:

2. Clitoredectomy & Excision 3. Infibulation

4. Unclassified

Health Complications of Female Cutting: The immediate complications include: - Severe pain - Shock - Haemorrhage (bleeding) - Tetanus or sepsis (bacterial infection), urine retention - Open sores in the genital region and injury to nearby genital tissue

Among the reasons to justify giving FGM include: - The beliefs that it is 'a good tradition', a religious requirement(s) or a necessary right of passage to womanhood, that it ensures cleanliness or better marriage prospects.

- Prevents promiscuity and excessive clitoral growth - Preserves virginity - Enhances male sexuality - Facilitates childbirth by widening the birth canal Until the 1950s FGM was performed in England and the United States as a common 'treatment' for lesbianism, masturbation, hysteria, epilepsy or other so called 'female deviances'.

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ILLITERACY TEXT FELIX

Illiteracy is the inability to read or write. Currently in the community of Loitokitok this is a major issue since the majority of the Maasai, believed to come from Kajiado county, are mostly affected by these issues. This has created a feeling of non-development in sectors such as education, health and markets. Since the people from the community dwell so much on cultural belief, they fail to understand the basic importance of education, hence they often do not give children from the community the right to education. This results in the children spending more time engaging themselves in cultural and home values from young ages (2-3 years up to 15-18 years), and missing out on a comprehensive education. Many children in Loitokitok are denied the right of education. More often than not, the children denied education are young girls, who are encouraged to get married young.

Some are saved from early marriages by rescue centers, schools, orphanages and churches. This is done when a girl aged (7-14) years has never attended any school in her life; they are taken back to school to acquire an education.

As teachers from Teule School in Loitokitok, we have many cases of girls rescued from early marriage. The girls often have a high degree of illiteracy i.e. hidden illiteracy. This is a very destructive and dangerous condition to the girls since it is hidden from them, such that I as a teacher can never identify it in them. It makes it difficult for me to teach them how to read and write. This also is due to the ignorance of ignorance, because they don’t know what they do not know. It also causes the girls much frustration, upset as well as disappointment.

Often the girls do not fully comprehend the information and ideas being studied or applied and are unaware that they do not understand. Their actions, feelings and beliefs are founded on their unknown wrong suppositions, ideas and understandings.

True education will produce bright pupils in large numbers. Hidden illiteracy blocks the quality of pupils, whatever the field of endeavor.

Illiteracy in hospitals in the Loitokitok is also a development issue.

Parents from the community go to hospital and a doctor will write them out a prescription; the patient is unable to read what the doctor has written and hence improperly uses the drugs or does not use them at all. Here illiteracy has a direct negative impact upon health. Fundamentally, we all need education and literacy because they are the most important building blocks for an economically and socially stable country. However powerful a nation, without literacy it will crumble. It should be a primary development objective that every African child has a comprehensive primary and secondary education; ‘Education is a matter of life and death to our nation’. For our nation to develop and curb illiteracy, the government needs to introduce effective programmes which properly implement education and cater to the problems we face in the education sector. We, as a nation, need to grant top priority to education in order to make Kenya move forward and prosper.

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03 Development Issues VISUAL ESSAY No 1

P H OTO G R A P H Y A N D R E A On Saturday, November 1st, VSO ICS was holding its first big clean up in Loitokitok. Determined to ally fun and environmental concerns, the volunteers organised a collection of empty plastic bottles to help our partner organization Illaramatak with the programme “Tree per Child�. Taking place in the morning, the youth from Lenkai Primary School, Ilkisonko Secondary and Skylink wandered in the streets and back alleys of the Maasai community.

In the afternoon, the three teams were joined by other schools in order to participate in the first VSO ICS Loitokitok Olympiad.

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a campaign created by S. Doreen

PLANT NOT CUT

04 Development Issues

Hello Kenya. Hello World. My name is Soila Doreen Parit. I am a 12 year-old schoolgirl and a Maasai from Lenkai Christian School. You find me standing before you, excited, as today is an important day. Not just for me, but for every girl.

Indeed, growing up as a girl is not easy; especially in a culture carrying so many beliefs against us. So, I am asking you to stand up and kick out those abuses. Please, let’s stand up against FGM. Let's stand up against early pregnancies and marriages. Let’s stand up against child labour.

Today is an important day. I am here, in front of you, to launch my campaign “Plant not Cut”; because every girl deserves to bloom freely. Bearing in mind the challenges and inequalities that some of us might face, I have created this campaign to raise awareness on some of our cultural practices.

Kenya is one. Despite, our different tribes, lifestyles and beliefs scattered across 47 counties, we stand as a whole. And, together, I believe, we can make a change. Therefore, I will request 1 million trees to be planted in every single county. A tree will symbolise an engagement against those abuses but also a step forward to prevent deforestation.

Let's all get going. Let's all get planting. Let's go Kenya. And remember, PLANT NOT CUT!

VSO ICS SUCCESS STORY

A friend called Blessings T E X T ANDRE A P H OTO G R A P H Y ANDRE A I first met Baraka not long after starting at Teule, Home for Children. 3 years old, he preferred skipping school to hang out on the compound, building houses of sticks and mud or keeping dodgy treasures in his pocket. Dressed with oversized red shorts, you can often find him parading by himself, proud, stumbling on his own flip-flops. In the corner of his mouth, the joy of a childhood, innocent and fragile, lays undisturbed. In silence, I try to understand the little orphan, finding out which misadventures have brought him here.

He might have told me in a Swahili that I can't understand or, perhaps, it's something that even he ignores... But, that is not the matter of this story.

This story is about this little boy, finding a friend in the big and funny looking stranger that I am. Indeed, despite, our inability to comprehend each other, Baraka runs toward me every single morning with a big cheeky smile. Talking swiftly, he puts his hand between my fingers and pulls me towards what looks like his hideout. There, he hands me some old chapatis kept in his pocket and we then run towards Robert waving at us feeding the livestock.

Thus, we spend the day together, bouncing words at each other without hope of an answer. The Matron and Felix look at us amused.

They don't understand how can the two of us be. Sometimes, Felix translates what my little friend says. The absurdity of his speech makes me laugh and turns out to be of little importance.

Thanks to Baraka, I have learnt to be patient and understanding beyond spoken words. Through his big eyes, I have learnt to not judge and to carefully open my ears to the world. Standing by his side, I have found myself willing to do more for the children, for their rights and chances. Behind his na誰ve smile, I have found myself giving a new hope to the humanity that I once thought doomed. And, up in my arms, I gently carry the tiny man, jewel to my eyes, for only finding myself sad when he steps away slowly waving goodbye.

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“When encountering killer bees run for your life.”

An experience lived on the Monday, October 6th

EXPERIENCES

NEW T E X T K AT I E

1. A mosquito net isn’t a mosquito net unless you goats (and even more). can fit your whole head through one of its holes.

8. Seatbelts are few 2. Tanzania is but walking distance from Loitoki- and far between. tok…

9. When having a 3. Sunglasses can also be dropped into drop toilets. bucket shower, throw the water over yourself 4. Washing/hanging your undergarments out- rather than sitting in side is a no-go. Keep those undies inside. the bucket (Mr Kaci).

5. Kenyans like to call each other ‘dear’… A lot.

10.

English people drop their t’s; 6. That the English, according to Kenneth, ‘swal- w a r h - a h = w a t e r , low their words’; ‘Kaci can you please pardon p a y p - a h = p a p e r , what you have said’.

Kay-ee=Katie etc.

7. In Kenya, 5 seater cars usually fit 9 people and 5

VISUAL ESSAY No2

The VSO volunteers were invited to the Lenkai Christian School sports day on 17th October 2014.

With the VSO football team to play against the school students and teachers, it was set to be an intense competition with everyone driven to win by the goat and crate of soda prizes.

CLASH OF THE TITANS T E X T JAMES P H OTO G R A P H Y ANDRE A

The first match was the VSO B team (the ladies plus Kenneth) playing against the Lenkai students. Multiple fouls and hand balls later, the students were knocked out of the competition with a haphazard 2-1 win. Next up, the parents and the teachers played, with the teachers winning 3-2. Confident from their win, the teachers then had to face the mighty mighty VSO A team (the guys plus Josephine) in the final match for the coveted goat.

When the game started VSO scored within the first 15 minutes of play. But three minutes later, the Lenkai teachers bit back with an equaliser. Both teams entered half time with a goal each. The battle was not yet over. As the second half was about to take place, it was evident that this was going to be a tight game. The VSO team were hardened from regular practice at the local sports pitch and managed to turn things around in the next 20 minutes to score four astounding goals. They then powered on and mercilessly added another two goals, making the final score line a whopping 7-1. Germany v Brazil anyone?

Giving the term 'trophy wife' a whole new meaning, VSO were handed the prize goat as a reward for their victorious efforts. Promptly named, Georgina, the goat now resides at Simon, Felix and James' host home. The plan is to make her as fat as possible until we bid Georgina farewell at our last weekend in Loitokitok and enjoy a well deserved goat stew.

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THE GOVERNOR SAYS T E X T K AC I We all know that Governor Kenneth has a way with words. If not in his epic and passionate speeches, then simply in his day to day affairs. As such, it would be rude not to include some in this issue of Jitolee. Welcome to the world of Kenneth.

Katie, can I borrow your umbrella? I am shivering beyond recognition, like a butterfly in a fig tree.

Do not worry, you are safe, I never wash my hands!

Are you safe!? Me, I'm safe.

You are as patient as water in a stagnant pond.

Governor Kaci! I must release these feet from slavery!

Amina, can you confirm that I have a nice head!?

Mr Kaci, I am cold, beyond my control.

Whites usually look alike, you can never tell who is who.

Please Mr Kaci, exercise your democratic right to Blue Band.

Mr Kaci, I am tired beyond my expression. *Amina dances across the room* I am not safe downstairs. I am hard... finding it hard to control myself.

Can you hug me on top of that?

I am not safe, I am scorching under the heartless sun.

GOAT T E X T K AT I E

TAILS On Monday the 20th October the VSO volunteers and team leaders were invited to lunch at a host home (undisclosed to protect privacy). We all sat down to a lovely meal of stewed goat with potatoes and chapati. After we all finished our meals the head of the goat was brought into the sitting room, followed by the distinct scent of smoking goat brains. Although some of the UK volunteers were put off by the pungent smell, many agreed to try the Kenyan delicacy and tucked into some goat brain. After piling on the pounds, our team dispersed for a quiet evening at our respective host homes.

It all started the next morning. Nine out of the fifteen volunteers who ate the goat fell sick with upset stomachs. The ailment has now been affectionately named “goat flu� as we later found out that the goat in question did indeed have the flu. The goat flu continued for days and came in waves.

One volunteer fell, then the next, then the next.

Although horrible at the time, I am sure that the four people who trudged from Monday to Friday with goat flu are now grateful for the experience as at the very least, the illness has helped all of us shed a few of the pounds that the high-carb Kenyan diet has forced upon our waistlines.

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HOT

LTK magazine is proud to bring you the straight up, low down on what is currently hot or not? in Loitokitok town.

T E X T & P H OTO G R A P H Y KACI

First up let’s just say, involuntary necklace sun tats, so in right now – HOT!

Assymetric longdrops? We like a bit of quirk here at LTK Magazine, totally HOT.

Here we have a bit of a clash from our very own Simon, Tripod stools, a big no no, NOT! However he does seem to bring some heat back with this Johnny bandanna, very dapper – HOT!

Crotch rips? Yeah that's just NOT.

Mount Kilimanjaro? Check out those luscious snow caps, oh you didn't Kili, yeah that's pretty HOT. The Sun? Well since we got here, it has not been particularly friendly to some of the UK volunteers, sorry Jua*, ironically, you're NOT hot.

Jua is Swahili for Sun Rocking that whole I-can-carry-24-bottles-on-my-headbecause-I'm-Kenyan look. Yes, Josephine, definitely HOT!

Deforestation, need I say anymore?

NOT!

NOT

Provocative supermarket catwalks?

Yeah, HOT.

HOT or NOT? Claire's unintended goat impressions, you decide in the next issue of LTK magazine.