How to Make Money - Kenyan Youth Group Projects

This Banana nursery is the start of a new banana plantation creating much needed employment for youth in Wongonyi village.

Recently, my daughter Martha gave me one of her Girl Guide magazines that had an article about Kenya in it. It was about Kristen Hope, a student at the College of the Rockies in B.C. who spent time in Kenya researching various small businesses operated by youth groups. Kristen produced this informative document while working as an International Youth Intern.

Kristen has produce a very knowledgable Manual for Kenyan Youth Groups on Starting Revenue Generating Projects. The manual lists the projects Kristen visited and profiles of their projects along with that group's advice for others starting a similar project. At the end of the manual Kristen provides a summary of the lessons learned, other project ideas and advice on starting a revenue generating project including registration information, websites on Kenya business and relevant laws as well as sources of capital. And finally Kriten offers some suggestions she gleaned from her visits on why some projects fail.

I found this document to be a wealth of information for those of us working in Kenya, especially with youth groups wanting to start businesses. The youth sector in Kenya is large and most of the youth have not had the benefit of secondary education and they lack skills necessary for beginning businesses, so a document like this gives them a helping hand as new groups can benefit from the experience of others, both successful and unsuccessful. She also includes contact addresses and phone numbers for the project co-ordinators.

I commend Kristen for her hard work in producing this manual entitled "How to Make Money, A Manual for Kenyan Youth Groups on Starting Revenue Generating Projects." Kristen has made her manual readily available by download at http://www.projectsmanual.shorturl.com/ or through a link at College of the Rockies. Sharing information is one of the greatest ways we can help others to be successful - thanks Kristen for sharing your work with all of us.

Grass Pea - High Protein Foodstuff or Lethal Weapon

Some call it serendipity, I say this book was sent to me for a reason. Not long ago I was sent fellow garden writer Amy Stewart's new book "Wicked Plants" to review. I was giving it a quick glance before placing it on the pile of new books to read when it fell open at the page on "Deadly Dinners". The word Africa caught my attention because of our family's charity work (The Ronnie Fund) in Kenya. So I began to read and I couldn't believe the text.

Earlier in the year, Ronnie's mother Getrude was afflicted with a strange illness. She suffered an unexplained paralysis in her legs. She simply couldn't walk and her sons even had to carry her up to the outhouse. The doctor in the local hospital in Mwambira District couldn't diagnose the problem, so she was sent to the bigger hospital in Voi. She eventually regained the use of her legs but the problem was never correctly identified.

But as I began to read Amy's chapter on Deadly Dinners highlighting Grass Pea, I knew I had found the answer. Grass Pea or Chickling Vetch is a dietary staple in Africa, India, Asia and the Mediterannean as it is an excellent source of protein and is one of the few crops to survive severe drought. However it does contain a neurotoxin called beta-N-oxaxlyl-diamino propionic acid or beta-ODAP and one of the first signs of beta-ODAP poisoning or lathyrism is weakening of the legs. The toxin kills nerve cells paralyzing the victim from the waist down and without treatment, the victim will die. Wow, I thought, perhaps this could be the source of Getrude's problem.

Further reading suggested that since it was a popular food stuff, it was actually safe when prepared properly. Grass Pea must be soaked for a long time in lots of water or fermented in breads and pancakes. The problem in Africa is that when grown in times of drought, there obviously is not enough water to properly soak the peas, thereby creating a lethal problem.

I immediately e-mailed Ronnie and told him of my findings asking if they grew Grass Pea in Wongonyi Village. The answer was, "Yes Mama, we eat it all the time but I never heard of this problem with the peas. I will contact the local health authorities to make sure they know about this." Amy's book advises, " Today one of the great tragedies of famines in places like Ethiopia and Afghanistan is that the high-protein pea is typically reserved for men to give them strength so that they can feed their families. Instead, it has the opposite effect, reducing them to crawling on their knees (and as one report noted, "Wheelchairs aren't an option for most lathyrism sufferers, as they tend to live in dirt-floor huts"). Even if the drought receded and they stopped eating the peas, they might still be disabled for life."

Hopefully, this new found knowledge, thanks to Amy's book, will help prevent other people in Wongonyi Village and the other villages that Ronnie visits in Kenya to keep healthy by preparing Grass Pea in a safe manner. Thanks Amy!!

If you are working in areas in Kenya that are growing Grass Pea, please ensure that the local residents are advised about this life-threatening toxin. With a little knowledge and safe preparation techniques, Grass Pea can continue to provide a high protein foodstuff to those in need.

Kathy

Wangari Maathai - Peace for Kenya

Recently I finished reading Wangari Maathai's memoir "Unbowed". In this telling tale, Wangari Maathai, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, provides a history of her life to her present day position as Founder of the Green Belt Movement.

The book provides interesting insight into a Kenya, that just decades ago was self-sufficient and people living in rural villages enjoyed prosperity. She details how internal strife in the country coupled with colonialism and then a huge influx of international aid has spurned corruption and a decline in quality of life resulting in a revolving cycle of poverty.

Wangari is an amazing African woman, who benefitted from a chance opportunity through the Kennedy lift to study outside her country. But unlike many others who would remain in a developed country to enjoy prosperity, she returned to Kenya to use her knowledge to help repair a broken country. Her life has certainly not been easy, a broken marriage, opposition from government officials who sent her to jail on numerous occasions and even death threats have not broken or deflated her resolve. Even when her own country did not acknowledge her and her efforts, the global community did by awarding her the Nobel Peace Prize.

She started her campaign to heal Kenya by planting trees and through her Green Belt Movement she has mobilized thousands of women in rural villages to plant trees in an effort to bring peace and prosperity. And today the Green Belt Movement has spread to other developing and developed countries. Even today Wangari continues to encourage the women of Kenya to seek positions of power and leadership in their own villages and in government to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

I would recommend this book for anyone working in community development projects in Kenya who wants to get a sense of the history of Kenya and the reasons for the problems that exist today.

The Green Belt Movement - A Model for Community Development

"The Green Belt Movement has over the past 30 years shown that sustainable development linked with democratic values promotes human rights, social justice and equity, including the balance of power between women and men. The (Nobel Peace) Prize demonstrates that although the work of grassroots groups, especially women's groups, does not always make headline news, it does make a difference."

Wangari Maathai, 2004

In 2004 Kenyan Wangari Maathai received worldwide recognition for being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for sustainable development, democracy and peace, her most notable achievement being the creation of The Green Belt Movement, an organization promoting the planting of trees in Kenya and now around the world. I just finished reading her book "The Green Belt Movement, Sharing the Approach and the Experience", an intimate look into the creation of the organization and its achievements over the past 30 years.

For those of us working in Kenya in projects of sustainable development, agriculture and community initiatives this book is a must read. Wangari provides a history of Kenya and how it has lapsed into its present state of poverty but tempers that with a practical analysis of how improvements can be made ending with a positive outlook that hope exists for a new tomorrow. For those of us coming from a Western perspective, it gives us insight into the workings of Kenyan culture and how we can approach our projects so we get successful results. Of especial note is her chapter on Lessons Learned. We can all learn by heeding The Green Belt Movements experiences:

1. Community Development initiatives should address community-felt needs.

2. The messsage must make sense to the participants.

3. There is need for good leadership.

4. Work patiently to motivate communities.

5. Offer some short-term incentives.

6. Reach both decision makes and communities at the same time.

7. Field staff must be keen observers.

8. The community must understand the project.

9. The community must own the project.

10. Community development takes commitment.

11. Limited resources demand prioritization.

12. Democratic administration and management is key.

Community development takes patience, especially when you are working in a different culture. Not all the world works with the West's quick paced business style nor are all the resources readily available at your fingertips in Kenya. But with understanding, inclusive actions, an integrated community consultative program and lots of patience you will be able to achieve positive change. When we started The Ronnie Fund, we did not do so with the aim of imposing projects on Wongonyi village. We have followed Wangari's advice by relying on Ronnie to identify the needs of the community, to prioritize the projects and to negotiate with local administration. Through his leadership we have initiated several successful projects that the villagers have taken ownership of and that have made a difference in their lives in creating quality village life. There are still many needs and challenges in Wongonyi village but I have no doubt that The Ronnie Fund will continue to make positive changes.

For those of you who are heading non-governmental organizations working in Kenya at the grassroots level or those establishing schools and orphanages, I highly recommend you add this book to your library. Wangari's chapters on establishing a tree nursery project will also be very helpful as a model for instituting community development projects in Africa.

Books on Poverty - How We Can Better Achieve Successful Development

As we continue on this journey with The Ronnie Fund and our daily discussions with Ronnie about the approaches we should be taking to achieve continued success with our many projects currently underway in Wongonyi Village, I have been reading a variety of books on international aid and development. They have all been extremely interesting and I am learning a great deal about the aid business. Some of the books are quite disturbing on the amount of money spent by governments and organizations on aid but still poverty exists as just a drop in the bucket every really gets to those who really need it. And yet other books like "Out of Poverty" give one a sense of hope that improved quality of life can actually be achieved. The successes small grassroot organizations like The Ronnie Fund are achieving is because funds and tools get directly into the hands of local villagers and when training is provided the success rates are even greater. Perhaps these books will help shed some light on international aid and how best to implement it.

"Lords of Poverty, the Power, Prestige and Corruption of the International Aid Business"
by Graham Hancock, Atlantic Monthly, 2001

This is an interesting expose of the wastage in the international aid and development business. Using real life examples, I was shocked by the amount of money given to internatinal aid but how little of it actually reaches the people it is intended to help and those who are employed in the aid business who can sit and eat lavish meals while discussing how they are going to help those who eat only one meal a day, if that.

"The Trouble with Africa, Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working"
by Robert Calderisi, Palgrave MacMillan, 2006

Another publication that exposes how little funding actually reaches the poor in developing countries and the lack of accountability by those aid workers in the field. Robert's own admission that in his first placement in Africa, he had only one black friend for his socializing was spent with ex-patriates and he rarely ventured into the countryside. On his second posting to Africa, he spent most of his time travelling across the country and really getting to know those in rural villages and their needs but having to often explain why aid wasn't getting to them.

"Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail"
by Paul Polak, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc. 2008

Paul Polak's book focuses on the grassroot approaches to overcoming poverty. His philosophy is that if people are given the tools like irrigation pumps and systems they can grow enough food for their own consumption and have surplus to sell. Once they have income they can purchase education, health services, etc. He uses real life examples of people in the developing world who have been able to change their lives. When tools are made available directly to disadvantaged people, and not lost on large aid projects which can have funds redirected by corruption, improvements in the quality of life can be achieved.

What Not to Wear (or rather what you should wear)

Carrying school books in the kanga.


Typical clothing worn by the villagers in most rural communities in Kenya.










We here in the West are used to having freedom of individuality (by that I mean freedom of speech and freedom to choose the style of clothing we wish to wear). But not all cultures exercise these types of freedom. When travelling and working abroad, it is very important to show your respect of the host countries and communities by dressing appropriately and practicing cultural norms, especially if you are planning on living and assimilating in the communities.

Women and girls in rural African communities wear skirts or dresses, never pants or shorts. So if you are working in a rural area bring skirts or wraps. You can also purchase a "kanga", a brightly coloured rectangular piece of fabric that is adorned with a political or religious slogan. The Kenyan women even wrap kangas around their regular dresses. Ronnie purchased two kangas for me, one which I wrapped around my wasit and the other, which is traditionally used to carry babies, young children or even supplies on the back. I'm sure that I looked quite amusing to the school children of Wongonyi Primary School as I ("the mizungu") arrived, kanga on my back carrying books we were donating to the school as you can see in my photo above. Ladies shirts and T-shirts must also have sleeves that come below the shoulder (no sleeveless T's here.)

Men should also be cultural conscious by wearing long pants as very few men in villages ever wear shorts. And short sleeve T-shirts or cotton shirts are the norm (no muscle man shirts please).

As far as footwear goes, most people in rural areas wear sandals or flip-flops, but take note that you'll do lots of walking in Kenya as most roads and paths are of dusty red soil, often uneven. If you are working in the hilly countryside like we are, paths can be narrow, stony and with lots of ups and downs, so you are advised to take sturdy shoes, your feet will thank you!

Finally, Richard Roth, a professor from Red Derr College with many years experience working in Kenya recommends that you do not bring camouflage patterned garments as he says the Kenyan government doesn't appreciate this clothing being worn by visitors.

Remember that we cannot impose our clothing norms on the countries and communities in which we are a guest. We must respect the culture we are visiting, so take appropriate clothing with you or purchase kangas or traditional clothing from local seamstresses in the village, you'll be accepted more readily if you do.

Leaving on a Jet Plane - Airfare and Baggage

As everyone knows the quickest way to Africa is by jet plane. And if you are like many of us, once you have experienced the beauty of the land and the friendliness of the African people, you need to go back, and back, and back. But travelling from Canada to Kenya is expensive, so we are always looking for the cheapest flights.

But benefits do exist for those who are travelling on humanitarian missions. We learned about "Fly For Good" from our Kenyan partner World Corps Kenya. Fly for Good is an organization that partners with airlines in offering discounted fares to those travelling to help others. We purchased the tickets for our flight last summer through Fly for Good.

In order to qualify, we registered our organization with Fly for Good, they checked us out and then once approved, we were able to check the airlines that participate for the best ticket price. It was a great help to us. If you head up an organization, you may want to consider registering. If you are a volunteer travelling on a voluntourism stint, you should see if the organization you are working with is registered (everyone likes saving money especially when you are working to help others).

We also have been learning that not all airlines are created equal in terms of baggage allowance and this is a great concern for those of us working abroad. We have lots of things that we want to take over for our various projects - school supplies, books, sewing materials, etc. When we went last summer we travelled with one airline and were charged a considerable amount for excess baggage which really adds up when you are paying for airfare as well (we only considered the airfare not baggage limits). Since our return, we learned that British Airways has a larger baggage allowance which means we can take more resources over to those in need. The key point here is that not only is it necessary to get the best airfare, it is also important to check out the baggage allowance too. It is easy to end up with lots of donated items to take over to Kenya and if you are not careful that great (or cheap) airfare suddenly is not so great once you get to the airport and the baggage charge is added to the ticket price. We have also heard that if you contact some of the airlines, they will give you permission for extra baggage if one is travelling for humanitarian causes.

The best course of action is to check out Fly for Good, look for the best airfare and ensure that the baggage allowance is the best it can be.