Children's Art Exhibition-great pics!

Lilyy Pond Arts gallery- a great space

Well done to all the children in Kenyan, English and  Irish schools who have  produced some wonderful art work on the theme of -What Conservation means To Me. And thanks to the Lily Pond Arts Centre in Nanyuki for loaning their wonderful gallery to display it in. Thanks also to the Laikipia Wildlife Forum for loaning their educational bus so that all the conservation teachers and prize winning pupils could go and view their work. The schools involved are part of the www.becomeafriend.net programme- creating creative links to aid understanding and learning between cultures.

Being asked to draw a fish when you have never seen an expanse of water leads to many learning opportunities- as does being introduced to wax resistance and paint wash: developed from the Parkuruk theme of  "Conservation means clean water '

It is particularly exciting to see how well the kenyan pupils interpreted this theme- conservation of their environment being such a basic part of their everyday life. The prize winners were all able to discuss the reason for their chosen themes to the Laikipia County Times...as well as how they went about their work.

Nkiloriti joining with English and  Irish pupils -'protecting our trees and our elephants' and Musul Primary protecting flora.. The tree pictures that were replicated around Nkiloriti classrooms led to a whole term's theme of conservation lessons, whilst the Musul theme was a response to the charcoal burning that is affecting their ranch and their future inheritance

Conservation of Culture from Raap and Naiperere schools- along with some wonderful bead work

The fish templates sent by Ireland for the Parkuruk pupils led to a whole new avenue of learning- plus a visit to Trout tree to see their first ever 'live' fish- not many about in the arid lands of Isiolo.

Go- The Amazing Race 2012....

Well done Race Directors Solomon Kimani, Sarah Edson and Molly Fitzpatrick and the whole team for another great Ultra Marathon Race!

Mama Ruso: first local  (Musul- NB athletcis selectors should be targeting those Musul runners!) woman to finish the 75km. A mother of three in her first ever race- what a role model  for Amazing Racers everywhere! Unable to finish Primary school herself, girls education is now about promoting her daughters

Fantastic effort to all the many 75km, 42km, and 21km racers... and to the great cause of promoting Girls' Education. Only three years to go and your first girls will have a chance of University: the future leaders of Kenya!

Beatrice takes the flag for Ol Lentille with her second place in 21k- all that running from elephants and leopards during the week is now paying off! Supported here by Big Man Johnson (driver and groundsman at Ol Lentille and another 21km finisher) and winner of the womens' 21km, a Kimanjo standard 7 pupil, to her right.

More pictures to follow.....

The Right to Education in Samburu Communities

Changing the face of Kenya, pulling political and social development up to join the growing economy, means getting more women into positions of power: and that means getting more girls educated. 

Our 2012 task force census of children shows us that, in the areas of Isiolo surveyed, 56% girls are not in school (compared to 40% boys ). However, assuming these areas match the national ratio of girls to boys there is a cohort of ‘missing’ girls who are not identified on the census, not found by our task force. If these girls were included, assuming a 50:50 girl to boy ratio in the community, then actually only 36% girls are registered in school. This theory is easily borne out by the many classrooms in these areas with only one or two, and occasionally zero, girls registered. 

The main reason for the ‘missing’ girls is that they have been ‘beaded’ and married away. Beading in the traditional Samburu community takes place at around nine years of age. Beaded girls are awaiting their formal circumcision (illegal but 99% prevalence) and marriage which will take place at around 12- 13 years. In the meantime they cannot attend school, since they are now the property of the moran (warrior) who may come and visit at any time;  those betrothed to older men may be taken to his manyatta in a distant village to assist in looking after animals and housework; hence they will not be picked up by the task force. If a girl becomes pregnant before circumcision she will be assisted to abort, or the moran will leave her without paying the dowry. Should she be unfortunate enough to give birth to a live baby before her formal marriage it is unlikely that the family will ‘allow’ the baby to survive.

School dance festival: these girls are the lucky ones; only beaded for the days festivities!

Whilst it is illegal not to have your child in Primary school in Kenya, the issue has to be handled judiciously : parents of beaded girls are frightened to take off the beads, as are the girls themselves, for the morans have ‘rights’ over the girl even before the marriage dowry is paid. A few unhappy morans with spears, pangas, bows and arrows and large muscles can be dangerous to deal with both for the families and for the headteachers in remote areas where there is no police presence and roads are almost non-existent.  

Watching these small girls herding goats we are in danger of looking at another lost generation. Whilst they help to make up the most beautiful and redolent of ‘African’ landscapes (and how many of these little ‘girls’ have entertained tourists in tourist manyattas?) None of us privileged enough to have received even minimal education would give our own nine year old daughters into the hands of a ‘husband’- What was ‘custom’ in 1912 is not Kenyan custom in 2012 and needs to be dealt with now- not in five years time when this generation has missed their chance. This would not mean loss of cultural identity, merely realignment of community ideals in line with basic child and human rights.

It is heartening to see the Chiefs, police-force and head-teachers working with us on a positive approach to getting the beads off and the girls into school. One of the first steps is to make sure that where families are most reluctant the girls can be well looked after in secure boarding facilities with a female teacher on site, evening meals and a nurturing environment encouraging the value of education. A new uniform certainly makes the transition from a beaded girl to school-girl a more positive change for the whole family, but the most important part of the process is to bring educators together with other female role models to show the families the positive benefits of education; after all every mother (and father) loves their daughter and ultimately wants the best for her.

New Girls Boarding Facility Beginning Construction

The Royal Family Summits Mount Kenya- 2012

The Annual Ol Lentille Pilgrimage to Mount Kenya took place, according to  established tradition,  in August. 

This year we were most honoured to be accompanied by the Royal Family, House of  Windsor. All very proud of themselves to make it to the top... and all, you will agree, looking very chipper on the summit: though it was duly noted by the whole party that, somewhat unusually, this mountain does get significantly higher every year. As yet there is no clear reason being given for this particular phenomenon though we have no doubt that the myriad of scientists active in the Rift Valley area of Kenya will soon come up with a variety of hypotheses to do with its equatorial location and its particularly steep ascent, we also consider that global warming and forest fires almost certainly have played their part this year.

Two monarchs? Well it is a Royal year...

We were also honoured to be accompanied by Samburu Warrior -turned Isiolo- High-School-student  Vincent Lepukach. Vincent showed the whole Royal Party a new method of mountain hiking... running at the speed of an  Usain Bolt sprint  for 40 metres and then sitting for 5 minutes. It did seem to work quite well until we hit an ice field where we had to cut steps with an ice axe.. here the ‘sprint-sit’ method became a little problematic, not to say lethal. No matter, Prince Philip can attest to the fact that Vincent DID indeed reach the summit to join in the Royal Portrait photo. 

Prince William and Kate obviously radiant at being able to overlook the site of their engagement hut, just below us on the mountain.

A great ascent had by all.

The Amazing Maasai Ultra Marathon 2012!!!

Last call for registration for the 2012 Amazing Maasai Marathon.. you can register for a half marathon, full marathon.. or of course for the ONLY Kenyan Ultra marathon... 75K..... run at altitude on rocky terrain this is a great challenge! No, definitely this is NOT the Maasai Mara marathon .. ..its tougher !! The race takes place at Kimanjo on 29^th September at 6.30 am. !www.amazingmaasaiultra.org

Johnson Yiangere - running over flatrock...

Solomon is busy training the top local runners....all hoping to win the top prize of a  bull... plus the local school-girls who will come out to run in support of this great cause ..... Girls’ Education. Last year the race sponsored 20 girls in secondary school for four years... will they exceed this challenge this year? Runners will be coming from the US, UK and China to try their luck against some tough  Maasai and Samburu competition.

This is a fantastic event and a great day out for volunteers and competitors alike... check out the website and come and join in! 

East African Runners webpage

Get the kids reading.. and adults too...

Our first Community Conservation Library and Education Centre

Hats off to Kingori and the whole community for getting this wonderful project off the ground so quickly: First Kingori came up with the idea.... then he found us a wonderful building..

Next the community donated it to the cause of conservation and education

Then everybody has helped do the repairs, painting and making good..... as well as  making an office for Kingori and the other ‘volunteer’ librarians. 

Then the kids have come together to help us with the wonderful art work (thank you Natalie and Celina for getting them organised!) creating their own designs...  and gardening has already started...

Next Laikipia Wildlife Forum have stepped in to go to the next stage.... shelving, desks, outdoor seating areas and fencing will soon be in situ.

The first book loans have already been made. Anyone with any spare books .. plus a way of getting them to Kimanjo (remember Kenya customs is not donation friendly).. we have many hundreds of  borrowers lined up. The mobile clinic will assist us in sending book loans out to schools.

This has been such a fun project featuring everything that is best about community work... grassroots inspiration, good partnerships and plenty of involvement from so many people... we look forward to the ideas burgeoning from here: we have a projector to hold community film screenings on conservation and health issues, we have our conservation art day planned to display the art work before it hits Nanyuki.... and, with  a little solar power we can soon have students and teachers working together in the evenings. The mothers have asked for a literacy group. The possibilities are endless, and Tom’s political cafe is not so far off the agenda now..... 

7 years in a tent?!

After 7 years living in tents we are now living in a ‘proper’ house.... takes a bit of getting used to... all that space.... possessions (having unpacked the container...do we really need most of them??)... still it’s great: hot water at last!! Log fires ......and of course views to die for... Oh and no more mongooses, porcupines,genets, hyraxes, elands and elephants in the groceries- what joy! So much hard work and craftsmanship has gone into this house we fully appreciate everyone who made it possible.(One joy we were most  looking forward to was no longer sharing a tent with two dogs.... only when the baboons and hyenas both kept the ‘yellow dog’ barking all night in the kitchen he ended up joining me ON my bed...... clearly a work in progress.)

The anti - poaching patrols get down- time too...

One of those great Lentille moments occurred on ‘Moving Day’ a few weeks back, when the whole community turned out to get us moved .... building, fixing, cleaning non-stop for many days before  cooking the feast and dancing the night away in true Masai style, with a little mauratina on the side.... as ever we are humbled by the ability of our friends and colleagues to celebrate so magnanimously in our good fortunes and we continue to be so proud and thankful  to be part of such a wonderful community. .. and the 'surprise' shuka covers beautifully sewn by all the girls- how wonderful people are! Thank you-all!

Thanks also to all our great  ‘campsite’ friends  over  the years, who have often spent many months working  and playing with us all at Lentille, ...(over 100 of you all at the last count!) for so much laughter and fun in ‘the camp’.... and you will all be pleased to know that your tents are very much still there.. currently totally full of our ‘overflow’ ‘house guests’...! Name of the new house? its meant to be Ol lentille House.. but it may take another 7 years to stop being called ‘campsite’!