Editor’s Notes

Feature Story:

MUTUA MATHEKA

June Food

Fashion Sense

Color & Choice

Health Talk

G-Spot

Book Review

Tech Buzz

Celebrating Fela Kuti

No Evil

Chew on this

Inspiration

Adverts

Editor : Wangechi Ruguaru Editor : Linda Obel Editor : Eva Githina

Contributor : Gerald Montgomery Contributor : Wambui WamutongoriaContributor : Kabura Wahome

Sam the DesignerContributor : Ahmed Maawy Contributor : Tony Odufuye

The “List”I think it is very important to write down a to-do list, it can be a list of anything, your dreams, goals, grocery list etc. I am an avid list writer, I feel a sense of being on top of my life with a list, I even have things that I know that might never happen but I hold on to that hope, so just in case it does…I can joyfully cross it out. Crossing things off your list is the best therapy one can possibly get.

My number one advice to people that come to me stressed is “write down everything that is bothering you, if there is nothing you can do about it, cross it out.” Why you ask? We are allowing ourselves to dwell on petty things and stressing over things we have no control. The minute you cross off something on your list, another list is born, so take it as life happenings, but deal with only those that you have control over.

Life is full of surprises, we have no control of what happens, but at the same time we have control of how to react to life’s surprises . Avoid using the word “STRESS” unless you lost your job, lost a loved one or your car broke down on the same day. I believe we are given only that we can handle. Positive thinking is very crucial in life, always think of the worst that can happen other than your worst.

Focus on important things, life is so simple.

ONE!

Wangechi Ruguaru

Mutua Matheka is a photographer that is determined to put Kenya on the map through his work. I have followed his work dilligently and you can clearly see through his work that he has a passion about Kenya. His talent is obvious and I am sure that slowly but surely, he will accomplish his goal of showing the true face of this country to Kenyan citizens and the rest of the world.

We took some time to ask Mutua a couple of questions about how he got here....

Q: What is your full name and where are you from?

A: I am Mutua Matheka & I am from Machakos, a small town in the eastern province of Kenya.

Q: When did you become interested in photography?

A: I took an interest in photography specifically as a form of self expression around 2008, I think, as a 5th year student in JKUAT, a university in Kenya. I got a camera about a year later and started taking photos.

Q: How did you discover that you had a talent for photography and how did you develop that talent?

A: I have always been an artist all my life and anything artistic kinda comes easier for me. When I picked up a camera about

2.5 years ago, it was for fun and to make images I can use for graphic design projects. I then felt like I needed to grow and be better so I got onto a daily shoot program that had me shoot 1 good image daily. I grew a lot because of this.

Q: How did your family help or challenge you as a far as your photography is concerned?

A: My family has always really supported anything I do(it’s not like I gave them a choice anyway :). My mom has encouraged my art from as early as 3yrs old so it wasn’t a problem.

Q: What do you see as Photographer’s contribution to society?

A: I believe photographers can show societal ills, culture & beauty. I think we are the visual record keepers of society just like historical writers and the field we choose to photograph sheds light on a time period and mannerisms of a certain people. I also believe photography can change mindsets especially in Africa. We have so much beauty yet we are bombarded with our shortcomings. I think we can show such a beautiful side that we start feeling good about ourselves and behave like it.

Q: Do you have a favorite picture and if so, could you provide a copy and tell us why the photograph is so special to you?

A: I honestly do not have a favorite photo. I can’t choose. True story.

Q: What issues, places or spaces inspire you?

A: I’m inspired by Africa in general. When I see photos of places I haven’t visited, I literally want to jump out and go there

and take a photograph. Our culture, colors, textures, food & sights.

Q: What have been your favorite projects to date and why?

A: I am at my best when out there shooting Urban landscapes & cityscapes and shooting landscapes. Nairobi streets and architecture have a special place in my heart.

I do believe that seeing Jim Chuchu’s work is what got me interested in photography. I like that he seems fearless in converting his photographs into art pieces & I like that. Jeremy Cowart inspires me so much because of his artistic approach and attitude toward life & photography. Trey Ratcliff captures landscapes in a way that gets me very jealous so he has to land in this list. Let me end it here, the list is longer.

Q: What causes or issues are you passionate about? What about Africa is special to you?

A: As I said earlier, the diversity of our culture, color, texture, food.

All this really is special to me and I hope to take as many photos depicting this as possible. I believe we have much much more than decease, famine and kids with running noses & flies on their eyes.

Q: What advice would you give to young and upcoming photographers?

A: Keep shooting, this way you keep improving and getting better. Choose what you want to communicate using your photography and use it as your voice. Do not settle for mediocre because awesome, emotion provoking photographs is how we shall get Kenyan photography on the global map.

To get in touch with Mutua Matheka....mail [mutua@mutuamatheka.co.ke]website [mutuamatheka.co.ke]twitter [@truthslinger]

So you have been working so hard all winter so that you can look great in that swimsuit you promised yourself you would wear come summer time.

Now that summer is here, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some tasty food while still watching your waistline. Here are a couple summer time recipes for you to enjoy without feeling too guilty!!

Ingredients (Serves 4)• 1½lb.GroundLamb• 1WholeEgg• ½CupEggWhites• 1tbspChoppedGarlic• ½tspSalt• ½tspPepper• 2LargeTomatoes• 1LargeOnion• 1CupMushrooms,Sliced• 1HeadIcebergLettuce

Directions1. Combineallingredientsinabowland mix with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed2.Dividethelambinto4andshapeeach portion into a round patty about a half inch thick3.Placetheburgersonthegrilland

LambLettuceWrapscook on each side for 3-5 minutes4.Sliceupsometomatoes,onionsand mushrooms (if desired)5. Heat up a tablespoon on olive oil in a frying pan and add the onions6. Sautee the onions and mushrooms until they are translucent. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Lambwrapscanbeassembledasdesired with lettuce, sautéed vegetables andtomatoes.ServewithSweetPotatoFries (recipe shown below)

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients(Serves4)• OliveOil,forTossing• 4MediumSweetPotatoes• 1tspSalt• 1/2tspPepper

Directions1. Preheatovento450degreesF.2.PeelandSlicethepotatoesinto 1/4-inchlongslices,then1/4- wide inch strips3.Lineasheettraywithparchmentor spray with non-stick cooking spray 4.Inalargebowltosssweet potatoes with just enough oil to coat5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper6. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet, being sure not to overcrowd7. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turningoccasionally,about20 minutes.8.Letcool5to10minutesbefore serving.

Africa is something to behold, beyond the bad PR that the entire continent is subjected to. Being ethnic or tribal isn’t how most of us like to be described, but if you put down the cool aid for a moment and look around you’ll find the dopest, freshest looks in tribal African looks. Here are a few ideas on how Tribal Africa can add swag to you image.

Body Paint Body paint has been used since the first moon by Africans to adorn their body, treat their skin and give the illusion of being dressed

up. Today’s fashion statements are shorter and more see through than ever before, the perfect solution is body paint. What say ye?

Chop It Off Hair is so overrated, though it’s a symbol of beauty it shouldn’t define you so much that the though of cutting it off makes you break out in violent cold sweats. From experience I know that when I cut my hair my accessory and makeup game steps way up. African Woman never had a problem chopping off their locs and laying on their beaded neck pieces and earrings. Try it, you will feel more beautiful than ever.

Waist Beads

Waist beads and slowly creeping back in our closets. This sexy sultry way to accessorize has been used by African couples as an intimate beautiful piece that the woman would wear just for her lover or husband.

Do it like an African

PoetryandPhotosbyNanaKofiAcquahhttp://africaphotographer.blogspot.com/

IjusthitchhikedmywayintoAndslappedmytiredbumOnthesoftleatherseatsOfalocomotivetrainThatisgoingnowhere.

IfIownedaSushi-barI’dservechoicechameleonmeatSo you can have lean viandeInanycolourofyourchoice.

Some people can’t see beyond colour.

HowdoesonetellasickPuppeteer?By looking at what the puppets do.AbunchofmalnourishedhyenasWouldhavebeenkindertothedyingGadaffi.

IhearlotsofyoungAfricanmigrantsArebusydonatingtheirgreencardstoFIFAButBlatter’ssquadpreferredandyellowIfyouinsistongreen,theypreferbills.ThesaddestAfricanfacesaren’tthestarvingIntheEast.Theyaretheover-stressedintheWest.

There’sareasonsnailsandturtlesareslow:Theycarrytheirtroublesallbythemselves.Thechameleonthough,isslowforanother reason:He still doesn’t know who he really is.

Drum for great looking arms!

Drummingisafantasticwayofkeepingthearmsinshape.Itisfantastic exercise, that allows you to make music and be part of acommunity!Drummingallowsyoutouseyourcore,shoulders,triceps,bicepsandforearms.Inadditiontoengagingallthesemuscles, your heart-rate is also elevated while you drum which hasgreatcardiovascularandemotionalbenefit.

Makemusicandimprovethemuscledefinitioninyourarms!

Dance your way to fierce arms!

Dancingisagreatformofexercise.Itisafunandfantasticwayof easing into physical activity and can be easliy adjusted to the differemt levelsoffitness.Africandance incorporatesa lotofarm movements which are fantastic for raising your heart rate and work effectively in toning your arms, shoulders and back.

InLatindance, there is a lot of styling that requiresbalance,good posture in the upper back and strength in the arms which over time work well in improving your posture making you look and feel strong and lean.

Dig for toned arms!

Gardening is a fun activity that allows for plenty of timeoutdoors and use of muscle strength depending on the weight ofequipment.Thereisalsoalotofdiggingwhichmakesgooduseofyourcore,back,armsandlegs.Thisisafantasticformoflow-impact exercise that also improves mental health.

3 ways to keepyour arms inshape

A Mother’s Day TributeTheonlythingmorepreciousthanawoman,isawomanwithachild;amother!SheistrulyamongEarth’sgreatestcommodities.IrecognizedtheimportanceoffathersintheAIMJuly2009edition.SothislongoverdueG-Spotarticleisatributetomothers;past,present and future!

“TheUnequivocalMother”

AMotherisGod’sLoveincarnate.Forwhichnowrongistoogreattoeradicate!Shesmiles;andpromisesarefulfilled.Shetouches;andhopeisrenewed.Shecries;anddebtsarepaidinfull.Andifherbloodisshed a legion of angels will avenge her!

Anyamountoffoodbecomesjustenoughinamother’shands.Belliesarefilledandtummiesarerubbed.Herkitchenisaplaceofmiracles;sacrificeisherspecialingredient.

Her spit-covered thumb washes ash and sins away in a single swipe. Her sweetkissesarethemostpotentmedicine.Whenherchildrensharetheir talents with the world she claps with the thunder of a thousand churchchoirs;sheesteemsherchildren.

Herlungsarefilledwithborrowedbreath.Herlifeisanextensionofherchildren;indeedtheyareherlife!Alas,Godisjealousbecauseshelovesher man with all of her being, in hopes that he will love her children half as much in return.

Trulyawoman’sgloryisherhairandaman’shiswoman.Butamother’sgloryisthewell-beingofherchildren.Childrenreveretheyfatherandcovet their mother.

She is immaculate in caring for her children, yet still has time for her own vanity.Herloveforherchildrenisherburdenandvanityishercurse.Onthe surface she is a wife, a sister, co-worker and daughter. But through andthrough,sheisallMother!

Motherisanoun;it’swhatsheis.Fatherisaverb;it’swhathedoes!Ittakes a hundred fathers to protect a village from a mighty foe, but only oneMothertonurtureallofitschildren.AchildissafeinthearmsofanyMother.Aschildren,ourfirstwordsare“da-da.”Butattheheightofgreatestwebellow,“himom!”

SheistheEveofCreation;DaughteroftheSun.Fromherwombcomesanation.Herbreastfeedstheleadersofmen.Subjectsbowtotheirking;thegreatestkingsaresubjecttotheirmothers.Ahouseissupportedbyits foundation, but a home rests upon the mother!

Idedicatetheseaccolades,theseemotionstotheonlyperson,besidesJesus,whomightsuccessfullyadvocateformysalvation;mygrandmother,EarleneMontgomery.

Toallthemothersoutthere,Ilovey’all!HappyMother’sDay!

Ironsharpensiron,solet’sbebetterbecauseofit!

Gerald Montgomery

Aboke Girls by Els De TemmermanThisisacollectionofexperiencesoftheabductedchildren,thepeoplewhowereinvolvedintakingcareofthechildrenaftertheywere able to escape and other humanitarian bodies that are working to end it all.

Itis2012andchildabductionisstillrampant.Thelastsentenceinthisepiloguestatesasfollows:“Intheyear2000,morethanfourhundredchildrenwereagainabductedbyrebelsoftheLord’sResistanceArmy;onewasonlytwoyearsold.........”

St.Mary’sCollegeinAbokewasareputablegirls’schoolinNorthernUgandan.OnOctober9th,1996ahundredandthirtyninegirls,betweentwelveandfifteenyearsoldwereabductedbyLRArebels.Theattackwasnotlikeanybefore.Therebelsdidnotgostraightto the nuns.

Thistimetheywentstraighttothedormitoriesandbrokethroughthewall.Itwastheonlywayin.Oneoftherebelsgotinandopenedthedoor.Thegirlswereorderedtoputonclothesthatwouldhelpthemsurviveinthebush;darkclothes,nowhiteorredoryellow.Theyweretiedtoeachotherwithropesorwiththeirownclothes,ingroupsoffiveorsix,andpushedoutside.

SisterRachele,theDeputyHeadmistressofSt.Mary’sCollegealongwithtwoothersisterswhoworkedattheschoolhadhiddenwhentherebelsattacked.Whenthefinallycameoutofhidingtheywereappalledtodiscoverthatthegirlshadbeentaken,SisterRachelealongwithJohnBoscoateacherattheschooldecidedtofollowtherebelsandgetthegirlsback.SisterRacheletookmoney from the safe and they went to pay for their girls.

AbokeGirlsrecountshowSisterRacheleinsistedonspeakingtothecommander in charge to negotiate for the release of the abducted girls assheandJohnBoscoweretreatedtoacupofteaandbiscuits.

SisterRacheleinsistedonhavingallthegirlsreleasedtoher.Itwaswhile she was asking for her girls that it became clear to her that there wereotherabductedchildreninthecamp.Afterconsultingwithhissuperiorthecommanderinchargeofthegroupreleased109girlsandkept30.AsSisterRachelewaswalkingawaywiththe109sheaskedtheremaining girls not to look at them as they left.AbokeGirlsrecountstheexperiencesofthegirlsleftinthehandsoftheLRAledbyJosephKony,suchastheirtrektoSudan,rapeandthepreference for abducting brown girls.

OnceinSudanthegirlsmettheleaderoftherebelmovement,Konyand were distributed as wives to the commanders like trophies.

MeanwhileSisterRacheleorganizedandjoinedforceswiththeparentsof the missing girls and other Human rights organizations to campaign forthereleaseofthe30remaininggirls.

Thisbookdoesawonderfuljobofhighlightingthedifficultiesofnegotiatingforthereleaseofthe30.Someoftheparentsoftheabducted girls wanted to hide the fact that their daughters had been abducted as they were either ashamed or were afraid of drawing attentionfromtheLRA.TheUgandangovernment’sroleintheconflictis also highlighted.

Thesamechildrenthatwerebeingabductedwereabletohelpinansweringaquestionthathadbeenoneverybody’smind:Whatwasthematterwiththisman-Kony?Whywashedoingwhathewasdoing?ThepeoplethatKonyandhisrebelshadbeenattackingandterrorizingwerehisownpeople,theAcholipeople.ItdidnotmakesensetoeveryoneelsebuttoKonyitdid.

AccordingtoKony,theAcholipeoplehadbeendisloyaltohim,theyhadturnedtheirbackstohimandwereservingothergodsandhisnumberoneenemyMuseveni,forwhichtheyneededtobepunished.Konywasnotkillinghewascleansinghispeoplesothatonlythepureoneswouldremain.ThepureoneswouldbetheonesborninSudan,anewandpureAcholiracethatwouldbecomepowerfulenoughtooverthrowthegovernmentofUgandaandrulethecountryaccordingtotheTencommandments.

Ushahidi and CrowdmapUshahidiisanon-profittechcompanythatspecializesindevelopingfreeandopensourcesoftwareforinformationcollection,

visualizationandinteractivemapping.ThiscompanywasfoundedbyKenyans.“Ushahidi”,whichmeans“testimony”inSwahili,was

awebsitethatwasinitiallydevelopedtomapreportsofviolenceinKenyaafterthepost-electionfalloutatthebeginningof2008.

Sincethen,thename“Ushahidi”hascometorepresentthepeoplebehindthe“UshahidiPlatform”.

OurrootsareinthecollaborationofKenyancitizenjournalistsduringatimeofcrisis.Theoriginalwebsitewasusedtomap

incidentsofviolenceandpeaceeffortsthroughoutthecountrybasedonreportssubmittedviathewebandmobilephones.This

websitehad45,000usersinKenya,andwasthecatalystforusrealizingtherewasaneedforaplatformbasedonit,whichcouldbe

usedbyothersaroundtheworld.Sinceearly2008Ushahidihasgrownfromanadhocgroupofvolunteerstoafocusedorganization.

OneoftheirmostrevolutionaryproductsisCrowdmap.Crowdmapisthefastest,simplestinstallationoftheUshahidiplatform.

Withinminutesyou’llbeupandrunningwithyourowninstallation,mappingreportseventsandvisualizinginformation.

Things You Can Do With Crowdmap

• MonitorElections-Usethepowerofthecrowdtomonitorandvisualizewhatwentright,andwhatwentwrong,inanelection.

• MapCrisisInformation-Whetherit’sanaturaldisaster,epidemicorpoliticalcrisis,Crowdmapisbuilttohandleinformation

coming out of a crisis.

• CurateLocalResources-Crowdsourcingisn’tjustforemergencies,youcanuseitforlocalknowledgeandbusinesstoo.

• DocumentAZombieInvasion-Howelsewillyousurvivethecomingapocalypse?

Formoreinformationgotohttp://ushahidi.com/

by Anthony Odufuye

Fela Anikulapo Kuti. That name means so much to many people all over the world. To me, Fela was a musician, political activist, rebel and an all-round bad ass. He was born in 1938 in my mother’s hometown of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria to a father who was a Reverend in the church and a mother who was a feminist activist. Fela showed signs of being a rebel from a very young age. This ranged from causing all sorts of trouble in high school in Nigeria, to refusing to study medicine as both of his brothers had done. He instead chose to pursue his passion of music.

As a child, I remember watching Fela perform on television and being so amazed at the range of instruments he played and mastered. Besides being well accomplished at playing the saxophone, guitar, drums, piano and the trumpet, he was also a gifted composer and singer. One of his more widely known accomplishments is that he was the father of Afrobeat, a musical style he created which fused Jazz, highlife, funk and Yoruba music to create a style still recognized today.

I grew up hearing about various things that Fela had done in the past and was still doing while he was still alive. I learned that Fela had declared his compound to be independent of Nigeria and named it Kalakuta Republic. I knew he had many wives, 27 to be exact, whom he married in protest of the foreign western religions that were introduced into Nigeria. Fela married all his wives in a traditional ceremony that was highly publicized around the world. While most people think of him as a polygamist, Fela later changed his views on marriage and divorced all of his wives because he believed the institution of marriage only served to promote jealousy. According to Fela, humans should strive to rid themselves of jealous thoughts and feelings. If they did that, marriage would become unnecessary.

Most of all, Fela was widely known for his political activism. He was the most vocal opponent against the Nigerian government during his lifetime. He not only wrote about his opinions in a national newspaper, but also made numerous songs damning the ruling political parties and the military for rampant corruption, and for their ties to the formal colonial

countries. He called for the country to unite and embrace their own culture and develop their own natural resources and industry instead of relying on western industries.

As a result of all this, he was targeted by many of the subsequent ruling military powers. Fela was beaten time and again; he was thrown in jail, and even survived a raid of one thousand soldiers on his home of Kalakuta Republic. During this massive raid, he lost most of his musical instruments, master tapes and wealth when the soldiers burned down the entire commune, which was home to all his wives and band players. The most painful loss, however, was the passing of his mother who fell terminally ill after being thrown from a window.

His son recalls him sobbing when he went to view his mother’s body, as well as the fact that he had to compose himself as he readied to face the public because he knew everyone would be watching. He needed to show that no matter what the military did to him, he would still continue to stand for what he believed in.

The military pretended to conduct an investigation into the raid, and subsequently blamed the fire on an unknown soldier. In protest, Fela released two songs titled “Coffin for Head of State” and “Unknown Soldier” the following year. He also formed his own political party and unsuccessfully tried to run for president for 10 years. His name was refused for the ballot by the ruling Head of State.

Fela eventually died in 1997 and his brother later publicized that his death was due to complications with AIDS. Despite being shunned by Christians and Muslims alike for his religious views, the government for his opposition, and even some of the people for his open sexuality and ideas about marriage, Fela was widely respected and treasured by not only his fellow countrymen in Nigeria, but all over Africa and beyond.

Fela inspired my generation to always stand for our beliefs even when faced with overwhelming adversity.

See No Evil

...no evil about big women. Instead focus on the beautiful depictions on canvas by the famous Augistin Kassi. His pieces are vibrant and colourful and they do justice to the big boned African Sisters in a way that shows their beauty. For more on Augistin Kassi, go to http://augustin.kassi.blog.free.fr/

Hear No Evil

...no evil about Seun Kuti. His latest album “From Africa with Fury” is a masterpiece that does justice to the Kuti name. He sets himself apart with strong lyrics, well directed videos. Take a listen and decide for yourself by going to https://www.facebook.com/seunkutiofficial

Speak No Evil

...no evil about Africa. Instead, focus on what African Films have to offer by signing on to the African Film Library to watch the 110 or so films that the AFL current offers. According to their site, “The library forms an important archive of the continent’s cultural cinematic heritage, and also, for the first time, makes the African artists’ works easily accessible by a wide viewership around the globe – creating a new audience for existing and emerging filmmakers...our library covers a wide range of themes and topics some of which include African music and culture, drama, entertainment, history, arts and many other subjects.The AFL will charge $5.00 per movie rental and allow users to watch the films for a 36-hour period.For more information go to http://www.africanfilmlibrary.com/

There is something better than a nice chilled glass of wine at the end of the day. Although a glass of wine is heavenly all by itself, it tastes even better when paired with chocolate. There are as many varieties of chocolate as there are of wine, I would guess. I have not yet taken the time to find out the exact numbers of each, so please forgive my assumptions and hear me on this.

Depending on how delicate or not your palate is, you can be very particular about just getting your favorite chocolate and your favorite wine and calling it a nice relaxing dessert or being very particular about what wine goes with which chocolate.

Although I tend to pair my favorites from each category, the experts around have suggestions on what goes better with what as a general rule of thumb. To simplify things so that you can get to selecting your favorite wine and chocolate as fast as possible, this is what most experts agree on:

• Lighterflavoredwinesarebestservedwithbysimilarly flavoredchocolatesi.e.thedarker,flavoredandmostlyred wines taste better with darker or bittersweet chocolates.• Formoreadventuroustypestrycontrastinglightflavored wines with darker chocolates or vice versa e.g. pair a white zinfandel with a white, milk chocolate.

Here are some suggested pairings as provided by some pros...Pair Dark, Bittersweet chocolates with:

• Zinfandel• Syrah• Port(ruby/tawny)

Pair Semisweet and milk chocolate with:

• Merlot• Riesling• SauvignonBlanc

The fun is in tasting as many pairings of wine and chocolate as possible. So take the time to find the perfect pairing for your palate.

Cheers!

The Perfect Pair: Wine & Chocolate

InnovationsforPovertyAction(IPA)isanonprofitdedicatedtodiscoveringwhatworks to help the world’s poor. We design and evaluate programs in real contexts with real people, and provide hands-on assistance to bring successful programs to scale.

WhattheydoinKakamegaandBungoma(Kenya)

IPAhasitsWASH(Water,SanitationandHygiene)BasinprojectcoordinatedfromKakamega, and has another office in Bungoma. Andrew Hoekzema - Project Associate for WASH is based in the Bungoma office, where I was situated for thewholeweekduringmyvisitinearlyMay2012.IwasworkingasaSoftwareConsultantforthem;assistinginthesetuptheirsurveysolution(creatinganelectronic survey for the WASH Benefits Project that will be done mainly in WesternKenyaandotherrelevantpartsofthecountry(lateron).

Other details on IPA

What makes us different?

IPA evaluates what works in fighting poverty using the most rigorous methodology available: the randomized controlled trial.We are led by researchers including some of the most recognized names in development economics, many holding faculty positions at universities such as Harvard,Yale,MIT,andLSE. • Wehaveexperienceworkinginover40countriesaroundtheworld. • Ourresearchspansavarietyoffields,includingmicrofinance,education, health, agriculture, charitable giving, political participation, and social capital. • Weworkwithavarietyofdifferentorganizations,includingnon-profits, governments, and for-profit companies. • Ourstaffreceiverigoroustraininginimplementingrandomized controlled trials in the field, so that we always maintain the highest scientific standards for our evaluations. • Wearecommittedtonotjustmeasuringtheimpactofaprogram,but also working with organizations to facilitate integration of research results into operations to ensure continuous improvement and the replication of successful ideas.

We strive to bridge the gap between cutting-edge academic research and action by nonprofits, governments, and firms.

We share the evidence we generate with development practitioners, policy-makers and donors. Where appropriate, we work closely with partners to facilitate the replication of effective programs in other areas of the world.

You can visit the IPA website at http://poverty-action.org/

IPA Profile

A picture of Stella, the office admin for Bungoma.

The main gate to the IPA office in Bungoma

One of the office rooms. Shadack is inside the room.

Bungoma office compound

Board room / meeting room. Ramadhan and Andrew are inside the office..