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#TEAMNABOISHO

Inside the maasai mind

The cane debate

Community Action day

Rough with the smooth – True tales

Red Cross kenyA gets crafty

DJ Sammy’s Loitokitok Mix

L

Welcome to LTK. We are a strong team of 18 volunteers from Kenya and the UK, the second cycle to reach Loitokitok (for the UKs, that’s pronounced Loi-tok-tok, we had a few slips ups with that at the beginning!) We all met for the �rst time on February 12th in Nairobi, from where we all rolled into a rickety bus and began the long ride to Loitokitok town in Kajiado county, trying to spot Mt. Kili on the horizon and gage how long until we could �nd our beds for the night. Though the mountain was hidden by cloud, we did spot a few zebra and gira�e on route – sadly no simba!

Now half way through we’ve faced lots of challenges alongside the excitements. VSO Loitokitok is still a very new program so next cycle - be prepared! There’s heaps of work to be done but it requires a lot of determination to build the foundations and create the relationships that are at the heart of sustainable development.

Don’t bring a watch with you (unless you want to be frustrated) things move at a di�erent pace here, so let the sound of chickens waking outside your room and the setting sun mark your day rather than the unforgiving strike of the clock; everything being within walking distance gives little excuse for being late anyway! Though if you’re heading to the neighbor town Kimana add extra cushion time, you may end up waiting anything between 20-40 minutes for the matatu driver to be content that the vehicle is packed enough to warrant departure.

This issue is packed full of highs and lows, tales of mice and Maasai, the voices of youth and age alike plus the odd toilet or two…

We welcome you to our world, our venture in being the change. Enjoy!

I joined VSO to challenge myself to adapt to a new

community and experience cross cultural

exchange, I’ll definitely engage myself in more

community activities when I return home. -

Joseph

I joined to develop

mentoring skills and

any skills that can

positively influence

youth in the

community. The

experience has been

all about

determination and

perseverance. -

Meshack

I plan to be more active in the

UK, especially in the strands

of health and environment.

It’s been challenging so far

but very rewarding. I think

the experience has changed

my outlook forever and I

wouldn’t hesitate to do it

again despite the ups and

downs. - Jade

It’s been life changing. I’ve

learnt a lot about myself and

different cultures. Now I want

to travel and explore more of

the world.- Steffi

I hope to work in

development in the future

so this is a great

opportunity to get hands on

experience. I’m planning on

coming back to Kenya in the

future to do ICS E, this trip

has really made me

reevaluate my plans! - Jess

I’ve learnt a lot about different

cultural activities of the Maasai and

the significance of youth in society,

now I want to teach what I’ve learnt

to the next generation - Samuel

I came to experience working and living with a

diverse group and sharing ideas on securing

livelihoods- Nuru

I decided to join VSO

ICS because it offers

an amazing

opportunity for young

people to try and give

their best back to the

community. It’s the

hardest experience

I’ve ever had but I

don’t regret any

moment. - Cat

I wanted to see development first

hand and understand better about

aid. I’m keen to implement

development strategies in my home

community and be more aware of

global issues. - Lucy

I’ve learnt diverse

global issues and

will be part of

stimulating

change, where

ever I go,

however small

the impact. -

Rahab

I came to live

doing what I

love,

afterwards? I’ll

go with

whatever life

throws at me,

hopefully more

adventures and

experience in

international

development -

Alifya

I believe that we all have a duty to ensure a

fairer world. My plans have changed thanks

to the program as I now intend on continuing

work in the charity sector back home - Dan

I wanted to experience

like-minded people; I

have helped the

community but grown so

much as a person. I’m

going to go back and start

my organization that I’ve

always talked about and

start conversations that

matter! - Liani

INSIDER’s STORY: MAASAI

SIMON SAIKOTUNTAN

64 YEARS

FOUR WIVES, 27 TOTO

CHAIR MAN OF

OLIELI COMMUNITY

CHAIRMAN OF

KIMANA HEALTH CENTER

Later in the day Simon Saikotutan comes in to visit, though

after about 5 minutes of talking he receives a phone call from

one of his wives needing transport money to Loitokitok, so

we are told ‘wrap it up quickly’. No problem, Rahab and I fire

through the questions, which Simon happily sits back to

answer, E Siare (traditional Maasai stick) in hand and a few

words of English thrown in throughout, John from NCDO

aiding in Maasai to Swahili translation with Rahab at times

when the meaning of the question becomes blurred amongst

the mix of languages.

H: Do you feel a change in the way the Maasai live their lives?

S:Maasais have let their children go to school - every gender,

they have agreed together that this is right and also the fact

that in the past they used to select husbands for their girls

but now a girl can choose for herself.

H: Why do the Maasai practice FGM?

S: There is one thing in particular circumcision of a woman

means; she won’t stray to other men. Also girls in the past

could not be married or give birth if not circumcised as they

are still considered children. The practice is reducing because

local chiefs and leaders teach people about the harmful

effects.

H: How do you feel about development and the Maasai’s role

in Kenya’s future?

S: I am happy about the change from the pastoralism of the

past to a diversity of livelihoods; we now have shambas and

better housing. Along time ago we donated Amboseli land but

it belongs to us. In future if other communities can give us the

role of leading, since we can live alongside the animals, we

would like an extension of our land into Amboseli. There is no

tribalism in the Maasai we are open to all and always

welcoming.

MAMA KAKENIA MUSIKERI

AGE: 60

FEMALE HEAD OF

MUSIKERI CLAN

CHAIR OF

NABOI SHOAMAA

WOMAN’S GROUP

Greeted by the gentle rustle of fabric and gangling of beads

looping through her ears, streaming from her neck and

bangles clanking on her wrists, Kakenia has taken time

from selling cooking fat at the Tuesday Kimana Market to

visit us in the Noomayianat offices. Laptop open ready to

type her answers, I had intended on recording the

conversation but having forgotten to charge my phone will

have to rely on speedy typing and keen ears. Rahab sits

beside her, ready to translate, as thankfully Kakenia speaks

Swahili not just Maasai unlike many here.

H: Hi Kakenia thank you for taking the time to sit with us,

what do you believe makes a ‘good’ Maasai?

K: One who has kept to traditions, still builds their own

Manyatta; not affected by total modernization.

H: Which traditions do you feel should be kept?

K: Language should not change, the practice of

circumcision to females is changing and beauty practices

such as the piercings and removing the front tooth due to

women becoming religious. If women go to church they

should still wear our traditional outfits because it is

beautiful and distinguishes them from others. I had female

circumcision as a girl and I’m fine, I would have wanted the

practice to proceed but it would stopour girls from joining

the modern world so I am against the practice because it

would hold them back.

H: What age is best for marriage and why?

K: In the past because they didn’t know about ages, a

mother looks at the girl and during adolescence they see

things are growing, they have their period; they observe

and decide they are ready to marry. Nowadays is different.

No age is considered better than another.

TEXT: HETTIE & RAHAB IMAGES: JOHN BAA

Fact file: MAASAI The Maasai, known for their semi-nomadic pastoralist culture, started farming the land here in the Loitokitok District more than twenty years ago, the woman’s groups in

particular have been key in reshaping their livelihoods by turning to the tending of shambas rather than solely relying on livestock. The expectation remains that whatever the

labor, that their children though adapting to the world around them will learn on their hands through hard work.

Do I look like a Maasai?

The Shuka though seemingly typical of the Maasai was once in fact the chosen wear for most tribes, being good in the heat and weather conditions. The Maasai, always proud of

their traditions and roots have however maintained and in the end taken sole ownership of their significance. The large beaded earrings that dangle in multitudes are a way of

distinguishing the Maasai from other tribes as well as being a symbol of beauty. The woman can be seen wearing a vast array of colours, where men’s jewellery tends to be

smaller, more simplistic in design and colour scheme. The real accessory that stands out for the men is of course the dagger at their hip. Signifying he is a man, from the age of

ten a boy is given a small spear and sword to begin practicing handing them on his transition into manhood.

Childhood in the Maasai community

The clan formation of this culture makes it a shared enterprise and as such the children are cared for by and also serve the community as a whole. In the past with each birth

came a cow, the child growing up rearing the cow that would become the property of the family they themselves led on to build. The provision of a cow to your child was a must

and fathers would be responsible for finding the cow by any means necessary. Though now less practiced particularly concerning girl children. The gift given to children these

days revolves instead around education, the Maasai increasingly recognizing the importance of equal education for both girls and boys.

Traditions of birth and death

Women from the village gather together in female only ceremony that can last over a month, as the Maasai don’t mark birthdays annually like we do, this month of singing and

celebration is very important. During this time the husband stays away, often for several months, choosing to stay at the home of another wife. The next time such an event in the

name of that person occurs, it will likely be at their death. For both these two occasions; a birth or funeral, a sheep is slaughtered rather than a goat as it is seen as a peaceful

animal believed to have no aggression, being quiet and polite.

Burials also have an element of separation between the genders. The women staying inside the manyatta, the door covered with a cow skin, whilst the men stay outside awaiting

the sun’s movement for a noon burial. The sheep is slaughtered before the burial, the women not resurfacing until the following morning.

A widow’s life

Even if a woman is widowed at a young age she isn’t supposed to remarry, though if she decides to have more children, according to Kakenia, the clan won’t stop her in that.

There are exceptions; if the woman has yet to have children then remarriage isn’t seen as such an issue. But either way the weight of responsibility is on the clan, they must care

for you, raising money and cows to aid in the marriage of any sons and ensuring the family never fall into poverty.

TEXT: HETTIE

The volunteers from Kenya Red Cross are hosting their ACD this Friday, 20th March. Kenya Red

Cross is currently involved in a range of projects, from a tree nursery and first aid training.

This cycle we have implemented a new project which aims to educate the people of Loitokitok

of effective waste disposal.

If you take a walk around Loitokitok you will see it is very dirty. We are really concerned about

this because is not only a threat to human health and the environment but to the economy. Our

project aims to secure livelihoods by introducing the ideas of waste recycling. We are

currently seeking to implement education sessions which inform local people about the

benefits of composting organic waste but also the ways in which waste can be turned into

useful and even profitable products. We are currently trialing some of these crafts in our

office. We hope that by educating the general public about such ideas Loitokitok will slowly

become a cleaner and healthier environment for all to enjoy.

For our upcoming ACD we were fortunate enough to find out that the VSO-ICS Nairobi team will

be joining us. Due to having such a significant number of volunteers we decided that the most

effective use of our time would be to be proactive and organize a community clean up. In

conjunction with Loitokitok district council we are being supported to clean up the dirtiest

areas of Loitokitok. The event is also being advertised to members of Loitokitok community so

we are hoping that by getting involved local people will appreciate the benefits of having a

clean environment. We will also be encouraging volunteers along the way to notice any

reusable waste that can be collected and utilized for making useful and crafty items.

Whilst working at Kenya Red Cross, Jade and I decided to build useful items from

waste products found discarded around Loitokitok. The idea being that all this

rubbish piling up around the town has both short and long term impacts on the

environment, particularly here where there isn‟t a properly functioning system of

safe waste disposal.

So here are just a few of the things we put together…

The Lamp that gives you wings

It uses kerosene as a source of power and having tested it out; found it to be

incredibly economical as it only uses Ksh2 for a whole night!

The Waste Not, Want Not Bin

In the spirit of clearing the town up we thought some waste bins for the home

would be a great addition, we used the wires to make the frame strong and tried

mixing up the colours of the caps to make it more fun and attractive.

Not just practical items though, we also created jewelry that we‟re hoping will be a

popular addition to the Maasai beads everyone here wears.

We decorated them by placing the pieces of fabric found on the floor and paints in

the center of the bottle tops, making holes in the metal tops by piercing through

with a nail given to us by a man at the market and a stone as we didn‟t have a

hammer. As much as possible everything was made using waste products,

generally just those things found scattered along the road sides; one man‟s

rubbish is another‟s treasure.

Made using:

Electrical

bulb,

Metal

Bottle Top,

Red Bull

Can,

Cloth

as wick, String

Made using:

Plastic

&

Metal

Bottle Tops

Wire

Nail

Smirnoff

Ice Can

TEXT: JADE & KELVIN IMAGES: SAMMY & HETTIE

Made using: metal bottle

tops,

fabric,

paint,

string,

nail

Bits & Bobs & Button Jewellery

“I really do not agree with the use

of the cane. I work with children

back home and never has negative

reinforcement been used. There

are plenty of other methods that

can be used without getting

physical and causing pain to the

child.”

“I think the use of

the cane to

children is not a

bad thing when it

is used minimally;

a punishment

that is reliable. If

people do not

use the cane

believe me they

will use physical

punishment and

that is very bad

compared to the

cane.”

During an ACD

ON CHILDREN’S

RIGHTS, THE ABOVE

QUESTION WAS

BROUGHT INTO

DEBATE.

In

th

e s

pir

it o

f o

pen

d

isc

ussio

n w

e s

ha

re w

ith

yo

u, a

no

nym

ou

sly

, so

me o

f t

he o

pin

ion

s o

f

th

ose o

n t

he t

ea

m.

For

though

our

beliefs,

backgrounds and

opinions

may differ,

we are

and

always will

remain

a team.

To cane or not to

cane?

“I wasn’t caned and I

turned out just fine!”

“The cane is a symbol of

discipline to a child, it is

because when a child is

struck pain is inflicted to

him/her by use of a cane for

a deed he/she has done

wrong then this strike will

remind him/her not to

repeat the mischief or

wrong deed in the future.”

TEXT: GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS

“I don’t support it

because there are

forms of

punishments that

do not harm the

pupil but install

discipline.”

COMMUNITY

ACTION

C

day

a

D

IMAGES: CAT & HETTIE

DAY F

O

C

U

S

O

N

G

E

N

D

E

R

Our CAD Committee organized a community sports

day, to mix up and mingle girls, boys, men and

women in some traditional fun competitions; sack

race, skipping races, tire races and egg and spoon

with a Loitokitok twist – spud and spoon.

All sounds great? It was, bit of a rocky start

though. We‟d figured in „African time‟ – imagining a

slow trickle in of late comers but not the sudden

appearance of a school on the field we‟d booked,

running their own sports day. We invited them to

join our event but I suspect our „spud and spoon‟

wasn‟t serious enough to match their timed

sprints so off they went

In fact we had students from White Mountain turn

up early, unheard of behavior here, just to limber

up for the events.

Competition heating up, volunteers getting excited

at such a healthy turn out when lunch time hit and

we lost half the participants to the apparently

irresistible lure of ugali back at their school…

But with a whole day ahead to make up for it and

some rebel rousing in the ranks, more than

enough participants lined up. Rounding the day off

whilst recuperating in the shade, Evalyne and

Lucy‟s Mama Saitoti, and Frances from the Youth

Resource Center, gave talks on gender equality

whilst bananas and sodas were handed around.

Our visiting Alumni from cycle one, Felix and

Kenneth MC‟d the event, proudly handing over

certificates to the winners. Big thanks are owed to

the alumni for joining in and making the day really

buzz; a reminder that unity, not just between

genders, but also volunteers from each cycle

makes for a far greater impact.

For so long the focus on

gender has been on

separating the two;

male, female. There are

certainly differences to

be found in men and

women, but so too are

there between any

individuals. The fact

remains, our species,

regardless of gender, is

the same. Our potential

therefore, if given equal

opportunity is just as

great. So we focus on

gender, on gender as a

whole, in the

contributions and

strengths of each other

not in spite of but by

embracing both our

gender and our

humanity, together.

TEXT: HETTIE IMAGES: CAT

Community welcome party and

the phone incident…

Sadly though we have lost Jacob (not deceased

just back to the UK), he has left something behind

in Kenya, something that will remain here longer

than any other UK on this cycle. But I‟ll let him tell

you the tale in his own words…

Yesterday was the day we had all been waiting

for. The first half of the day consisted of a lot of

stress and shopping. People were preparing

potatoes and samosas, other people running

around town purchasing sodas, chilli sauce and

biscuits.

Let‟s skip forwards to around 3.30pm. Guests

have arrived, tables and chairs are set up. Show

time. Five minutes or so before we were due to

start, I was told I was presenting the whole show

with Joseph, a national volunteer who would be

translating everything I said into Swahili.

Immediately I panicked and ran straight to Hettie

and practically told her straight out that she was

doing it with me. She was more than happy to

help which I appreciate a lot, cheers Hettie.

The next hour or so was an event filled with

dancing, singing, speeches and a game of tug of

war. That was interesting to watch. Now I‟m going

to tell you where my phone comes into all of this.

The event was more or less over, people were

leaving and chairs were getting put away. I took

this opportunity to escape the crowd and pop to

the toilet. As there were still people around, I

didn‟t want to leave my phone outside in case it

went missing, so naturally I put it in my pocket.

I should probably tell you that the toilet I used

was one that requires you to squat, so putting the

phone in my pocket wasn‟t the smartest decision

I‟ve made! As I stood up to exit the toilet, I knew

something terrible was going to happen… and it

did.

My phone decided to go skydiving and simply

leaped out of my pocket. I turned and tried to

catch it but too late. Right then, at that very

moment, I accepted the fact that my phone was

9ft in a hole, and probably covered in, well, poo!

The third counterpart

Ever come across a small, creepy and annoying thing. Well this can be best by the sisters

Caterina and Rahab after a horrific night in their bedroom at the Lenkai Family. After a tiring day

and sumptuous dinner, anybody would want to have a stress free sleeping night but alas that

was not to be for the sleeping bella and the lady

from the coast.

At ten o‟clock, they switched off the light ready to

have a good night‟s rest; rest was not what the girls would be in for that night.

An hour and a half later, there they were, wide

awake, lights on, looking into each other‟s

terrified eyes. “Did you hear that?” – A question

which would become the most frequent sentence

spoken that night.

The visiting counterpart was clearly enjoying the

nightly strolls in their room. Preferring the cover

of darkness to the light, he‟d disappear into thin

air, silent as the grave the moment the light was

switched on. With the uncertainty of his

whereabouts the sisters eventually got back to

sleep; only to be woken a few minutes later when

the visitor stealthily crawled across Rahab‟s

body, screaming she woke Caterina, who

screamed louder; totally out of control as they

jumped startled from their beds. Panic filled the

room in which the visitor had yet again magically

disappeared. Rahab opted to stay awake in the

dark, lying in wait, Caterina too was forced to do

so as she stood, bewildered, on her suitcase with

both a torch and shoe in either hand. The clock

struck three, then four and still they remained,

door open, hoping the visitor would leave. Sleep

got the better of the exhausted pair; leaving it to

fate as they crawled back, scared, into their

beds, waiting with window ajar, hoping the rat

would find its way out of the room.

Thankfully, the final two hours of the early

morning were peaceful and undisturbed, with the

hope that their third counterpart would never

find its way back ever again; they slept with what

little time of the night remained to them.

LIV

ING

TH

E D

REA

M

TEXT: JACOB, RAHAB & CAT

Dear brother Samuel … Felling low and full of woe? Write to kaka (brother)

Samuel for his sage advice; three months in a new

community can feel like an alien world and those

counterpart volunteers like people from another

planet at times. It‟s always best to find solutions

rather than letting these things fester so confide in

this mellow fellow Samuel.

Dear Brother with a peg on

your nose,

Maybe try sitting down and

discussing routines, let them

know gently the different

cultural norms. Don’t forget too

that we all have our own way

of doing things and as long as

their actions aren’t hurting

anyone, how much does it

really matter?

- Brother Samuel

Dear Penniless,

Relax. Remember that you stand out

like a sore thumb here and that

many people have lots of

preconceptions about foreigners. This

is your opportunity to change all

that. Foster those meaningful

connections with people in the

community and through your actions

show them that your time is more

valuable than your pocket.

- Brother Samuel

Dear hungry sisters,

That does sound difficult, have you tried

talking to your host mum about foods you

miss from home? It might be good way to

nudge the idea of some other dishes onto the

table. Or even offer to cook one night

yourselves. If you’re not being given enough

to eat and it’s affecting your energy and

making you feel really low then perhaps it’s

time to talk to the team leaders about it. You

can’t let yourself feel isolated from your

home environment. After all, you need to

have somewhere that feels comfortable after

a long days work at your placements.

- Brother Samuel

1. Life is very long

Don’t rush on matters of life; life is very long like a marathon. We start as a crowd but finish as an individual.

2. The terrain in a marathon is rugged

We meet many challenges, though you may find people only ever want to hear about your successes.

3. In order to succeed in a marathon you must endure hardship

Marathon runners must be disciplined, requiring them to eat only certain foods. If you want to achieve goals in your

life you too must suspend some temptations.

4. Run your own race

Don’t be influenced by those who run easily, mind your own and find your own pace in order to achieve.

5. Play by the rules

Don’t do what you have been told not to do, wisdom is given to use from experience.

6. Keep the right company

Working together we achieve more than working alone.

7. Be strategic and calm

Have a good desired plan.

To keep up with today’s

world you need to be

marathon-ised! Life is a

marathon not a sprint.

Here’s my handy life

lesson as to why this is

true and how you can

face adversity with a

smile, secure in the

knowledge of success:

TEXT: HETTIE & SAMUEL

7

To

ca

ne

or

no

t t

o

ca

ne?

- r

ev

isit

ed

Wh

ilst

eve

ry m

emb

er o

f th

e te

am

was

inv

ited

to

giv

e in

pu

t o

n t

hei

r o

pin

ion

of

the

can

e as

a f

orm

of

dis

cip

lin

e,

som

e ca

me

up

wit

h s

ligh

tly

wei

ghti

er

sub

mis

sio

ns

to

the

med

ia

tea

m.

Try

ing

to

rem

ain

n

eutr

al

I h

ad

ori

gin

all

y d

ecid

ed n

ot

to i

ncl

ud

e th

e

big

gest

o

f th

em

– an

en

tire

a

rtic

le

wri

tten

by

two

of

the

volu

nte

ers,

as

ther

e w

as

no

o

pp

osi

ng

art

icle

to

pre

sen

t b

esid

e it

. H

ow

ever

, I

als

o f

eel

tha

t n

ot

pu

ttin

g th

e ar

ticl

e in

wo

uld

be

un

fair

to

th

e p

air

wh

o s

pen

t th

eir

tim

e p

rep

ari

ng

it a

nd

as

all

mem

ber

s

of

the

tea

m

wh

ere

off

ered

th

e

op

po

rtu

nit

y,

I w

ill

no

t ig

no

re

the

con

trib

uti

on

o

f o

ne

po

int

of

view

sim

ply

b

eca

use

th

e o

ther

o

pp

osi

ng

view

po

int

ha

ve

no

t ta

ken

th

e ti

me

to

sub

mit

a s

imil

ar

pie

ce.

Alt

ho

ugh

th

e

foll

ow

ing

art

icle

re

fers

to

a

gen

era

l

„pro

ca

ne‟

st

an

ce

in

Ken

ya,

it

is

imp

ort

an

t to

no

te t

ha

t th

at

is n

ot

tru

e

for

all

Ken

yan

s ju

st a

s th

e o

pp

osi

te

wo

uld

no

t b

e tr

ue

of

all

Eu

rop

ean

s.

In Kenya, the cane has been a staple form

of discipline and behavioural modification

for years. As a result, some still believe

that it is an effective tool for teachers and

parents alike, as it gives them the authority

they need to keep children on the straight

and narrow.

One of the pro-cane points raised at the

Teule volunteers‟ ACD was that this kind of

punishment tends to be over

sensationalised by those who are against it.

After all, in most cases, a misbehaving child

is only hit once or twice – that is, enough to

reprimand them but “not enough to do them

any harm”. We found this a particularly

interesting point. On a surface level, it‟s

true – a mild tap with a switch or rod is

unlikely to do a child harm, but this

argument only stands if we recognise harm

as physical damage only. But, in 2015, our

understanding of harmful behaviour has

evolved; we now know that pain can be

emotional (as outlined in Article 19 of the

CRC which states children should be

protected from all forms of violence)

This is something we must bear in mind

when discussing physical punishment. Thus,

the questions remain: can we ignore the

negative psychological effects of being

shamed in front of a class of peers? Can we

endorse the clear power imbalance that a

tool like the cane creates in a classroom

environment and the long-lasting effects

that this can have on a child‟s psyche? And

finally, can we really justify an instrument

which instils in children the fear to speak

out against authority? For us, this last point

is a particularly sinister one, as we all know

that school is one of the most important

factors in a person‟s life – it‟s the link

between childhood and adulthood and the

place where you learn how to behave in the

grown-up world. In light of this, it seems

dangerous for schools to be teaching

children that violence is the ultimate

authority.

Furthermore, if the purpose of an education

centre is to empower people, the use of

something which exists almost exclusively

to humiliate and undermine children seems

unnecessary,

After all, teaching and parenting are

incredibly stressful and sometimes it can

be tempting to pull out the ultimate trump

card, i.e “I can (cane you), so I will”.

However, the CRC states that “the best

interests of children must be the primary

concern in making decisions that may

affect them and all adults should do what is

best for children”, and in our opinion what‟s

right for the child is not necessarily the

same as what‟s easy for an educator or

parent.

To summarise, we understand that

corporeal punishment is a tradition with

deep roots in Kenya, and we understand

why people all over the world still believe in

its effectiveness, and we can be

sympathetic to this context. However, from

our perspective, violence will only ever

breed violence… As the Christian teaching

says, an eye for an eye and the whole world

would be blind. We believe there‟s a lesson

in there for everyone. More needs to be

done to safeguard the livelihoods of

children in Kenya and to break the cycle of

this outdated form of punishment.

MAIN TEXT: LUCY & DAN IMAGE: MESHACK AN EYE FOR

AN EYE

Noomayianat is a community

development organization based in

the sunbaked town of Kimana. The

smell of engines and roasting maze

(Rahab‟s favourite) on the roadside

mingles amongst the sand like dust.

Sat not far from the center, the lime

green and white candy stripes of

the rented office greet a collection

of Maasai, farmers and local people

who wander in throughout the day.

Those fresh bright paints are

thanks, in part, to the brushstrokes

of VSO volunteers. Not our usual

volunteer activity but a result of an

impending visit from VVF, a donor

to NCDO and NCDO‟s need to

impress and secure future funding.

Focused on environmental

conservation and secure

livelihoods, this organization is

making a visible impact on the

community it serves, with lined

water furrows running myriad from

five local springs – now protected

from both human and animal

disruption. As my baba explained

“Kimana is a town of maize”,

always growing thanks to the

systems of irrigation, developed

mostly by NCDO and its ongoing

mission to improve farming

techniques and technology.

Recent projects include the

installation of solar panels to pump

water from local shallow wells,

saving both time and hard labor of

the women and children that collect

it, many having walked over two

hours to reach the pumps.

Rahab and I are the volunteers

placed here this cycle; currently we

are researching and writing

proposals to support adult education

through self-sustaining income

generating activities. One of the

options currently under scrutiny is

bee keeping. Keeping bee‟s certainly

has a certain romantic ideal about it;

how rewarding and environmentally

beneficially! But things are never that

sweet or straight forward. Many of

the NCDO aided groups we met with

had hives, some for the last three or

five years, yet when asked about

quantities of honey harvested, they

all replied the same – none, no bees!

Aside from being massively

disappointed not to be taking a

sample of the golden nectar home, it

also highlights a far more concerning

issue; why? Why the lack of bees and

perhaps more poignantly why are we

funding an activity apparently so ill-

suited to the area?

We looked into pig-rearing, heard

about the issues and benefits of

French beans, bead making and

fattening of bulls; anything that

might be strong enough to support a

system of adult education centers,

particularly in order to benefit the

isolated Maasai living in the interior.

Thanks to Mr. Kwamuma, potentially

the only success story with 75 hives, a

store of honey, a man who describes

himself as having honey in his blood

and several generations of experience,

we haven‟t given up hope!

Here is a perfect example of long term

development, where results are sought

in sustainable livelihood plans and an

example of how vital sufficient training

and support is provided in those infant

stages of a project. I suspect this is

where NCDO‟s hives have fallen flat, so

again, there is hope. The lack of buzzing

bee filled hives is not due to an ill-suited

area but instead an ill-equipped

community. If there‟s one thing VSO

champions above all else, it‟s the

sharing of skills and knowledge to

enable through the power of people.

Though Rahab and I are unlikely to

witness the full fruits of our work, being

only two months remaining,

strengthening the network that engages

skill sharing will mean that, a few cycles

down the line, the community will.

Noomayianat.Community.Development.Organisation

TEXT: H

ETTIE IMA

GES: JO

HN

BA

A

We‟d like to offer a massive congratulations to those of you who have now been selected as volunteers for cycle 3, wherever you are , reading

this magazine, we‟re glad you‟re a part of our trials and successes in equal measure. We are intending on setting up some online forums for

Loitokitok volunteers so if you‟re due to come out here next cycle please feel free to email me : hettie.colquhoun@live.com so we can get you all

linked up and get a sense of continuity running for the program.

My main piece of advice is perhaps an unexpected one; bring a laptop. When I thought of coming to Kenya I happily cast aside my technology

thinking the break from Facebook and films on my hard drive would be a refreshing source of relief allowing me to fully immerse in Loitokitok life.

What I hadn‟t accounted for was the need to use it for work. I still don‟t care about using it for social media, entertainment or Skype but I do

regret not having it at my disposal for research and the ability to work independently on my own schedule. Plus being on the media team it‟s an

added headache, we can‟t produce a magazine by hand, though it might sound creative and arty, VSO wouldn‟t be smiling about it.

With our mid-phase review complete (more of that next issue) half way through our time here, the race is on to get projects implemented and

that feeling of tangible change burrowed in. Though, with such a short time allotted each cycle of volunteers it‟s important to value the long term

impacts, even through these slower channels, than just hunt out quick fixes merely for our satisfaction or sense of personal achievement.

Never give up hope, beyond all else, if we work towards the utopia we‟ll certainly reach further than if we merely aim for a half spun purgatory.

Though at times it may feel you‟ve reached a stalemate, remember if only one thing in life is sure, it is that change, is the only constant.

HAND PRINTS DONATED BY THE PALMS OF RAHAB KARISA & HETTIE COLQUHOUN

MEDIA TEAM: HETTIE COLQUHOUN, SAMMY KAZUNGU, SAMUEL MUTUKU & MESHACK MUSEMBI

FRONT COVER IMAGE: LIANI

BACK COVER IMAGE: HETTIE

NEXT ISSUE: MID PHASE REVIEW,

CHAPATTI COMPETITION, HIV TESTING

DRIVE, INSIDE STORIES and MUCH

MUCH MORE