Looking back on our Developing World Connections experience

Even up until the time I stepped onto the ground in Nairobi, I had no idea what I was getting myself into coming to Kenya to volunteer for a month. To say I was out of my comfort zone does not even begin to describe how far away from home I felt. Seeing street children in Nairobi asking me for money and candy broke my heart on day one. It's amazing to realize how far I've come after spending just one month in Kenya. I spent a lot of time getting to know the locals apart from working together with them every day. It's crazy the differences that are just part of everyday life here. I realize how lucky we are in Canada and how much we have, but at the same time I know I've been helping everyone here in the best way that I can.

“Daudi” Cole Murphy - Kamloops, BC
DWC Participant
Kenya, May 2012


This is my second time volunteering in East Africa with Developing World Connections and my first time taking on the challenge of leading a volunteer group. I strongly support DWC’s approach to sustainable development by providing service rather than aid. Traveling with DWC allows the participants to create strong bonds with community members by working alongside them towards a common goal. I have met so many great friends through DWC and I have a new branch of my extended family in Naro Moru. I was very happy to see such a strong focus on conservation in Naro Moru; this was apparent in our host partners with the Gitwe Water Project, the Mt. Kenya Reforestation Project, and also amongst the greater community of Naro Moru. I am very glad that I was able to share this experience with my fellow DWC volunteers and the community in Naro Moru! Each time that I have traveled with DWC it has provided me with an opportunity to learn and grow; this has truly been a life changing experience!

"Ciko" Sarah Armstrong - Saskatoon, SK

DWC Team Leader

Kenya, May 2012


I had a great time during my experience in Naro Moru with DWC. It was great to see the community involvement in Naro Moru, we had so much help with “kazi ngumu” each day and we certainly couldn’t have done it without their help. It was amazing to see how hard the community members were able to work; it has certainly given me a new appreciation for what “kazi ngumu” really is. I have made many great friends with many members of the community in Naro Moru and I think that DWC is very appropriately named as I have made many connections out here! It was great to work with the community members, the Gitwe committee, the Reforestation committee, and our team of Canadian volunteers who all shared a common vision of sustainable development in the projects that we helped out with. I have learned so much from my experience in Naro Moru and it has been interesting to see the culture and work ethic of the Kenyan people. It is great to see what can be done when people come together. I had an amazing time, asante sana Naro Moru!

"Mkubwa" Bryan Andres - Saskatoon, SK 
DWC Participant
Kenya, May 2012


My whole life I've wanted to come to East Africa and I am so glad to have been able to stay in Kenya for an entire four weeks. Working together with the people of Naro Moru has given me so many new friends and a feeling of belonging in this community so very different from my own. The smiles on everyone's faces here are beautiful to see and I know that even with the simpler way of life they live they are blessed with happiness. I have learned so much over the course of this project and am grateful for all the new experiences. Everyone from Mt. Kenya Hostel family, Gitwe Water Committee, Mount Kenya Reforestation Project, Developing World Connections, and everyone in the community here have made me feel welcome and I know they will all stay in my heart forever. Nakupenda Naro Moru and Kenya!

 "Makena" Danielle Anderson - Melfort, SK

DWC Participant

Kenya, May 2012


So I'm sitting here in Fort McMurray after my first day of work back on the oil riggs reflecting on my time in Africa.... All I can do while I sit in my small but nice camp room is compare these two completely different places. Everything in Africa seemed so simple with earlier morning greetings and cheerful conversation with the locals that were far more important than any deadline or appointment. Being in Africa was like being on the moon but in a very very good way, everything was so different and life seems to move in a more positive sensible direction with people caring about their community and neighbours. I notice that life was measured in kindness and happiness instead of money and possession which, I really appreciated and embraced. On our weekends we traveled to Mt. Kenya, Hells Gate National park and Masai Mara National park, I felt as if I had only scratched the surface of this beautiful country even though we put on some serious miles. I really can't say enough about the local people, volunteer team, Developing World Connections management and our host partners who cared for us like part of their extended family. This experience was so great, I plan to be part of another DWC volunteer experience and one day return to Kenya to visit some new friends in their beautiful country.


Darren Fransen - Kamloops, BC

DWC Participant

Kenya, May 2012


The time I've spent in Kenya has been incredible. I've been given the opportunity to travel to a developing country, meet locals from a small community and work with them to complete a project that directly impacted 400 people! I have developed relationships with people from an entirely different world, realising every day that no matter where you are from, laughter and good spirits are key ingredients to a healthy community. I have seen first hand the effects of hard work and determination in a community that some would consider underprivileged, but I would argue that the people of Naro Moru, Kenya have it figured out. They may not have fancy cars or big houses but they have respect for their family, respect for hard work and more kindness and love than any country I have ever been to. It has been a privilege to travel with Developing World Connections and work with the Gitwe water project and Mt. Kenya Reforestation project. I take pride in the work I have done and will cherish this experience forever.

Megan Dorwart - Saskatoon, SK

DWC Participant

Kenya, May 2012


Kenya was my third Developing World Connections experience and it was also my first time leading a group. As always it was an amazing experience. I really appreciated how environmentally conscious and forward thinking the community of Naro Moru was regarding preservation and conservation of their forest and water resources. It is always great to work closely with the community in a project that truly benefits them. Working with DWC really does allow you to build global connections and contribute to the global community, I now have a few more Mama's and many new brothers and sisters! When the water line project was completed we were invited to some homes of people who received water from the new line, what a joyous occasion to see our work in action. I really believe in the work that DWC and its host partners accomplish and I cant wait for my next trip!


Kazia Armstrong - Victoria, BC
DWC Assistant Team Leader
Kenya, May 2012

 

June 6th - 9th: Final Goodbyes

During our 3 day safari in Masai Mara, we saw lions, cheetahs, elephants, water buffalo, ostrich, impalas, and antelope. It was amazing to see African wildlife up close and personal! We were able to view the animals within a few meters of our vehicle. We also visited the Masai warriors in their village; they live in cow dung homes and subsist on a diet of cow blood, milk and occasionally meat. The Masai men and women showed us traditional dances and we were able to join in as well; the women had it easy while the men had to compete in a jumping contest (that is how you get the ladies as a Masai warrior). At the end of our traditional Masai experience Ciko exchanged email addresses with one of the warriors, developing yet another world connection!

On the 8th we returned back to our starting point in Nairobi, we had one final evening together and went out for a nice dinner. We said our final goodbye’s to our friends, David and Joseph from the Mt. Kenya youth hostel, who had taken such good care of us on safari and throughout our stay in Naro Moru. The 9th marks the official end of our experience with DWC and we will all say goodbye to each other; some will travel back to Canada while others will continue on another adventure through East Africa!

Asante sana DWC and Naro Moru, we have all learned and shared through this experience and Naro Moru will remain in all of our hearts! 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

June 4th and 5th: Safari journey begins

Today we will set off on a safari in Masai Mara. It is time for us to say our final goodbye’s to the family at the hostel that has taken such good care of us! After a series of photos with our extended Kenyan family we pile into the van for a long journey. Today we will return to Naivasha to stay overnight to break up the drive. Makena is staying in Naro Moru for the week and will reconnect with the group in Nairobi prior to departures.


Into the van again! Today we will reach our destination in Masai Mara. We made a stop at a hotel along the way for a meal and a cold drink. We were given a very warm welcome and we were treated like celebrities, many photos were taken by the hotel staff and we all signed the guestbook. By the end of the day (and after a rather long “African massage” ...or bumpy ride) we had arrived at our destination in Masai Mara. We set up our tents and settled in for the night; tomorrow is going to be a long day on safari!

DWC Team

Kenya, May 2012

June 3rd: Celebration time!

This will be a busy day! It is Sunday morning, this is our final day in Naro Moru and we will be having our celebration with the community this afternoon. Mkubwa, Njeri, and Ciko are headed to church with Ciko (it is a popular name!) who works at the hostel, while the others have decided to stay back to help prepare for the party. A lovely meal was prepared for our guests which included representatives from the Gitwe water committee, the Mount Kenya reforestation project as well as some of the community members that had helped us with kazi ngumu! After the meal we carried on with speeches from our guests and we were all given the opportunity to speak about our experience and share our gratitude with the community, we were also presented with certificates to commemorate our contribution to the project. As the party wrapped up we exchanged email addresses with our friends so that we can stay in touch for our next visit; all 8 of us have mentioned that we hope to return to Naro Moru. No Kenyan celebration would be complete without song and dance and we were thrilled to join in this experience, it was a wonderful finale to the party! Most of our guests had cleared out but there were a few women who were still cooking chapatti (an African flatbread) inside the house, a few of us were fortunate enough to try our hand at rolling and cooking the chapatti. It ended up that chapatti had led into another dance party and we all joined in for an encore celebration! 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

June 2nd: Revisiting the hard work that was done

We had a later start to our day today; we met with Benna and Francis from the Gitwe water committee at 10am at the starting point of our project 3 weeks ago. We walked along the 1.3km where we had laid the water pipeline and were able to go visit community members who now have water flowing through the pipes at their homes. We were joined along the way by James and Edward from the committee and made an even larger group by the time we arrived at our first stop at Kariuki's house. Kariuki had worked with us quite diligently throughout the project and our group had developed a special bond with him, particularly Makena! He was very happy to greet us all and to be able to show us the water that was coming to his home. From there we went on to 5 more homes in that area - all of whom were grateful for our donation and kazi ngumu! We saw where Peter had made his own trench for half a mile by himself to get pipes set up between his house and his parents. He had worked on it by himself in preparation for the time when this project finally connected the pipeline to him. The community members that we visited were also there working with us almost every day so it was special to us to know that we have directly helped our new marafiki (friends).

June 1st: The final water pipe is laid

Our last day with a jembe and kijiko (hoe and shovel) today! We have made our trench across the road (very kazi ngumu!) today and laid the pipe to make the final connection to the existing pipe line. Now water will be able to flow through the pipes to every member at all times of the year instead of just during the rainy season. There were lots of people from the community out today and also a lot of committee members to work and to witness the end of the project. Of course it couldn't have gone off without a hitch... there were a few moments once the last pipe had been laid that we had to wait patiently to be sure the water pressure was strong enough and there were no plugs in the line. Luckily it started flowing strongly again and we were able to connect the last pipe. It has been an amazing experience to work with the people here and become members of the community in our own rite. We have a special bond with the village here and everyone who has worked alongside us in order to reach our goal; we have developed world connections as well as a water connection together! 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 29th: Relaxing afternoon by the river

Officially working towards the end of kazi ngumu this week, by Friday we should have all of the pipes laid and covered and the water should be flowing! We have also been able to spend some afternoons at the Reforestation Project sifting dirt and packing it into small bags so that they can plant seeds into them. The afternoons there are so relaxing surrounded by the gorgeous scenery and the sound of the river running along nearby. This project is managed entirely by local volunteers and it is great to be able to help them out with such a worthwhile project and share in our passion for environmental sustainability and conservation! 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 27th: Weekend getaway

We spent a wonderful weekend away at Lake Naivasha and Hellsgate National Park. Leaving early Saturday morning, we drove through Nairobi and to Lake Naivasha. Before heading over to our accommodations for the night, we headed out on the lake for a Hippo Tour! We went out in two boats for about an hour and a half. We saw a couple different families of hippos and a few species of birds. We headed for land and shelter when the rain came down hard and fast and then back out on the boat to take us to a piece of land that was used during the filming of Out of Africa. An unexpected perk for a hippo ride - there were zebras, wildebeests, gazelle and giraffes (not our volunteer Twiga...the real deal)! We got to walk right along the same paths they use and actually got pretty close to where they were browsing. It was a terrific afternoon! Later we stayed in cute little cabins and had our first experiences sleeping under mosquito nets as they are not required at the altitude we are used to near Mt. Kenya. We woke up the next morning ready to ride! Bike ride that is. Six of us took the opportunity to go on a cycling tour of Hellsgate National Park. We rode by baboons, zebras, impalas, gazelles, and funny little warthogs to name a few of the animals. By the time we were ready to meet the van and head home it was a quick sprint to the gate of the park and we did end up with two bike riding casualties... but they wore their scrapes and bruises proudly!

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 25th: Another week of planting

Another week of kazi ngumu is finished and we were able to plant another 50 trees at another primary school here in Naro Moru. It was a great afternoon as each of us seemed to have our own team of children to show us around their school. Some ran us around the track, while others were imitated when the children drew chalk beards on their faces to look like them. There were many games played and songs sung and we all learned a lot from each other and spent a great couple of hours together. Since this primary school was a little bit further from our home at the hostel, we were able to get David to be our driver again today and took an even further detour into Nanyuki across the equator from where we are staying. We had a nice time in Nanyuki, shopping to prepare for our weekend away and having supper together out at a restaurant.

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 23rd: Great progress is being made

A foreseeable endpoint now exists for kazi ngumu, we are almost at our goal! With continued help from the community we are able to make quick progress. Next week we will be able to lay the pipes and recover the trenches, the fruits of our labor will be realized when the water will flow to over 400 community members. 

This afternoon we picked up 50 trees from the reforestation project and headed to Manyatta Primary school. We were paired with students from the eighth grade who helped us with the planting task. It was an amazing experience for all of us, we were able to share information about Canada, our culture and our favorite activities. The students reciprocated, telling us of their families, school life and their lovely Kenya. It was an unforgettable experience to say the least. It is a wonderful keepsake to know that the trees we planted and the memories we made will grow and flourish here, many of us are already planning return trips at some point, the end of this experience is coming far too quickly. 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 22nd: A different kind of kazi ngumu

The kazi ngumu continues on and we are making some great progress. As if digging trenches isn't enough, we have added some extra work to our daily schedule, and have been invited to work with the Mt. Kenya Tree Reforestation Project in the afternoons. Unfortunately on Monday the rain prevented us from working and today we managed to make it to the project for brief introductions. The project site is a beautiful oasis, a hidden gem located next to river amongst the trees. At the site they plant seeds and grow seedlings to plant throughout the community. Again the rain prevented us from doing much work but we have been informed that tomorrow we will visit Manyatta Primary School to plant 50 trees, we have a teacher in the group and she couldn't be more excited about visiting a school. 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 20th: Off to hike Mt. Kenya!

It has been a long week of kazi ngumu and on our day off we decided that we would do some kazi ngumu of a different sort and 6 members of our group set out on a day trek up Mount Kenya. We decided to drive up to Met Station which is 3000 m above sea level and begin our hike from there so that we would be able to see as much as we could in the time that we had. During our drive up the mountain we saw many water buffalo and small deer-like animals called bushbucks, we were also fortunate to see all 3 species of primates that live on the mountain. As we reached higher elevation we were able see changes in the vegetation; we were surrounded by tall trees and as we climbed beyond the treeline, the flora was much smaller and widely spaced. We also saw some leopard scat along our hike which was quite an exciting find for the two biologists that are on our team. We had a simple lunch with our two guides Jeff and Wilson after a few hours of hiking. After lunch 4 members and Jeff began the trek down the mountain while 2 others and Wilson continued on for a longer trek, the more avid group managed to reach a stop point at 3800 m before heading back to join the rest of the group for our drive back home to the hostel. 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 18th: The community comes together

Yesterday Benna had asked us if we would give her permission to be with us everyday of kazi ngumu, and of course we all agreed that we would love to spend as much time with her as possible! We also had Francis from the committee along with us today and he does a very good job at making sure that we are all on task. Today we had a lot of support from the community and over 60 people came out to help us along in the trenches, needless to say we made significant progress today! 
One more day of kazi ngumu and then we will have one day off for a trip to Mount Kenya! 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 16th: Our Kenyan mother Benna

Back in the trenches once again! It is wonderful to see how much progress we have made since the previous day and we are slowly but surely getting used to the work. Each day of work we are accompanied by a couple members from the water project committee and we have been fortunate to have had Benna watching over us for the last couple of days. Benna is warm and loving and we have already begun to think of her as our Kenyan mother. This is the final day that Benna has been assigned to work with us and she has invited us to her home to have chai with her before we head for our lunch at the hostel. It is very nice to have a small group so that we are able to be extended such an invitation, we feel truly at home and welcomed into the community here in Naro Moru!

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 15th: Kazi Ngumu begins (Hard work)

It is our first day of kazi ngumu, and we have begun to understand that it truly is very hard work! Before we had started we had assumed that we would be able to put in a standard North American 8 hour work day and we had wondered why we were only scheduled to be working from 9am-1pm. After about one hour of working at the earth with jambe and kijiko (hoe and shovel) we realized that quitting time at 1pm would be appropriate. It is customary for Kenyans to have a traditional name as well as a Christian name. When we had met with the committee members we were told that we would all be given a traditional Kikuyu name and within the first few hours we had all been assigned our new names. In our group we have Ciko and Mwangi which are tribal names, Twiga (giraffe) for our tallest member, Mkubwa for our largest member, Nyakanini for one of our smaller members, Makena which means "always jolly", Njeri which means generous, and Daudi which translates to David. 

DWC Team
Kenya, May 2012

May 14th: Introductions and Orientation

This morning we met with six of the eleven project committee members we will be working with. Following introductions, we set off for a tour of the reforestation and irrigation projects that are currently taking place in this community. We learned that the people of Naro Moru were unhappy with the destruction of their forests and decided to take action to obtain control of the land. The community committed to rebuilding and protecting the area and providing sustainable solutions for supplying food and water to the entire community for future generations . The portion of the project we are responsible for is digging a 1.5km trench (kazi ngumu) to provide water to 400 more community members. In order to spare us from only digging trenches for the duration of our stay, we will also plant trees at local schools and work at the tree nursery. The entire community has welcomed us and made us feel very at home, they have expressed very sincere gratitude for the work we will be doing and that DWC has already done. After meeting the committee and seeing the community we are all very eager to get digging! 

May 13th: Settling in to our new home

We arrived in Nairobi Saturday night after a long day of travel. Seven of us had travelled together from Canada and the eighth member of our team had travelled from New Zealand and was already waiting for us in Nairobi with our driver David. David took us to our hotel (The Delta...Nairobi style) for the night and we settled in.

First thing in the morning we went out shopping for rubber boots at the Nakumat, the London Drugs of East Africa. It is the rainy season in Kenya and none of us had come completely prepared. Once we were stocked up we were ready to head out for the 4 hour drive to Naro Moru.

We had a couple of stops along the way but made it to Manyatta (just outside of Naro Moru Town where we will be doing our project) well before dark. They welcomed us at Mt. Kenya Youth Hostel with big smiles and little snack before supper. I think we were all surprised at how amazing our accommodations were. The three boys are in their room and then five girls in our room. The hostel is spacious and the food is so great! The family running the hostel has a smile and a hug for everyone and definitely make us feel very at home. 

After a long few days of travel we were ready for a rest so we would be ready to begin kazi ngumu (hard work) on Monday.  

 DWC Team
 Kenya, May 2012

May 2012: Students arrive in Naro Moru, Kenya

A group of students led by Team Leaders Sarah Armstrong and Kazia Armstrong, has arrived safely in Naro Moru, Kenya. The Developing World Connections volunteer team is composed of young global citizens, from Kamloops, Victoria, Saskatoon, and Toronto.

The team got a great start to the project, and has been busy working hard on the Gitwe Irrigation Water Project. They are also spending some of their time at local schools in the rural village of Manyatta to interact with the children and work on maintenance and repairs of the buildings.

The rain is consistent, everyday around noon.

We will keep you all posted on the progress of the project!


DWC Staff
May 2012

April 2012: Bodwell is back in Kenya!

From April 14th to the 28th, students from Bodwell high school will travel to Maai Mahiu to break ground on the first Knowledge and Resource Center for Host Partner, Comfort the Children (CTC)!

CTC International’s Knowledge and Resource Center will serve as the very first library in Maai Mahiu, narrowing the development divide between rural and urban areas and opening new worlds of opportunity. The center will provide essential support to all of CTC’s educational programs: adult education, after school tutoring and Rafiki Link. By allowing for dual use as a cybercafé, the center will also provide an important source of income.
 

CTC is making concerted efforts to build a center that is locally relevant. They are striving to have local textbooks available and additional resources to train community members in the research of practical solutions to local problems. Plus, the centre will provide increased awareness of education and job opportunities, improved technological and traditional literacy of community members, improved results among Maai Mahiu area schools and an increased number of community members engaged in civic life.

DWC Bodwell High School Participants

Maai Mahiu, Kenya, April 2012

Naro Moru, Kenya: There is water in the tank!!!

Our last day on the project concluded with a few hours of work and water in the tank! As we finish laying the pipes, we discover that we are about 3 pipes short. There is no way we can leave now after coming oh so close to our goal. A designated individual rides his bicycle 7km into town and returns shortly with 3, 20ft PVC pipes on the back of his bike. Unreal.

While waiting for the pipes, we decide to participate in a few friendly push-up and arm wrestling contests. The locals are tough, but I must say the Canadians took gold this time around.

The last three pipes have now been laid and everyone is eager to see the water flow from the forest tank, to the other. We hear it coming, and decide a countdown is in order. 3,2,1 ... no water. So we were off by a few minutes, but we are now used to Kenyan time so Hakuna Matata! We cheer and celebrate with high fives, and big hugs as we finally hear the water splash it's way in. It was an amazing feeling and a wonderful moment. A sense of accomplishment, pride, and pure joy.

The mood turns bittersweet, as we soon say goodbye to those who have worked with us side by side for the last 2 weeks. As a team, we decide to invite some of our closest friends to our celebratory closing ceremony. Back at the house, massive quantities of food are being prepared, and I must say I'm pretty excited to wear clean clothes!

Each committee member expresses their appreciation of our team for coming to Naro Moru, and assisting in the Gitwe Irrigation Water Project. Paul, the Chief of the community, said a few words that I can't seem to forget. He reminded us that we could have come to Kenya as tourists, to climb Mt. Kenya, to visit the slums in Nairobi, etc. However, that we chose to come to the community of Naro Moru, and offer our services on this community project. He told us that God had decided to send them a miracle, and that this miracle was our group of 7 Canadians. I have now come full circle with my emotions, and try really hard not to shed tears. I fail.

I am able to thank the committee members, the community, our new friends, our cook, and our caretakers for welcoming us into their lives and for making every moment unforgettable. I hope to go back to Kenya someday and visit my new friends. I hope to see their beautiful faces once again.

Francis - you were the most amazing Project Supervisor and I thank you for making it happen! Lucy, Regina, Joseph and David - there is no way we would have been able to work so hard without you feeding us and taking care of us and driving us loud Canadians everywhere. To all 11 committee members, thank you for your hard work and organization of the project. And to our new friends, Evans, Kelvin, Joel, Kevin, Vincent, John, Naaf, Bryan, and Stephen. It was wonderful to meet you all. You are the leaders of tomorrow, and I wish you nothing but success in your bright futures. I will miss you dearly, and cannot wait to see you all again.

We end the night with wonderful African song and dance! Ps. Kenyans are also amazing dancers!!!

Cheers to Africa!

Asante sana,

Jasmine Dhillon
DWC Team Leader
Kenya December 2011