Thursday, November 14, 2013

November 14: A Group Effort and a View of Mt. Kenya

Wednesday's activities involved a collective effort of the DWC team together with about 20 adult  members of the village  including both men and women.  We replaced  sections of the original  local 1 1/2 inch PVC water distribution line in the adjacent County of Fittings with 3 inch pipe to allow for an expansion of the system to service more families.  In my mind as a planner it might have made sense to  go larger in diameter to plan for the future, but this seemed furthest from their minds at this time.


  
This trench was only a couple feet deep and in an open area beside the road and was more in line with the pictures we had seen on the DWC website. Only about 100 feet was dug up and back filled in our time there today, so to us progress seemed slow, but it was mostly because there were a limited number of shovels (also too short, too round and too flat) and hoes so that we all had to take turns at the job. There is no doubt that today's task and the future work on this section of the distribution system could be more efficiently handled with a small backhoe, but the local people would not take the same pride in their accomplishments I'm sure as they did today. To those of the local community in attendance tremendous progress was in fact made, both at the task at hand, but in learning more of each other's lives and  traditions as we sat together chatting over tea /coffee and bread when we were done. There were  some very enlightening conversations which hopefully will be shared by other members of the team when able.



Our work was over by early afternoon but not at our choosing, and all of us felt we had not given enough of our time to the day's task or to the project, but these things are not within our control. So it was back to the lodge for a late lunch and a cold beer or two, some reading and a little volleyball.

We finally at the end of the day as the clouds parted from the mountains were able to catch our first glimpse of the snow covered peak of  Mount Kenya. Spectacular sight. 


We do not know what the next days job will be until we gather in the morning with the project coordinator Margaret. Our first order of the day, as it is every day and was again at the completion of today's efforts, was for Margaret to give thanks in prayer to God and to all those that have made this water project possible. 

Beth Halpenny
DWC Participant 
Kenya, November 2013

November 13: A Tour of the Community

Its the Kenya Water Project Team reporting in again with some bedtime reading:

As you will note-getting a little more descriptive on our precise location.

All is well here and we have had no rain these past two days which has made for much improved working conditions! Yesterday the group split up with the "elder" members taken by Faith on a walking tour of the water tanks that had been built in the village by past volunteers or service organizations, a visit to the project office and a visit to the homestead of some of our host partners. Some trivia we learned from our time spent with Faith today: (more so a note to myself so I don't forget).

We at first thought residents in the village got water from the storage tanks directly as we had seen people carrying jugs, but a family unit can pay 25,000 KES ($ 295.00 CDN) or more if they are able, to have a water connection to their house. On top of that there is a monthly maintenance fee of 200 KES. If a family cannot afford to pay for the maintenance fee they must work on the project for the day, a day's pay being equivalent to 200 KES ($3.00 CDN). Yes that's all- makes our minimum wage not look so bad! If a family can't pay the fee and does not show up to contribute their time to the project the neighbors have the ability to shut off their water to avoid anyone taking advantage of the good will of others, however in a village where there is such caring for one another and everyone seems to be "family" in the collective sense, one doubts that this ever would occur. If it did, the only alternate water source is the river but even if at a location within close proximity of the village it is of questionable quality due to human or agricultural impact.

Memorable moments of the elders' day: Tuesday we were visiting with one of the local mothers whom, despite being very ill at 70 but seemingly more like 90, was still tending her six gorgeous grandchildren and was nonetheless just so happy to have us peak into her home as a matter of interest. It was entirely of wood slab construction as there is no dimensional lumber here, and the roof was made of tin although some homes in the village have thatched roofs. There was a mud floor, no hydro and all in all very primitive by even local standards.

We were also welcomed into Faith's home and met husband Frederick who took time from hoeing his potato field to pick and serve us passion fruit from his trees, show us around their farm and the "forest" which the couple were gushing with pride about as they had planted it themselves. The wood from the forest which they selectively clear and some coal sold locally, are the only source of fuel for cooking. Their house had a concrete floor, a small 1x2 ft solar panel on the roof that powered only a couple of light bulbs when it was working and the "toilet" was an outhouse with only a small whole in the floor so one has to have good aim!

Sam and Joanne with Faith, Frederick, and kids.

There is no refrigeration of course. The milk is direct from the goats so we do tend to have only boiled milk with our tea of coffee. Whatever meat they eat is what they kill that day or is bought fresh from the local store and consumed only fresh.

The main crop being harvested now is potatoes for a bag of about 200 kg which will sell for anywhere from 1500 KES4 to 2500 KES ($30.00 CDN max) in peak season and they only get two crops a year. Not a large sum by any means. They also grow their own fruit such as lemons, tomatoes, bananas, papaya, mango, and pineapple and in fact we passed a 10,000 acre Del Monte Pineapple operation on our route here from nearby. Always thought pineapple came from the US and Hawaii. A variety of vegetables common to us are grown for local consumption so they are virtually self sufficient in this regard importing little from elsewhere that they really need. Green bananas are a fruit that is boiled and served as a vegetable like a potato - quite interesting.

Many farms of the less able families are owned by the government and on a 3 acre plot a family will plant potatoes which they sell themselves for profit, but in exchange they must plant cyprus trees and tend them as part of the reforestation project.

Not much of a productive day Tuesday for the four ladies in terms of the project, but it was a day for learning more of the culture, seeing and meeting local people and marveling at their lives with no cares, no material possessions, and nothing but a positive outlook on life. What does seem odd though is that despite the simplicity of life here, many young people have cell phones and some apparently are on facebook! However the majority as one would expect, certainly know nothing about a computer. Cell phones are charged with solar power with their being no electricity in their homes and we haven't yet found the "internet cafe"!!

The younger members of the project team tackled the replacement of some sections of the water line in the rain forest valley Tuesday, but fortunately conditions were nowhere near what we encountered on day one of the project site. They were challenged with some pipe connection issues to reduce from 10 inch steel to 8 inch PVC which team member Dan an engineer, observed with much frustration. All that was needed was a reducing flange/collar which they did not have or had not even though about. But as volunteers here only we are to take the lead of the project coordinator and only assist when and how we are asked. In the end the time spent walking to and from the project site was longer than the time spent on the job but this seems to be quite typical from what we understand. No one seems concerned.

Brooke and Dan heading out to the site.

Beth Halpenny 
DWC Participant 
Kenya, November 2013

November 12: A Trek to say the least...

We are back after our first day on the job so to speak, more of an orientation day really, but I wanted to send a picture (below) of the job site as we found it today. Quite amazing in all respects and nowhere near what we had expected to find, in fact much more of a challenge than one imagined from the accounts of past volunteers, pictures and videos on the DWC website. 



Firstly we were prepared on this trip with gear for warm weather with work shorts and maybe a pair of long pants thrown in for protection from the bugs only. Little did we know when most turned up in shorts for our first day's expedition that the team would be sent back to put on long pants for protection from the stinging nettles, several layers for some warmth and rain gear also as we were heading into a rain forest. Who would have known that weather in Africa at what is the start of their Spring could be so cool, nor would we have had any inkling of the sort of conditions we we're faced with today.

The village was quiet warm and dry when we started out and in fact was the same on our return several hours later. Nothing had changed. The smiling faces of the young happy children greeted us on our way to and from the work site with the greeting "Jambo" or Hello. It was a holiday today and for most of the week for younger children as the older ones are writing their exams today.

We started off as a group of seven volunteers and our local guides, Peter, James, Faith and the project coordinator Margaret. Both of these ladies were in light canvas shoes and dressed in long skirts heading to the work site for the day. As an aside, apparently there is a cultural tradition here that the ladies cannot wear pants after their first son is married unless their husbands' concur. Odd and not practical, but so we are told.

It was warm and humid but not overly so when we left the village. We walked to the job site from the village which is about elevation 1050m above sea level to the base of Mt Kenya going up maybe 100 m or so I'm told. Our trek was on foot which will be the daily routine, and is about 12km return into the valley which is in a rain forest at the base of Mt Kenya.

When we finally found our way to the water distribution pipe at the base of the valley it was pouring rain, cool and a quagmire of mud. I say "found our way" as we literally almost got lost foraging our way through the rain forest trying to find the work site. Our group of four were trying to a take short cut, with a guide I might add, to catch up with the others whom had gone ahead. Our delay was a result of unfortunately losing one member of the Toronto team (my roomy Sue) to a bit of fatigue, altitude sickness or maybe the effects of the malaria drug we are not sure. What a shame for Sue but for her own well being it was best to stay behind, as hard as that would have been for her I'm sure. 


Our trip down the slope was uneventful thankfully but had its challenges and hazards along the way. It was steep and slippery and as we traversed the lower portions of the valley it dropped suddenly to the river on the downward side with open trenches from the previous water line installation on the side slope which had become overgrown and was somewhat hidden. One had to watch one's foothold and take a welcomed and helping hand often.

The river at the base of the valley flows very swiftly down the mountain, having gathered its volume from both rainfall and the glacial melt from the glaciers at the top of Mount Kenya. The water at the intake is clean but silty and this water is used currently both for irrigation and domestic water supply. Some of water is stored along the way down the mountain in various water tanks to which people walk to to get their water.

The water distribution system that serves the community starting at the base of the mountains is in a deeply carved valley and it was installed originally in 1970. It is now in need of enlarging from 8 in to 10 in diameter to increase its capacity and service to the community and the steel pipe is being replaced with PVC. Sections of it must be dug up and the trench varies in depth from a couple feet to 6ft plus, but some sections of the pipe are readily visible on the surface or even suspended in places. However it is all in need of replacement over the course of the project and over time. But things don't happen quickly here so we have discovered, thus the phrase "hakuna matata" meaning no problem, or "Sawa Sawa", its OK.

We all returned safely to a warm sunny afternoon, a late lunch and an opportunity to write of this experience in our journals. But our clothes and boots remain wet and saturated with mud hopefully to dry before the fire tonight as tomorrow is another day.

Some may opt tomorrow to take on a different task, and one that is equally as beneficial to this community. It entails an ongoing reforestation project and tree planting effort. But others are destined to take on the challenge of some hands on excavation tomorrow in the river valley as shown in this photo.


To all those that read this, we feel perfectly safe here and well looked after by the staff at Mount Kenya Leisure Lodge where we are the only guests at present. The rooms are adequate but cool, hot water isn't necessarily guaranteed, but at the end of the day we can crawl into a bed warmed by a hot water bottle that had been slipped between the sheets while we were dining.

We have been welcomed with open arms and nothing but smiles from those in the community. The native people here are very friendly, open and laid back for sure. As I said things don't happen fast. The addition to the lodge and a pool were started in 2008 and still are not complete and I doubt will be anytime soon from what we saw happening today. Just as an observation, so many buildings we saw on our route in fact looked abandoned ( maybe even condemned before completion), but perhaps may have been under construction for many years. It seems most obvious that there is no such thing as a Building Code in Kenya or in this County nor any evident signs of worker safety regulations witnessed by the rickety "twig" scaffolding we saw on the side of the half completed buildings.

Anyways, this will be a trip of great memories, new friendships, and fun yet challenging experiences. if today's events are any indication.

Beth Halpenny 
DWC Participant 
Kenya, November 2013