Selecting new ASSETS eco-bursary beneficiaries 2010

This was another momentous occasion in the operations of the ASSETS eco-bursary fund; a great opportunity to give hope to a needy student and an important habitat in Africa. The eco-bursary sub-committee met to deliberate on the students to receive bursaries for the next four years. The meeting today was held at Town Secondary school where Hemed Ndonga, one of the committee members teaches. A total of 25 students were selected today from among 26 applicants while two more are still waiting for assessment. The number of applicants this year was low due to an overall poor academic performance by most primary school. The process which was expected to last a couple of hours in the morning ended taking most of the day as a result of thorough scrutiny of application and assessment form and by the committee. Every application was discussed in length to fully determine the level of need and support required. After the selection process the committee came up with a work plan for the rest of the year. Among the activities outlined for this year include visiting beneficiaries in their secondary schools to encourage and challenge the students to work hard in class. Meetings with the parents were also organized to create awareness about the conservation challenges of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek. The committee planned two major tree planting events one of which will take place at Girimacha where there has been serious degradation. Looking forward to a busy year!

Last shot, Alfred almost missed

A well crafted explanation almost cost the education of a Alfred Baya, a former pupil of Kahingoni Primary School . After all the other eco-bursary applicants had been assessed I went through all the students' application and assessment forms before they were tabled for discussion by the bursary sub-committee. In the event I discovered that the number of application forms issued did not match those returned and assessed. According to the process of selecting new ASSETS beneficiaries this was a major anomaly that called for immediate action. This prompted me to seek for an explanation from my colleagues. Just like a school pupil I would have believed everything the teacher said except for this one which I considered a serious matter. The explanation received from Alfred's former school teacher was that Alfred's parents were so poor, they had decided not to bother apply for the bursary as they could not even afford the school uniform.

Early the next day, I was on my motorbike heading to Kahingoni on the western side of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest to verify this dire situation. Upon arrival, at about 10.00 a.m, I got a slightly different explanation from another teacher that the student was given the application form which he filled in but did not return it for processing. At this point there was no explanation why he did not return the form and for the first time we were informed by Janet, his 10 year old sister, that he he had reported to Cotangent Baptist Secondary School the previous day. In the next 15 minutes, I am sitting in the head-teacher's office Vietnam Baptist secondary school and hearing it from the horses mouth. Here Alfred confirmed that he had filled in the application form and returned it to the teacher who had initially told us that the boy was so desperate he could not even apply for the bursary. Back at Kahingoni, the teacher launches a desperate search for the application form in vain. After a long wait I decided to go to Alfred's home for the assessment without the seemingly lost application form.

In just under 10 minutes riding through overgrown foot-paths we arrive to this tiny structure which at first sight appears to have been abandoned. No higher than 2 meters, its dimensions must have been no more than 4 m by 2 m. As we approached two girls, must have been aged between 3 and 5 came out of the structure obviously scared by the sound of the motorbike. "Is this home?" I ask Alfred as there seems to be no more road. "Yes it is", Alfred answers as he struggled off the motorbike. I stood there for the next couple of minutes with the assessment form in hand wondering where to start. "Are both your parents alive?" I Begin expecting the worst out of the question." By this time Alfred was busy trying to pull a piece of log for the important visitor to sit on. I was dumbfounded as Alfred described to me how the whole family of seven children and two parents aged 35 years lived in this tiny structure which doubled as a granary and a kitchen as well. I must admit, this was the worst case I have ever encountered in my Nine years working with ASSETS.

As we were preparing to leave the teacher called to say that he had found the application form amid st his many other documents in his desk. When I took Alfred back to Cotangent Baptist, I was very impressed by the head-teacher who was curious to know Alfred's situation from the assessment. After a detailed description, it wasn't difficult to convince the head-teacher not to send Alfred home for school fees as were going do our best support him. As I watched Alfred walk back to class I was filled with deep pity for him thinking that he almost missed this opportunity.

Planning for the Mida Bird Hide renovations

At last we can meet and plan for the renovations. For the last six months we have been waiting for this moment. The Safaricom Foundation has very generously given us a grant of Ksh. 750,000 (USD 9,600) for a complete overhaul of the Mida Creek walkway and Bird hide which has in the last four years contributed over 100 bursaries to the local secondary school children.

This facility has been closed for the last one month awaiting funds as promised by the foundation.
Todays meeting was to select five casual employees from the community to work on the facility. Rojan Taylor, a local engineer has offered to help us with designing and implementing the renovations.
My day started very well this morning. While getting ready to go to work, I was listening to the radio basically for the weather focast to know whether I need a rain-coat or not but in the process heard more pleasant news. Tourism projections for the rest of the year according to the Citizen Radio news bulletin this morning look very encouraging. With over 80% bed-night bookings for hotels along the coast, there is at last light at the end of the tunnel. The renovations are therefore very timely as they will be completed just before the tourism season peaks.

Esther tells her story

   It was nice to have Esther visit our offices in Mwamba today. As a graduate in the ASSETS bursary scheme, Esther Kache Karisa graduated from Bogamachuko primary school and headed to Ribe girls for her high school. She graduated from Ribe girls in the year 2007 and attained a mean grade of B-. During her time in high school she was really hardworking and dedicated to her education. Because of  her poor background Esther did not believe she was going through her secondary education. ‘It’s the ASSETS support that has seen me through my high school education’, Esther said. ‘Lots of appreciation to the ASSETS scheme’, Esther continued.  Esther is now 20 years old.

 Esther visit was also to inquire if there was extended support to university. It was very sad when she learnt that in the month of July I went to her home looking for her. It was sadder when the parents said they did not know the whereabouts of this girl. Esther was really bitter of this lost chance.  Below she explains her sad story.

‘I left home 3 years ago when I was in form two. Enough had been enough. I remember very well, I went to school and over the holiday I would work as a house maid to get some money for my pocket because the ASSETS scheme was paying for my school fees. It was not easy. After my final exam in November 2007, I went to my sister in Malindi town. Since then I have worked as a kiosk attendant in Kilifi and Mombasa and now am quitting job to help my sister who had an operation recently.’

It was like squeezing water out of a stone when Esther was telling me her story. She broke down in the midst of the story and was unable to finish. Too sad for Esther, it dawned on me that she was greatly mistreated by both parents.

The worst part is that she was 1 of 10 students to be interviewed in July 2008 for the chance to be the winner of one bursary from GIFT International which would pay fees for a university course.  Because of her parents mistreatment she was not at home when I went looking for her and so missed out on the chance to even try for the place.

It’s so sad when we hear these stories, mistreated by parents who are unable to see how well she has done in school. Esther even worked during the holidays to get money to top up the school fees.  But at least through the work of Assets Esther has been able to complete her high school certificate and therefore her chances of employment are far greater than they would otherwise have been.  Please pray for her as she looks to the future.

Tony Kasungu, ASSETS staff member.

What are your “Indicators” of impact?

This is a question everyone who applies for funding from any donor has to answer. Well, 100% of the answers given are hypothetical or only apparent and therefore a big test for the project designer who tries to prove them true and valid. For conservation projects, it is even further complicated by the slow realization of results and the costs attached to proper evaluation processes. Nevertheless conservation work can be unbelievably rewarding as one sees the signs of impact being made. For ASSETS, this is one of the many happy moments! Saturday the 9^th of August was a memorable day for ASSETS. This time not on my iron horse so don't ask how many times I fell off. Together with 3 members of the ASSETS committee we headed for Shanzu Teachers Training College. Guess for what? It was a graduation ceremony for one of the very first ASSETS beneficiaries. Leah Mwamure was recruited to the ASSETS project in 2002. She went to Bogamachuko primary school, proceeded to Vitengeni Baptist for her high school education. She graduated from high school in the 2005 and joined Shanzu Teachers Training College in 2006 for Primary Teacher 1 Training.

Leah is such a clever girl! Read this; during her time in the ASSETS project she was given 50 casuarina seedlings to plant and care for at her home. Her hard work saw over 90% of her seedlings surviving to maturity. After 4 years of rearing the trees, Leah sold some of them to raise part of her brother's secondary school fees as well as her 1st year college fees. Now, for years, we have dwelt on the objective "to alleviate the pressure on the community to exploit the forest'' this has at last come true.What an encouragement! not only to her parents but also to the ASSETS project.

We are so proud of her thus we could not afford to miss her big day. With the ASSETS committee, her mum, her elder sister and a young brother not mentioning friends and other close relatives, Leah felt part of a big community. Leah was very happy to see us. "You have made me warm and God bless you all", were Leah's comments as we closed the gates behind us.

Courtesy call

Today I had a great meeting with the new District Forest Officer (DFO), Malindi District. I have severally tried to meet with him to pick on his advise regarding community participation in conservation as regards the new forest act. At last I have managed to do so today! As he courteously ushered me into his office I was greeted by the very familier set up I have known for over 3 years with only one change, the officer on the chair.

After a lengthy explanation of how ASSETS has progressed over the last 6 years, it was evident that the DFO had had very little information about the programme. Armed with past reports, newletters, minutes of previous meetings and letters of authorisation from the Director of Kenya Forest Service, I had the pleasure of bringing him to par with the opearations. It however turned out that according to the new forest act, several adjustments might need to be made. This will only take place after proper policies are constituted by the Kenya Forest Service.

This meeting will be followed up with another visit by the comittee of ASSETS beneficiaries to chat a way forward for revenue collection from the Arabuko Tree Platform. We hope and pray that the relevant policies will be put in place sooner!

GIFT for the ASSETS graduates!

After many year of head scratching trying to avoid the question "what next after the student's graduate from secondary school", at last there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. ASSETS is now linked to a UK charity, Gift International which seeks to finance post secondary education.

Grassroots Initiative Funding and Training (GIFT International) is run by very experienced environmental education teachers attached to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the UK. This charity seeks to facilitate education and training of communities for the purpose of environmental conservation.

Thus it has been another day on the motor bike though this time not paying bursaries. I have been busy searching for the ASSETS graduates who qualify to join University and potential beneficiaries to this new initiative. From our initial assesement, we have identified 10 graduates who qualify for this assistance. Interviews are scheduled for the next week to pick on the best four. Out of these, two are girls, and the most encouraging thing is, they are looking forward to a good future. One of the graduates I met had this to say. 'Through the great assistance offered to me by the ASSETS project, I was able to complete my high school and sincerely speaking ASSETS project has been the backbone of my success'.

Bats

Maximizing on Low Tourist Season!

Everything is blamed on the post election violence! For employees in the hotel industry, it is a very popular reason why they cannot repay their debts while their managers have found it easy to lay off half their staff to save on wages overhead in the name of redundancy. Head teachers in private schools have fallen victims of the same whilst children have accumulated enormous fees balances; reason, post election violence has ruined tourism in Kenya. Whilst all this is perfectly true and well worthy knowing, we should also note that it is June, the poorest Month in tourism. At the Mida bird hide, this is usually the time when we can receive one visitor in a whole week. At the Gede ruins, they hardly get tourists anyway and to them this is perfectly normal for the Month of June.

Renovation of the Mida Bird hide

While this is happening, we have since mid-May closed the Mida bird hide for some major renovations. A team of five has been working tirelessly on the facility and is now almost done. The fundi, Kadenge, "the bomb" promises it will be fully functional in two weeks.

An Incredible Combination

My name is Stanley Baya, working as the Co-ordinator of the Arabuko-Sokoke Schools and Eco-Tourism Scheme (ASSETS). I feel privileged to share with you my experience in working in community and conservation at Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek. Perhaps the best way to do this is to share with you what drives me to take up such a challenging task as you will realise community development is indeed not easy especially when you are from that community yourself (a prophet can not be accepted by his own people); I am not suggesting that I am a prophet, that's not the point, I only mean "familiarity breeds content"

I grew up at Gede village, one and half kilometers from Arabuko-Sokoke Forest but I knew very little about it until much later during my college days. Mida Creek was more familiar to me as I had a chance to learn how to fish from my cousins as a child.

My job as co-ordinator of an eco-scholarship fund would not have been as exiting without my High school experience when I had to stay out of school for a greater part of the school semester owing to the expense of school fees. One of my most exiting moments has always been when I received a bursary support from World Vision International which enabled me to complete my secondary school education. I later trained as a Primary school teacher and worked in a private school for two years until year 2001 when I joined A Rocha as the ASSETS Co-ordinator. <www.assets-kenya.org> It is while teaching in a private school where the children had more than what they needed that challenged me to think of the other children in public schools whose parents could hardly lay a meal on the table.

In ASSETS, I have realised an incredible combination of two of my greatest passions; helping needy children and environmental conservation. By the time these children graduate from secondary school, a sense of appreciation of the natural environment is often very evident. While others write to express their gratitude for the bursary support, some present themselves in person to do the same and tears are a common characteristic of their joy. This plus their parents commitment in caring for these internationally recognised habitats is indeed the encouragement to press on!