Mida Creek Boardwalk Launch

Last Monday (the 23rd of July) we celebrated the official launch of our boardwalk in Mida Creek! It was an exciting and well-attended event, with A Rocha staff and volunteers, local villagers and children, visitors from Kenya Wildlife Service, and Kenya Forest Service, as well as sponsors (Safaricom Foundation). We were able to officially launch the bridge thanks to a generous donation from the Safaricom Foundation. Everyone celebrated together with dance, theatre, tree planting and a walk across the bridge. This 260m long bridge crosses different types of mangroves which we learn to recognize as we walk along. Lucky visitors will also be able to spot various wildlife species along the way. The end of the bridge is marked by a birdhide by the beach. All the revenue collected from the boardwalk/birdhide proceeds to the ASSETS bursary scheme.

Braced for Summer camps

August is here with us again! 136 ASSETS beneficiaries are just about to sit for their end of term examinations in over 40 different secondary schools. With over 1.2 million shillings paid out as bursaries for the students, the ASSETS account is left wanting, needing Ksh. 148,000 to bring another group of 40 students to the August camp.

For the last five years, this exercise has aided over 200 students to spend three days at Mwamba Field Study Centre and get hands on experience in the conservation work going on. During these events, students have a chance to visit the famous Watamu Coral Gardens, the Gede Ruins and the Mida Creek. This experience always leaves a lasting memory in the students and they always talk about it. To some, this is often their first time to see the ocean despite living less than 100 km away.

Discussion on HIV AIDS and drugs forms a key part of the camp. This challenges the students on important choices they are required to make in life. The three days learning programme is spiced up with many games and quizzes for ease of learning.

We are grateful for a donation of £ 440 that we have so far received for this activity. This is enough to cover the costs for 15 students attending the camp. We are currently looking for sponsorship for the other 25 students at a cost of US$ 50 per student.

ASSETS ALWAYS AT IT!!.....................

It has been a while since we last updated a blog but that does not mean that we had nothing to say….absolutely not! On the contrary, we at ASSETS have been busy to our eyes, running up and down ensuring that ASSETS lives up to its reputation as a sustainable development organization. The past few weeks have seen a buzz of activities that varied from tree planting, dispatching of cheques to schools and celebration of Kenya’s freedom from colonialists some forty six years ago.

For the tree planting ceremony, primary school pupils (aged between 5-14 years old) from Chipande primary school which is one of the ASSETS beneficiary schools were the baton holders. It was on Monday the 28^th of May at around 3.00pm.

To pupils in other primary schools, it was that time of the day when they waited anxiously for the bell to ring marking the end of classes for the day: and as the bell rang, most of them could barely remain seated at their desks while some naughty boys already stood, shifting from one leg to the other waiting impatiently for the teacher to walk out of the class before they could dash off to the field, which they often did barely missing to knock down their teachers in their excitement. In their hands they clutched tightly their soccer ball or rather their imitation of a soccer ball which often is homemade out of old rags, dirty pieces of polythene  bags and sisal ropes.

However, for Chipande primary school, the excitement was for a totally different reason: that an even indifferent ordinary onlooker couldn’t help but marvel at the extra ordinary reason. Monday was the day that the Wildlife club patron had organised the tree planting ceremony and has invited the ASSETS, who had inspired the whole idea, to participate.

Most of these children have been first hand witnesses of ASSETS at work and have seen their predecessors manage to get a high school education a prospect that had seemed to be more of a dream and a case of wishful thinking; that thanks to ASSETS, they confess, they have the audacity to dream.

The pupils were therefore excited by the idea of being able to plant a tree and nurture it to maturity, for they were expected to be the caretakers of whatever trees they planted. To most of them it was almost a calling while to some, who because of their age couldn’t understand fully though, it was out of conviction in their hearts that some way somehow this tree would gain them a high school education just like the brother, sister or neighbour before them.

So as we see these children embracing our efforts to conserve the environment, we can’t help but feel humbled and thankful that ASSETS, is planting seeds, not only on the ground but also in hearts and minds of these precious children.

ASSETS Graduates

During the last month, three new ASSETS graduates have joined A Rocha in various volunteer tasks. May God bless all three volunteers and may God give them strength as they continue to pursue their passions.

Brian, an ASSETS graduate from Kwale High School, joined A Rocha Kenya as a volunteer a month ago. He feels the ASSETS program is a very good project. Brain thanks the ASSETS program for contributing to his education by assisting him with school fees. During his time with A Rocha, Brain has been volunteering at the Gede ruins tree platform, which is one of the eco-tourism sites raising money for bursaries.  If God wishes and Brain finds the means he would like to study law at university, which has been his career choice since he was a primary student.

Joan joined A Rocha Kenya three weeks ago. She has been busy volunteering in the kitchen helping to make delicious meals. Joan is an ASSETS graduated from Bahari Girls Secondary School. She finds the ASSETS program to be beneficial because it helped her through school and she now knows how to conserve the environment. She enjoyed learning the names of trees and birds as well as the importance of biodiversity. In the future Joan hopes to teach science or Swahili because she loves working with children.

Kirao, an ASSETS graduate from Malindi High School, began volunteering with A Rocha Kenya last Monday. During his stay he wants to share the knowledge he has gained, and to learn from others. Kirao feels the ASSETS program is very good and it has helped many people including him.  If it were not for the program, he would not be a student a Pwani University in Kilifi. Kirao joined Pwani University in the year 2010 where he is currently studying environmental science. The ASSETS program helped to develop his passion to protect the environment. While in high school he began to share the information he learned with community conservation groups near Mida Creek. In the future Kirao wants to continue his work at Mida Creek by becoming a conservationist focusing on the protection of the mangrove forest.

It's great to see these young men and ladies so passionate about nature conservation.

Ever seen so much bush meat?

The last time I saw so much meat was when I was a small boy. Then there used to be regular cultural ceremonies which called for a lot of food especially meat. This time it was all illegally killed wild animals on transit to the market at a place called Sosoni in Magarini district. we counted two water bucks and over 20 sunis very expertly tied onto two bicycles. Though I had heard that the bush meat trade was still happening, I did not have the vaguest idea that it was at this scale and therefore very destructive.

I was very sorry for two old men who looked like they had collided on each other and fell on the road with the seemingly heavy luggage on their bikes. I was later to learn that they were running away from us because they thought were wildlife rangers.

"They are trying to feed their families," exclaimed a third old man who was almost knocked down by the other two running away.

Stories by the ASSETS beneficiaries

June and Angela, two A Rocha Kenya volunteers, are keen to write down and share stories from the ASSETS beneficiaries. We hope by the third quarter of the year individual stories by the ASSETS beneficiaries will be published for all to read. This is the reason we went to Bogamachuko primary school again to meet the parents whose children are being supported.

Amazingly every time we go out for this exercise, we get to interview more people than we anticipate. Today we were going to meet the Chairman and two more parents but we ended up getting six different stories.

We arrived at Bogamachuko just after midday but it wasn't until 1.00 p.m. that we started the interviews. The pile of plastic bags outside the classroom were evidence of exams going on.

By the time we arrived, Mr Alfred Kirimo was already waiting for us. This very hardworking man has had two students graduating from High School with support from ASSETS. His first born, Priscilla is currently volunteering at Mwamba while Johnston, his second child is pursuing a High School Diploma at the Aga Khan High School after which he hopes to secure a scholarship to study abroad.

While June and Angela were busy interviewing the parents and teachers, I had a chance to gather a few children for a kite game.

It was really funny, almost the whole school gathered around Mr Mwambao till the game was no longer possible.

Others enjoyed themselves playing volleyball instead.

Motivation from the community

The Mvera WA ASSETS (Parents of ASSETS Association) is becoming a winner to the community members around the Arabuko – Sokoke forest. This can be seen in a recent meeting, where three members of the community have willingly joined the program in conservation despite the fact that they do not have children benefiting from it. This means that they genuinely believe in practicing conservation. The new members acquired education on the importance of the forest and the need to conserve it from the ASSETS team (Festus & Bimbo).

Festus and Mvera members at the meeting

 There are also five other members whose children are beneficiaries that have completed their secondary school education. However, they have also decided to remain in the program because they have learned of the importance, significance and the benefits of conserving the forest.

Changes like this show that the ASSETS conservation program is bringing a very positive change to the community living around the Arabuko - Sokoke forest. It is so important to continue teaching on the importance of conservation in this area, for the hope that people will end destructive practices. When people who are not directly benefiting from ASSETS decide that conservation of the forest is important, it gives us hope that deforestation and animal poaching will come to an end someday.

Please consider supporting us in this important work!

-Bimbo (ASSETS Extension Officer)

Mangrove Restoration Event

Yesterday, Bimbo, Naomi, and Lydia from the ASSETS program were involved in a mangrove planting event. ASSETS joined Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service and other Community Conservation groups like the Matsangoni youth group, Mkongani Conservation, and Uyombo subcreek in mangrove planting at Uyombo bandarini. Several schools, including Chipande Primary, Marafiki Primary and Uyuombo Primary also participated in the activity.

Four thousand six hundred (4,600) mangrove seedlings were planted! This activity was meant to conserve the sea shore and create a good breeding habitat for fish and other aquatic creatures. Mangroves are often illegally harvested for building materials, and their removal causes sand erosion and greatly disrupts the marine ecosystem. Events such as this are very important for recovering areas that have been damaged.

Later in the day, community members were educated on the importance of conserving mangrove forests and the entire environment. Effects of cutting down trees were also discussed in length and members were urged to conserve the environment for future generation. We hope that the community will take this event to heart!

Environmental Education, trees and volleyball

The Environmental Education team took a bigger group with them this time to Mijomboni Primary School. The group involved students on a trip organized by the Minnesota Zoo, USA. Melanie a staff at the Minnesota Zoo accompanied them to this trip. The students are interested in nature conservation and some of them study related courses at the university. The rest of them have not joined the university but have an interest in nature.

The pupils at the school received us warmly as we gathered into one of the classes. This time they bombarded us with questions concerning the sustainable use of natural resources like the forest. This could tell that they are very active in conservation efforts. They were keen to learn how they will convince their parents on sustainable use of forests and water sources like rivers.

Each of the students together with the local pupils got a chance to plant an indigenous tree in the school compound. Later on they played volleyball in the school field together with the pupils and donated some stationery to the school.

Naomi Wanjiru Gichungu- Environmental Education intern

World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) is a day that stimulates awareness of the environment and is on the 5^th June. It was the day that United Nations Conference on the Human Environment began. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. The first World Environment Day was on 1973. World Environment Day is hosted every year by different cities in various countries with a different theme each year.

This year being the UN international year of forests, the theme was no different. It emphasized the conservation of forests and urged nations to increase their forest cover. We at A Rocha Kenya participated in the celebrations in various ways. We spent the previous day doing lots of tree planting at the Mzizima primary school where we planted over 800 tree seedlings which we had donated together with the Kenya Forest Service.

(Kenya Forest Service watering a recently planted tree)

(Naomi, Env. Ed Intern, and Bimbo, ASSETS staff, planting a tree)

We then took a walk through the Mida Creek together with the guest of honour the Provincial Commissioner of Coast province and guests from NEMA. The creek helps the organisation to raise funds to support the education of students living around the Arabuko Sokoke forest through our ASSETS programme.

Later on we joined the celebrations with the local schools and community at Mida Primary school where we also planted some trees.

(Students from Mida school singing a song for the environment)

Naomi (Environmental Education intern with A Rocha Kenya at Mwamba Field Study Center)