Since the formation of Muvera wa ASSETS, an association of the ASSETS beneficiaries, the community has been asking about the benefits of the Arabuko Tree Platform. This facility which was built by A Rocha Kenya to generate income for secondary school scholarships has not been used since 2005. Even after lengthy discussions with Kenya Wildlife Services and Kenya Forest Service regarding the ownership of the facility permission to charge for the use of the Tree platform was not granted.
A month ago, the ASSETS beneficiaries formed a task force to steer the process of repossesing the facility and put it into use to supplement the income already being earned at Mida Creek by the community. Today the task force met to plan on the way-forward. This meeting took place at the site; Arabuko swamp, after a long chat about the baboons that raid their farms. Very enthusiastic about the whole process, the task force planned a meeting with the warden, Kenya Wild life Service to explain why they should be allowed to charge tourists for the use of the facility. The big meeting is scheduled for Thursday the 9th. Fingers crossed, we hope it will be a peaceful meeting and that the best decision will be made.
A Mongrove Planting Day
It is Thursday morning and every one is up and ready to join hands together in building our nation. At A Rocha Kenya where I am on attachment we up for another day of conservation; particularly creating a better environment. Being a student of Tourism Management, my duty is mostly helping issue tickets at one of the ASSETS Eco-Tourism facilities; the tree platform at Gede Ruins. Thus I commence my day as usual and head to my place of work.
A phone call from the ASSETS Co-ordinator informs me that today I am supposed to join a group of community members planting mangroves at Sita, a village along the Mida creek; an activity that turns out to be the climax of my three weeks stay at A Rocha. It was fun!
It was here that I was to learn that mangroves are actually trees belonging to totally different families of plants and that traditionally they have medicinal value. The mangrove forest also creates a healthy fish and crustacean habitat. We planted approximately one thousand seedlings which took us less than one hour since we had a group of 15 people. The team effort exercised was fun! I however had quite some scary experiences; 1st walking on the soft, muddy ground with millions of tickling miniature shells. Some huge hermit crabs carrying shells twice their size was also quite breath-taking.
After the mangrove planting we visited a snake project which has been put up by the Sita community. Here we saw a number of different kinds of snakes including the African rock python, Puff adders, a spitting cobra and green mamba among others. The objective of this initiative is create awareness to the communities about the poisonous snakes and the harmless ones. It was indeed a fascinating, scary, fun and a very useful experience!
ASSETS Need Assessment
"therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself" Goodness! this may sound really foolish to most of you, but what do you do if you cannot even find fair solutions for today? This is one of the most quoted verses by christian religious counsellors that I am not sure whether they really mean it or they are using it as a booksellig metaphor.
Today I found myself murmuring these words to myself even though I am not a counsellor. We went to Bogamachuko,one of the communities to the west of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest that benefits from the ASSETS programme. Accompanied by Frossy Nelly a student on attachment from Coast Institude of Technology, we had gone to assess potential beneficiaries to receive bursaries from ASSETS this year. At the home of Patience Ngole, one of the applicants, we found three old ladies, one of whom was Patience's mother and two young girls. All the five were gathered together preparing mchunga (a wild vegetable) that hadly had any leaves due to the very dry conditions of the place. This was meant to be the lunch for the ladies who explained that all the men had gone to towns looking for employment. We stared our interview and established that Patience's dad who lives and works in Kilifi has not been supporting the family at all and the mother had to do it all by herself. As the interview goes on, Kanze, Patience's sister who is deaf and dumb appears. At 15 years of age Kanze has not been taken to school yet. Sitting next to her mother she keeps on smiling as she follows on our conversation by lip reading. "I wish I went to school," Patience mother says. "Then I would have known that there are schools for deaf and dumb as well" Thanks to the area civic leader who has secured a sponsor and a place for her at Kibarani school for the deaf.
It's 2.15 p.m. and we have to move to the other applicants. "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself" I murmer as we head back to the car.
Eco-Bursaries; where is the link?
It may sound one thing to give bursaries to needy children and totally another thing to do environmental conservation. Now this assumption is what makes ASSETS unique as it keeps a very close link between the two qualifying it to be an "Eco-Bursary" fund. ASSETS beneficiaries days are meetings organised by the ASSETS committee for all the ASSETS beneficiaries during which the link between the bursaries, eco-tourism in Arabuko-Sokoke forest and Mida Creek and conservation is made. During this year's meetings, the main focus is sustainable utilisation of natural resources, challenges faced by students in secondary school and HIV/AIDS among students.
Five meetings are organised this year at Mida, Nyari, Bogamachuko, Malanga and Mijomboni primary schools. A really tight schedule has been planned to make ensure maximum impact of the exercise. In preperation, Juice and biscuits have been purchased to nourish the participants during the all day meetings.
A Management Audit
It has been quite a long day again on the truck! After spending almost a whole morning at Mida creek together with Colin, A Rocha Kenya's national director, and later to a workshop at Ngala girls' secondary school we came back to the centre for lunch and more interviews. A Rocha Kenya is at the moment conducting a management audit to aid in a better and logical expansion of its programmes. This will also enhance improved effectiveness in the organisation's performance. Very characteristic of the audit have been the lengthy and very detailed interviews being conducted. This will however help us a great deal when it comes to strategic planning budgeting and implementation of our projects.
GIFT Awarded to Oscar
His name and photo has featured in many of both ASSETS and A Rocha newsletters. Possibly all the ASSETS beneficiaries know him. Severally he has delivered moving speeches as a representative of the ASSETS beneficiaries in different forums including during the official openeng of the Arabuko Tree platform; one of the 3 ASSETS eco-tourism facilities. Oscar Mwaro is the very 1st student to be considered as an ASSETS beneficiary. Oscar was enrolled in Lenana School in 2002 where he gratuated with grade B. Since leaving school, Oscar has been teaching French in a private institute in Watamu while trying to save enough money to join University.
His dream came true last week when he was considered to receive support for his university education by GIFT International. Grassroot Initiative Funding and Training (GIFT International) is a UK based charity that supports local community initiatives and training for the purpose of environmental conservation.
A huge burden off his shoulders! Oscar will be joining university in mid 2009 for a degree in environmental science. Oscar is very keen to come back and support the conservation of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest when he graduates from the university.
Candidates in Conservation
Our visit to Chipande primary school, one of the 8 ASSETS benefiting primary school with Jonathan was uniquely marked. Our main cause of our visit was to meet the potential ASSETS beneficiaries, who are currently the class 8 students. It is was long time since both of us visited this school. We were excited to be back. The school’s face has changed, with a new and very beautiful building being built facing the entrance of the school. Looking around are lovely trees planted during the rainy season. The WCK patron Mr. Mputhia was happy to receive us. He was also excited to have us around. He took us around and showed us the wonderful work the candidates are doing. In the last rainy season, this year around May, my colleague Jonathan gave more than 100 seedlings to each class in the school. “It is wonderful job”, Jonathan commented on seeing the well maintained Casuarina woodlot by the candidates. I was very impressed by their efforts and the interest in conservation at this age. It gave me hope for our environment and how useful is youthful age and its involvement is vital. After the walk to the talk. I could not believe but the truth is that we took more time than we had thought. The talk with the candidates was excellent and very timely. Keeping in my mind that they had only 14 days to go before they sit for their national exams. They needed a booster and ASSETS was right there to encourage them to work extra hard in order to be able to enjoy the ASSETS eco-bursary fund come next year.
As we concluded, the head teacher encouraged them to put up the hardworking spirit and vowed nobody will be left behind.
Tree Nursery Seedlings
Hopeful Candidates
Meeting Potential ASSETS Beneficiaries
On the truck, off we zoomed. On a hot bright afternoon we head off to the western side of the Arabuko Sokoke Forest. Make a wild guess; to which school this time? Yes! Your right. It is Malanga primary school, one of the ASSETS benefiting primary schools. After a long drive on the dusty road here we are finding parking for our truck. The class 8 candidates had already been informed of our going by their teachers. So they were expectant students eager to hear from us. We have brought you good news; we started our talk after the introduction. Their eyes and ears went wide open. My colleague Tsofa did general introduction of A Rocha Kenya which brought forth the ASSETS programme. As Tsofa was winding up, hands were raised to ask questions. The first question was what do I need to benefit in the ASSETS scheme? It’s a question all wanted to ask. Hold your horses, Tsofa replied as I took them through the details of the recruitment criteria. Which is as follows:- All the candidates from the eight ASSETS benefiting primary schools have equal potential to benefit, students must have been in these schools for 3 years or more, they should attain 320marks or more in the national exam out of the 500 marks, they should have good track record of discipline, they should have interest in conservation, be a radius of 3km from the edge of the forest to their respective homes and lastly they should have won admission in any public secondary school in the country. The candidates who were 37 in total got a sigh of relief after this talk. Ours was to motivate them as they approach their national exams in 46 days time. Their Deputy Head Teacher Mr. Thuva encouraged them too, saying ‘despite your poor backgrounds work extra hard you never know’. He continued, ‘you all stand to benefit’. He also cited examples of former students of this school who are currently beneficiaries of the ASSETS scheme despite their poor backgrounds. As we were winding up, we wished them every success in their coming exams. Tony Kanundu (Bats) – ASSETS Community Conservation Officer
The Hon. Noah Wekesa visits Mida Creek and the Hanging Walkway!
Last saturday Dr Noah Wekesa, Minister for Forestry and Wildlife and MP for Kwanza visited the Mida creek and the hanging walkway. Tony Kasungu and Tsofa Mweni arrived bright and early at 8am to greet the MP but due to commitments he did not arrive until after 12pm! However, afer his arrival they galantly explained about the work of the Assets programme and how it benefits Mida Creek, the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and the surrounding communities.
The Hon. Noah Wekesa was guided around the Mangrove forest by Arafa, one of our guides at Mida Creek He then walked on part of the hanging walkway before he had to move on due to other commitments. He was very impressed with the Assets programme and the eco-tourism site at Mida creek!
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 9th 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.
