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.

Taking gifts across the river

It was utterly unbelievable to see the children so amazed by the visitors. Definitely, most of these children were seeing a "mzungu" (European) for the first time in their life.

Andras and Noemi, guests at Mwamba Field Study Centre had generously donated some note books and pencils to the children of Mgamboni primary school. Despite being a fairly new school Mgamboni has already attracted over 200 pupils who used to walk five kilometers to the nearest school.

Within five minutes of arrival, they had all gathered around the camera, each pushing and pulling their way to the front to be photographed. While Noemi was busy telling the students stories about Hungary, where they come from, Andras and I had a chance to see the classrooms and their only office.

It was great to see the enthusiasm in the teachers despite the very difficult conditions they are struggling to overcome.

We were later shown the school new classroom under construction. Here Andras was thrilled by the indigenous architectural skills which reminded him of his hobby back home, building kayaks.

In the end we were very happy about everything and surely the two hour drive to Mgamboni was worth it.

Assets bursary disbusment

Hello every one! Just to update you on how far ASSETS has gone this year. The ASSETS team i.e. Festus and Bimbo have been busy dispatching bursary cheques in secondary schools for the continuing students. Already, forty one (41) beneficiary students have been awarded bursaries to keep them in school. This has really helped the students, since most of them had already been sent home for fees, but the ASSETS team has struggled to ensure that they are back in school by sending the bursary cheques to the various secondary schools, paying a total of four hundred fourteen thousand and three hundred shillings (Kshs. 414,300) for the 41 students. This is just the first phase of the bursary payment which has been done for the continuing students only. The second phase will include those students joining form one this year. An assessment of the new beneficiaries who are yet to join this year will be conducted and then bursaries paid for these new ASSETS members. This will take place in the next two weeks after which the bursary payment task for term one of the year will be finished.

Environmental Education Jump-started again

It was again necessary to take the road less travelled inorder to accomplish a great mission. The last time we were on this road was in November 2011; when it was wet, cooler and green. this time round the conditions are the extreme opposite, hot, dusty and brown. We were heading for environmental education at Bogamachuko Primary school on the western edge of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.

With three overseas volunteers, it was necessary to arrive just after classes to avoid disrupting learning in this school where they hardly see foreigners. by 3 pm we had arrived, and went straight into the head-teachers office where Mr Mwambao and Mr Bali gave us a brief about the school.

It was very interesting to lean about the many achievements that the school had accomplished in the last few years.

An hour later, it was time for playing the "Wader Migration Game" when twenty five students split up into two teams. The game challenges the players to realise what chances of survival birds have as they migrate between the breeding and roosting sites.

Technorati Tags: environmental education, migration

Turtle Bay Beach Club supporting ASSETS in conservation

As the saying goes, "the early bird catches the worm" and as such the ASSETS team has already started working on one of the crucial parts of the programme in order to make sure we get ahead of the game - the selecting of potential ASSETS beneficiaries who completed their primary level of education last year, 2011. One of the necessary tasks for this to happen is to get enough copies of the application forms for potential beneficiaries to complete - conservation is not all about exciting fieldwork! Below is a picture showing Conservation Assistant Bimbo on one of our new motorbikes yesterday (kindly donated by Eden Wildlife Trust) heading to Turtle Bay Beach Club to photocopy the ASSETS application forms for the new recruit beneficiaries of the year 2012 to join Form One.

ASSETS and A Rocha Kenya as a whole is grateful to Turtle Bay Beach Club for the long-standing support it has given us in many, many - with free photocopying being quite a significant one over the years. This gives a clear picture to show that the two organisations co-operate and have a passion for a common conservation goal and we at A Rocha Kenya are very grateful for this. Turtle Bay Beach Club is one of the most responsible tourist resorts in Kenya by a long way and we are proud to be affiliated with and supported by them.

Collecting sand dune forest tree seeds for planting

As the year begins, the ASSETS programme also has a major role to play in Conservation - the core purpose that we as the A Rocha Kenya team have with the rare and often threatened local flora and fauna.  This part of the programme involves the community members around Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek. They take part in tree planting activities, first through maintaining a tree nursery from which seedlings will be taken for forest enrichment in some parts of the forest that have been severely degraded due to cutting and burning of the forest. Yesterday the ASSETS Conservation Assistant, Bimbo Msafiri, was collecting some seeds from the indigenous sand dune forest Mimusops obstifolia (Mng’ambo kapehe in the local language) for the nursery from our very own tree in the grounds of Mwamba Field Study Centre. The buildings were originally built in amongst the mature sand dune forest that once stretched the entire length of the Watamu headland but for which there are only pockets remaining. We're privileged to still have some of that forest around the house and in our nature trail.

Bimbo under the Mimusops tree having collected fallen seeds...

Seeds of the Mimusops obtusifolia for the tree nursery

Feedback from ASSETS Camp Participants

As you have seen on previous posts, we were privileged to host 18 ASSETS students last weekend for ASSETS Camp. At the end of the weekend, the students were asked to write down any feedback/comments they had about the camp and all that they got to experience. Here are some excerpts from their notes:“all the trips helped me to learn a lot of things which I didn’t know before” “At first I was afraid of swimming but because of the life jackets I found it easy to swim.” “Although I was afraid of snakes before I was impressed by the visit to the Bio-Ken Snake Farm from where I learned that there are some snakes that are not poisonous” “I would also like to thank this organization and how they help the children from poverty-stricken families” “In Mida Creek I got to know some of the different types of mangroves and what they do for the ecosystem.” “I appreciate the warm welcome you gave us, the meals and accommodation” “I have learned very important things, that actually if I am to tell one by one I may end up taking the whole day” “I wish the camp could take about two weeks so that I could continue enjoying myself” “I enjoyed all the lessons that you had for us” “Let the cooks be blessed and GOD KEEP THEM FOR A LONG TIME!” (There were many happy comments about the food, obviously meals were a highlight!) The students seem to have really enjoyed all the out trips, learning sessions, meals and games that they got to play while they stayed here at Mwamba Field Study Center, which makes it all very worthwhile for all the staff and volunteers who participated.

A big thank you goes to Stanley, Festus, and Bimbo, who put in a lot of time preparing. They are hard at work now preparing for our second ASSETS Camp, which takes place from August 27-29. Keep us in your prayers as we hope to provide a wonderful experience for this group coming in!

ASSETS Camp: Days 2 and 3

Now that the camp has finished and the camera is back, we can give you an idea of everything that the students here were able to experience! On Saturday evening, after a day full of sessions and getting to know Mwamba, the students had a great time playing beach games. From this, you'd think that a dip in the sea would be a nice way to cool off afterwards... Now, for the majority of coastal Kenyans, there is a huge fear of the water, and especially the ocean, built into cultural traditions. These fears originate in the belief that there are evil spirits lurking in the sea that will drown you. We try to break down these fears to let people fully appreciate the Creation around them, so after a while of games Stanley mandated that "Everyone needs to get in the water!" and everyone did! It was quite amazing to be along and realize that this is the first time some of the students had ever been in the ocean this way!

To build on this, Sunday included a trip to go snorkelling and experience the amazing marine life on the coral gardens near Mwamba. Before we started, we played some beach football (or soccer for the Canadians around here...) at 7:30AM after breakfast!

After this, we had snorkelling! The students, coached by Stanley, went in one or two at a time and saw some amazing things! Even Lydia, the ASSETS graduate who is serving an internship at Mwamba, has said before that she would never go out in water so deep, and here she is!

That evening included some talks on Creation Care and healthy lifestyle choices, as well as a Bible study carried out around a campfire. There was a great discussion on the way that Jesus told us to be servant leaders, and how these students should carry that same spirit of servant leadership into whatever work they may do during and after secondary school.

Day 3 was the final day of ASSETS Camp, and included a trip to see the two ecotourism facilities that support ASSETS: The Gede Ruins Tree Platform and the Mida Creek Boardwalk. Though the students have heard of these facilities, most had never actually experienced them and had a great time. Below is a picture of some of the students descending from the Tree Platform:

Here is a photo of the students at the Mida Creek Boardwalk:

After all this excitement, it was time to eat lunch, have some final talks and go home. The students had been separated into two teams at the start of the camp, and there were prizes of school supplies awarded to those students who had scored highly in the games and quizzes that were held throughout.

Now that everyone is gone, it is quite a bit quieter around Mwamba, and we will have many cherished memories of our time with these wonderful students. It is amazing the opportunity that these students have been given to complete secondary school, given that they all come from families which could not afford to send them.

Wishing you could have been a part of this? There is a big way that you can help! There is another ASSETS Camp scheduled for August 27-29th and currently, ASSETS has not received enough funding to cover the costs for all the students to attend. It costs only $29 US for each student to be able to attend this camp and get an amazing opportunity to see, learn and do things that they wouldn’t otherwise, as most students come from very poverty-stricken families. Please consider donating today to help us give these students a great experience!

ASSETS Camp: Day 2

Hello everyone! We've been having a great time here at Mwamba with the group of 18 ASSETS beneficiaries who are camping here. Yesterday was a full day, including snorkelling, some speakers, and a visit to Bio-Ken Snake farm! Today, the group is visiting Gede Ruins and Mida Creek (where two of the ASSETS revenue-generating projects are located), and since the camera with most of yesterday's pictures on it went with them, we'll just share about the snake farm.

(The best way to travel on a hot day!)

For a bit of background, most Kenyans are deathly afraid of snakes. There are a lot of myths that all snakes are poisonous, and will kill you almost instantly with just one bite. This is not actually true... as the folks at Bio-Ken try to teach, only 34 of the 127 species of snakes found in Kenya are venomous, and many venomous snakes do not deliver venom with every bite. They try to spread awareness and offer a free snake removal service to try to encourage locals not to kill snakes on sight, as they are valuable contributors to their ecosystems. This is not information that ASSETS beneficiaries would usually receive, so the A Rocha staff thought a visit to the snake farm would be a great opportunity. Students were given the opportunity to handle non-venomous snakes, and get a chance to appreciate how beautiful some of the species are... especially when they are behind a glass wall!

At least one person in the group, Naomi (the current A Rocha Environmental Education Intern) was brave enough to hold one of the snakes!

In addition to all of the fun activities, there are many speaker sessions built into the ASSETS camp program. The students receive teaching on the importance of education, responsibility towards community, creation care, healthy lifestyle choices, and a Bible study as a part of their ASSETS Camp experience. They have a chance to discuss these topics openly with the speakers, in a way that they don't really get a chance to during their formal schooling.

We are looking forward to telling you more about the rest of this camp!

ASSETS Camp kickoff!

This morning we greeted almost twenty ASSETS beneficiaries who arrived at Mwamba Field Study Centre for a weekend of ASSETS Camps! With so many people, the Mwamba campground is looking quite full...

After a decadent tea with mandazi (donuts) and boiled eggs, the students were given an introduction to the center and shared their expectations about the weekend.

We hope everyone will have a great time this weeked, we will try to keep you posted with all the activities that will be happening!