Niagara Falls

Less than two weeks after returning from Niarobi we are off to Niagara Falls for the weekend. WINS Finance Manager is getting married in Hamilton this weekend and several members of the team decided to make the trip to share in his celebration. 

First stop, Niagara Falls.  We checked into the Sheraton Hotel and decided we would see if it was possible to get a falls side view. Just so happens with all the traveling we have done over the years that Randy is registered as a "Starwood Preferred Guest", and as luck would have it we got a complementary upgrade with a perfect view of the falls.  

Our room was gorgeous, not only overlooking the falls, but it also included a nice sitting area with a fireplace and a great view of the amusement park area.  I wish we were staying a few extra nights here as there is so much to do!

The first night was dinner at the HardRock Cafe, a walk around town and a hour in the Casino. Might have stayed longer but I had lost my daily allotment.  

Friday morning with our passports in our hands we walked over the bridge to explore the falls from the American side. What a difference in the two cities!  Niagara Falls, Ontario is filled with hotels, restaurants, activities for young and old and a huge waterslide, in addition to viewpoints of the three falls. Niagara Falls, New York appears to be a dying city except for the large natural park area around the falls. They have great observations decks protruding out over the falls and walking paths through the park including a route to Goat Island, but it is very uncommercialized. I am thinking that most people visiting for more than a day are visiting the Canadian side. 

Finding a place for a drink after walking around for a couple of hours was a little difficult and the restaurants they did have appeared to be closed. Finally we came across TGIF and rested our weary feet while consuming a drink or two.  Then it was time to head back over the bridge and through Canadian customs.  Fortunately the wait coming back into Canada was much shorter ( 10 minutes at most) than when we entered the States (1/2 hour or more) as it was starting to rain. 

Of course we had to stop at the Hersey's store before going back to our hotel. A chocolate milkshake and several bags of candy and we were ready for a rest.  

Tonight we would have dinner at the "Windows, by Jamie Kennedy".  We were in for a treat. A view of the falls and exceptional food was enjoyed by all. 

The City of Nairobi

We had heard there was supposed to be a great bead factory in Nairobi and thought that it would be fun to see. Our driver said "absolutely, he could take us there". Where we ended up was a small shop, that sold lots of Kenyan souvenirs.  I am sure our driver is somehow related to the shop owner..lol.  But what the heck, why not take a look?

We bought a piece of art, an African mask (that now hangs at the entrance to our condo) and five beaded wristbands.  We later learned we probably paid double what we should have and somehow only 4 of the 5 wristbands made it into the package.  I am sure they were laughing at the foolish white people as we drove away. Oh well our contribution to the economy.

Turns out the bead factory we were looking for closes at 1pm each day so we wouldn't have made it even if our driver had taken us to the right place... Or at least so he said.

Next we were off to the International Conference Center for the best view of Nairobi in the city. Getting into the Center was like going thru security at the airport. We had to show our passports and go through a metal detector. 

Standing on the roof of the Center you get a 360 view of the city. It was gorgeous. Obviously looking like foreigners/tourists a guide quickly attached himself to us. He shared a detailed narrative of what we were seeing and some history of the city, including how poor his family was and pointing out the slums they lived in.  Can you say "tip me please"?  All in all we really appreciated his stories and guidance and were very happy to tip him for his efforts. We are not sure our new found friends tipped him though?

Next it was out for supper and early to bed. Tomorrow morning we would take in the Nairobi National Park safari. 

The Animals of Nairobi

Bright and early Saturday morning we were up and ready to visit the Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Center of Nairobi.  I was so excited and could hardly wait to get started. After securing a taxi for the day (a mere 6000 schillings) we were off.

The elephant orphanage is a working farm, only open to the public from noon to 1 pm. 23 orphans ranging in age from 2 1/2 months to eight years live here. Each calf had been rescued from the wild, often orphaned at the hands of poachers and found guarding over the body of their mother. This is so sad! While poaching is totally illegal, it still happens way, way too often. I will never purchase anything made from elephant tusks.

Gallon sized baby bottles filled with milk await the calves as they come running into the observation area. The facilitator tell the story of each of the calves as they eat, drink and roll in the mud, while the spectators pat them, laugh as they play and take a boat load of pictures. Honestly the cutest thing I have ever seen. Especially as a baby elephant grabs hold of the leg of his keeper when the keeper wanders away from the calf's side for a moment.  The calves become so attached to their keepers that the keeper even sleeps with their ward on a mattress in the calf's stall. Working with the elephants is truly a 24/7 job. 

 

You to can adopt an orphan for a mere $50 a year. How could we refuse?

After enjoying the playfulness of the elephants for an hour it was time to go and we were off to see the giraffes.

The giraffe center is a true tourist park only 10 minutes away from the elephant orphanage. Once you pay your entrance fee you are directed up a flight of stairs to a landing. At the top of the stairs a park ranger provides you with a handful of pellets to feed the giraffes. You are entitled to two handfuls but only one at a time. As you work your way to the railing the giraffes are eagerly awaiting for you to feed them. Holding one pellet at a time the giraffe's slippery touch reaches out to grab the food from your hand. Your hand is sucked into their mouth or sloppered on by their tongues. Such a fun surreal experience. If you are brave enough you can even capture a kiss.

Bungoma to Nairobi

We were packed and ready to start the trek back home with a day and a half scheduled to take in the sights of Nairobi.  We just needed to turn in Randy's phone and wait for the taxi to show up. It was starting to get late and we wondered why Arnold hadn't said anything about turning the phone in? Knowing the cab should be here any minute we made a quick call to Arnold to say we would leave the phone with Gazy.

But there had been a mix-up. While we always had planned to leave on Friday April 4th, somehow the ticket was scheduled for Saturday April 5th.  The taxi wasn't on its way and we weren't booked on the 3 o'clock plane. While we could stay an extra day in Bungoma, that would mean we would miss exploring Nairobi and at this point there was no guarantee we would be back to Kenya.

Jumping on the internet we could see there was an 8 o'clock flight that night so we tried to switch our tickets. It looked like the switch was accepted as our visa was charged (twice) but before we received a confirmation the treaded "error message" popped up.  So we decided to grab a cab and head in to Kisamu early. Even if we had to sit in the airport for 5 hours at least we would be able to confirm our seats ( hopefully).

Now remember Kisamu ia a hour drive from Bungoma, and the driver needed to stop for gas, but no problem we had lots of time. We would again travel across the equator, which somehow seems surreal.

 We arrived at the Kisamu airport at 2:45 and went straight to the ticket booth. After explaining our situation the representative said if we hurried we could still get on today's 3 o'clock flight, but we would have to run. Getting to the gate, the agent said it was closed.  "But the representative just sold us a ticket, please let us on"!  Finally she gave in and we headed out to plane.  

A bit of a gong show and a lot of good luck but we were exactly where we had always planned to be. On the Friday April 4th, 3 o'clock plane to Nairobi, with a hotel reservation at the In Demi hotel.

 

Rest and Relaxation for Cathy

Today I spent the entire day reading my book, catching up on my blog and doing absolutely nothing, while Randy continued to spend the day with Gazy, his potential new boss. 

My perch for the day overlooking the compound. It really is very beautiful, 

Lunch is served Monday thru Thursday at the compound for the expats from noon to three and supper at 7pm.  I have to admit the food has been quite tasty and I have been able to enjoy each of the meals.   After lunch today Randy and I went for a short walk. Every child you meet asks " how are you?" Instead of "hello".  It is very cute. 

Along our walk we stopped to buy a pop. It costs extra if you take the bottle, so we poured our pops into our water bottles and paid a whole 25 schilling for our drinks. Approximately 30 cents compared to the $2.25 or more at home.

As 5 pm approaches the thunder and clouds are beginning to roll in. It has poured rain every night for about an hour just before supper. With the rains the temperature usually drops making the evening a bit cooler with the need for a sweater.  Great for sleeping though.

Dairy Farm and Warehouse Tours

In December 2013, One Acre Fund introduced a new program to help farmers maintain healthy cows and maximize the milk production.  Approximately 80% of farmers have a least one cow which are mostly used for personal use. One Acre is always looking for new ways to help the farmers generate additional revenue.

In order to determine the best source of nourishment for the cows, ten meter by ten meter plots are being piloted to determine which species of hay grows best and provides the healthiest, best milk producing cows. They haven't started to test milk production but you know it is the ultimate goal. 

Absolutely every step in the process is done manually including baling of the hay. The hay is baled using a wooden box, with one man stuffing the hay in the box and the second man stomping it down. A far cry the the tractors and balers used at home. 

The farm currently  has ten cows and two calves that our monitored daily. Each receives their own special type of hay and the results are starting to be analyzed. The entire site is very impressive. 

After the tour of the dairy farm we were off to see one of One Acres' seven warehouses.  The warehouse store the seeds, fertilizer, solar lights and other supplies a farmer gets when they purchase a package from the One Acre Fund Farmers First program.   The warehouse is a massive building usually stacked to the rafters where everything is moved on and off the trucks by hand.  

The labours get paid approximately 300 shillings or $3.75 Canadian a day. The actual payment is based on weight added on or off the trucks each day and split amongst the team.  So no one slacks off, their goal is to load or stack as much product as possible as quickly as possible.

 There is no question the health and safety standards in Kenya are very different than in Canada. Men carry anywhere from 75 to 100 kilos at a time on the back of their necks and shoulders and they are moving. There are no forklifts, no dollies, just pure muscle power and apparently little to no injuries. 

You should see the muscles on these guys - they are ripped.

Interview Day

The interview process for applying for a position with One Acre Fund has been quite a complex, interesting journey. Randy had completed 5 telephone interviews and 2 case studies prior to being invited to Bungoma for the last stage of the process. On Wednesday morning he was scheduled for another 3 hour interview where he would also be required to make a presentation. The entire process ensures the candidate is completely aware of what they are getting into and the company has the opportunity to ensure the candidate is the right fit for the role and the organization. While it seems a bit extensive having someone move 1/2 way or more around the world can be an expensive mistake if it isn't the right move for all concerned.

So while Randy was working through his interview, I decided to visit a Field Officer's meeting where the farmers would be receiving their first top delivery. The delivery includes solar lights, fertilizer , bags and seeds. While the group waited for the delivery truck to arrive, the field officer had members of the team who had already repaid a substantial amount of their loans share best practices with the entire group. 

One gentleman had paid his loan of ten thousand shillings in full. We learned that in order to repay as quickly as possible the family readjusted their budget and scrimped and saved where possible making the repayment a priority. One thing the family did was change their breakfast from including milk to having porridge with water.  As of today the family was back on their normal budget and the entire revenue from the crop will belong to them. 

It Turned out the truck got stuck somewhere along the way and was going to be quite late. However there was lots of training scheduled, including the proper method for applying the fertilizer. First a lecture was provided then we all walked down the road to one of the maize farmers for a demonstration and practice.  

Today I learned that the first application of fertilizer should happen when the maize is knee high and the second application at shoulder height. Now I am not sure if this is based on someone 5 foot 5 or 6 foot 6, and there was both in the audience.  The instructor was closer to 5'5, so let's go with that. The farmers have a stick approximately 4 feet long with two nails sticking out about  4 inches from the bottom. The stick is pushed into the ground beside the plant upto the nails and turned to make a small hole. Then a teaspoon of fertilizer is placed in the hole and covered up with dirt. They recommended it works best if three people work together in tandem. While it seemed straight forward there was a lot of questions. If the maize is planted on a hill the hole goes uphill from the plant. Don't get the fertilizer on the plant. Make sure to cover the fertilizer or the rains will wash it away. Don't hit the plant with the nails. 

Eventually the truck arrived and the farmers unloaded the supplies under the watchful eyes of several field officers, a field manager and an assistant district manager. Every bag is verified and accounted for as it is distributed to the farmers.

During the process I was invited by Esther to sit and visit as she watched over the unloading of the truck. Esther is a neighbouring field officer who was here to help oversee the process. Her groups delivery would happen next Wednesday.  Would I be able to come to her site too? 

Esther told me she has been working for One Acre for two years and loves her job.  She has four children, one boy and three girls between the ages of one and seven. Her husband, a minister stays home and looks after the children while she works. He is a good man. 

We didn't get to stay and see the entire process as it was well past 12:30 and we needed to head back to the compound.  I was anxious to hear how Randy made out in his interview and apparently the  interview process is still not over. 

Collecting Payments

Tuesday we headed out to a weekly Field Officer's meeting where the FO would collect the weekly payments from the Group Leaders and share all the information he learned at Monday's District meeting.

We headed out of Bungoma at 9am and travel into the countryside. The first portion of the journey was on the main road but once we turned off onto very narrow dirt roads we quickly saw our driver asking for directions all along the route. As you can guess there are no street signs and each set up directions sounded very much like " just up the path and then take a left". I think the driver spoke with at least four individuals before we reached the left. The road was getting narrower and narrower, until we reached a fork in the path at which time our guide phoned the Field Officer for further directions.  Take a left,  no no right he said and we all chuckled hoping we were headed in the right direction. A little while later a gentleman was waiting to guide us the rest of the way. He jumped in the car and we continued along the path taking a left turn here and a right turn there until we reached the community church.  A very large brick structure with a tin roof, a dirt floor and several movable benches. Inside we were met by the Field Officer for the site and his group leaders. Apparently the church is used for all group functions.

After a lot if handshaking and introductions, the meeting was ready to commence. Each of the group leaders introduced themselves, there area and the number of farmers they were responsible for. Group leaders are farmers who take on the mandate of collecting weekly payments from their group. The groups range in size from 6-17 farmers.

Some of the meeting was conducted in English but the majority in Swaheli so our guided translated for us. It is always interesting to me that the person speaking seems to talk for ever and the translation is "our top up delivery will be arriving next Wednesay". 

 I am thinking if Randy does get the position that Swaheli lessons would be a good investment,  I so envied Erin who was able to converse with the group leaders in their native tongue. Then I will know basic English, a little French and Spanish and hopefully conversational Swaheli. Probably nobody will be able to understand me at that point.

Once the short formal portion of the meeting was complete the group leaders handed in the funds they had collected for the week, presented the their passbooks which had a page for each farmer confirming the payment amount and total payments todate and received a receipt from the Field Officer for the total team payment. 

Once collected the Field Officer takes the cash to the local MPesa office where the funds are deposited and an e-transfer is made directly to the One Acre Fund account. This appears to be a pretty slick system where money transfers are completed through the phone system rather than the banking system. Eventually all farmers will be able to make their payments directly through the MPesa system, eliminating the need for large amounts of cash to be transport.

After the meeting we headed out to see a farmer's crop. Walking cross country we found our way to a crop of maize and beans. One row of maize, one row of beans, repeated through the plot. I learned that the crops are cross planted like that to balance the nutrients in the ground. One of the plants takes the nutrients from the ground (I think the maize, but might have this backwards) and the other replaces them. The typical crop is about 1/2 an acre. 

To see more we continued walking cross country, through people's fields and yards. We hoped they didn't mind the group of white visitors tramping through their space. Thank goodness someone knew where we were going as I was totally lost. We did see a variety of health in crops though. Some that appeared to be prospering quite well and other not so good. You could tell the farmers that were using the One Acre Fund methods versus those that weren't. 

The country side is gorgeous. Not at all what I expected for Kenya. Rolling hills covered with trees, lots of green grass, cows grazing and a variety of adobe brick homes. 

 Eventually we met back up with our ride and headed back to Bungoma.