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| Omondi and James of Mumbaya Youth Group solicit the help of family in their households to prick out tree seedlings. |
I have known that most of my projects, due to the brevity of my time, would not be fully implemented until after I have already left. I have strived to ensure that these projects were planned in a sustainable manner, such that when I step aside, they can proceed without any major issues.
These projects include:
Improving Healthcare Access for Communities within the Swamp
I have been working to mobilize and guide staff members at Osieko Dispensary to institute weekly mobile clinics (by boat) into marginalized communities within the Yala Swamp to improve access to healthcare. Over 4,000 people live in these communities, where a trip to the doctor means passing through the swamp by boat, then entering the often volatile waters of Lake Victoria, to arrive at Osieko Dispensary. The journey proves to be too demanding for most people, who instead simply do without healthcare.
In February, Edwin and I travelled to Osieko Dispensary to discuss the idea with staff. They raised several concerns, but acknowledging the need, were very much willing to pursue the project.
Improving Healthcare Access for Communities within the Swamp
I have been working to mobilize and guide staff members at Osieko Dispensary to institute weekly mobile clinics (by boat) into marginalized communities within the Yala Swamp to improve access to healthcare. Over 4,000 people live in these communities, where a trip to the doctor means passing through the swamp by boat, then entering the often volatile waters of Lake Victoria, to arrive at Osieko Dispensary. The journey proves to be too demanding for most people, who instead simply do without healthcare.
In February, Edwin and I travelled to Osieko Dispensary to discuss the idea with staff. They raised several concerns, but acknowledging the need, were very much willing to pursue the project.
I had previously discussed this idea with John, my host father who happens to be the former chairman of Budalang’i Constituency Development Fund (CDF). CDF is the organization in charge of managing devolved funds for local development purposes. He had discussed the possibility CDF being able to assist in procuring a boat.
Elections in early March brought new politicians into office, during which time CDF remained closed, after which time voting was held throughout Bunyala to elect new members to the CDF committee. Over the past couple of months, I was able to meet with Okumu, the Budalang'i CDF funds manager.
After first briefing him on my idea, he admitted that though it is a noble idea, it might not be possible due to the concern of sustainability. Of the two engines CDF has provided a local school, one is now lost, another is broken. He said that he himself would need to supervise such a program, and he simply doesn’t have the time. But after I explained our meetings with the staff, and how they could oversee the program directly, he admitted the idea may be feasible.
The newly elected members of the CDF committee weren't officially recorded until mid-June, after which time they would be able to begin work. So on June 19th, I again met with Okumu, this time to delve into the details with him and his staff, since the committee would be voting on projects soon.
In the end, we agreed that the dispensary would write a formal request to CDF to use one of their 5 boats meant for flood relief, which sit unused for the bulk of the year. The request would also to procure a new engine specifically for the dispensary. The dispensary would need to cover recurring costs such as fuel and hiring a coxswain on their own. If this proposal is received by the end of the month, he is sure that it will be approved by the committee.
I then met with Oprong, the District Public Health Officer. I briefed him on the healthcare issues in the swamp, and began to pitch the idea of mobile clinics. He quipped that they know of the problem, they can't help because they can’t get a boat.
I explained that we can through CDF. He stood up in excitement, exclaimed, 'Leave it Mike, I’ll take it from here.' I talked about the recurring costs like fuel having to come from them, not CDF. He said that they can handle those through a donor who supports much of Kenya's healthcare system.
I then met with Oprong, the District Public Health Officer. I briefed him on the healthcare issues in the swamp, and began to pitch the idea of mobile clinics. He quipped that they know of the problem, they can't help because they can’t get a boat.
I explained that we can through CDF. He stood up in excitement, exclaimed, 'Leave it Mike, I’ll take it from here.' I talked about the recurring costs like fuel having to come from them, not CDF. He said that they can handle those through a donor who supports much of Kenya's healthcare system.
I then told him about the meeting I had had with the dispensary staff, and the concerns they had brought up regarding a lack of medicine to manage the surge of patients during the transition. He told me that this is no longer a concern, as the health system is moving away from a system where medicine is ordered based upon prior statistics.
So with those concerns taken care of, I finally called Nobra, a nurse at Oseiko, to explain how they must promptly write a proposal to CDF for the project.
School Lunch Programs in the Swamp
I had visited both Bubamba and Buongo Primary Schools within the interior of the swamp to discuss with parents and teachers how we could develop a grassroots school lunch program for their children. The parents themselves agreed to provide food, build the kitchen, and volunteer as cooks to sustain the program.
PALWECO, a partnership between the Kenyan and Finnish governments, agreed to extend their trainings on kitchen gardens into the swamp, during which time demonstration plots would be prepared at each school, providing them with a source of vegetables. PALWECO would also construct energy-efficient cookstoves at each school.
This is largely a project by the community, for the community. And that excites me. Unfortunately, the project hinges upon PALWECO securing funding, however minimal, in order to begin implementation. During the District Technical Steering Committee meeting May 2nd, which oversees all of the program’s projects, I asked about our funding. Unfortunately, this project would not be slated until the next fiscal year, beginning in July. As luck would have it, we are due to receive funding just after I had left.
So in lieu of being involved in then implementation, I met with the Ministry of Agriculture, PALWECO, and district development officials to make sure that Edwin Ochieng, my counterpart, would be prominently involved in the project. This way, there is continuity established from the meetings we had held with the parents, to help ensure that the grassroots nature of the project is maintained.
Tree Nursery Development: Mumbaya Youth Group
So with those concerns taken care of, I finally called Nobra, a nurse at Oseiko, to explain how they must promptly write a proposal to CDF for the project.
School Lunch Programs in the Swamp
I had visited both Bubamba and Buongo Primary Schools within the interior of the swamp to discuss with parents and teachers how we could develop a grassroots school lunch program for their children. The parents themselves agreed to provide food, build the kitchen, and volunteer as cooks to sustain the program.
PALWECO, a partnership between the Kenyan and Finnish governments, agreed to extend their trainings on kitchen gardens into the swamp, during which time demonstration plots would be prepared at each school, providing them with a source of vegetables. PALWECO would also construct energy-efficient cookstoves at each school.
This is largely a project by the community, for the community. And that excites me. Unfortunately, the project hinges upon PALWECO securing funding, however minimal, in order to begin implementation. During the District Technical Steering Committee meeting May 2nd, which oversees all of the program’s projects, I asked about our funding. Unfortunately, this project would not be slated until the next fiscal year, beginning in July. As luck would have it, we are due to receive funding just after I had left.
So in lieu of being involved in then implementation, I met with the Ministry of Agriculture, PALWECO, and district development officials to make sure that Edwin Ochieng, my counterpart, would be prominently involved in the project. This way, there is continuity established from the meetings we had held with the parents, to help ensure that the grassroots nature of the project is maintained.
Tree Nursery Development: Mumbaya Youth Group
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| On May 14th, I invited George from the Ministry of Agriculture to visit our nursery and offer advice and support. |
Back on May 5th, our group planted 8 different varieties of tree seeds in individual seedbeds within our nursery. We first tried to divide our members into 4 groups, each responsible for 2 different varieties of seeds.
Unfortunately, we found that some groups slacked on their responsibilities of watering twice a day, constructing shade structures, and pricking out seedlings. People were also neglecting to attend our weekly meetings each Sunday.
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| James, the groups chairman, proved a committed worker when the seedlings were ready to be planted into individual potting tubes. |
This is a common problem with groups in Africa, perhaps even worldwide. Once people find that work is required to move forward, people begin to waver.
Rules are what helps keep this problem in check. Within our group’s constitution is a fine structure. If a member fails to attend a meeting, any planned group work, or is late in arriving, corresponding fines are to be assessed.
If these rules are rigidly enforced from the beginning, they serve as enough of a deterrent to group members. The problem comes that it is rare to find officers that are willing to stand firm in the face of complaints from their members. Such was the case in Mumbaya, where the rules had never really been enforced.
Therefore, when it came to establishing and maintaining the tree nursery, people knew there would be no penalty for not working. Someone else can do the work, but later, they'll still share in the rewards.
So I discussed this with our group at our weekly meetings, convincing them to begin strict enforcement of the rules. They agreed to begin effective June 2nd. We also decided to switch up our system, such that each member would have their own day to water all seed beds. Therefore, each member only has to attend to the nursery once every week and a half.
That worked for a couple of weeks. But as officials from the Ministry of Forestry later noted, our nursery is just too far from a reliable water source. At the time it was first established, there was standing water in abundance from the long rains. Now that this water has dried up, fetching water requires a bike ride to a distant pump.
I arranged a meeting with the Ministry of Forestry such that they could help us plan a way forward for the project. The ministry's officials discussed some of the mistakes we had made and offered strong advice on how to be successful. On account of this advice, the group decided to dig a well at the nursery site in order to have a reliable source of water on-site. The amount of money to be spent in digging the well is relatively small, but should benefit the group tremendously.
Rules are what helps keep this problem in check. Within our group’s constitution is a fine structure. If a member fails to attend a meeting, any planned group work, or is late in arriving, corresponding fines are to be assessed.
If these rules are rigidly enforced from the beginning, they serve as enough of a deterrent to group members. The problem comes that it is rare to find officers that are willing to stand firm in the face of complaints from their members. Such was the case in Mumbaya, where the rules had never really been enforced.
Therefore, when it came to establishing and maintaining the tree nursery, people knew there would be no penalty for not working. Someone else can do the work, but later, they'll still share in the rewards.
So I discussed this with our group at our weekly meetings, convincing them to begin strict enforcement of the rules. They agreed to begin effective June 2nd. We also decided to switch up our system, such that each member would have their own day to water all seed beds. Therefore, each member only has to attend to the nursery once every week and a half.
That worked for a couple of weeks. But as officials from the Ministry of Forestry later noted, our nursery is just too far from a reliable water source. At the time it was first established, there was standing water in abundance from the long rains. Now that this water has dried up, fetching water requires a bike ride to a distant pump.
I arranged a meeting with the Ministry of Forestry such that they could help us plan a way forward for the project. The ministry's officials discussed some of the mistakes we had made and offered strong advice on how to be successful. On account of this advice, the group decided to dig a well at the nursery site in order to have a reliable source of water on-site. The amount of money to be spent in digging the well is relatively small, but should benefit the group tremendously.
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| A Mumbaya Youth Group meeting with the Ministry of Forestry on June 24th. The group also threw a small going-away party for me following our meeting. |
I am hoping that the group will take this advice to heart and move forward. The Ministry of Forestry has offered their continued assistance, and the group has everything needed at their disposal to be successful.
Tree Nursery Development: Budalang’i Health Providers and Development Self Help Group
Tree Nursery Development: Budalang’i Health Providers and Development Self Help Group
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| The CHWs of Budalang'i discuss the merits of various income-generating activities during their meeting on June 3rd. |
During their meeting held on June 3rd, the Community Health Workers (CHWs) of Budalang'i began discussing various income-generating activities which could help fund their own local health initiatives. I sat back and listened as they discussed the merits of pig raising, chicken raising, and preparing a tree nursery. In the end, they settled upon the latter.
Once they made their decision, I spoke up, offering to assist them in the remaining time I have left. They appreciated this, and wanted to work hard to make sure that the nursery would be up and running before I leave. Working with Trees for the Future, I was able to procure for them tree seeds and planting tubes. The CHWs worked to secure a plot of land owned by one of their members, located adjacent to a source of water.
Unfortunately, they were not able to begin work on the nursery prior to my departure. Nevertheless, I feel confident that this group will be successful, as two of their members have prior experience in tree nursery establishment. Additionally, at about 25 members, they have a good number of people to help ensure work is done.
Water Pump Management Committee: Mumbaya
Throughout the past couple of months, I have been meeting regularly with the pump management committee, as well as with Martin of the Ministry of Water, to assist the community of Mumbaya in improving their pump by deepening the well and extending the piping such that water can be accessed year-round.
We had gotten an initial cost estimate from a local ‘fundi’ (repairman) May 16th. By coordinating with Martin, I worked to find a source of old, abandoned culverts, as opposed to buying new ones, in order to reduce the project cost.
During a community meeting held on June 7th, the committee agreed to collect 100 shillings, or about 1.17 USD, from each household as a starting point to fund the work. However, even when accounting for the reduced cost using old culverts, we would have needed at least 120 shillings, or about 1.41 USD, from each household. 100 shillings is not a large amount, let alone 20 shillings, the cost of a chapatti! But the committee claimed that people would refuse to pay any more than 100 shillings.
If you compare this situation to my village of Makili in Mali, you’ll see just how strong the syndrome of dependency is here. By all accounts, Makili is a much poorer village. Yet in Makili, the pump committee just enforced a fine of 2,500 CFA, about 5 USD, per household. Money was not needed to repair the pump, which the committee did themselves for free. They charged the fine simply on principal; to hold the entire community accountable for the fact that their misuse of the pump caused it to break.
Returning to Mumbaya, on several occasions we found potential sources of used culverts only to learn later that they were the wrong size or had been already taken. Unfortunately, buying new culverts became our only option, again doubling the overall project cost.
Just before I left town, Angelina, the CHW who had originally requested my assistance, told me that the community had decided against pursuing this project further. They don’t want to contribute money for a community project. Even the pump caretaker was against the idea. The will just isn’t there in the community. And unfortunately, I failed to convince the community of the importance of working themselves to improve their own quality of life. Maybe if I had more time we could have been more successful.
Water Pump Management Committee: Bulagu
This water project has fortunately turned out to be much more successful. Working alongside Martin, we were able to obtain the spare parts required to repair the Bulagu pump mid-May. Wandera, the CHW who had originally asked for my help, promptly repaired the pump.
With the pump repaired, the committee we had formed in April began collecting registration fees of 200 shillings from each household. Wandera had already finished drafting the group’s constitution and bylaws based upon our discussions from previous meetings. Once the registration fees are collected, he will use this money to officially register the group with the government. The committee can then move forward in properly managing the pump at the community level.
... And A Final Motivational Speech
Unfortunately, they were not able to begin work on the nursery prior to my departure. Nevertheless, I feel confident that this group will be successful, as two of their members have prior experience in tree nursery establishment. Additionally, at about 25 members, they have a good number of people to help ensure work is done.
Water Pump Management Committee: Mumbaya
Throughout the past couple of months, I have been meeting regularly with the pump management committee, as well as with Martin of the Ministry of Water, to assist the community of Mumbaya in improving their pump by deepening the well and extending the piping such that water can be accessed year-round.
We had gotten an initial cost estimate from a local ‘fundi’ (repairman) May 16th. By coordinating with Martin, I worked to find a source of old, abandoned culverts, as opposed to buying new ones, in order to reduce the project cost.
During a community meeting held on June 7th, the committee agreed to collect 100 shillings, or about 1.17 USD, from each household as a starting point to fund the work. However, even when accounting for the reduced cost using old culverts, we would have needed at least 120 shillings, or about 1.41 USD, from each household. 100 shillings is not a large amount, let alone 20 shillings, the cost of a chapatti! But the committee claimed that people would refuse to pay any more than 100 shillings.
If you compare this situation to my village of Makili in Mali, you’ll see just how strong the syndrome of dependency is here. By all accounts, Makili is a much poorer village. Yet in Makili, the pump committee just enforced a fine of 2,500 CFA, about 5 USD, per household. Money was not needed to repair the pump, which the committee did themselves for free. They charged the fine simply on principal; to hold the entire community accountable for the fact that their misuse of the pump caused it to break.
Returning to Mumbaya, on several occasions we found potential sources of used culverts only to learn later that they were the wrong size or had been already taken. Unfortunately, buying new culverts became our only option, again doubling the overall project cost.
Just before I left town, Angelina, the CHW who had originally requested my assistance, told me that the community had decided against pursuing this project further. They don’t want to contribute money for a community project. Even the pump caretaker was against the idea. The will just isn’t there in the community. And unfortunately, I failed to convince the community of the importance of working themselves to improve their own quality of life. Maybe if I had more time we could have been more successful.
Water Pump Management Committee: Bulagu
This water project has fortunately turned out to be much more successful. Working alongside Martin, we were able to obtain the spare parts required to repair the Bulagu pump mid-May. Wandera, the CHW who had originally asked for my help, promptly repaired the pump.
With the pump repaired, the committee we had formed in April began collecting registration fees of 200 shillings from each household. Wandera had already finished drafting the group’s constitution and bylaws based upon our discussions from previous meetings. Once the registration fees are collected, he will use this money to officially register the group with the government. The committee can then move forward in properly managing the pump at the community level.
... And A Final Motivational Speech
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| Speaking with 160 students at Kenya Gauze Primary School on June 24th. |
Several months ago, I had spoken with William, a teacher and a board member at my host organization, about teaching Lifeskills classes at his primary school, Kenya Gauze (named after a now defunct factory in the area). He promised to consult with the headteacher and give me a call when they were ready to begin. He never did.
During the small going-away party my host organization threw me last Saturday, he asked me if I could visit his school. I told him, 'you waited until the absolute last moment!' Although I would not be able to begin anything long-term, I agreed to visit his school on Monday, my second-to-last day at site.
We agreed that I would give the same speech I had given to the two secondary schools in the past couple of weeks. I was a little concerned on how it would go over with a much younger crowd of approximately 160 students in standards 6 through 8. Although more explanation was necessary at times, the students seemed to get the message and I again enjoyed the experience.
During the small going-away party my host organization threw me last Saturday, he asked me if I could visit his school. I told him, 'you waited until the absolute last moment!' Although I would not be able to begin anything long-term, I agreed to visit his school on Monday, my second-to-last day at site.
We agreed that I would give the same speech I had given to the two secondary schools in the past couple of weeks. I was a little concerned on how it would go over with a much younger crowd of approximately 160 students in standards 6 through 8. Although more explanation was necessary at times, the students seemed to get the message and I again enjoyed the experience.
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