#10: Gwassi Hills & Olando, Kenya

Last night (Sunday, 12 June) amidst a storm I got back to KEFRI around 8pm, hence the working internet so I can tell you about the remainder of our trip to Western Kenya. First off, let me say that so far this trip has been the best—the surroundings have been amazing and the project we visited combined a ton of things I’m interested in. I really hope that I can return to Gwassi Hills before the summer ends.

Wednesday morning I woke up at the lovely hour of 5:15am in order to get an early start on the long drive with Dr. Ongugo (our supervisor), Evans (our driver), Bryson, and Pat. Unfortunately, our early departure was somewhat hampered because the hotel’s reception wasn’t open to receive our keys. We hit the road around 6:30am, stopping around 10am for some tea. Drinking tea was fitting not only because tea is what everyone drinks here, but because we had been driving through huge tea fields as we climbed out of the Rift Valley. After this small breakfast of tea, chapati, andazi (kind of like beignets), and my malaria pill we drove on to Kisumu. Once more we stopped for provisions, this time at a large mall. Dr. Ongugo told us to stock up on anything we may need (I got bottled water) because we were going to a very rural area.

Off again. We drove past the village where Obama’s grandmother lives (but no time to visit), stopped so everyone but me could eat some fish since we were by Lake Victoria (I had the usual ugali [=corn meal, kind of like grits but I like it less] and stewed kale stuff), and then went to catch the ferry across part of the lake. A note on the ride: we were riding in a pickup truck with two front seats and a three-person back seat. Also we were traversing some bumpy/windy roads. I was sitting in the middle. I think my hips have been squeezed together a bit but eh, I’m getting used to it.

Anyway, after putzing around while waiting for the ferry, we crossed the lake. It was a tight fit onto the ferry—our vehicle and one other were crammed on so tightly we had to pull our mirrors in. The journey across the lake took about 45 minutes and we saw a hippo swimming.

But there were better (in my opinion) animals to come! Once we crossed the lake it became evident that we were getting into some rural areas: the roads rapidly deteriorated as we approached Gwassi hills (Suba district, Nyanza province) and more and more shouts of “Mzunguuu! How are youuuuu?” seemed to follow us on the wind. As we approached our destination we drove right along Ruma National Park. Dr. Ongugo told us giraffes often hang out there and he was right! Twigas! A bunch of them! I asked if we could stop the car so I could take photos, haha. Alas, I have no telephoto lens for my camera. Still, leah na twiga come true.

Click to enlarge and actually see the twigas.

We climbed into the hills, the scenery making up for the terrible roads. Finally, we drove up to our destination around sunset. Our first glimpse of the place couldn’t have been better—we were situated at an awesome fancy tent hotel on a cliff overlooking Lake Victoria.

After our photoshoot, we deposited our stuff in our tents and went to have dinner. I got the best food I have had at a restaurant/hotel here yet—veggies in peanut sauce with rice. It wasn’t even on the menu but when the lady operating the place discovered I was a vegetarian she said I could have that. So not only was the location great at this place, but the staff as well. Yes, I do plan on returning because I am rather enamored.

That night I wrote the previous blog entry and then climbed into bed. Sadly there was a gap I hadn’t noticed in my mosquito net and one bit me on my face. Oh well. The impending sunburn probably complemented it nicely. Speaking of bugs, the next morning we could see a midge hatch on the lake. It was a large smudge of grey over the water. I’m glad midges don’t bite, because there were millions flying around out there.

Thursday morning we were filled in a bit on the project and were shown around. The project is super interesting to me because it integrates a lot of different aspects of development and environmental restoration, but its complexity makes it a bit difficult to explain briefly. But basically, the project is called Green Forest Social Investment Limited and is funded by a Dutch Foundation that also funds similar projects in Tanzania and India. The idea behind the project is to create sustainable community and economic development alongside environmental restoration. The area is very poor (I think something like over 70% of the population lives on less than $1 per day and 55% have no toilets, not even pit latrines) and has experienced heavy deforestation, which has led to erosion. There has also been drought, made evident by the dying fields of maize. The Limited gives farmers in the area loans in the form of inputs such as beekeeping supplies and seedlings. Then, it buys what the farmer has produced at a fair price, processes it, and then sells it.  The profits are split between the Limited and the farmers until the loan has been repaid. Right now, the main products are honey and charcoal. The two are also intertwined. Farmers are given seedlings to grow, and instead of cutting them down for charcoal (or turning to the sparse remaining forests) they prune the trees. The resulting wood is then made into charcoal at the Limited, which has a large and high tech charcoal producing factory. Charcoal is used by almost everyone for fuel, so it is an important product. The trees which have been planted in turn help support honey production since bees are happier with more plants around. The Limited also has a honey processing plant. The honey made there is completely organic. Some other products that are being worked on are biofuel (from growing jatropha) and aloe. The Limited also has started a girls’ school and a solar project. The hotelish place we stayed at functions as staff housing. Moreover, a pier is being built so products can be shipped across the lake to Kisumu.

Clearly, the project integrates a lot of different processes and ideas, but I like that. It kind of reminds me of some of the stuff I learned about in my International Studies seminars at Kenyon (Everything is complicated and intertwined [and depressing]! There is no straight, realistic answer! But try to figure it out anyway and you’ll be helpful!). It was cool though for this reason, and because the project was really seeking to help the community in the long-term by building a market for them so it can develop economically in a sustainable way, rather than taking charity as it comes and goes.

So, we were given a tour of the honey factory and some jatropha/maize/sorghum fields as we pieced together what the whole thing was all about. After a lunch break we drove up to OSIENALA (Friends of the Lake—a cooperating entity) headquarters in the hills and saw how they had been planting to try to prevent erosion. The view up there was stunning.

The islands to the right are contested by Kenya and Uganda.

Then, the nursery director showed us around. He showed us the seedlings, the main garden (which had various types of aloe, a weird spikey tomato plant, bananas, watermelon, and sunflowers, among other stuff), and gardens along the grounds. He was super cool and gave us porcupine quills. Apparently they like to get into the gardens, as do monkeys, and are subsequently trapped.

Aloe in the garden.

Porcupine quill!

Ranger (of the North?) B and Pat-as-fiddler-crab.

After this adventure, Bryson and I decided we wanted to go swimming in the lake. From our cliff top position, we could see people swimming and bathing, guys on one side of the pier and girls on the other. After swimsuiting up we began to walk to the lake (amusing the security guards when we asked the way), but luckily we ran into Evans who gave us a lift. Bryson, Pat, and Evans proceeded to the guys’ side so I was left on my own to slip my way over the rocks to the girls’ side. Everyone was super amused (probably at my white body which was even less disguised in my bathing suit) and were also surprised that I could swim. They were glad to have me around though (I guess I was adequate entertainment) because when I went to leave they kept asking if I would come back the next day. Sadly I couldn’t because by then we’d have left. But now I have been swimming in the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria! Afterward, we ate dinner outside (this time onion soup and fried pumpkin pieces for me) with some of the Limited staff. Then bed, and this time I made sure my mosquito net was completely shut.

Friday morning we talked with more Limited staff and had some very good conversations, both about the project itself and Kenya in general. I learned a lot. We also took a tour of the charcoal factory. Sadly, we had to depart that afternoon. It seems like there is a good chance we’ll be back though, thankfully.

Leaving Bryson (who headed to Kisumu, then Mumias Sugar) and thereby gaining more room in the back seat, we headed to Olando, where Dr. Ongugo’s rural home is located near the border with Tanzania. We got there after dark and were joined by his wife, who came by bus. They powered up the generator for the house, we ate (Dr. Ongugo typically proclaiming “Leah! Where is your stomach?”), and then went to bed. Saturday morning we met a ton of Ongugos—a bunch of them are neighbors. Pat and I were shown around by various kids, including two nice boys named Bill Clinton and Winston Churchill (no joke). Dr. Ongugo also showed us around his property, which is host to cattle, sheep, an apiary, macadamia trees, and pineapple plants! 

The day was spent tramping around with kids (I did get sunburned) and trying to feed a nice dog. It was interesting to see how people live in this part of the country. The predominant ethnic group in this area is Luo, and I now can recognize who is a Luo! It is also more conservative. I got the question of if I was married/when I would marry from several different people who knew my age. After the general putzing, the day ended nicely with a drive to the nearby beach of Lake Victoria, again as the sun was setting.

In the morning we had breakfast and then departed, saying goodbye to various Ongugo family members on the way. We also visited Mrs. Ongugo’s mother, who doesn’t live far away. That was interesting too—she was one of five wives. We got to see the large family compound. The husband died some time back and the four surviving wives still live together. We were fed lunch and then were off again. As we left it began to storm. This was good because rain was much needed in the area, but bad because we had to cram our bags plus three people into the back seat. Once we reached Kisii we bought a tarp so we could cover the bags in the back, but it was a tight ride until then. The drive was fairly uneventful, highlights being seeing a motorbike tip over in the rain (no one was hurt) and the storms in general that we drove through as we passed back through the Rift Valley and traveled up the escarpment.  That was a little scary as it was dark and rainy and the road narrowly wound up into the highlands. At the bottom is a famous Italian church—apparently the highway was at first built by Italian POWs from WWI.

We arrived back at KEFRI at around 8pm. I had the last non-overripe avocado for dinner (we got too many for free). It was still raining here, and has been at times today as well. Now that I’m back there is some research to do as far as this past trip goes. Today was spent doing that and trying to acquire more toilet paper for the guesthouse (our rooms had been cleaned but we hadn’t gotten the requested toilet paper, which took the whole day to track down). At least we don’t have squat toilets though! I did have to take a bucket shower this morning because our water pressure died, but it’s back now. Anyway, time for me to go to bed so I can post this before work in the morning.