Nimesharudi kwangu. Since last talking to you, I have had a two week trip to Kenya. A group in Kenya (Bethany International) is setting up an integrated agriculture training centre in Garissa. They asked if I could come over and give them some ideas and advice both in the layout of the school and in the preparation of curricula.
Garissa is near the Tana River (the largest in Kenya) and features a population of traditionally pastoralist people groups. The Somalis have moved into the area even more since the troubles began there twenty years ago. Money from the diasporas (Somalis living abroad in Europe and North America) and from Somali economic activities on the high seas (read piracy) has fuelled property buying and building in Garissa, Nairobi and other parts of Kenya. Influxes of Somali refugees has doubled the population and made the Garissa area more powerful politically as well. The Somalis have become a major player in politics and economics in the past few years.
Conservative Islam has also moved into the area. The call to prayer and sundry recitations were a prominent audio background throughout the day and night. When we lived in north eastern Kenya twenty years ago, Islam was present but the women did not wear the full covering they do now. The vast majority of the Somali women now cover themselves with a full veil (called a ‘ninja’ by the local population – including the women themselves) when in public. There are still forays into ‘fashion’ with decorated and embroidered coverings and very intricate henna designs on feet and hands.
I was able to see some new parts of Kenya on a trip from Garissa to Mombassa. That bus trip featured some off road stretches and took about eleven hours for the 450 some kilometres. A road is being built but may take a few more years to accomplish. Surprisingly, I saw two new animal species this trip, despite not having time for a game drive. The caracal and galago were both new and delightful finds.
It was lovely to reacquaint myself with various Kenya dishes. Well cooked traditional food is good in any culture and, with so many various cultures in Kenya, there are many types of food to sample. Irio, nyama choma, camel stew, Somali rice, Swahili pizza, mandazis, chai, ugali and samosas were all part of the menu ... and very well enjoyed.
My Swahili was rusty but I managed fairly well, especially in understanding what was going on. Kenyan Swahili is not as polished as Tanzanian Swahili so my grammar was noticeably better on several occasions. That stood me in good stead when I would forget a word or, worse, throw in the correct Spanish word. I found myself thanking the clerks here in Honduras in Swahili this morning. Sigh.
In the course of looking for supplies and equipment, we saw a new development in Kenya. Finally, two companies have developed small greenhouses and shade cloth units for small landholders. These are affordable for lower middle class farmers and repay themselves in less than one year. With simple drip irrigation systems, they are also very easy on water. The banks have realized their potential and are lending money for them as well. Now, to try and get them here in Honduras. The cost of a >1000 sq. ft. greenhouse with equipment is less than $1500.00 USD. With the vagaries of climate change, this is a huge step in food security.
When we toured one of the companies’ show house, I asked the girl showing us around when she was setting up her own greenhouse (that was partly to see if she was actually sold on the idea or not – if it isn’t good enough for the employees then we should take a closer look ... right?). She told me, “next month it goes up”. She already had plans to build a second one and within two years she was going to be working on her own and earning more than she could as a ‘tour guide’.
One greenhouse is enough to provide a family with a very moderate income and two would provide a living of choice. One person can take care of two greenhouses without trouble.
We also saw several new pieces of equipment developed for small farmers and businessmen. A new maize grinder (built in Kenya and much sturdier than Indian/Chinese models), a hand cranked rock crusher (beats the man sitting with a hammer to make gravel), a water pump (100 litres/minute) that can work with one hand and the Jompy stove (a fantastic new unit to heat water and cook at the same time over charcoal or open flame) were all new items.
One of the focal points of our time in Garissa was seeking to find ways to utilize a new tree in the area, Prosopis juliaflora. This tree was introduced about twenty years ago and has spread rapidly. The good news is that it is keeping areas covered with trees despite the pressures of increased population. The bad news is that it does spread quickly. However, it has been my experience (speaking humbly of course) that trees are very easy to catch so complaints about the spread of such a species are not too credible.
The tree fixes nitrogen, provides good charcoal, is easily worked for furniture (can be glued together to make laminated boards) and carvings, has high protein leaves and pods (the pods can be ground and the flour incorporated into porridges and chapattis) and flowers prolifically. It also can be harvested repeatedly and will come back from the roots or trunk (coppices readily). There is some concern that a 100% diet of the leaves or pods may cause problems ... but a 100% diet of anything is a problem generally speaking.
We did find a place where they are making charcoal briquettes using charcoal dust and clay. They can make the charcoal dust from any carbon source, including leaves. This opens the potential for utilizing this tree in even more ways. As we talked with people about seeing this tree as a resource instead of a problem, it was wonderful to see their excitement. In an area of Kenya that is desperate for economic building ideas, this tree offers a great opportunity.
There are many ideas that can be transferred to Honduras and I look forward to working on that in the coming months. Now, adventures over for a few months, it will be back to the school work here.
TTYL
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