Week One in Kenya

Monday, March 14, 2011
Seven Seasons Guest House
Kampala, Uganda
By Philip Arscott

Considering how today marks the two week anniversary of my arrival in East Africa, figured it might be a good idea to finally put a post together. So, here it goes…

I arrived in Nairobi on March 1st, a brief 10 hour flight from London Heathrow. The flight was mainly a daze, partially due to my early wakening to catch the Heathrow Express, but more likely due to the late night I enjoyed visiting an old friend who resides in Islington. As people were preparing to debark, I noticed everyone was shedding layers of clothing in a uniform fashion that I’d never seen before. I quickly followed suit, but due to my genetics I had packed several extra layers in my carry on and had to resort to hanging a sweater from my bag’s strap. I was happy I did so, since I had to truck through the terminal to find an ATM to get some funds, convert the shillings to dollars, then purchase my visa. Although told to keep enough US dollars to take care of this, London has a tendency to empty your wallet.

The Visa process was simple and as I descended the stairs to the baggage claim, I could see both of my bags on the carousel. Perfect. Even better, as I walked towards the exit, I spotted Anne Olson, Director of Africa Operations, who was kindly waiting with a car and driver. This was obviously a great way to enter the Kenya atmosphere, with a friend, car and place nearby to stay. We traveled the dimly lit streets and turned onto an unpaved path that, even with Anne there, made me nervous. But my apprehension was ill advised, for we pulled into the Wildebeest Hotel after a short bumpy ride, and I knew I could rest soon. In true local fashion, the power had been out all evening so I signed in via flashlight. Wildebeest is a hotel, but its main attractions are the canvas safari-style tents that come stocked with a shower, bathroom and amazing ventilation. With my headlamp handy I put some things away, but exhaustion was the more formidable foe to settling and I quickly found myself laying down for rest. Luckily there was a generator on nearby, belching a screetching sound that had me fooled for a mutated cricket, making it easy to sleep (sarcasm). But the new environment and heat were the main factor for my weak sleep- I had anticipated this, but it’s amazing how many times you can look at your clock in a minute and think you’ve had hours of rest!

When the sun came up, I walked out of my tent to see Anne doing the same, so we headed to breakfast. Tea, two fried eggs and toast and I was ready for the day. I checked in with my parents to confirm I’d landed and settled safely- hearing their voice for the first time since leaving was a luxury for which I will always be indebted to mobile technology. The power came on around mid-morning, so Anne and I set to get to work and charge our devices. Having left the US office essentially a week earlier, (I sporadically went into the office the last week as I tried to organize my life into two bags) I was flooded with a barrage of emails and tasks to attend to. Although overwhelming, it helped keep my mind off of the heat and humidity. In the afternoon I began feeling hazy and went for a brief nap that ended up being 3 hours. Some of the best sleep I can remember and I not sure how I did it, as I was sweating and panting trying to stay cool. Either way, it was great to get some shut-eye and when I got up at 5, I decided to venture out to the shopping mall to track down some cheap sunglasses.

I by no means had a tour of Nairobi, but the small window I did view was intriguing. Matatus (mini-vans used for public transport) flying down the street often with arms, legs, baskets or something else hanging out of them, motorcycles, trucks spewing black smoke like miniature chimneys, men in suits and barefoot children, women in amazingly colorful garments, roadside stands selling fruits, vegetables, bags, hats, you name it, sidewalks crowded with the rush hour crowd, a man wearing a SF Giants cap who didn’t notice the one I was wearing and all the while feeling remarkably content. When I was in Tanzania three years earlier, I remember the paralyzing effect the new environment had on me. Not out of fear but due to the sheer newness of the place compared to everything I’d been used to. Perhaps I was still wakening from my nap and emotionally numb from sleep, but as the days have passed, I am happy to report that my brief stint in Tanzania really did help take the training wheels off.

Anyways, I entered the Yaya mall searching for shades and found that on each floor I went up, I could find cheaper pairs. I settled on some for a whopping 1,800 that, unbeknownst to me, were on sale for 500 shilling off, so I got them for a measly 1,300 shillings, roughly $16. Satisfied with the sale and discount, I headed back to the Wildebeest to get ready for the evening. Following a buffet dinner, we connected with Sarah Ellis, who works for the BOMA Fund and was going to be traveling with us for a while. It was a brief introduction, but great to add another person to the crew. We were headed to Kakamega in the morning, bright and early so I did not need much convincing to head to bed.

The 7:30 flight ended up being delayed for over an hour, quite the disappointment, as I know my body would have appreciated more rest. One great thing about the flight though, I was allowed to bring my huge 1 liter plastic water bottle on the plane. I always get thirsty above 5,000 feet, so this was a relief (ignoring the possibility of what you could do with that much liquid of a different nature). We briefly touched down in Eldoret- dropping off a few passengers and gaining some others, before completing the trek to Kakamega. Anne pointed out the Kakamega Forest, which was a beautiful swath of green in an otherwise brown and arid landscape. Everyone is waiting for the rains here, so I’m sure in a month or so it’d be a very different view from the air.

Upon landing, we made our way to the Sheywe Guest House in Kakamega, over poor roads and then a nicer tarmac. The roads are one of the more interesting things here- their importance is undeniable but their maintenance is near impossible. Too many trucks and not enough public investment, coupled with an intense rainy season and bouts of droughts, the dirt roads simply blow away until the rocks underneath act like a percussion massage therapist gone mad on your car and body. But we made it in one piece to be greeted by Lyndsay Holley Handler, the Sr. Director of Field Operations and Innovation, who was stoked to say the least to have us all there. We had a quick meal as we had not had time for breakfast, then Anne, Lyndsay and I sat down for the first ever Operations Meeitng from the East Africa with all members present! Although I am a Sr. Fellow, I’ll still be assisting with the implementation of the core program. We had plenty to discuss and I was thrilled to be part of the conversation.

Later I met Wilson Peru, Kenya Country Director, and Martin Theuri who is doing some consulting work for us, and we had a nice lunch in the Sheywe dining room. Afterwards, we trekked down the street to the VEF-Kenya Office, where I met Linnet Ayuma, Office manager and Charo Kalume, who’s been working on evaluations of our special projects. It is such a pleasure to finally meet our crew out there, as I’ve been emailing and having poorly connected phone conversations with some of them for three years now. We had a little meet and greet meeting and went over what everyone did so that we all knew where to turn to for different tasks. The rest of the day was composed of office work and getting comfy at Sheywe, dinner was nice -eating outside, with the thick scent of bug spray on my person and a lovely beef curry and chapatti. That is one thing I have craved since my exposure to them in Tanzania- Chapattis. They are very healthy and should be part of any dieter’s daily regime (sarcasm) but I love them all the same.

The following morning Martin, Sarah and I were headed to the field to visit some business groups to learn how and if they were saving. Sarah is putting together training modules for “Savings and Credit Groups,” what we at VEF call “Umbrella Groups (UG).” These groups have been formed in the past to help with many parts of our model, but going forward we’re planning on making it a standard in the program. Essentially, the Umbrella Groups are composed of businesses that are part of the same funding cycle usually revolving around the same industry although it is not a requirement. As each business is composed of five individuals and each umbrella is ten businesses, they make a very large unit that gives the individual businesses more options for success. UGs composed of the same type of businesses could purchase farm inputs in bulk for example, reducing the costs of operations and allowing them to achieve higher profits. More recently, UGs have begun to save money collectively, creating a source of credit in rural areas where otherwise there would be none. They form a constitution, laws and officers, to maintain organization and usually charge a fee if people miss meetings because it is vital that all members are in this together, and understand the system. As a group they can apply for a collective bank account, which of course requires a few governmental hoops to jump through. All in all, it is a very innovative way for these groups to create savings accounts as well as share information and to provide a single meeting place where we (VEF) can conduct future trainings if desired. As this is Sarah’s project, I was in for the ride (literally, on Pikis- motorcycle taxis) but was excited to get to the field after nearly three years away.

We met up with Business Mentor Jackline Okanya, who lives and works right outside of Kakamega in the Lurambi division. I not positive on the breakdown between city, village, district, etc. but I believe that is right. Jackline took us to three businesses near the middle of town and then to a Pump project business. I’ll only describe one of the businesses in town and the Pump Project business for the sake of time.

Pauline Salima is vibrant woman who I met standing behind her kiosk in the town market, composed of debarked tree poles and two shelves. The roof is composed of irregularly sized boards that do a sufficient job of keeping the sun at bay given their aesthetic imperfections. With a joyous smile and humbling laugh, she welcomed us to her business and away Sarah went with her interview. Her stand consisted of mangoes, onions, tomatoes, dried corn and a bag of rocks, which I’ll address later. It is mango season in Kenya, and the ones I’d tried previously were sweeter than any you’d find at Trader Joes or Whole Foods, having traveled probably less than a few hundred kilometers from tree to stand. Pauline works for the Wetinyie Group, originally selling maize but they diversify their inventory depending on the season. Wetinyie Group received their first VEF grant in the summer of 2009 and after successfully passing the progress report, received their second installment in December of the same year. Though a humble kiosk in the Lurambi market, Pauline boasted about her sales and the profits she’s accumulated over the years, allowing her to put money into both a group savings and a personal account. Although illiterate, she described how when she goes to the bank to make a deposit into her personal account, she relies on the security guards to help fill out he forms, a common practice but very intriguing to me. Although the group business makes a profit, she buys and sells chickens from home as an alternative source of income- a recommendation Jackline makes to all of her business groups. Due to the fluctuation in market prices for goods, often a second source of income helps level out the troughs many face throughout the year. So the rocks: The diet in most of these communities does not do wonders for the body’s iron levels. Women who are pregnant are particularly exposed to this iron deficiency, which is where the rocks come in. I know it sounds harsh, it is very common, people chew on the rocks, or put the powder into a beverage in order to maintain sufficient iron in their bodies. Pauline jokingly offered some to us, whereupon we kindly rescinded, but for me it rocked that subconscious list of things I take for granted back home. Below is a picture of her while she was laughing at me taking a photo- mzungos with their cameras.


Pauline Salima

After the great visit with Pauline and the other businesses near the market, we trucked our way on Pikis (remember, motorcycle taxis) to visit a business that is part of out Pump Project in Kenya. In 2008, I visited businesses in Tanzania that were part of a Pump Project there, so it was great to see the newer version of the project in Kenya. Here are the facts: Although VEF provides seed capital grants to groups of five entrepreneurs, it is apparent that one of the major deficiencies of rural economies is access to new technologies that either improve efficiency and/or completely alter the normal way of doing business. The Pump (Kickstart Moneymaker Pump) is great example of this. Normally rural farmers who are not lucky enough to have a government or NGO sponsored irrigation system nearby can only farm during the rainy season depending on crop. For obvious reasons this drastically reduces their ability to have a steady income year around, as the clouds dictate their access to water. Kickstart, a non-profit based in the Bay Area, developed several types of pumps that allow rural farmers to irrigate their land as long as they have a well or water source nearby (a well for example). Prior to the pump, this could be done by hauling water to and from the water source, which is incredibly labor intensive and often insufficient to water a large area.

We rode the pikis down the main road for a while then pulled off and headed into a winding maze of roads, paths and trails, constantly changing elevation and testing my comfortability on a two-wheeled vehicle. Luckily I’ve ridden on the back of my old roommate’s scooter up and down the hills of San Francisco, so I was used to anticipating bumps and changes in altitude. We turned and passed though some trees to a couple houses and a yard with a young calf resting in the shade. We introduced ourselves to some of the people there, then found that we were going to jump back on the pikis to head to the field. A few more winding roads and then down a hill where we stopped as we didn’t want to test the motorcycles on anymore of a decline. A baby, couldn’t have been older than 2, was playing in the shade and for a brief moment I thought one of the drivers didn’t see her, but luckily he stopped prior to entering her play area. We walked down the remainder of the steep hill, anticipating the slips and loose dirt, imagining the group carrying the pump down on a regular basis.



The field was filled with a beautiful array of green kale that stretched for about ¾ of an acre. Kale is a very profitable crop here and can be harvested slowly for up to 7 months, as it grows taller and taller and sprouts new leaves. The Yawenaao Group had planted the Kale in two waves, starting one seedbed on September 4th and another on December 9th. Although we were there for Sarah to conduct her surveys, I spoke with the business owners at length regarding how and when they planted, the prices they were getting by month and how much they’d made thus far. It was inspiring to see such a productive field and the owners were proud to share their records and discuss their future plans for the next season. I finally passed the baton to Sarah so she could do her survey and I walked around to take pictures. The kale’s deep green radiated in the full equatorial sun, contrasted by the vibrant red soil typical of East Africa. They had dug a small irrigation ditch next to the field, which allowed them to pump water over the whole field- part of the program’s requirement is a water source nearby, otherwise the pump wont be much help. Kale is an odd looking plant, it’s long stem extending from the earth marked where the leaves were previously snapped off to be sold. When Sarah had finished her interview, I took a picture of the business group along with Jackline and Erik, the Field Officer (part time employee), who helps monitor the business and makes sure they’re using the proper agricultural techniques.


Jackline Okayna, the Yawenaao group- and Erik, the field officer

We left the field and climbed back up the hill to the bikes, and bid farewell to the group. Following the same combination of winding paths and roads, we found the main drag and decided it was time to head back to Kakamega, as Jackline was cutting it very close to making it to work on time. We paid the pikis and then boarded a matatu that was headed back, making for a cozy ride. The matatu is like a miniature Volkswagen van and I had the honor of sitting in front. However, the holes in the metal floor exposed the road passing underneath and the cracked windshield did not do wonders for my safety concerns. The driver was very nice though and when a passenger forgot to pay he yelled out and the man came racing back apologetically. I was surprised by his good nature in the situation, but then he (the driver) explained to me that the child with the forgetful was very sick so the man had other, more pressing things on his mind. As a driver, he must be able to read into everyone’s situation as they board and perhaps that’s how he passes the day, constantly picking up passengers and dropping them off in what is like an endless stream of stop and go.

That night, all exhausted from the fieldwork, we sat outside in the cool evening air with the light fading all around us. Nick Handler, Lyndsay’s husband, joined us for dinner and we discussed the day and whatever else came to mind. Anne, Sarah and I were heading to Soroti on Saturday, which I was very excited for as I will be residing there for the next year. It did not take much to sleep that night and it was comforting to finally be on the right sleep schedule. I felt as though my body was alternating between San Francisco, London and Kakamega time zones, but finally I’d adjusted to sun’s rise and set.