Hello there and welcome to this blog, Veteran Volunteers – Part 1. I hope you are having a nice day, and if you are not, chances are it will get a bit nicer once you have had a read of this.

Over the last month or so I have been asking some of our gap veteran volunteers to share their Camps International experiences with us. I don’t know about you, but I love hearing all about other people’s trips, what they liked best about it, how it affected them, and the impact it is having on their lives today. I also believe that it helps those considering volunteering in the future to make a more educated decision. It’s kinda like our own version of “Which?” magazine!

Over the next week I will be posting one blog per day with the story of one of our own veteran volunteers in the hope that it will brighten your day, highlight what Camps International’s volunteers are achieving and inspire you to get involved too.

A Camps International Case Study

Name: Hannah Thami

Year of travel: September 2011

 1)    Where did you travel to with Camps International?

I travelled to Kenya, where I stayed in Camp Muhaka, Mwalange and Tsavo

 2)    How long did you travel for?

Unfortunately and regrettably I only travelled for 1 month.

 3)    Did you take a full Gap year?

I have actually ended up taking 2 gap years and in September I will be starting at the University of Derby studying Geography with Third World Development. Over the last 2 years I have spent 1 month in Kenya, 12 months in Australia, 6 weeks in Thailand and a couple of weekends in Dubai and Singapore. It has been the most amazing couple of years, and my only regret is coming home!

 4)    How did you make the decision to take a Gap year?

I have never wanted to go to University straight from college because I always wanted to experience and travel as much of the world before entering full time employment. Travelling has made me much more mature, therefore when I start University in September I believe I will be able to manage my time and prioritise my work load without becoming as stressed as I was at college.

 5)    Why did you choose to travel with Camps International?

This trip would be the first, long-distance and longest time I had ever been away from home for. When I searched for volunteer companies on Google, Camps seemed to be extremely well set up, there was also a great amount of information and resources regarding the Kenya Camp. I also found the Facebook page extremely helpful, as I was able to speak with previous volunteers to get advice and information about Camps. Although the cost of the trip was slightly higher than many other organisations, I found that it was worth every penny. For safety, guidance, food and accommodation, I really was extremely well looked after.

 6)    Which was your favourite Camp and why?

Camp Muhaka would have to be my favourite, because it was so close to Diani Beach, which is still one of the most beautiful beaches I have lain on. Eustace our Camp Leader was an amazing leader, who my group loved dearly; he really did look after us as if we were all his children. Our project leader Yah Yah was also extremely helpful and always sang with us when were were building the further education centre in Muhaka to keep our team morale up.

 7)    Has your experience with Camps helped in any University/Job interviews? If yes, how?

Yes it has definitely helped with job interviews and getting into University. Now it’s all about what extra curricula activities you have done and what experiences you have gained when applying for uni. With the grades I achieved in my A levels, having Camp Kenya on my personal statement made such an impact that I was accepted at the University of my first choice. Volunteering in Kenya really helped me to work as part of a team, and has made me much more confident, in both interviews and actually at work.

 8)    Do you feel that your time volunteering changed you in any way? How?

Of course! I have grown up so much! I am so much more independent. After finishing Camp Kenya I decided to book flights to Australia, to travel and work alone, for a year! Before Kenya I would never have thought I was old enough or wise enough to look after myself for that amount of time. It has also made me realise the important things in life, and has given me some of the best memories and friends I will undoubtedly stay in touch with for the rest of my life.

 9)    Please describe your expedition in five words.

Life changing Unforgettable Unimaginable Powerful

 10) Would you recommend Camps International to others?

Absolutely- because I believe in Camps.

 11) What do you spend your days doing now?

Unfortunately I am currently working in an extremely boring yet fast paced accident management company for the last few months of my double gap year. However, the memories remain in my mind, and get me through each day, as one day I hope to be able to finish University and work for a non-governmental aid organisation such as Camps International! (nudge nudge, wink wink)

I would like to extend a BIG ELEPHANT SIZED HIGH FIVE to Hannah for what she has achieved! All the team here at Camps wishes you the best of luck for the start of your degree in September and we hope that the experiences you had in Kenya stand you in good stead for all your future endeavours. Keep in touch!

We have been leading school teams to Mt Kenya for adventure expeditions since we started Camps 10 years ago. This time round we had our very first school from West Africa and they had a great time during their short trip. Peter is our in country Expedition/Team leader who joined them. This is his story………

Emerald School from Nigeria started their journey from the International School of Kenya (ISK) at 7am. The team, comprising of 11 students and a female teacher, had just attended a three day Global Issues Service Summit which was based at the ISK. Upon arriving at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the group were tired but ready and excited for their adventure which started that very day by staying in Pelican House.

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We drove deep into the interior parts of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy searching for Pelican House which was located in the middle of the sanctuary. It was a great chance for the team to experience the beauty of nature and a nice view of Mt Kenya. We spotted Zebras, Giraffes, Gazelles and Buffaloes  roaming peacefully on the savannah plains. We arrived at Pelican House in time for tea and afterwards went out for a game drive within the conservancy.The drive was awesome, it gave us an opportunity to spot Lions “King of the Jungle” and other critically endangered species such us the Northern White Rhino.

My sleep was disturbed that night by some strange noises adjacent to our house.Very early in the morning I decided to investigate, I had a thought of a Lion in my mind but I was completely wrong. A HUGE Black Rhino was standing around a water hole just few meters from the Pelican House. It was making unnecessary horrific noises continuously. The team were so lucky to see a Rhino for the first time  in their life right there in the wilderness.

The next morning we drove safely to Nanyuki where we spent the next two days full on…

Late that morning we left for a Bicycle game ride.This is  an activity where a bicycle is ridden while viewing wildlife and it only happens in Ol Pejeta. Initially, comments like “what if a Lion jumps over and eats one of us, what will we do?” were exclaimed. I knew that they had never done this before and so I assured them that everything will be fine. The instructors are very experienced and are familiar with the environment. We all blasted with amazement as we rode along the marrum (dirt track) road to the inner part of the sanctuary whilst admiring all the amazing wildlife.

The day ended with a visit to a poor Blind Rhino who was named Baraka (blessing) after his tragedy which led to the loss of his eyes.We also visited Sweet Waters Chimpanzee Sanctuary that evening. It was fun to watch the Apes misbehaving with their own poo, one of the Old Chimpanzee became furious and started throwing its own droppings, unfortunately our guides’ face became the target! As we didn’t want to aggravate the chimpanzees, we left and drove back to camp.

Bush skills and team challenges were our last day’s activities, everyone among the team was excited to know what would happen in the field. Bernard, a bush survival skills instructor led the activities.

The first section was team challenges where the team split into two groups. Each group was to create problems by tying difficult knots with rope onto a post for the other team to solve. Then the groups swap to try to untie them. Group A’s knots were very technically and complex that group B couldn’t solve. Definitely they won against group B by tackling all their knots within the appropriate time given by the instructor.

The bush skills were fabulous,Participants had a chance to meet a real Maasai Moran (warrior) in the fire making and archery activity. He made the fire within three minutes by using two wooden sticks, unlike the team members who took ages, but in vain! It certainly is harder than he made it look!

The final task was rock climbing on a wall, a very interesting activity but tough, we had to wear special equipment for our safety before action, everyone tried up to their  maximum. Only 4 made their way to the top, as well as me, the rest were afraid of heights.Wow! That was a fantastic climax of our adventure at Ol Pejeta!

It was a blazing trip with lots of unique and unforgettable experiences  for the group…Many Thanks for choosing Camp International.

Blog compiled by Peter Kalenga Kai

Peter Kalenga just led the Hillcrest Preparatory School for a 4 day outdoor adventure at Camp Tsavo and came back smiling ear to ear…and of course had to share his trip with us….

After driving for 6hrs along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, the Hillcrest Preparatory School bus emerged in the middle of the Tsavo wilderness and drove along the semi arid, thorn bush vegetation composed of acacias and camiphora trees. As usual red clouds were formed as the bus disappeared deeper into Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary. The team looked perpplexed but excited about not knowing what to expect at the next stop after saying goodbye to their usual modern environment. ”That red bumpy road was nice!” One of the kids commented.

The group of 18 students (Age 10&11) and 3 teachers were out for their 4 day school trip to Camp Tsavo. They have hardly had any adventurous trips before and you could tell from their first approach that they were all really excited jumping up and down, screaming and shouting with joy.

That evening the team set off for their bushcraft skills course and a game drive. On our way, I was pleasantly surprised to see how enthusiastic the students were and fascinated by stories about animal behaviour and how the African bush men survived in the bush. It was a real pleasure to watch them fully participate in the footprint and spoor identification with questions flowing like a stream.

We believe Service Learning is crucial for young people to shape principals and create a strong responsible and moral foundation. To the Hillcrest students, it was a really worthy and rewarding trip. The feeling of humanity got in to them after arriving at Sasenyi primary school. They were shocked by the huge number of pupils squeezed in one classroom and the scarcity of learning facilities. They even felt sorrier for the kids who lacked so much compared to themselves and yet they were still happy to be in school. The background of the Sasenyi kids criss-crossed their minds and they started to compare their life back at home which is full of privileges.

This really gave them the moral boost to work tirelessly at classroom plastering and moving rocks ready for a new classroom foundation. That evening they had a great reflection of what they have experienced during the day around the camp fire…

Mt Kasigau hike certainly got everyone’s attention the next day. No one believed these young students would manage to ascend 1640 meters on the daunting paths of Kasigau at that age of 10 and 11. And if you thought they won’t make it then you were wrong. The team left early Friday morning for the hike and by 4pm everyone was back playing football. It took them 3hours up and 2½hrs down!

Congratulations to Hillcrest Prep students for setting a new record of being the first youngest group ever to climb Mt Kasigau! During the hike the team showed determination and accepted the challenge. They held on to one another at their own pace as they slowly maneuvered up the last peak to enjoy great views and celebrate their victory. On their way down the steepest areas turned to a skiing zone “bottoms down”! They all sled using their “bottoms” happily singing songs of motivation. I could not help but feel proud of myself having taken such a young determined group up and down safely.

“The mountain was awesome!” Miss Kartins said.

“Peter, we have now become strong and responsible, we have confidence and proud of ourselves.“said several of the students as they departed across the red soils of Tsavo…

Peter Kalenga

Wow what a week! Most of the United Nations were represented last week in sleepy Muhaka as we welcomed 77 students and 8 teachers from the International School of Kenya for their final year school trip. They had travelled from the hectic city of Nairobi to the chilled out south coast of Kenya. The brief was for them to spend the week of their final school trip having lots of fun, experiencing traditional culture, participating in community project work and enjoying all that the coast has to offer. Vics recounts the week that just went by…

On day one they had a great taste of culture which was organised and facilitated by the drama group from the Amini Youth Club. They were taught all about the coconut tree, how each part of the nut can be used and utilised and even attempted to climb the tree itself. It swiftly became apparent that it is certainly harder than Jericho (the local coconut harvester) made it look. One overly self-assured student unfortunately scraped half his foot off from getting a bit too confident and trying the scale the 4 meter high tree, panic not though, he survived!

Makuti making was another activity whereby they learnt how to make roof tiles from the coconut tree leaves. The young people had also created handbags, stylish hats and even a helicopter from the makuti, all beautifully woven from a wonderful natural resource.

A village tour ensued thus making the group familiar with their surroundings and showing them the projects that Camp Kenya has carried out over the years and also the projects that they would be involved in. The local tailor was welcoming as usual and swiftly took an abundance of orders for shorts and maxi dresses, all made from colourful and beautifully patterned Kenyan kanga.

Both groups experienced the interesting local witch doctor and even got to see his ‘witch doctor license’ which many were surprised at. It was an insight into how local people treat ailments and illnesses but also if you are wanting to cure insomnia, the witch doctor is your guy.

Days two and three consisted of either a fantastically relaxing day learning to scuba dive or snorkel in the clear blue waters of Wasini Island, alongside a slap up fresh seafood lunch and chilling on a traditional dhow OR working ones butts off doing project work in the heat!

We are building an emergency ward at Muhaka dispensary and we are all so keen for this vital infrastructure to be built as soon as possible. Currently there is no such facility, therefore, if you are requiring emergency medical attention you are transported by a motorbike to the nearest hospital half an hour away with half the journey being on a dusty, bumpy road. Not so fun if you have a broken leg, are unconcious or are about to give birth unexpectedly.

The emergency ward will basically be an area suitably equipped for such incidents and patients will wait here until an ambulance arrives, which of course is a much safer way to travel to hospital. Tabitha, the nurse in charge, is so delighted with the prospect of having an emergency ward at her clinic and greeted all the students to say thank you.

The groups on both days worked tirelessly to achieve as much as possible within such a short time frame. The foundations are almost completed and when our next group of gap year students arrive they will be continuing where ISK finished. Its always a reminder of the importance of working together towards a common goal when we start new projects and we look forward to bringing updates of the progression.

They also worked hard to complete two tree nurseries on our shamba opposite Camp Muhaka. As the main source of fuel for cooking is charcoal or wood, many trees are cut down, and not many are replanted. Having a tree nursery where we can raise plenty of trees till they are strong enough to survive when replanted in the community, will give them a much better chance at survival so having the right kind of storage for trees is critical (and of course recycling plastic bottles into the nursery construction makes this little ecocycle perfect!)

Day four consisted of a jam packed beach day which incorporated a beach clean up followed by creating artwork from the washed up flip flops. Earings, bracelets, keyrings and juggling balls were created and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the ocean breeze whilst getting arty. Acrobats entertained then invited those daring enough to have a go. Those that did had a great time and were surprised at themselves as to what they achieved in such a short lesson.

Stretching and deep breaths ensued for the yogi’s with John from the Africa Yoga Project giving a fantastic yoga lesson as the tide slowly came in. Swimming in the glorious Indian Ocean, chilling on the bright, soft, white beach, beach volleyball, Frisbee, football and sipping cold sodas lasted all day. As if that wasn’t enough, a delicious beach bbq for everyone was prepared by our brilliant chefs.

All in all a great day was had by all and the final treat was a meal at the famous Nomads restaurant on the beach. This group certainly enjoyed their final meal and made the most of the ‘eat as much as you like’ buffet. We even managed time over the week to enjoy camp fires, watch a documentary about Mohammed Amin, the man who exposed the extent of the Ethiopian famine, who’s son is an ex ISK student, and participate in a whole group challenge organised by the student leaders. Making a guy a dress out of tissue paper, get the smallest person to eat 10 kit kat chunkies in one minute and racing in sleeping bags.. say no more!

Its safe to say that the ISK group had a fantastic time down on the coast and we look forward to their return!

On the 24th of January, the Aussie Gap team moved from Camp Muhaka to Tsavo. When we arrived we were warmly welcomed by the staff here and presented with lunch. We were then given a brief overview of the camp and its projects. These included making elephant dung paper, the tree nursery, sanctuary maintenance, Sasenyi School, wildlife monitoring, the bush adventure and lastly the safari. While listening to all of these I could tell that everyone was excited and looking forward to our time here.

On our first official day here at Camp Tsavo we made elephant dung paper. Although this may sound bizarre and even a bit gross, it was actually quite interesting and fun. We were showed how to make this by some staff members who also explained to us how important this paper was to the local community. We smashed the poo, mixed it with glue and panned it. We then left it to dry and some of us even added some flowers to it. Overall this was a different, yet interesting and worthwhile experience. We also got to spend the afternoon working in the tree nursery, where we filled some plastic bags with soil ready for planting, cementing the bottle well, removing aloe vera plants and chilli picking. Overall these projects were relaxing, yet eventful.

During our stay here we also had the opportunity of working at Sasenyi Primary School. During this time we did demolished an old school building, in preparation for the building of a new one, cementing the walls of a newly built room, and some of us even had the privilege of being inside the classrooms with the children supervising and teaching. Our time here was precious, as we all felt the work here was helpful and it was also amazing being able to talk to the headmaster about the school and also experience some time with the children.

We also got a chance to visit Imani Womens Group and were surprised to see how women have worked together to improve their living standards as well as tackle their daily challenges. We visited the local community and worked in their farms by helping them harvest green grams and cowpeas. In the afternoon we made bracelets and necklaces from locally purchased beads. It was amazing since everyone came back to the camp with a souvenir of a bracelets and necklaces.

One of the projects we also got to take part in was sanctuary maintenance, which involved filling in the pot holes and ditches in a road on this ranch. Although this work was found a bit hard, it was worthwhile. We also got to take part in wildlife monitoring, whereby we had the exciting task of spotting animals and listening to the staff tell us interesting facts about them.

We also got to experience a bush adventure during our last week here at Tsavo. We got to go on a game drive where we left the buses and looked at the many different footprints. We were also taught how to identify the footprints which was very fascinating. In the afternoon we were divided into three groups and had a competition in building huts. We then got to try and use a bow and arrow and shoot the target, which ended up being harder than it looked. Then we were shown how to light a fire without using a lighter or matches.

On our last full day here at Tsavo, we spent on safari. We got to explore Tsavo’s East National Park where we saw giraffes, baboons, different type of antelopes, zebras, buffalos and many elephants. From living in Australia where you can only see these animals on TV or in a zoo, to seeing these beautiful animals in their natural environment was fantastic and presented us with some amazing photo opportunities.

 Our time here at Camp Tsavo and been a brilliant one. We have been able to experience Africa in a way that normal tourists couldn’t. From being able to see beautiful creatures while just driving into Voi, to the amazing staff, our experience here is unforgettable and unlike any other.

We work with so amazing people across all the villages and places where our camps are based, from the rainforests of South America to our community forest conservation projects in Africa. Through our projects, we often meet and get to know outstanding talent and dedicated individuals who over time have become part of the Camps family. Many of you have met and worked with these people through your travels and I am sure you will agree with me that they are heroes in their own right. A few months ago, we featured Benson Gitari, the artist and now meet Mzee Sururu, the old man of Kaya Muhaka Sacred Forest…

I am Mzee Sururu Kasim Lagiza, Aged 60 years and a local Farmer. I was born in Muhaka village and attended my school in 1967 up to Class 7. Due to a lack of funds my parents could not take me further with my education although I was so bright. My aim was to become a Pilot and that was my dream, but then there was no one to help me achieve this. I had to work in Farms in order to support my family as I was the elder son. I worked for ten Years in different Farms as a “Shamba Boy” then I got an idea of starting my own Farm. Due to my effort, a cooperative was formed called Muhaka Diani Farmers Cooperative Society (MDCS) and I was appointed as a Secretary to record all the sales done in each day. This was a challenge to me since my Education level was not good. However, I did so well that the Cooperative sponsored me to attend various courses at District and National level.

I joined Cooperative College of Kenya where I learnt different courses at different times of the year I did ABM 1&2(Administration Book Keeping and Management (1975-1976) .The knowledge that I gained from these courses helped me to work and communicate effectively. I managed to organise and coordinate seminars with other Farmers within the community. The dream to become a Pilot was completely lost and my interest was now in plants. I loved nature more than anything.

In 1986 Conservation became my pinnacle carrier, and no person could change my mind. I started to fight against the Kaya Muhaka destruction from the Charcoal burners and Local house builders. The Kaya forest community Elders appointed me to lead them in keeping records. I was chosen as the Chief Elder to lead the Kaya Sacred forest early February 1999. On my work as an Elder I tried to involve many community members to understand the great impact of Kaya forest to the world. I am glad most of them understood how precious that forest is in terms of our tradition and this helped to with stand the pressure except a few. Due to poverty some people didn’t want to listen; they thought I wanted to ruin their life. Despite all challenges I stood firm; I knew that it would take time for people to understand the whole concept of sustainability, due to the diverse needs of the Kaya forest globally but I said to myself, ”it must start somewhere”.

In 2007 Camp Kenya came in to save the situation. Mr Simon the Director at Camp Kenya came and introduced himself to us. He wanted to work with my group to help in conserving the sacred Kaya Forest. Camps opened our hope by supporting in funding our various ongoing projects as well as volunteers coming to us and that’s where my English also improved!

When I met with Dipesh things became much better. He brought a new idea of eco-friendly briquettes, education about moringa Plant, chilli planting which I count it as a promising project and use of recycled bottles for construction. I‘m happy meeting new friends from different countries. I work with all volunteers hand in hand on our projects. These projects includes indigenous tree nursery rearing and planting, Casuarinas planting, jatropha cultivation and harvesting. Through Camp Kenya, a permanent Camp for the community has been constructed, a borehole was completed and three buffer zones for Moringa plant, Indigenous trees and casuarinas trees were expanded. I’m happy to work with Camps and my community has accepted this organisation.

A change is what I need in my community so that people may value the Kaya Muhaka forest not only for future generation but also for global climate change. My future plans is to plant more indigenous trees within Kaya forest especially the degraded areas, plant more casuarinas trees as a substitute for building materials.

I will also continue to encourage people to become Eco-friendly towards biodiversity. Conservation is crucial to our life, we need it.

Mzee Sururu (and thanks also to Peter Kalenga for compiling this)

And a big congratulations to our Camp Kenya gap year students at Camp Makongeni for completing a new house in less than two weeks!…

What a week!! Reunited together we finished Mama Maimuna’s house, well structure, and had an amazing opening ceremony with balloons and singing. Other smaller projects included making a bin for the community of Makongeni, we collected rubbish and did another day at the wicked.

So, Harlie and Rory on the ball for this week’s blog. Liking it so far? Well, we worked very hard on mama’s house. We did things from mudding walls, and we dug hole the height of Jackson (and that’s deep), completed the mangroves, all contributing to the income of the community.

However, it wasn’t all work and no play! Good old Gladys organized games night (even better than bingo) we had potato slinging, balloon popping, (some of the guys had to get extra close)and water weeing into a cup! Safe to say the boys lost! To finish our awesome week we had a ‘friendly’ match of netball with the local school kids, leaving the campers a tad bruised!

Rory was manager and wasn’t very good at it! Onto the latest goss… Solveig conquered her Essex accent! Nonie got the award for monster eater! And Stephen was crowned Prince of Holland.

Tune in next week! Laters babe!

And the Gap Year in Africa diaries continue on (thank you Chloe and friends)…

It’s safe to say that our experience at Camp Kenya has been anything but ordinary. Over the past two weeks we have come together as a group, working on each of our projects and bonding with the camp staff. The three projects that we worked on include Mama’s mud house, the grey-water system and the bottle house for the polytechnic school.

Working in the heat and humidity was pretty tough, but all our hard work paid off once we saw the progress that we had made on each of the projects. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t finish some of the projects, because we know that we have made a great contribution to each of them. The team that worked on Mama’s house with Sampuli exceeded their personal expectations by shoveling clay into wheelbarrows and pushing them through soft sand; quite a difficult task for a group of girls (excluding Matt). The teams that worked on the grey-water system and bottle house found it very rewarding to contribute to sustainable projects that will help the community in Muhaka.

In the evenings and the weekends we enjoyed spending time with the community, playing soccer, teaching netball and exchanging language tips (although some were better at learning Swahili than others!). I don’t think that any of us will forget witnessing a brawl between the monkeys at camp, especially when one of them took refuge in a room with girls that were sick in bed! Most of us also had the opportunity to spend time at the local schools and dispensary. Those that participated in the optional activities were able to spend a day snorkeling in the marine reserve near the border of Tanzania and Kenya. Here they swam with stingrays, dolphins and a wide variety of tropical fish.

On behalf of everyone, we would like to thank all the staff at Camp Kenya for making our experience so memorable. Eustace was a fantastic father figure while we spent time away from our families, and each team leader was a great mentor and friend. As we leave to continue our journey in Tsavo, we are going to miss everyone that we met in Muhaka, and hopefully one day we can meet again!

Our two month and three month Camp Kenya Gap year volunteers have just finished their first week in Camp Makongeni after spending their first two weeks at Camp Tsavo. Gladys, our Camp Manager at Makongeni, Jackson Reid and others have sent a short blog on what they have been up to in Makongeni and more importantly the story of a mother’s life that’s about to change…

The last four days have been epic. In that time we have started the main structure of a house for a local mother in the community. After a long time of struggle Maimuna Hamadi Redano now has something to smile about. Maimuna is the lady whom we are building a new traditional house for. Maimuna is a single mother after her husband died and left her with 7 children and no were to called home.

She used rent a single room for herself and her children in the village which she could not manage to pay the rent every month and at the same time providing for the children. She doesn’t have any source of income and even she tried to start a business in the village, she didn’t have enough capital to keep it going. After the business was unsuccessful, she moved to her aunt’s house where she stayed for 1 year. It was becoming a big burden to her aunt who told her she could no longer manage. The Makongeni village Chairman choses her as the first priority for the house building program and now the volunteers are doing an amazing job building her house for her. In 2 weeks time Maimuna and her children will have their own place to call home…

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The group have also already immersed themselves into the the Baraka Women’s Mangrove conservation project…

Also we have reinforced the walls of a local pond which the local mothers rely on for an income. This includes planting hundreds of mangroves trees which help increase the local fish population. We can’t stress the amount of fulfillment and joy we have experienced here in Makongeni.

Today being Friday, we have enjoyed the comfort of a fire and the sweet taste of beer to bring our group even closer together. With the addition of simple games such as limbo and musical statues we have truly formed a bond that will last longer than our trip here in Kenya.

Not to mention the food is fantastic!

As many of you are aware, there is a whole lot of sewing going on in Muhaka…Susanna Matters was back in December for a month to take the rewashable sanitary pad program one step further. We are all extremely proud of this project how much it has already benefited the girls in Muhaka. The project is currently being scaled up and I finally managed to squeeze a blog out of Susanna! Here we go…

When I was a child, my mum always told me that one day I would be grateful to know how to sew a hem by hand. No question about it, apparently.  So every weekend my imagination would channel the ‘accomplished’ heroines of Enid Blyton’s boarding school tales and I would attempt to sew for about twenty minutes without knotting my thread or bunching the fabric up into a hopeless mess.

About fifteen years on, it would appear that my mother may have had a point.  For a blissful month at the end of 2012, I found myself back in the beautiful village of Muhaka, indulging in classic ‘girl-talk’ with a group of local young women as we sewed by hand. These enterprising young women call themselves the Pink Chapati Ladies and it is a true honour for me to introduce you to them.

The Pink Chapati Ladies of Muhaka Village are a determined bunch. They are mothers, school-students, breadwinners and orphans. They know all the words to Rihanna’s songs, recognise good fashion and love to have a splash in the ocean. But unlike many of the young women I meet on a daily basis, the Pink Chapati Ladies sew their own re-washable sanitary pads (chapatis).

A pink chapati is a simple solution with very big benefits. You take three cotton circles and one plastic circle and then sew around the circumference. Next you sew on two thin parallel straps and two tiny squares of velcro so your circle can be folded onto itself to make a soft, winged pad. Finally, you fold a square piece of soft, absorbent fabric into a liner and tuck it under the straps. And there you have it – Muhaka Village’s safe and eco-friendly alternative to newspaper, cowdung, rags or nothing at all!

Additionally, the pink chapatis are keeping girls in school. Students, who previously were embarrassed to attend school while menstruating or were forced to truant in order to earn money to fund personal expenses such as the purchase of sanitary pads, now have a different story to share. These days, the girls carry a plastic-lined segregated pouch allowing fresh new liners to be separated from used ones. Each pouch also comes with a clean pair of underpants and will soon include a bilingual women’s health information booklet. This exciting development is all thanks to the dedicated Pink Chapati Ladies who are establishing themselves as local seamstresses and role-models just because they come together every day to have a good chat over their sewing. Soon these remarkable young women will be able to develop this work into a small business, allowing them to earn some pocket-money for everyday expenses while ensuring their community has sustainable access to clean sanitary pads.

The Pink Chapati Ladies are driving positive change in Muhaka and surrounding villages. It was a pleasure to work with them over the summer. And in case you’re wondering, they agree with my mum – my sewing could do with some improvement!

Susanna Matters is the Founder of ‘Goods for Girls’, an Australian non-profit committed to advancing educational outcomes for girls in developing communities through the provision of essential hygiene products and services.