Please check out our pictures from our trip to Kenya and Tanzania by clicking the “Our pictures” link to the left. They have some of the pictures from the blog and more. Take care.

May 19, 2009

What provides a great breeding ground for fish and crabs and helps protect land and people from the effects of large waves? The answer: Mangrove trees! I learned this and more through our visit today with a Mangrove Reforestation group in Majaoni, an area just outside Mombasa. The members of this group explained that in recent years many trees along the coast were harvested and used for firewood.  The depleted supply of mangrove trees caused serious harm to the land and fish population in this area.  To combat this, many local residents decided to replant the mangrove trees and care for the forests. CRWRC’s church partner, Pwani Christian Community Services (CCS) has come alongside this group to offer training and support for the project.

Working to build and sustain a forest of mangrove trees comes with multiple benefits. The environmental group was concerned with the land and through the help of Pwani CCS and CRWRC, they were also learning how to make a profit off the land. As we took a nature walk through the mangroves we noted one example of this: various fish ponds built up to breed and harvest fish. The group would bring in the eggs and wait for them to reach the right size before collecting them and taking them to the market.

They have also built and tend these fish ponds for added income. The water in the ponds is daily replenished by the tide, which pushes water through the pipes to refill the ponds.

A second income generating activity we saw was crab farming. The group had built cages for crabs. As baby crabs grew in size they became very profitable and the group estimated a significant return on the sale of these crabs. One third demonstration of good land use in this area was evident in the group’s use of bee hives. The forest land provided a terrific environment for bees to live and produce honey, honey that could be harvested for income. In all of these ways the group was capitalizing on their environmental concerns and learning new ways to be stewards of the land that also gave them valuable income.

This board walk works through the mangrove forest to the ocean. The group uses it for school groups to come and learn about mangrove ecosystems.

May 20, 2009

In and around Mombasa the rains had just begun. But as we headed north to Bamba, the land still had a parched shade of gray wherever we looked. Drought has been a concern in every place we’ve gone in Kenya, but it seemed most apparent here. In Bamba, Pwani Christian Community Services (CCS) is working with the community to mitigate the effects of erratic weather and low soil fertility by giving other options to farming and opportunities for rainwater harvesting.

The first community we met first took us to their water jar project, where women had come together to learn the skill of making water collection jars out of cement and bricks. These jars would harvest the little rain fall that came from their iron roofs, reducing the 5 mile round-trip they have to do about every other day to and from the nearest clean water source.

Secondly, the group showed us their bee hives, which have all been colonized and are doing well. One of the members had recently set up a traditional beehive (a hollowed-out log) next to the modern hives in an effort to study the production differences between the two (We later learned that modern beehives can produce 70 liters of honey a year compared to a tradition hive’s 8 liters) Another man said that he was able to earn enough money through the hives to get hives of his own, which have produced enough honey money to pay dowry and get married, something he never had the resources to do previously.

The group was also taking part in a farming field school, where agriculturalists in the community regularly came to give lessons on farming, including how to do contour farming, use manure, and space plants adequately.

After saying farewell to this group, we passed through to the other side of Bamba where a group had come together to build a water pan. The women in this community have to make an 8 mile round trip to the cleanest water source. Through a grant from CRWRC and Foods Resource Bank, this community worked together for 5 months to build a massive water pan. I believe this is the same thing as what we call “dugouts” at grandpa’s farm, but this is on a much bigger scale. The water pan catches all the runoff from nearby hills and creates a pond where the community can fetch water. This water pan served 200 families from the area and freed up 30 hours every week (that would otherwise have been used to fetch water) for the mothers of these families to spend time at home or working in the fields alongside their husbands.

May 21, 2009

Butterfly catching and bee stings! That’s how we spent our last morning in Mombasa with CRWRC’s partner, Pwani CCS. Paul and I met with a community group in Mida where they are working to meet the market demands. The group has undertaken a variety of projects including growing aloe vera plants and farming butterflies. While I could guess the purpose of the aloe vera plants I was confused about the butterflies. One man in the group explained that butterflies are caught and then contained in a net wrapped around a tree branch. The butterflies can feed on the tree and eventually build their cocoon on the branch. When this happens the man takes the branch and prepares to send it to his European and North American buyers. He explained that the butterflies are used in butterfly gardens and parks. Some of his buyers even sell butterflies for special ceremonies or celebrations where the butterflies are released in a beautiful display.

After catching and taking pictures with some of the butterflies, we piled back in the car and drove out to the group’s bee keeping project. Here, as we’d seen in so many groups before, the members were hoping to produce honey for sale. We visited a few of their hive sites and got a good look at the colonies. In fact, we later decided we got too close a look when a lone bee flew out and stung Paul. This meant trouble. As the group members shared, a certain smell is released when a bee stings someone/thing and it triggers the same reaction in the other bees. Soon the swarm was chasing us all down the path and away from their home. We were happy to make a hasty retreat.

That evening we reflected on the day’s events as we drove to the airport for our evening flight. Our time in Mombasa had come to an end and our adventures in Tanzania were about to begin.

May 22-24, 2009

Margaret, CRWRC’s country consultant in Tanzania, collected us at our guest house in Dar es Salaam this afternoon. Over a lunch of chicken, fish and coconut milk rice, she explained some of the history of CRWRC in Tanzania and helped orient us to the city. Our first lesson was that English wouldn’t get us very far in Dar es Salaam. In fact if you want to live and work in the country, you must learn Swahili. Paul and I were prepared to try out our language learning skills and after visiting the CRWRC office there, we made plans to explore the city over the weekend.

On Saturday we set out for a wood carving market. There were beautiful displays of ebony carvings in every kiosk along with all kinds of other African crafts. Three hours later, with souvenirs in hand, we made our way to the coastline of Dar es Salaam and found a nice spot to have ice cream. It was a warm afternoon and we decided to walk a little enjoying the sites. Spotting some blackberries and gooseberries for sale, we stopped and got some fruit. Dar es Salaam is a developing urban area with a tropical feel. The sea breezes and palm trees made me feel like I was on vacation.

Sunday we worshiped with Margaret in her church. We were warmly welcomed and enjoyed the fellowship. Then we went for a drive around Dar es Salaam, through the city, past the beaches, and home again to our Catholic guest house, to rest before the big week ahead of us.

May 25, 2009

Today we headed south out of Dar es Salaam to visit an organization called HOPE Projects for the Disabled. We first met Paul, the founder of HOPE, who has been working to empower the disabled through this organization for the last 5 years. CRWRC works with HOPE to provide training and capacity building to this organization and its beneficiaries, and also provides tricycles to people with disabilities to increase their mobility.

After meeting with Paul we went to meet with one of the groups that HOPE is working with. The group we met consisted of 50 members, all who were part of smaller groups doing a variety of activities. They had a cashew processing team that was doing very well. They were also milling cassava to earn an income for the group. In addition, they were doing sewing and tailoring, goat keeping, and were just starting up a chicken keeping project that would be able to handle 500 chickens at a time.

After our visit we traveled several kilometers to a farm that was full of passion fruit, bananas, peppers, and amaranth. It was run by man that was limp in one leg, but through hard work and putting the training he had received into action, had built up a farm that was even successful enough to employ hand help.

Lastly we visited a group called Chanika-kiwacha, a name whose translation escapes me. They are a group of 31 members with many activities. They were working doing savings and credit (community banking), had a community garden, had a wood carving project, as well as raised local chicken. They also had high hopes for starting a fish farm. The most impressive thing about this group, however, was that they had a female chairperson. Every group has a chairperson, and in our experience that chairperson is always a man. Even in women’s groups, men are often chair. But in this group, comprised of men and women, they had a woman chairperson. We took a picture with her to remember her and the group by.

May 26, 2009

Today was our last day in Tanzania and our last day of our 4 week tour. We spent it at another partner of CRWRC, Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS), about 40 kilometers west of Dar es Salaam.

The group had just become an officially registered group in October 2007, at that time having only 37 members. The first loan they gave was that January for 50,000 shillings, the equivalent of $38.00. Less than two years later, they now have 86 members, have a group capital savings of 16,000,000 shillings ($12,000), and just approved a loan for one of their members that was over 2,000,000 shillings ($1,500). When asked, the group said its main goal was to give their community access to finances where they were not able to have before. It is extremely difficult to get loans from commercial banks, and interest rates are currently around 20%. This group allows members of the group to take out various types of loans for professional and personal development at a competitive interest rate that also earns the group serious dividends.

We were amazed at the strengths of this group and the growth it has experienced. Yet the group also realized that its growth created some of the group’s biggest challenges. Every month, they said, they grow and need continuous business training to keep up; currently they are seeing a need for training in business leadership and administration that will help them at this level and future levels of growth. Through continued partnership with the church, they hope to gain the skills they need for future growth. It was wonderful to end our tour visiting with this well-organized, insightful, and forward-looking group that has flourished with the support of the church and CRWRC.

May 27, 2009

It’s time to go home. Today we fly back to Kampala. Margaret drove us to the airport this morning and after arriving early we decided to have lunch together. Enjoying soup, salads, rice and meat stews, we had a chance to share a few laughs and say goodbye. It has been a terrific month of learning opportunities, touring CRWRC’s sites and visiting staff and partners. Paul and I are glad that we could finish our trip with a stop in Tanzania.

May 6, 2009

Today we headed out northeast of Nairobi, beyond Thika to the town of Muranga where we met Isaac, the Christian Community Services (CCS) program officer for the area. CCS is the community development wing of the Anglican Church of Kenya and is a development partner with CRWRC. Isaac picked us up at the matatu park and off we drove to meet with community groups working in Gituamba, Kayo, and Kamuiru.

There we met a handful of community leaders organizing themselves around the needs of the people living in this area. Many of the people live quite simply here in mud houses with small land plots, sectioned off between multiple family members. Therefore they need creative ways to maximize their resources. In one example, a family demonstrated how they used sacks full of dirt to grow plants and veggies. By forming small holes in the sides of the sack, plants could germinate and sprout. Thus they created surface space for the plants to grow where there was none before, allowing them a valuable harvest for their families.

Vertical gardens maximize the minimal land families have

A second development project we witnessed was rabbit farming! We visited one family that had designed a pen for the rabbits and tended to them, feeding them and caring for them as they quickly multiplied. A market had been found in the nearby area and therefore the rabbits could be sold for a substantial profit.

This is the father pure bred rabbit, one of the biggest I have ever seen

One of the problems yet that the people manage are the jiggers. It was explained that jiggers affect a large number of children and these jiggers have to be removed from the children’s feet or they can cause serious harm to the child, sometimes even death. Through CCS a health team has become available in the area and they now travel around the communities removing jiggers from infected children and adults.

May 7, 2009 –

Shortly after 4AM this morning we tumbled out of bed. After hurrying through cold showers and scrambling to dress, we grabbed our bags and turned in our guesthouse key. Our five day stay was up and we were headed for the airport and our next destination. As we watched the sunrise from the airplane window, we anticipated what the day would bring and what we’d find during our visit with CRWRC’s partner, the RCEA (Reformed Church of East Africa) in Eldoret.

By 10:00AM we were sitting in the RCEA offices, chatting with Abraham, the director of the Department of Care, which does development and relief across Kenya. After a few quick stops in town we set off together for Anepkoi and Safina, villages outside of Eldoret. The terrain was beautiful: lush, green, and hilly! Here in Anepkoi and Safina we met two separate groups in the community, each working on a number of initiatives to strengthen their financial capacity and develop their livelihoods. Abraham works with these groups to help them connect with outside resources, trainings, and people that can support them in their development projects. He’s a tremendous organizer of communities and we enjoyed spending the day together.

While we learned from a women’s group raising chickens, a farmer’s group growing veggies, a bee keeping group hoping to harvest honey for sale, and more…. the most significant observation I made today was the way individuals in these groups do fundraising. In order to begin these projects the people needed capital. However, in this region extra cash is hard to find and in many ways harder to save. So these groups organize themselves and conduct a table banking system called the merry-go-round. Here’s how it works:

Members join and agree to abide by the set policies that govern the group. Each month, every group member contributes an agreed upon sum of money into the group bank. The members each contribute the same amount of money. Then the entire amount collected that month is given to a pre-selected member of the group. The group member is allowed to spend the money as they choose. The following month that person has to share with the group how they spent the money. In addition that member is responsible, along with every other member, to contribute the agreed upon sum of money for the group bank. Then this money is given out to a different, pre-selected member and the chain continues.

Each member therefore benefits from the merry-go-round on a rotating basis. The benefit is that in a place where there are no banks for saving large sums of money, one person can receive their “savings” and make a substantial purchase. Members we met had purchased chickens, goats, a beehive, a cow, or other income-generating equipment. Some members also use part of the money to pay school fees for their children or purchase food for their families. Furthermore the table banking project gave the group members a strong sense of accountability to one another and a significant source of encouragement in their business and saving ventures.

May 8, 2009

The road to Kerio Valley left something to be desired. After an hour of winding our vehicle down the mountain, through the security check, past the river with crocodiles, and along the mining camp, I wondered how the local people without cars make the same trek, up the mountain and on foot. We finally arrived in the valley around 11:00AM. It was dry and hot.

The RCEA’s Department of Care Director, Abraham, took us to meet with some different groups in the community which he supports through his trainings and consultation. The first stop brought us to a woman and her family who were raising dairy goats for their milk. While an average dairy goat produces four liters per day, these goats only produced three due to the dry conditions. Still the milk brought in valuable money for the household and we appreciated the woman’s management of these goats.

From there we traveled on to visit a women’s group that had two ongoing initiatives. First they had invested in a beehive project for a honey harvest that would bring them income. Secondly they had begun working to improve their chicken farming techniques. The group shared with us some of their struggles and successes and we had the opportunity to cheer them on in their income-generating activities.

We wrapped up the day by meeting with a ‘dry land farming’ group. The group had come together to raise money for a dam. The dam was built for the community and harnessed the limited water supply available to the farmers. The farmers explained that the water would allow them to stretch their three month growing season into a six month growing season, enabling them to raise more crops. The farmers were excited and one in particular showed us the plant nursery he was working to cultivate.

May 9-10, 2009

After a week of intense traveling, discussing, and processing, we decided to take the weekend slow. On Saturday we spent the morning resting, and then took the afternoon to visit with Eunice, who works for the International Office of Migration (IOM) and has been working with internally displaced people (IDP) who are still living in tents after the post-election violence of December 2007.   It was great to talk with her about her person experience during that time and her involvement since as she tries to help others resettle.

On Sunday we went to church with Eunice at Sharika Reformed. They had hymns!  It was a wonderful reminder of worship at our home church and a wonderful way to worship with this church.   Afterward we went with Eunice to the IDP camp down the road, which at the height of the violence had over 15,000 people staying. A year and a half later there are still over 2,000 people (500 families) who remain in the camps with no home. Most of them have no land, former tenants with businesses that were all burned, leaving them with no merchandise, no capital, and very few options. They were very kind and hospitable to us as visitors, telling us their story and sharing their situation.

We returned home for a little rest, packed up our belongings after a rewarding and memorable four days in Eldoret, and headed off to the airport. We were quite late; so late that we loaded our own bags on to the plane before getting on ourselves just before the plane taxied out. And then we were on our way back to Nairobi.

May 11, 2009

This was a fantastic day as we were able to hang out with my friend, Matt, and his fiancée, Amy, who had just finished a medical internship in Cameroon and then had flown over to Kenya for a week long safari. It was great to catch up with the both of them, find out how plans were going for their wedding that was happening in 3 weeks, and their plans to follow. It was a blessing to visit with them and catch up before saying farewell as they headed back to the States that night.

May 12, 2009

My knowledge of agricultural theories and practices is just beginning, and I may be easily won over, but as I stared at the onion the size of a softball growing in the Care of Creation demonstration plot, I couldn’t help but think that conservation agriculture works. This conviction was amplified as Francis, the program officer for the organization, told us how through using this method, he was able to harvest 38 bags of maize off one acre this past year. His neighbors, using the traditional farming methods, harvested 7 bags.

Care of Creation teaches the principles of conservation agriculture: no ploughing, using mulch to protect the soil from the sun and weeds, AND giving constant nutrients through composting. They also teach how to harvest rain water and how to plant and care for trees; all with a continual reflection of caring for the environment as a biblical task. Care of Creation teaches these practices throughout Kenya with and through colleague organizations like CRWRC.

I had been out to Care of Creation in September when we had the East Africa Ministries Team Meeting in Nairobi, and this was a wonderful refresher course in what we learned then, as well as a wonderful opportunity to bring up questions that I had encountered from Ugandan farmers over the last 8 months as we discussed their methods. I am continually searching out the pros and cons of applying this method in Uganda, both through my questions and my own garden, and we were blessed to have this one-on-one time with the organization.

May 13, 2009

Today was a laid back day, with some internet catch up at the CRWRC office, time in the Triangle market haggling over the price of souvenirs, and then discussing the nature of international community development work over dinner with Fred, the Kenya country consultant.

May 14, 2009 – “Getting there is half the fun…”

It started in the morning as we were waiting in the ticketing office, located in inner-city Nairobi. Apparently there were some mechanics down the street that were setting up shop on land that wasn’t theirs. The owner came to kick them off, which was responded to by a miniature riot. The steel doors on the office were locked shut as we waited for tensions to simmer. When tensions dissipated, we were allowed on the bus, where we were stuck in traffic and watched as tensions ebbed and flowed, rocks were thrown from time to time in attempts to get the anger boiling again, police came with tear gas, to which we shut our bus windows. As the bus driver said honestly, yet jokingly, “All in a days work in Nairobi.”

As we made our way out of town, into the drought-stricken plains of Kenya, we passed calmer settings of grazing camels and zebras, and monkeys playing on the road, and we let our minds wander to our destination, Mombasa, where we would meet with partners of CRWRC doing agriculture and income-generating activities near the coast.  While there we would also dip our feet in the Indian Ocean for the first time in our lives and have a weekend mini-vacation to take a breath and process the things we’ve seen and conversations we’ve had over the last 2 weeks.

May 15-17, 2009 – R & R at the Beach!

First, a little vacation. We went for a swim in the Indian Ocean for the first time in our lives. And we rode a camel (named Bob) for the first time in our lives, which was a blast and one of the most touristy things we’ve done since coming to Africa. And being in Mombasa brought us to the furthest east we’ve ever been in our lives. By the end of the day we were beginning to feel pretty accomplished. But we’ve also had a lot of time to talk about what we are seeing here in Kenya, and write out some of these thoughts in blog-form for those of you back home. Thanks for following along.

May 18, 2009

Today we set off for the Bombululu Workshops and Cultural Center (www.apdkbombolulu.org). Bombululu is an enterprise striving to match persons with disabilities with marketable skills and jobs. Bombululu is known worldwide for its Kenyan crafts, clothing, carvings, and jewelry. They sell their product through different venues but their primary fair trade partner is Ten Thousand Villages. You may have seen their work if you’ve ever shopped here!

As our guide, Paul, rode in his wheelchair, pushed by a friendly youth, he shared how one comes to live and work in the Bombululu community and showed us around the many workshops. We saw demonstrations in jewelry making, wood carving, sewing, and leather work. The best part was meeting the people in the workshops and appreciating their skills.

One of the employees with a necklace she was creating

It would have been nice to stay longer and learn the trade first hand. As we toured through the gift shop at the end of our visit we could admire the quality and care with which each craft was made. It was quite a treat to see all the talent and creativity on display!

Over the past year Paul and I have interned with CRWRC Uganda’s country team. It’s been a privilege and joy to discover the potential of community development through the church in this beautiful country. Now, during the month of May, we set out to apply the lessons we’ve gained and deepen our understanding of community development through a study of CRWRC partnerships in different regions of East Africa. We’ll be going on a journey to see God’s hand at work through CRWRC Kenya and Tanzania. As we encounter communities working to improve their economy and their health, their families, and their futures, we will be listening for God’s stories of transformation. Along the way, we will share the stories, adventures and pictures of our work with you!

May 1, 2009
It’s Friday and the citizens of East Africa celebrated their annual Labor Day holiday today. The jovial mood of the general crowds matched our own as we juggled our luggage through the Kampala airport and past the ticket counter, boarding the ten o’clock Kenya Airways flight for Nairobi. Before noon our plane arrived and we soon met our driver, Immanuel, outside the airport. In no time we were on the road, passing along well-developed city streets and large office buildings. We were amazed at the difference between Kampala and Nairobi’s urban layouts and the very Western feel of the latter. For a few sentimental moments we began to recall the feelings of home and then… the police stopped us. We were charged with driving in the wrong lane and the penalty was going to court or paying the bribe. It was a disappointing introduction to the poorly developed judicial system of this country and the corruption behind it.

We drove on until we reached a small compound nestled among some trees and greenery. A sign by the gate read Amani Ya Juu. There we met Amy Thompson, a Bridger for CRWRC Kenya, also our friend and tour guide for the next few days.

After hugs and hellos, we joined Amy for lunch at Amani. She explained that Amani functions as a training center, restaurant, and gift shop employing vulnerable and marginalized women from multiple African countries. Amani focuses on giving women marketable skills and a place to use them. Additionally the program helps the women build Christian community together through Bible study and fellowship. Customer can purchase beautifully crafted garments, decorative quilts, hand-made jewelry, and Christmas crafts made by these women. Amy’s creative selection of meal venues gave us our first introduction to the city of Nairobi and some of the local projects underway to enrich and empower people in need.

May 2, 2009 – Bird of Paradise
We spent this morning with Amy’s Kenyan family, a gracious couple that hosted her when she first arrived in the country two years ago. Before sitting down to Kenya tea, which includes milk, tea, and plenty of sugar, we took a walk around their compound. As we admired the beautiful orange flowers along the walk, Amy’s host father shared with us the story of his Bird of Paradise flowers. Originally he planted them for the family’s enjoyment. Then one day a traveling visitor noticed these plants and how well they grew in the soil. The visitor inquired of Amy’s host father, who mentioned that he grew them recreationally. At this the traveler explained that if Amy’s host father was interested in making a profit, he would buy the Bird of Paradise flowers, as many as Amy’s host father could plant. In turn the flowers would be sold to a buyer in Holland. The plan worked splendidly and Amy’s host father shared the opportunity with his neighbors. Now, together, he and his neighbors grow hundreds of the flowers and sell them regularly. Amy’s host father pointed out that he’s saving the money to help him through his retirement years. His story gave one example of an effective way to use your natural resources and networks to earn an income.

May 3, 2009
A light rain shower this morning turned our walk to church into a puddle-hopping dash. However, we arrived in good spirits ready for worship at the Parkland Baptist church in Amy’s neighborhood. The service combined African and Western worship styles to accommodate its diverse body of members. The Western influence could be seen in the familiar selection of praise songs that we know from back home and the leaders’ efforts to begin and end the service at the scheduled times. Meanwhile the African flavor of the service was reflected in the rhythm and volume of the praise songs, not to mention that many were sung in Kiswahili, the national language. It was a treat to worship with Amy!

In the afternoon we visited the Witteveen’s residence. Fred Witteveen serves as the country consultant for CRWRC Kenya. He and his family welcomed to their home the Kenya office staff and partners for a celebration of the team’s work over the past year. One of their particularly exciting accomplishments in the recent months has been the development of their strategic plan. The document outlines the vision, goals, and action plans of CRWRC Kenya for the next five years. It’s a real sign of God’s faithfulness to CRWRC and the staff team’s commitment to advance God’s kingdom here in East Africa.

May 4,2009
Accompanied this morning by our seasoned guide George, we got an early start on the day’s adventures, the first of which included an experiment with Nairobi’s public transportation system of matatus (minivans). As our crowded matatu careened down the Kenyan roads it carried us away from the city and deep into pineapple country. In less than an hour we reached Thika, home to a Del Monte pineapple plantation and CRWRC’s partner Christian Community Services (CCS).

CRWRC emphasizes the importance of capacity-building partnerships with the community and facilitates the learning and networks of its community partners through program consultants. The community partners in turn are empowered and strengthened in their capacity to teach and encourage the community members in development initiatives.

The CCS community development coordinator, Peter Macharia, met us in town and then drove us to meet two of the Orphan and Vulnerable Children groups (OVC) that his organization supports. Each group consists of about 30 elderly women and single mothers working to raise their family’s orphaned children. The first group welcomed us warmly. As we sat together in a hut on a hill overlooking the pineapple and tea fields below, we listened to their story and appreciated the impact of the group on each of their lives. The women explained how they meet together regularly, sharing their burdens, empathizing, and devising creative solutions. The simple solidarity that they find in the group encourages them and motivates them to believe in their futures.

The women expressed their gratitude to Peter for his support of the group. Through CCS these women have received goats and training on how to use natural fertilizers for the benefit of their fields. They have also started a rabbit raising income generating activity (they told me holding them by the ears doesn’t hurt ).

These women still have difficulties that need to be dealt with daily. We met a woman, the secretary of the group, whose husband had passed away leaving her with a number of children. When her husband passed away, his family conspired against her to steal her land. They burned down her house, chased her and her family off the land, and are now working with the courts to make what they did legitimate. Peter told us that once this happens, it is hard to undo, but CCS and the women’s group is working to bring light on the issue, exposing to the community what the family has done to this woman and is educating the community on land rights to prevent this offence from happening in the future.

A view of the rural area outside of Thika. Most of that green is tea fields

May 5, 2009 – Recycled Manure

Today we had the blessing of visiting a man named John in a village outside of Nairobi called Gathitika. John is an accountant by trade, with an interest both in business and preserving the environment. From his hillside home, he can look over the sweeping valley and mountains in the distance and see the deforestation that happens as the years go. As a way to combat this trend, and to invest in a little business, he has built a methane biogas generator, and it is for this reason that we came to meet.

For the last couple months I have been working with my coworker, Dale Christy, on plans for a bio-gas generator to implement in Lira. A bio-gas generator harnesses methane gas that comes from manure and directs it for use in daily tasks, like cooking or lighting at night. Most of the community in Uganda, as well as in Kenya, still use charcoal and wood to do their cooking, resulting in a quickly depleting forest over the whole region. Bio-gas generators are one way of combating this trend. When I heard through Partners Worldwide (an affiliate of CRWRC), that there was a man working on one in Nairobi, using a loan from a Partners Worldwide organization, I was happy to go and check it out.

John is building a generator that should be able to supply his home as well as the surrounding 20 homes with enough gas for cooking each day. In return for the gas he will charge a small fee as part of this income-generating activity. The hope is that his neighbors will see the benefit of paying for this gas over the hours they spend each day looking for and gathering firewood. I was amazed at his initiative and creativity in bringing his interests together in a way that sustains his family, his community, and his environment.

Standing in the resevoir for the generator, still unused

by paul

I know it’s cheesy, but I had to give a blog this title at least once while we’re working here…it’s the rules.  :)    And there really could be no better time for such a title. The rains have come back!! Which means the temperatures have dropped from the high 90’s to somewhere in the 80’s and things are starting to grow. We’re spending a lot of our free time in the garden planting and weeding, and playing Frisbee on our green grass lawn that was all but dead a couple of weeks ago. We simply wanted to share this excitement with all of you in the change of seasons. We hope that the change from the bitter cold of winter to the welcoming warmth of spring is equally refreshing for you all.

by Paul

Whether working in education, business, or community development, one of the most important pieces of programming is monitoring and evaluation; assessing the quality, the effectiveness, and efficiency of work that is being done in the community. In March we had the blessing of taking part in the three year evaluation of the partnership between the Diocese of Lango and CRWRC. Through this evaluation we took a deep look at the planning, implementation and monitoring of the programs funded by CRWRC in the Diocese of Lango. We also reflected on how CRWRC can better support the Diocese of Lango as they implement programs in their community.

A wonderful welcome at the Adult Literacy group in Adyeda

We spent three days meeting with administration and talking with community groups in surrounding villages, discussing the strengths and the weaknesses of our work over the past 3 years in the hope of charting a better way forward. Three days of this kind of work may seem tedious, but it was necessary and incredibly helpful in assessing the way in which we are working together as stewards of our time, our money, and our abilities. This type of evaluation is not a test, but an instrument through which we can sharpen ourselves as more effective instruments in the Redeemer’s hands.

 

CRWRC and Diocese staff sit to discuss evaluation summary

We continue to press forward in our work as God’s instruments, and through our time of evaluation and reflection we hope to move forward in unison with our partners as we serve the community in Northern Uganda together.

The End of Poverty
By Jeffrey Sachs
 
A conversation with friends recently centered on development programs and how to make them work.   One friend made the comment, “Even Jeffrey Sachs has trouble getting programs to work, and he’s brilliant.”   I had studied Jeffrey Sachs briefly in college development classes, but didn’t know much about his style of international development, so I decided to read a book he wrote a couple of years ago titled The End of Poverty and educate myself on other ways to engage in development work.  
 
In The End of Poverty, Sachs proposes that we can eradicate extreme poverty across the world through strategic investments by western corporations and governments into the infrastructure, health care, and governments of developing countries.   Through these investments, developing countries would be placed on the first rung of the ladder of development, a level to which they could not reach before, and from which they can climb on their own to further development.
 
Jeffrey Sachs is considered a leading economist in international economic development.  He has helped many countries attain economic stability as personal consultant for countries in South America, Asia, and Eastern Europe.  He has a thorough grasp of the problems of the developing world, the history of poverty around the world, and the factors (such as geography, disease, and technology) that work on the grand scheme to keep people in poverty. 
 
However, I disagree with his solutions as the answer that will bring an end to poverty.   He disregards the human factor that comes into all social programs: personal decisions that can either help the community or selfishly help a few, temptations of corruption that leave development wheels spinning, and the need for community involvement and ownership.   He also follows a general theme found in western culture that assumes applying enough money to a problem will in turn be its solution (not to say that some money won’t be involved).   And above all, I believe he leaves out the key element of the work of the Holy Spirit, which transforms hearts, minds, communities, and even economies when people of faith join together in prayer and action for the care of their neighbors. 
 
If you get the chance and have the desire, I would encourage you to read The End of Poverty.  It is well written and has some interesting reflections on the cause and solutions to world poverty.   Let me know what you think if you get the chance.

by Paul

 

When we first came to Uganda it was our hope to volunteer with an organization outside of the church in order to get a broad perspective of how others organizations are engaging this community, how these approaches related to or differed from CRWRC’s approach, and what we could glean from their work for our future practice in development. 

 

Unfortunately, volunteering is more difficult than we originally expected.  We were able to volunteer at a school for a short while, but for the most part organizations did not need volunteers, did not want them, or had policies against them.   So in lieu of volunteering, we decided to move around our town of Lira and interview local organizations to explore what they are doing in their community and more importantly, how they are doing it.   There are dozens upon dozens of organizations in this town of only 80,000 people, and there are just as many ways of engaging the community.   There are food distributions and agricultural trainings, programs for community health, spiritual health, and mental health, organizations that empower the community to change their situation, and others that go out to change the situation for the community. 

 

In the past two months we have visited almost a dozen organizations and the most significant point that we’ve taken is the strength of those organizations that are not just working for a community or in the community, but believe in the power of working with the community. 

For example, communities need water.   Some organizations go into communities that need clean water, dig the well, and leave.   On the other hand, other organizations go into the community, consult clan leaders on a piece of land that won’t be controlled by any one family, create an action plan with the community for how the well will be cared for, and mobilize the community to contribute in the planning and resources needed for the project.   If you took a picture of this well and of the well completed by the first organization, it would look very similar.  The difference is in the details, where a community commits to a project, takes it on as their own, cares for it, and ensures that it continues to provide them with clean water because it is their’s.   Although we would like to think a community would put in the effort to keep the well going in the first example, they don’t, and maybe understandably so.   It is difficult to contribute out of your own scarce resources to a project you had nothing to do with, especially when chances are another well-meaning NGO is just around the corner to fix it for you.  There are wells, tractors, tools, etc. littering the countryside; given by well meaning organizations that did not realize that ownership was not a given, but a process.   As we continue our work in Lira, we hope to practice development that engages communities in the process of development, and we thank you for your prayers and support in that process.  

by Joy

The crowded front lobby was sparsely decorated and tightly furnished with hard, worn benches and two reception desks. An oversized television played a Nigerian soap opera in the corner, distracting most of the visitors and some of the staff. As I waited for the counselor to call our names I studied the wall posters on HIV and AIDS, mentally translating the Luo into English. The book I had brought to read lay untouched in my bag as my mind wandered to the events of the last half hour.

 

“How will your friends and family react when you tell them you have HIV and AIDS?” the counselor had asked in our pre-test session role play.

Her question stuck me harder than the lab tech’s needle. I glanced down at my aching arms and the two red holes, one “miss,” one “hit.”  Before drawing my blood, it was explained how the blood vile and the results card would be marked with the same number code so I could be assured of proper handling. At that moment, I felt assured of nothing, nothing but my vulnerability.

Our decision to be tested for HIV and AIDS came with our desire to better understand the reality of our Ugandan friends and neighbors who live with this disease. In a small way, the testing procedure would draw us into their experience and enable us to better know their stories. Since living here in Lira, we have met many people with an HIV and AIDS story:  babies born with it, children watching parents die from it, promiscuous partners transmitting it to faithful spouses and even accidental contact with contaminated blood or bodily fluids causing some to become infected. HIV and AIDS awareness can play a key role in minimizing the risk of transmission. It can also be instrumental in helping a community to understand and assist those people living with HIV and AIDS.

So, we encourage our friends who go to be tested and support them by testing ourselves.

When the counselor first challenged me during our pre-test session to consider how I would respond to a positive HIV and AIDS diagnosis, I was taken by surprise. I had no concern that this disease would ever touch my life so deeply. After all, between myself and this devastating disease stood awareness, safe behaviors, and a few tough layers of skin. Yet I realized in that moment that what really stood between me and HIV and AIDS was my human frailty and God’s grace. The ‘safe distance’ I allowed myself to feel from this disease came from my failure to face it for myself and to embody grace and love toward the people suffering from it.

Suddenly I was stepping into their shoes, picturing life with the uncertainty of a deadly illness, wondering who would understand and who would support me if I found myself infected. I realized that day we are all living with HIV and AIDS. The Bible illustrates how we are members of one body. If one person suffers, we all suffer. Christ invites us to share each other’s burdens.

 

Whether it’s living with HIV and AIDS or visiting a person in the hospital, listening to clan leaders or spending time with the elderly, facilitating peace trainings or writing petitions to politicians, feeding villages or serving hungry children at a soup kitchen, Christ pictures us as stewards of his love and grace. What does that look like in my community; what does it look like in yours?

By Joy 

And there it was… a baby monitor lizard shading himself in the dirt beds near our hedge.  It was my first monitor lizard sighting and quite a picture at that.  Though he moved like a snake, his four feet and scaly back still distinguished him in his reptile class.  Paul and I watched from a safe distance as he sat poised with his head cocked, listening.  Then with a slithery crawl he threaded himself through our chain link fence and into the neighbor’s yard.  I was left to ponder God’s wisdom for not letting me discover him by myself.     

The Bible tells us God reveals himself through his creation.  I wonder about this when I study the yellow, inch-long frog that has taken up residence in our bathroom.  He likes to squeeze his one-inch body through a half inch crack in our cement wall.  And I have to chuckle when he’s pinched headfirst, with nothing but his failing legs sticking out of the wall.  His tiny legs, no more than a millimeter and a half thick, manage to support his whole body as he climbs our walls, jumps across the toilet, and sleeps behind our hanging towels. When he doses, his paper-thin eye lids relax and his big black eyes grow small.  Though we aren’t sure if he’s poisonous, we believe he is helping to reduce the insect population in our bathroom.  When I translate my delight at watching his little frog into delight for its Creator I have to agree that God’s majesty, humor, and love display themselves in the intricacies of his craftsmanship.   

From the lizards that scurry across our floors to the toads that hide in our shoes, we are marveling at the God of endless creativity.  He pictures his glory in his creatures that we can understand him better.  Today our prayer for all of you is that you are encouraged by this God who knows your every detail and who chose you to bear his very image of love and grace, that others may hear his voice and know he is the Lord.