Back in Boston

Hello blog readers!

We are back in Boston! After a visit with her parents in New Jersey for Terri and visit to New York for Danielle, we are once again in full swing and getting ready for the school year to begin! We have so much to do – set up our classroom (turning it into Kenya personified, of course); prepare to present about our project and vision for future school community engagement next week to our fellow Henderson teachers, therapists, and staff; and, search and apply for more grants and funding to keep the project moving full steam ahead. We have a few leads that we are pursuing and applications that we are currently working on, thanks to some of our readers' helpful suggestions, but if you know of any other grants or potential partners out there, please let us know!

Yesterday, we attended the Boston Green Festival. We were able to gather helpful information and learn about local resources that will aid us in our upcoming school year’s comparative study of temperate and tropical ecosystems. We were especially intrigued by the Earthwatch Institute, who is currently operating a black rhino conservation project in Ol Pejeta Conservancy (our second safari destination) and working with the Maasai in Samburu (southeastern Kenya) to save the endangered Grevy’s zebra and learn about Maasai medicinal plants. (See our blog posts “Truly Equatorial” and “Maasai Natural Resources and Remedies” below.) They also have six projects in the United States surrounding the effects of human activities on temperate ecosystems. Since Earthwatch’s national headquarters is here in Boston, the representatives at the Green Fest graciously offered to be a local resource for our Henderson students.

We were also honored to receive an award for our submissions to the Boston Public Schools EcoPhoto Contest for our 2009-2010 class’ eco-friendly and globally conscious projects. (See more about the projects at our website: http://boston.k12.ma.us/Henderson/gogreen.htm )

Above, is a photo of us receiving our award at the Eco Stage at Boston City Hall with Mrs. Patricia Lampron, Henderson School principal, Mr. Irvin Scott, Boston Public Schools’ Chief Academic Officer, and Mr. Dan Durica, General Manager of Boston Borders (who kindly donated our winning prize).

Last Days in Kenya

Terri arrived safely in London and is enjoying time with her daughter. I (Danielle) am still in Kenya for another few days, soaking in all I can of everything Nairobi before heading back to Boston. As we mentioned in previous posts, we have had some fantastic networking opportunities arise since being in Kenya.

This week, I met with Miriam, an alumna from Kilimani Primary who has united a group of 80 other alumni to offer support to the school. They are currently working on a few projects to enhance the educational and extra-curricular opportunities at Kilimani, such as updating the school’s sports equipment and repairing the swimming pool. I was really encouraged by Miriam’s enthusiasm, energy, and forward thinking. She has already circulated information about the VIP partnership with her group and is receiving affirmative feedback. It is great to know that the three pillars of support for a successful school – students, teachers & administrators, and parents & community – are in tact at Kilimani as we’ve seen their essentialness at the Henderson. Once again, it is another affirmation for us that even though we are continents and cultures apart, Kilimani and Henderson are so much the same.

As this partnership develops, we are looking ahead for creative ways to get others involved. This week, I met again with the managing director of Gamewatchers Safaris and a representative from EoS Visions to design a few 12-day Educational Tours to Kenya for 2011, one tailored for students and parents and two others for teachers and administrators (more details to follow). EoS Visions mission is to “bridge cultural and political borders through education and exchange, and contribute to sustainable development”. They were quite intrigued by the Virtual Information Project and were immediately interested in collaborating with us. Interestingly enough, EoS Visions organized Bono’s recent April 2010 trip to Nairobi as part of his “One Campaign – A Better Africa for Africans”.

Yesterday, President Obama addressed 115 young leaders from 47 sub-Saharan African nations. He encouraged and challenged his audience not to miss out on opportunities to advance the continent of Africa by supporting good governance, transparency, anti-corruption efforts and equal rights for all. He emphasized that it was Africans who were going to have to lead Africa forward. Obama also touched on the importance of expanding trade and relationships of exchange between the United States and Africa. For us, this was an encouraging validation of our VIP partnership, since the entire nature of our project is about trading information and best practices and bridging the two continents/countries.

My final meeting this week was with the educators from the Giraffe Center. We sorted out all of the details for the Kilimani 4^th grade students’ field trips. The Giraffe Center educators are taking 48 students and 2 teachers to four different locations that fit in with our Life Science (Biology) curriculum exchange goals. For specifics about each location, visit their websites at the addresses listed below. The Giraffe Center kindly arranged this itinerary and is covering the cost of admission and providing the students with a catered lunch. All they simply asked us to pay for was the cost of transportation! Once again, we are so blessed by the enthusiasm and support that we are receiving here in Kenya!

As my time winds down here in Nairobi, I plan to spend my remaining days enjoying my family and relaxing a bit. This trip has been wonderfully fruitful and in every way exceeded both mine and Terri’s wildest expectations. Although I am sad to be leaving soon, I am excited to see the virtual exchange take shape. Please look forward to more posting next week as I return home to Boston and meet up again with Terri.

Kwaheri!

Danielle

Giraffe Center - http://giraffecenter.org/

Mamba Village Animal Farm - http://nairobimambavillage.com/animal_farm.html

Nairobi Safari Walk - http://www.kws.org/about/training/nairobi_safariwalk.html

David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage - http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/

Photo 1: Sorting out details at Giraffe Center and marking the VIP connections in a big way with my Obama t-shirt! :-)

Photo 2: Meeting with Miriam, Kilimani Alumna (notice that I’m drinking tea!)

Photo 3: Two of my nieces and me celebrating India’s Independence Day a bit early. Indians are one of the largest groups of immigrants to Kenya and have a strong presence in the business and professional sector here. Throughout the month of August, fireworks light the sky and celebrations of independence circulate throughout the city of Nairobi.

Photo 4: Campaign truck for a new Kenya Constitution. This constitution is momentous for women as it gives women the right to inherit and own land.

Photo 5: Celebrating Kenya’s sunny Referendum Day with a friend… an honor to Kenyan women everywhere!

Life After Safari... :-)

After resting up a bit after our safari adventure, we went right back to work again sorting out all of the final and logistical details to make next year’s virtual exchange a success. We worked hard to get wireless internet installed in the school. We were originally planning to simply use a plug-in device for the single laptop computer. However, since we are trusting that this is just the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership with Kilimani, we decided to invest in WiFi for the school. This way, the system is now in place to support the technology that the future may bring!

We also hired an IT specialist that will support the Kilimani Primary School throughout the next 12 months with the implementation of the VIP exchanges, including updates and maintenance of the computer and digital devices. Already, he has been so incredibly helpful setting everything into place, offering advice and counsel, and putting us in contact with the “right” people and materials.

We have learned so much about Kenyan culture through this process. For instance, there are some important first steps that must be attended to before business is conducted. It is vitally important to introduce oneself by name and shake hands, have a seat, make some small talk maybe about the weather or traffic and then possibly take some tea or coffee before you state your intent in meeting. Secondly, when it comes to money, there is no such thing as a set price – it is always a negotiation and that negotiation could take up to a half an hour or more. It is not confrontational in any way, in fact it is more-so filled with wrinkled brows, figures scratched on papers and then crossed out, long looks, deep sighs, “hmm’s” and a click or two of the tongue. Then a price is thrown out and discussed and the other person takes a turn to ponder. And the exchange continues! A few hours and two or three cups of tea later, all parties leave with smiling faces, adding a few new numbers into mobile phones and with a feeling of success!

Kilimani had their last day of school today for summer break. The students were so excited to see their marks and get their final exam results. We gave our Kilimani VIP partners Henderson Inclusion School hats and sweatshirts. Although we will continue to see them, meet and plan over the next week, it was bittersweet to know this was our last day seeing the campus alive with students. We put together another slide show of students learning during a typical day at Kilimani. You may view it at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ9iRtYI3vc

We’ve had some other promising partners here express interest in the project. We have a couple of meetings scheduled for next week and will keep you updated of what materializes.

Danielle was sad to bid Terri farewell, as she went to attend to family in London. We included a photo of a quick nostalgic trip to our first “wildlife encounter” that we took on our way to the airport. It was a tearful goodbye as Terri relished her last few moments on Kenyan soil. Terri came to Kenya having no idea what to expect and truly fell in love with everything Kenyan!

Photo 1: Danielle and IT specialist, Patrick

Photo 2: Patrick hard at work

Photo 3: Mr. Charles, Deputy Headmaster (sporting a Henderson hat)

Photo 4: Teacher Nancy in her fancy Henderson sweatshirt

Photo 5: Terri and Danielle re-living our first elephant sighting

Safari Adventure

Jambo rafiki! We have just returned from an educational and adventure-filled week in the bush and boy are we bushed! :-) We started our day every morning with a 6 am wake up call of hot coffee and biscuits. As we rolled out of our warm hot water bottle heated beds and unzipped our tent - coffee cups in hand - the scenery immediately captivated our five senses. Our skin was alighted by the brisk morning air and the sweet molasses smell of red oat grass filled our nostrils. Our ears prickled with the “squeaky mattress” squawk of the African guinea fowl or the“yip purrrr… yik-yik-yik-yik-purrr” yelp of the hamerkop, active only at dawn and dusk. Our eyes drank in the view of the black-faced

vervet monkeys racing across thorny branches of acacia seyal trees, enjoying a breakfast of young shoot tips and entertaining one another with acrobatics as they leapt from limb to limb. And, peaceful serenity enveloped us at the scene of the completely mute reticulated giraffes sprawling out before the watering hole gracefully dipping their heads down for a brief drink, ensuring not to linger too long as this is their one position of vulnerability to a hungry lion.

By 7:30 am each day, we had eaten a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, and fresh fruit and were loading up into the Land Rover or trekking out on foot with the protective accompaniment of the Maasai warriors for a day filled with wildlife encounters and experiential learning. During one particularly adventuresome early morning game drive, we encountered a pack of 8 lions returning home to their den from a successful evening of hunting. Luckily their bellies were full, as one of our tires got a puncture from the rocky terrain and had to be changed on the spot. Even though we knew it was highly unlikely that we would be dessert, our hearts still raced as 16 eyes watched through the tall grass while our guides quickly made the tire switch.

Each day we ate a delicious packed picnic lunch midday and then continued about that day’s activities until our sundowner and night game drive around 7:30 pm. This was when we observed the activities of many nocturnal animals, such as serval cats, mongooses, aardvarks, and hares. When we returned to camp, we showered under a gravity fed shower before dinner and ended our evenings with a drink and lively stories, music, and/or cultural exchange around the campfire. We would retire to our tents, exhausted after a long day of fresh air and loads of new information.

Throughout our 7 days, we collected 68 pages of notes, took 2,094 photographs, and collected over 2 hours of video clips, which we now have the delightful task of turning into lesson plans for our V.I.P. exchange! We met many new friends from around the world and had great opportunities to network and rally support for our project. We had extremely knowledgeable and supportive Maasai guides and were deeply honored when we were given Maasai names by some of the warriors from the local village – Terri was given the name Mwalimu Naserian (Teacher who blesses the children) and Danielle was given the name Mwalimu Naramat (Teacher who cares for the children).

The camp managers, staff, and local Maasai people were so enthusiastic about our project that they asked us to consider expanding the work in the future to include a Maasai school as well. As one of our guides put it, “It would be a wonderful opportunity not only to share Maasai culture with your students, but also for our rural Maasai children to get a chance to exchange culture with the urban Nairobi children. Each group of kids, although in the same country, live in totally different cultures!” As we did some research along these lines, we learned that laptops powered by solar electricity are a very viable reality for many educated Maasai and with some support and training could easily be applied to the classroom setting. We certainly have our work cut out for us as this project continues to unfold, but we are confident that this educational experience is only the beginning! Once again, thank you Fund for Teachers, Kilimani Integrated Primary, and Gamewatchers Safaris/Porini Camps! The Virtual Information Project partnership has only just begun!

Making Educational & Technological Connections

The availability of technology and mobile internet access has allowed the Maasai to enter the 21st century while maintaining their culture and traditions. In the first photo, Jaimie checks his email. In the second, Jonah enjoys a little Bob Marley from an ipod nano, and in the third Wilson sends us email attachments of some research he has been working on surrounding the many equatorial plants and animals we observed while together. If the Maasai are making use of such technology while in the field, rural Maasai schools are certainly ready for it too!

Amboseli & Mt. Kilimanjaro

At each of the three camps where we stayed, we had many unique experiences. The first location – Amboseli – is situated in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa and the world’s highest free-standing mountain. A dormant volcano, Kili’s soil is rich with nutrients and salt from volcanic ash. The seasonal melting snow from Kili’s peak supplies the surrounding land with fresh water and balances out the Ph of the land making it a rich oasis in the middle of the desert for many species of plants and animals. Since 1912, Kilimanjaro has lost 82% of its ice cap due to global warming and deforestation in the surrounding area. It is predicted within the next 30 to 40 years to be the first glacier in the world to melt completely. Since so much of the balance of the ecosystem depends upon this glacier, it is devastating to think about what might happen to the life in this area – human, plant, animal, etc.

Hiking Encounters

Here are some plants, animals, & scenery that we encountered during an 8 hour hike through the desert & sudden oasis.

Photo 1 - Notice the lush greenery and water flow from Mt. Kilimanjaro bringing sudden life to the surrounding desert. (Terri & Danielle in matching tie-dyed Henderson Ts)

Photo 2 - whistling tree acacia - plant & ants have symbiotic relationship... the acacia tree offers the ants shelter and the ants offer the plant protection by biting anyone or anything trying to disturb it.

Photo 3 - hypoestes aristata

Photo 4 - black and yellow argiope orb spider

Photo 5 - hyena

Maasai Village

While in Amboseli, we were invited to visit a nearby Maasai village. We were given the opportunity to be a “fly on the wall” so to speak and observe Maasai way of life. The Maasai are known for their colorful attire and fearless co-existence with all manner of wildlife. They have great respect for nature and make use of many herbal medicines and natural remedies – which we were introduced to in great detail when we visited the camp at the Maasai Mara. The Maasai adorn themselves with beaded jewelry, which is an important musical accessory when dancing, and singing – an integral part of their culture. They are the only African tribe that does not use some type of a drum to keep the beat of the music, instead a group joins together to create polyphonic vocal rhythms while soloists take turns with call and response verses. We felt embraced by these people and engaged in many long and meaningful conversations over the course of our safari. We were always encouraged to ask questions and draw cultural similarities and differences. Not only were we honored by being given Maasai names, but the women of the village hand-beaded beautiful Maasai bracelets for us to take home to our students, so that they may also experience acceptance within and connection to Maasai way of life.

1&2. Spear throwing contest (a fun pass time and a workout too... those spears are heavy!)

3. One of the ladies beading jewelry - her daughter is very interested in learning at quite a young age!

4. An elderly lady sterilizing the milk gourds.

5. song & dance... the highest jumper gets the most girlfriends! :-)

Maasai Natural Resources & Remedies

1. Sodom apple - The juice of this little fruit is very important. It provides hydration for the Thompson gazelle, an animal that never drinks water directly, getting the necessary water it needs to survive from plants. For humans, the juice is a salve, healing deep cuts and wounds.

2. Grewia bicollar – This plant is a natural soap. It is also very strong and is used as rope to join sticks together and construct Maasai houses (which is done exclusively by women).

3. Natural sandpaper – cordia ovallis – used to sand wood and fuel fire.

4. Orange leaf croton – natural insect repellent. Not only is this used by the Maasai, but after a lion feasts and is being bothered by flies desiring the left over blood on his or her chops, the lion lies under this tree to ward them off.

5. Geradii acacia – natural laxative – When you need some assistance with the bowels, peel the bark from this tree, mix it with water and drink. Interestingly enough, elephants LOVE this tree!

Truly Equatorial

Next we headed north to the equator and Ol Pejeta Conservency in Laikipia. Laikipia is a beautiful plateau 6,562 feet above sea level (about the same elevation as the peak of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire – the highest peak in the Northeastern United States). The conservancy is situated northwest of snow-capped Mt. Kenya (17,057 ft) and northeast of the Aberdare rainforest highlands (13,120 ft). The Great African Rift Valley forms the Laikipia plateau’s western boundary and Samburu forests the eastern boundary. The area remains relatively cool, damp, and breezy.

Laikipia holds the greatest diversity of large mammals in Kenya. It is resident to Kenya’s largest numbers of black rhinos, 4 of the world’s remaining 8 northern white rhinos, and the world’s largest population of rare gravy zebras. It also has wild dogs, lions, cheetahs, reticulated giraffes and many other rare species of plants and animals.

1. Terri & Danielle crossing the Equator

2. The highly endangered white rhino and baby

3. Mamma warthog and little ones

4. The grevy zebra - notice the thin stripes & white belly

5. the sly and crafty jackal