I Would Walk 500 Miles...

After eight days back in the land of Tsavo West, I have visited over 50 community members I formerly worked with, broken down on 5 different motorbikes, drank over 30 liters of fluids, visited and surveyed 14 communities, and, walked over 70km under the Tsavo sun. These epic adventures have not been in vain, however, as I am now one step closer to finalizing the first construction project I am going to undertake as a pilot project for my future NGO. Every community in Tsavo West lacks something; whether it is clean drinking water, medical facilities, access to arable land for farming or access to schools for the local children. As such, I know, probably all too well, that the process of starting my own NGO in Tsavo West is not going to be easy. Nor is it going to be a short term undertaking. However, we’ve got to start somewhere.

So I guess you may be wondering where I’m going to start? I have narrowed it down to two potential construction projects to be undertaken in late November and December.
Option A: Construction of a Nursery School in Mtakuja A
The population of Mtakuja A is 600 people, and there are currently over 30 students attending Nursery School in Mtakuja A. Unfortunately, the building currently used for the Nursery School in Mtakuja A has no roof and is made of mud and sticks. This means that these 30 children sit under the baking Tsavo sun whilst learning in a room with nothing more than 4 walls. The next closest Nursery School is over 3km away and is beyond capacity with over 55 children attending school there. As such, there is no other place for children of Mtakuja A to attend Nursery School. Nursery School is compulsory in Kenya and children will not be admitted to primary school if they do not have a certificate stating they have attended one year of Nursery School. The budget for this project is 3000-3500USD. We would build a permanent building for the Nursery School and provide desks for the students.

Option B: Construction of a Laboratory Facility in Ndilidau
The existing dispensary (basic medical facility which offers doctors services and some medicines) in Ndilidau serves the entire Ndilidau sub location comprising over 2000 people. However, the dispensary offers only basic medical services and does not have a laboratory facility. As such, the people of Ndilidau sub location must travel over 10km to Taveta town to access laboratory facilities. Given the high prevalence of malaria in the Tsavo West region, laboratory facilities are critical to the early detection and treatment of malaria. Laboratory facilities also help to detect bacterial infections in the digestive system which cause diarrhea. Diarrhea is one of the leading causes of childhood death in sub-Saharan Africa. As such, the construction of a laboratory facility at the Ndilidau Dispensary has the potential to significantly improve the health status of the people residing in this sub location. The budget for this project is also 3000-3500USD.

I am still in discussions with the communities of Mtakuja A and Ndilidua to determine which project will have the most beneficial impact on the villages in question. Regardless of the outcome, we are likely to undertake both of these projects over the next 12 months. If you would like to support me in my quest to make a difference to the people of the Taveta region, please follow the 'donate' link on this page.


I will be continuing my surveying and walking from village to village in Tsavo West over the next month. So watch this space for more details on my adventures and the project we choose to go ahead with in late November.


The existing Nursery School at Mtakuja A:

An Example of Another Existing Nursery School in the Taveta Region: This is the Standard of Building We Would Like to See in Mtakuja A