January 16-31, 2011 ISSUE 032

A bimonthly on-line newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service Scavengers of gold mines By FRED OKOTH

Recently five gold diggers died while prospecting for Gold in the Macalder mines of Migori County. Even with their deaths, it remains business as usual. How- ever, there is also a second breed of gold prospectors who are risking their lives every day all in the search for the elusive mineral. They might be living in what could be the rich- est gold mine in the country but to the women living around Masara mines in Migori District, in Western Kenya have been living a life that can simply be de- scribed as scavenging on what men have left behind. Every morning, a large group of women leave their homes and head straight to the mines to join their men. They stay there until late in the evening when, together with the men, eventually make their way back home. Inequalities At first, there is nothing out of the ordinary about this. Men and women walking to the mines and stay- ing there until late in the evening. But that is as good as it gets. A closer look into what happens in the mines exposes serious inequalities and how deeply disadvan- taged the women are. While the men go straight inside the mines and start the chore of getting the ores from the mines and crushing them, things are completely different for the women. Here, they have to wait for the men to finish before they can venture into the mines to see how much of the precious mineral they can get. A walk through the area and one will encounter small groups of women waiting for the men to crush the ore, take away the gold deposits, then throw away the useless sand. However, it is at this point that the women get into action. Like scavengers, the women quickly move into the ‘useless sand’ and, armed with mercury, run it all over again to see if there is something left by the men. “We have to accept that unlike men, we cannot go inside the caves to look for ores” says Milka Awiti, a mother of seven. They have always had to wait until the men threw away the sand to try their luck. “Our work is simple. We take the sand thrown away, run it over water mixed with mercury and see if there is any trace of gold left behind by the men,” explains Awiti. As she talks, a group of women are busy carrying away the sand to a nearby wood structure where it is repeatedly run over water and all this time, their eyes are firmly fixed on the wood to see if there is any chance that they will get something. The entire load of sand is eventually washed out with no trace of gold remaining on the small mercury they had put. There is an obvious sigh of frustration on their faces but just for a moment. Soon, they again collect sand from another dump- Women looking for gold from sand thrown away by the men who are the main diggers. These women risk their ing site and filling the wooden trough and repeating the lives while rushing to collect the dust from which gold has been mined in their attempt to find left over ore. Continued on page 2 Pictures: Fred Okoth

Read more Reject stories online at www.mediadiversityafrica.org 2 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Child loses uterus through repeated sexual assault By VALERIE ASETO baby. But one chilly morning she says she went there without informing her daughter Grace Wanjiku (not her real name) is only in advance. one year old. But her harrowing experience is “What I found was unbelievable. My daugh- clouded with a tinge of infinity. She has been ter was lying on the floor very drunk while my robbed off her future by a ghastly act of defile- granddaughter was lying just next to her. I ment which left her with a ruptured uterus. was surprised since I was not aware that my Doctors who treated her had to remove the daughter had turned to drinking and probably uterus to save her life. Although the perpetrator that’s why she left to stay alone,” she says. is behind bars, Wanjiku will never cuddle her She then took baby with her and on reach- own bundle of joy unless she goes to a surrogate ing home she decided to bath the baby but the mother or adopts. little angel cried painfully when she was put in- Her presence at the launch Gender Based side a pool of water in a basin. Violence Recovery Centre at Mbagathi District The grandmother could not tell what the Hospital towards the end of last year could not matter was immediately since that water was go unnoticed. warm and the weather was not cold. She sus- She strongly clutches on her grandmother pected the baby had a cut somewhere in her oblivious of the harrowing ordeal that is about body. to be narrated to curious onlookers attending “I began checking all over the body but I the function. could not see any cut. I then checked her pri- In her innocence, baby Grace Wanjiku plays in on the grass at Kenyatta Hospital vate parts. What I saw made me numb as there Defilement was wound that was still fresh,” she says with oblivious to the damage inflicted on her by her mother’s friend who defiled her. For a second, the grandmother remains tears rolling down her cheeks. Picture: Valerie Aseto silent staring blankly at the crowd with tears She then knew that her grandchild had been rolling down her cheeks. Everyone can tell she sexually assaulted and without wasting time, explain to her the reason as to why she cannot overcome further infections whereas counsel- is going through a traumatic moment. rushed baby Wanjiku to Kenyatta National Hos- give birth. ling help victims overcome trauma,” explains Baby Wanjiku’s face on the other hand blos- pital Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre. “My biggest worry is how I will explain to Sule. He urged the government to put up more soms with joy of being surrounded by strangers The doctor who examined the child said she baby Wanjiku why she would not have a baby recovery centres so that every victim gets qual- as her grandmother cuddles her closely to stop had been defiled repeatedly. of her own,” laments the old woman. ity medical attention in case of such unfortu- her from slipping away. “Baby Wanjiku responded well to treatment nate occurrences. The crowd is shocked and numbed speech- and the bad news was that her uterus was dam- initiative COVAW representative Ms Carole Osero less as the baby’s grandmother recounts how aged and the doctor had to remove it,” explains However, she commends COVAW for the urged Kenyans to take up the responsibility of the baby was repeatedly defiled by her mother’s the grandmother. initiative they took to arrest the offender and exposing and condemning ills in the society. boyfriend. The Coalition on Violence Against Women more so putting up rescue centres to help “If my husband or any other relative is de- The baby was born after her mother (COVAW) took up the case and after follow up, victims of gender violence. The initiative has filing our child then I need to think of what I dropped out of school while in Form Two. She the perpetrator was arrested and later arraigned helped particularly those from less fortunate can do to help and not cover up to please the is the last born in the family that was staying in court. He was found guilty of defiling a mi- families get access to the required medication. society,” explained Osero. together in a one roomed house in a slum in nor and was sent to jail. According to Mbagathi District Hospital Of late there have been several cases of fa- Nairobi’s South C known as Mitumba village. The baby and her grandmother stayed at Medical superintendant, Dr Andrew Sule most thers defiling their own daughters and the peo- The unity was broken when the young girl the hospital for almost one month before they cases of gender based violence go unresolved ple around them keeping quiet because they do decided to go and stay alone with her baby in were released to go home. Though Wanjiku as victims hardly report them and hence fail to not want to embarrass the family. a nearby estate not too far. Once in a while looks well and healthy now, the grandmother’s give evidence to help in the investigations. “This should not be the case since majority the old woman would visit to check on the biggest dilemma is how she will in the future “Comprehensive medical care helps victims now are aware of their rights,” says Osero. Women Scrounging a livelihood from gold dust Continued from page 1 And this is partly to blame for the rising cases And it is during this high season when prosti- the locals including the women who deal in gold of deaths of parents and guardians in Nyatike tution takes centre stage in the area with the min- on the dangers of going into the mines during process all over again. caused by HIV/Aids. There are about 4,000 or- ers disappearing as soon as they get paid only to the rainy seasons. And after about three hours work, there is phans who have dropped out of school and are come back after one week with nothing. “When a life is lost, everybody suffers” He ex- some small trace of gold stuck on the mercury. now engaged into child labour. “It is part of life here,” says Akinyi. “The belief plains adding that they try to let everybody stay This is worth about KSh400 shillings, not much Then there is the issue of miners handling that they will always go back to the mines and get at home until it dries up. given that it will have to be divided among the 11 chemicals used in the mines such as mercury more cash drives them to spend everything they The fine powder is eventually taken to ‘Odao’ women who took part in the process. without safety gear. Experts have continuously have without caring.” the place where the gold is separated from it us- One woman squeezes the mercury out using warned that this is highly dangerous but no one Not far off, a group of six youths, barely in ing mercury. Here, a young man is also busy at a piece of cloth despite the enormous dangers of pays heed. their teens and covered completely in ashes are work using his bare hands with no protective using bare hands to touch it, puts it inside a hand However, not all women are scavengers. busy grinding huge rocks into ashes, a few me- gear. bag. The women then move to the next site. There are those who have made a decent living ters from a deep cave where another group of The gold is then taken by the women to the “This is the life we have always known,” Awiti out of the mines and are quite comfortable. young men are digging the rock. middlemen who operate in the area who buys explains. However, what is clear to the women is Mary Akinyi is a gold dealer. Every morning, Most of them are teenagers whose parents them before selling them to licensed gold buyers making sure that they will survive with the little the miners flock by her home where she buys cannot afford to pay for their school fees soon in Migori, Eldoret and Nairobi since the women they can get. their gold in small quantity and eventually sell- after finishing their primary education forcing themselves cannot travel to Nairobi. Water supply ing them to the licensed dealers in Migori and them to come to the mines and try their luck. Nairobi. She lives in a beautiful permanent house And unlike in the mines in places like South Income A few meters away, a group of seven women in the centre of Masara unlike most of the miners Africa for instance where there are methods of are passing by each carrying a bucket of water on and the locals living in grass thatched houses. detecting where gold ores might be lying, in Ma- According to the miners, it is these middle- their head. Their journey ends at a nearby mining “We pay the miners on the spot, collect the sara, it is simply speculation and guess work. men who make most of the cash, exploiting the site where they deposit the water in a large tank gold and go to dealers in Migori and Nairobi,” Again, whenever there are rains, the entire miners by paying them peanuts while making and make their way down the stream again. explains Akinyi. mining process comes to a halt until the rains a fortune. These women have organised themelves into Akinyi, however, defends herself and other stop. This renders the women jobless. This is be- And it is this that has lead to high HIV and a group and their work is to supply water to the dealers from allegations that they are the ones cause there are no generators to drain the water AIDS prevalence in the mines, a trend Mary says men throughout the expansive mines. who make profit at the expense of the miners. which normally fills the mines. is worrying as most of the affected people are the They report to work from 5.00 am and con- “We pay a fair price all the time,” she says. There are also several women who have been youths who are the most useful at the mines. tinuously supply water to different mines the However, she declines to say how much she pays widowed due to the mine walls collapsing on According to the records at the Mines office whole day. At the end of the day each will have but reiterates that it is a good price and that is their husbands. Records by the Lakeside Mining in Migori, the small scale miners at the mine earned KSh100. why the miners come to her. Co-operative Society (LMCS), which is manag- make about 100 million per year, that’s before “It is a difficult job since we have to walk a During high seasons when gold is plenty es- ing the site shows that about 30 people have died the actual mining begins underlining the poten- long distance in very steep terrain,” says Monica pecially just after the long rains, miners throng after the tunnels caved in on them. tial that the industry could give billion every year Awuor, leader of the group. She adds: “There are her home with gold so there is no need of walk- According to the society’s program director, with the right machineries and methods. times when we hardly have time to even sit down ing around. Mr Odhiambo Opiyo, they have tried to educate The fact that the miners use mercury also and have lunch. means that they can only extract up to 40% of The women’s problems do not end here. the gold from the ore. “There are worse problems after the gold has The best chemical to use, which is sodium been sold and money earned,” says Akumu. Like scavengers, the women quickly move into the ‘useless cyanide which has the ability to extract over 90% “Most of the husbands will disappear to major of the mineral is too poisonous and cannot be towns like Migori and Homa Bay once they get sand’ and, armed with mercury, run it all over again to see if sold over the counter. the money and only coming back when the In essence few benefit from the mines and cash is over.” there is something left by the men. thus the poverty circle repeats itself. ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 3 Fear stalks IDP camps as mothers lose babies By Rachel Muthoni ficer who works with the Ministry of Special Projects. Waceke vividly remembers the night Despite being at an Internally Displaced People’s of March 13, 2010, when at 10pm her labour Camp at Kikopey along Nakuru-Nairobi high- became intense. She had the pains for the better way, Monica Waithera was optimistic that her part of the day but could not access transport to pregnancy challenges would not hinder her from hospital and waited for her husband to return safely delivering a healthy baby, hopefully a boy. from where he was working as a casual mason. She started experiencing labour pains on “He was not lucky to be paid on that day August 26, but did not go to the nearby Gilgil and we had nothing,” says Waceke, 23. Though District Hospital until the pains had intensi- she had been advised to be seeing the doctor fied. after every two weeks at Gilgil Hospital, Waceke “I wanted to avoid paying any admission fee could not afford the KSh40 she needed to com- at the hospital. I just wanted to get there, de- mute to the hospital every fortnight. Milka Waceke (right), receives counselling from liver and go home, this way I would only pay Elizabeth Mwarangu of Ministry of Special Projects. KSh1500,” says Waithera. Tragedy Waceke lost her child while giving birth because When the labour pains intensified, her hus- she could not access professional health care band with the help of neighbours rushed her to For her to use a taxi, Waceke would need immediately. Inset: Monica Waithera, also an IDP Gilgil Hospital. However, after being examined, KSh600 for trip, an amount that was too high in Gilgil stands outside her tent. She also lost her for her pocket. “When using a matatu, I would the doctors did not have good news for her. They child due to lack of immediate skilled health care. have to walk for two kilometres to the main said her baby was already tired in the womb due Pictures: Rachel Muthoni to prolonged labour. Waithera, a mother of one road yet the doctor had recommended a total was referred to the more advanced Naivasha bed rest for me,” said Waceke. District Hospital where doctors recommended When she went into labour, Waceke in the that she would not consider having one while an urgent Caesarean Section. company of other IDPs braved a walk in the dark still in the camp. towards the main road. However, her condition “There are enough problems here already, did not allow her to walk that far. She sought to food is scarce and housing is poor, there is no promises by the Government that they will be Grief deliver at a neighbour’s tent, despite the poor medical expert here. I can only get another baby settled on alternative land, three years down the Luckily, she delivered as staff members at lighting and lack of professional health care. if the Government fulfils its promise to resettle line nothing has been forthcoming. the hospital were preparing to take her to the “Immediately after delivering I went uncon- us,” says Waceke. Lack of medical facilities makes it difficult theatre. scious. When I woke up, I was on a hospital bed, Inaccessibility to health care is one of the especially for maternal health care. Unlike in “But my baby was born dead, I feel so much weak but eager to know if I had finally mothered many problems internally displaced women other camps where women depend on Tradi- pain,” says Waithera. Had she not walked for an a baby girl,” said Waceke, a mother of two boys. in camps are experiencing. This even after the tional Birth Attendants, those at Gilgil camp do approximated two kilometres to get to the main Though she had delivered a live baby, Waceke promulgation of the new Constitution in which not have a single doctor to attend to them and road where she would take a matatu to hospi- said the placenta was still stuck within and she the Bill of Rights states that everyone is entitled this has led to many of them losing their chil- tal, Waithera believes the infant would not have had to be rushed to hospital by her neighbours. to professional health care among other basic dren during birth. tired. She was to later be informed that her baby died needs. Article 43 which speaks of economic and “We plead to the Government and well wish- Had there also been professional health ex- almost immediately after birth. social rights says in clause 1 (a) says: Every person ers to assist in having a medical expert based perts at the IDP camp, she would have been at- “What pains me most is that I never even saw has the right to the highest attainable standard of here. I also got a baby in the camp but was lucky tended to in time and would be cuddling her my daughter’s body. I yearned to have a baby health, which includes the right to health care we both survived,” says Ms Esther Ngunjiri, the baby rather than mourning her loss. girl,” says Waceke as tears flowed from her eyes. services including reproductive health care.” camp chairlady. She says some women were too At a tent near Waithera’s in the same camp, Though she believes that getting another The women have been living in the camp traumatized and prefer to put on hold bearing Milka Waceke receives counselling from an of- baby girl would wipe her tears, Waceke swears since the post election violence of 2007. Despite children than risk giving birth in the camp. NEMA to prosecute over Isiolo residents seek poor effluent discharge peace and security By ERIC MUTAI Only the Meru Water and Sewerage Company has been licensed as other water service providers have By HUSSEIN DIDO firearms among them and criminals The National Environment Management Authority not sought the permit. who pretend to members of the com- (NEMA) has begun inspecting water service pro- NEMA officials found that the Embu Water and Communities residing along Isiolo- munity. viders, agro-based factories and hospitals in Eastern Sewerage Company not using the appropriate meas- Garba-Tulla highway have resolved to Mwaura said that all communities in Province which lack proper waste disposal services ures. help the Government stem banditry and the district should be responsible for en- with an intention of taking them to court. In Shauri Moyo Estate the officials found sewage rustling in the area. suring all the residents were peaceful by Flower farms, hotels and institutions of higher waste from the municipal market draining into the Political, religious, business commu- being merciless with their kinsmen who learning are also being targeted as they have not estate. nity, elders as well as women and youth were criminals. applied for licenses to discharge their wastes which “The water service provider is supposed to ensure leaders held a lengthy meeting with the He assured area residents of govern- find their way into the natural water bodies. that the water they provide is treated before it is re- provincial administration that included ment security as they go about their busi- The Eastern Provincial NEMA director, Mr Stephen leased but the service provider has not come to us and the district security and intelligence nesses but warned rumour mongers who Njoka told the Reject that most of these enterprises are we are going to take measures to curb this problem,” committee led by area District Commis- incited people to violence. causing environmental degradation and are also a risk said Njoka. sioner, Mr James Mwaura. “When hunting down criminals to human beings and livestock. He said water providers should know how their cli- The community spelt out areas in the Government does not pursue their “Most of these companies have not applied for ent will use the water and how it is discharged after which they were discriminated against tribal tag but goes after individuals,” the effluent discharge and waste management li- use. and the wrong accusations of taking Mwaura said. censes with us and they are discharging the waste At the Nkubu market in Imenti South district part in banditry and rustling activities He promised to explore the possibil- which has not been properly treated into natural Meru County, the water used by the residents has been which had seen loss of innocent life ity of collaborating with the Igembe DC water bodies and it has become a health risk,” said draining into rivers. Most hospitals do not have incin- especially along the Isiolo-Garbatulla to set up a police post at Shab, which is a Njoka. erators to burn their waste completely and the half highway. banditry prone spot. NEMA ensures that waste is treated before being burnt hospital waste is also finding its way into rivers. However, they lauded the Govern- “We will also use sniffer dogs to discharged into rivers. Most facilities in the province “Incinerators burn at 1,200 degrees centigrade but ment for being neutral in carrying out trace bandits after an attack has oc- have not been licensed and are illegally releasing the what most hospitals have do not go above 300 degrees security role in the area despite the curred,” explained Mwaura. waste into small outlets that eventually drain into riv- and this means that their wastes are not completely blame games shrouding the cosmo- He added: “I plead with this com- ers. burnt,” Njoka said. He added: “The ashes are washed politan town. munity to cooperate with the adminis- The problem has been compounded by the dry into the rivers causing an environmental disaster.” The community resolved that they tration by using dialogue as a way of set- spell and that with the onset of the rains, the problem Effluent discharge licenses cost KSh100,000 and would help security agents by exposing tling disputes and give intelligence tips would become worse as the lands will be washed and are renewed yearly with the waste management li- those suspected of possessing illegal on insecurity.” all the waste will find its way into the rivers. censes costing KSh40,000. 4 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Bringing peace and unity through sacred homes By BENDARO TSUMA

Kaya Fungo, the biggest kaya (sacred home) of the Mijikenda community of Coast Prov- ince has taken bold steps towards foster- ing unity not only among its members but across Kenyan communities. Kaya Fungo situated some 15km to the South of Kaloleni town houses the Giriama community, the biggest of the nine Mijikenda tribes. It draws elders from the three key cor- ners of the community — Weruni, Galana and Godoma — and is arguably the most prominent and most vibrant of all the kayas. Other kayas among the nine tribes with a common ancestor, culture and traditions, languages, food and lifestyles are found within the other tribes. Kaya Mtswakara, Kaya Bombo, Kaya Kauma, Kaya Jibana, Kaya Duruma - are the other kayas found among the other eight tribes that include the Duruma and Digo found in the South, Kauma, Kambe, Rabai, Chonyi, Ribe and Jibana. Kaya is a Mijikenda word meaning home. Kayas are secured homes formed around the 14th Century when the nine Mi- jikenda tribes reached their present sites in a major immigration from the North at a place called Shungwaya. They were driven southwards by hostile Cushitic and militant tribes of the Somali decency from their Shungwaya common home. As they scattered according to tribes to settle at their present places, they built these homes (Kayas) which were normally within From left: Kaya spiritual leader Katana thick forests for protection from enemies and intruders. Kalulu (centre) sits with other elders. Inside the homes (Kayas also called Mid- Below: Kaya elders emerge from zi) were internal governments that kept law performing a ritual inside Kaya Fungo. and order for each of the Chenda (meaning Pictures: Kigondu Ndavano and Bendaro nine) tribes. Tsuma The managers of these homes were elders The Gohu could bar a family from farming with vast experience, social standing, integrity in a particular shamba by erecting a “Kaha” (a and who commanded high respect. They were kind of throne or turbine made of grass, like divided into two groups. the thorn one Jesus was dressed with round his There were the Vaya who were basically head) at the entrance of the shamba. the rulers or administrators of the community Gohu members could not commit adultery in the Kaya and the Gohu who were spiritual as doing so resulted in death. If a community leaders. Members of the two groups formed the member committed adultery or beat his wife, Kambi (or council of elders). they had powers to withdraw the woman until This council was so powerful, their word the husband paid a fine and assured commu- was a commandment, like the Ten Command- nity he would never repeat the beating (unless ments given to Moses by God on Mt Sinai. the woman was obviously on the wrong). They “The community could not do a thing not ap- could banish a member from a clan or the proved by the council, such as cutting down a big community. They monitored the weather and tree in one’s own shamba,” says one resident. had to give special permission before a man could fell a big tree in his shamba. Council’s work All the Mijikenda tribes had similar prac- The council gave direction to the commu- tices with only slight differences from one nity for everything, prayed for rain, war, or pre- group to another. dicted catastrophes, protected the environment Women also played a major role and had and gave advice. They intervened in all major their own hierarchies and positions which Mwarandu who has been at the centre of an- Before the kaya activities became strong a few disputes and partook in all spheres of life of the governed women issues. But traditionally, like nual celebrations of Mekatilili wa Menza says years ago, they were threatened by illegal log- community. in all African communities, women took the consultations are on-going among all the nine ging, charcoal burning and general de-foresta- Even today among the political leadership in backseat in major community decisions. They Mijikenda tribes. tion for farming and settlement. the country the opinion of the kayas has been a were not given any place in the Council of “We are talking with kaya elders from the key determinant of what direction the Coastal Elders. Women were also seen as “outsiders” other Mijikenda tribes. Our aim is to foster Curbing destruction people will take. since they were considered to have been mar- a strong unity. After that, we shall go out to The kaya position is revered. For one to qual- ried or come from other communities. other Kenyan tribes. We have already started “Through legislation, we have managed to ify as a Gohu (high priests and spiritual leaders), Today the kaya play a big role in fostering this,” he explains. curb part of the destruction. The elders and local one had to undergo a series of rituals performed peace among communities. They are offering Already, elders from the Taita, Kamba, community now take care of the holy forests. But and supervised by the most senior elder, every- advice to elders from various other commu- Kikuyu, Meru, Maasai and several other Kenyan they must benefit by doing so,” says Mwarandu. thing conforming to the community’s practices. nities that approach them. The Secretary, Ma- tribes have come to Malindi to take part in the The National Museums of Kenya recognises The Gohu are particularly feared as they lindi District Cultural Association (Madica) Mekatilili wa Menza annual cultural festivals. the efforts and has offered to look for donors to wielded a lot of power. They presided over Mr Joseph Karisa Mwarandu who has been “The renewed zeal about the kaya activi- assist in the Kaya conservation efforts. community spiritual rites and prayers. They at the forefront promoting culture for peace, ties, apart from being a vehicle for unity, is to Speaking during a recent Mekatilili wa Menza commissioned trees after which spirits entered says where politics has failed, culture can bring empower the members economically,” says celebration at Bungale, Sites and Monuments Of- those special trees which were later curved as strong unity among Kenya’s tribes. Mwarandu. ficer Mr Jimbi Katana says: “We want to partner Vigango to represent departed senior or promi- Madica has been existence for several years Through their efforts, Kaya Fungo and oth- with the local community where we can bring nent community members. mainly promoting the works of the Giriama ers have been gazetted as World Heritage sites donors around while they do the conservation.” One clan of the Mijikenda community heroine Mekatilili wa Menza who fought the by the United Nations thus qualifying them for As of now, it is obvious that efforts to revive who mostly formed the Gohu (Amwangowa) British colonizers and cementing her recogni- global funding. the Kaya activities and their objectives are bear- wielded much power. They set a special small tion among Kenya’s freedom fighters. “We want to promote culture for economics ing fruit. bush within the Kayas which was out of bounce “We believe that through cultural integra- so that local people can be empowered. When The Kaya have also gone into other activities for non-clan members. Not even an animal or tion, we can bring greater and real cohesion researchers, tourists or other interest groups that are changing their image and these include bird could venture there. Doing so resulted in among Kenyans. We can for ever avoid ugly visit all the proceeds should benefit the local engaging in income generating activities. These instant death. This particular bush is called Fu- scenes like those witnessed in the 2007-2008 person,” reiterates Mwarandu. There are also they are doing for sustainability and to make rudai. A Furudai still exists in Kaya Fungo. political violence,” he says. efforts to enhance environmental conservation. them self reliant financially. ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 5 The great Mekatilili wa Menza Heroine of the liberation struggle By BERNADO TSUMA

A great woman who made history and re- mains an icon in her community, Mekati- lili wa Menza is remembered for being the only Giriama to have led her community against the British colonials. Her story, as given by the Malindi Dis- trict Cultural Association (Madica) Sec- retary, Mr Joseph Karisa Mwarandu as well as history books and materials show that Mekatilili single handedly fought the mighty British. Through this she gained prominence as the mother of independ- ence struggle in Kenya. Mekatilili wa Menza was the only girl in a family of four boys. She was born around 1840 — exact date is not known — at Mtsara wa Tsatsu Village, Godoma Location, Ganze Division, Kilifi County. As a young girl, she and her brother Kithi wa Menza one day visited Mtsan- ganyiko, a slave trade centre along the In- dian Ocean in Matsangoni. Mwarandu says: “There an unusual thing happened. Her brother was sud- denly captured by the Arab slave mas- ters and he disappeared never to be seen again.” That was the turning point in Me- katilili’s life. She developed a passionate hatred for all white-skinned people and would never forgive them, Mwarandu narrated at Kayafungo last week. Mekatilili wa Menza later got married in Bungale area in the current Magarini District to Mzee Mlewa Dyeka. She bore children and lived like any other rural Giriama woman, but her burning desire Kaya elders take a look at a statue of Mekatilili that was unveiled in Malindi town last for majority self rule did not subside. month. Inset: Women pounding grains to prepare a meal to mark the remembrance of Which is why when the British came in freedom hero Mekatilili wa Menza. Pictures: Kigondu Ndavano 1900, Mekatilili wa Menza rose up and fought them, almost single-handedly. advancing age, she was set free. of about 80 years, marking Kenya’s first ever She died in Bungale area around 1920 hav- freedom struggle long before the Mau Mau Land ing accomplished a worthy struggle at the age uprising in about 1940. The British had reason to be hated by even other local people. They came and chose the most fertile land where the Giriama community lived along River Sabaki and took it for themselves. Remembering freedom fighter “They forced the Giriamas further By KIGONDU NDAVANO inland to the drier areas as they grabbed fertile land. They also imposed laws ban- There was dance, song, colour and pomp along ning them from tapping of palm wine the streets of the Malindi tourist resort during (mnazi). Further, they begun to recruit the unveiling of the a statue of the Mekatilili the young stronger Giriama youth to wa Menza, first freedom fighter heroine at the fight their war with the Germans during former Malindi Uhuru Gardens now named the World War I,” explains Mwarandu. Mekatilili Garden. The British also introduced cotton, Kaya elders and members of the pub- rubber and sisal farming along the river lic took to the streets bringing business to a and captured the local youth to work standstill after the statue was unveiled. This as labourers in the plantations, further “As you have witnessed the mother hen at- was the highlight of the yearly event when the heightening the hatred by local people. tacking you because you touched one of her Giriama community, led by the great Kaya Mekatilili could not stand this. She organ- chicks, so will we do the same if you dare elders come together in honour of Mekatilili. ised several men and challenged the British touch one of these young men,” she told the The ceremony was presided over the Kaya authority to the amazement of the foreign governor. spiritual leader Katana Kalulu and chairman governors. They had not anticipated opposi- Chaos and pandemonium broke out im- of the Malindi District Cultural Association tion coming from a woman. mediately. Champion shot dead the mother chairman Mr Joseph Karisa Mwarandu. Ms One day in 1913 at Chakama village in Ma- hen as his askaris shot severally in the air to Ruth Njoroge was also crowned as a Giriama lindi, the British governor (District Officer) at disperse the crowd. elder in a colourful ceremony. the time Mr Arthur Champion held a big rally Everybody fled, Mekatilili and one Mr The dark part of the ceremony, however, to warn the community of dire consequences Mwadori wa Kola, were the only two left fac- was the fact that Mekatilili, the first Kenyan should anyone go against orders of Her Maj- ing the governor. They were instantly arrested woman to have led the Giriama in a rebellion Mekatilili died in 1914 and was buried in Bun- esty the Queen of England. He also said they and whisked away before being taken to a de- against the British is missing from the list of gale, Magarini District. Her grave has been were going to recruit more Giriama men to tention camp in Kisii. mashujaa (heroes) that was recently released earmarked for gazetting as a protected area. fight the British war. However, they were not to stay in jail for by the government recently. The move to ex- Several ceremonies in her memory are held Mekatilili was present. She had carried to long. The two, in mysterious way that has never clude Mekatilili was heavily criticised by the by the graveside. The main prayers at the site the meeting a hen with its brood of chicks. As been explained, escaped from jail and walked community. are normally led by one of the most respected Champion kicked off the recruitment exercise, back to the Coast to continue the struggle. The Giriama are a sub-group of nine Kaya spiritual leaders Katana Kalulu. she came forward, determined and fearless They were soon re-arrested and taken back groups who inhabit the Kenyan coast. They During this year’s ceremony, Hawe Risa bringing the entire meeting to a standstill. to Kisii but escaped a second time and walked have sacred dwelling places known as the (pictured), a leading Giriama language poet “I want you to catch one of these chicks,” back to their people. Kayas, located in forested areas. One of ka- recited a poem in praise of Mekatilili. His she told the governor. And when he did, the Mekatilili was re-arrested and jailed in yas, the Kaya Fungo was destroyed by the poem was well received at the Malindi Mu- mother hen jumped onto his face and attacked Kiunga area, North Coast. However, when the British in 1914 and today it stands in ruins. nicipal Stadium. him. World War fizzled out in 1914 and with her 6 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011

Nurturing talent takes centre stage at Jabari

By Mercy Mumo courages the use of free time for positive ac- away with KSh80,000 of which 30 tivities for one’s development especially when percent went to Bishop Opera Luigi The idea to provide high level talent develop- schools are closed in April, August and Decem- Locati Children’s Home in Zimmer- ment in different areas of interest to the youth ber. The stipulated working days are Monday, man,” explains Baraza. was started in August 2009. That same year, Wednesday and Friday. The group also runs a rotational Jabari-Kenya, a non-profit organization was The team meets weekly to map out the tasks book club where members donate launched in December at the Sawa Sawa Res- for each week. Most activities are conducted novels and magazines. Jabari-Kenya taurant. It deals with talent development, youth during weekends due to availability and flex- keeps possession of the books while From left:Members Sheba Awuor and Judith ibility of the trainers. It is now run by a five members retain ownership. One of empowerment and helping innovative young Kivuti assist young ones with their reading at member committee. their members is a published writer minds in the arts get noticed. Mama Tunza Children’s home in Ngong. Howard It engages in activities such as dance, sports, Jabari-Kenya provides training for up-com- and plans are underway of reading Okiror displays bags for sale at his shop in Nairobi. camping, community service, a book club, dra- ing dancers. In order to bring about the best and discussing her book in the club. ma, music, arts and crafts. In light of its mission of dance in the members, the programme is “In the mean time, we are receiving Members during a clean up exercise at Pangani of providing excellent talent development tools divided into three sessions that include aero- books. We have 65 novels and FIDA- shopping centre. Pictures: courtesy Jabari in a fun atmosphere while ensuring members bics, yoga and dance. Lessons are conducted by Kenya recently donated 150 books as receive excellent service in a playful, educa- trained instructors. resource material in support of the is also responsible for maintenance and updat- tional, and safe environment, Jabari-Kenya has The yoga instructor who is an acrobat con- book club,” says Baraza. ing and the Jabari-Kenya website. IT is a strong come a long way in its inception. ducts a yoga session in one and a half hours at Currently the group has 38 registered mem- marketing tool that Jabari-Kenya makes good KSh200 per person. Aerobics and dance ses- bers, 20 of these members are active and com- use of. sions go for KSh100 per person. Each session mitted. In February last year, Jabari Kenya was “We have a Facebook group and fan page, a Leadership lasts one hour. For the three activities, a stand- engaged in clean up activities. It also visited Twitter and You Tube account where we adver- The organisation is headed by the Director ard fee of KSh400 is charged. Most of those who children homes such as Good Samaritan in Kay- tise the organisation, market our services and Ms Clara Baraza, 23, a law graduate from Cath- attend the sessions are high school and univer- ole where they spent a day and Mama Tunza in our entrepreneurs’ products,” explains Mutua. olic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) who sity students. Ngong where, for a week they helped in cooking, He adds: “We also rely on our website, www. says the organisation is open to anyone inter- “In August 2010, Jabari-Kenya worked with cleaning and taking care of the children. jabari-kenya.org, which is rated at 55 percent ested in developing their talent from as young Movers Foundation in a dance competition “A residential approach is more practical according to www.websitegrader.com. We are as 12 years. dubbed ‘Rep the Floor.’ The winner walked for us because we found it more appealing to working on getting it to a 100 percent.” “We help young people acquire life skills by spend time with the children rather than bring- Like any other organisation, Jabari-Kenya providing them with practical skills, mentorship ing good tidings for a day then forgetting about has certain challenges. Rent is covered using and life coaching as well as providing a platform them,” explains Baraza. pocket money which they save up. Running for their talent to be noticed,” explains the Direc- costs such as electricity and water are also in- tor. curred. Commitment and participation from The idea of starting Jabari-Kenya came to Art the members especially those in the Diaspora Baraza during her attachment at the Kiambu There are two mentors for each programme, is also a challenge. Law Courts. This was from April to July 2009. one older and another younger. The older ones “Our website receives traffic from all over the “I had the urge to learn how to dance, play bring in their wealth of experience and the world. We have a radio presenter in Uganda and the guitar and even yoga all at once. The prob- younger one bridges the gap between the older a social worker in Nigeria who have expressed lem with this was that I could not get all these ones and provides insight on current require- interest to actively participate in this initiative but activities in one location and had to move about ments in campus. Training for Jabari-Kenya geography does not permit them,” says Baraza. to access them,” says Baraza. mentors is provided by Ande Kenya. “It’s quite Funding is also a challenge in terms of getting The costs were not so friendly either, lim- a challenge working with the older mentors be- support to run activities such as camps, commu- iting her to only one activity. As such, she “People always respond cause we have to work around their tight sched- nity service and even the arts. They try to engage thought of having activities that are of interest ules,” says Baraza. companies and other organisations in their ac- to the youth in one location at affordable rates. positively to the idea, An annual registration fee of KSh1,000 is tivities but bureaucracy is a major hindrance. At first, members would meet at a hall in the paid by members. Since the members are most- “People always respond positively to the Pangani area for the sessions. Jabari-Kenya had however we get some criticism ly students, they are allowed to pay the fee in idea, however we get some criticism consider- to pay for the space per hour, pay the instruc- instalments. “We hope to get funding from the ing most of the members are my college mates. tors and also buy the necessary equipment for considering most of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs to run our The initiative is considered a bourgeoisie kind the activities. various programmes,” she explains. of thing, it being a private university. ” says She felt the need to have a permanent place members are my college The group is also involved in promoting Baraza. where they could meet for activities without hav- young entrepreneurs in the production of art- She admits it is a Catholic University initia- ing to pay so much. After a long search, she final- mates. The initiative is work and jewellery. Howard Okiror started sell- tive as it was borne during her time there and ly settled on 110 Hardy Manor in Karen. Since ing baskets with a kikoi cover. His artwork was most of the founding members came from people were always at her house for one activity considered a bourgeoisie kind displayed on the Jabari-Kenya website for mar- there. “We would not mind being hosted and or another, she decided to open the doors of her of thing, it being a private keting. He has now expanded his business and allowed to carry out our activities at the institu- house for Jabari-Kenya activities. “The environ- owns a stall in the central business district. tion,” she says. ment here is quiet, secluded and serene for our university. ” Stephen Mutua, 22, a computer science She encourages young people to engage activities,” she says. graduate also from CUEA is a Jabari-Kenya in positive activities that build them morally, The idea behind Jabari-Kenya is that it en- — Clara Baraza. member and a member of the committee. He physically and intellectually. ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 7 Disabled find their feet through bakery By NZINGA MUASYA

Disabled persons are likely to be found hud- dled at a strategic position in the streets, bowls in their hands with gloomy faces soliciting for alms. Some frown at them while a few sympa- thetic passersby drop a few coins and saunter off, content that in their little way they have helped. However, a group of disabled people in Ki- tui have formed a self help group to help man- age their livelihood, effectively shaking off the myth that disabled people are serial beggars. Started in early 2009, Kyeni Self Help Group brings together people of both gender with various disabilities as well as their guard- ians. The group which is based at Isovya Vil- lage, Tungutu Location is baking scones, bread and cakes which they sell in the local markets to generate income. Improvised ovens The group bakes about five trays of scones and 40 loaves of bread every day using tradi- tional ovens made of clay and covered with iron sheets to contain the heat. Pieces of wood are arranged inside the oven where the prod- ucts are placed. Members of the Kyeni Self Help Group baking scones which they sell. It takes between 20-30 minutes for the The group is made of disabled persons and guardians to those who products to bake until they are deliciously are physically challenged. The bakery is one project that is helping brown, depending on the heat in the oven. them towards financial independence. Pictures: Nzinga Muasya When ready, they are removed and packed in clean polythene papers ready for sale. This group does not have the conventional of them and did not want them to be bandied However, as time went modern day oven that would be found in a around as beggars. There were all sorts of mis- by people started seeing bakery. Their improvised oven has a capacity conceptions,” explains Ngesu. the results of the group to produce five trays of scones and 10 loaves and even those who were of bread in 30 minutes. One tray produces 35 initially sceptical started to pieces of scones. Currently the group is nego- join. So far the group has 32 tiating with several local schools as a strategy disabled members and 32 to expand market for their products. guardians of disabled per- “People have known our business and we sons. Members are drawn get customers every morning. The surplus is from three neighbouring get a central place and expand their business. sold in the nearby shopping centres including locations of Kyangithya West, Mulango and This will create more jobs for the disabled. Kitui town,” says Mrs Mary Mbula, chairper- Tungutu who benefit from the proceeds of the “We want to move from the village to a son of the group. project. The group has a manual with baking in- centre like Kitui town. With modern facilities Membership structions which they got from the National our business will grow and give us a steady Council for Persons With Disabilities (NCP- income. Even though we may be disabled, we Though not disabled herself, Mbula is the WD). The manual details how the ingredients have capabilities and do not want to depend mother of a 27 year old girl who is physically are mixed until the final product is reached. on others for small mercies,” asserts Muthui. challenged after suffering a stroke. Members meet every Wednesday and hold With his manuals, Muthui is also training So far the group has been able to sustain two classes divided into theory and practical the group on how to make shoe polish using re- itself due to the steady flow of customers. Its component. cycled materials from dry battery cells, cooking members are as young as two years old and in- fat, avocados, candle wax and colouring. clude the youth as well as older men and wom- Skills This product, however, is in its initial stages en who are in their 60s. They all suffer various and it is only a matter of time before they go forms of disabilities ranging from physical, They are trained by Mr Francis Muthui, full blast into selling locally made and afford- hearing, sight, epilepsy and mental illnesses. a physically-disabled outreach person with able shoe polish. There are also guardians whose suffer cerebral NCPWD who takes them through the proc- Muthui also uses the meetings to sensitise palsy and autism. esses until every detail is grasped. Those who the members on the provisions of the Disabili- “As long as somebody is disabled, they are cannot attend the lessons because of the extent ties Act (2003) eligible to join us. Although there is a mem- of their disabilities are represented by rela- The success in baking has seen their fame bership fee to be paid, it is not a hindrance tives. spread attracting the attention of the area DC, because the idea is to have the disabled in the Muthui learnt baking skills at a workshop Mr Joshua Chepchieng’ who visited them to group,” explains Mbula. She adds: “We want to organised by NCPWD from where he was witness first hand their enterprise. empower as many disabled people as possible awarded a certificate as a trainer. The DC who even had a taste of their prod- so that they can be independent.” Muthui who holds a degree in civil engi- ucts commented the group for their work say- neering from Canada had earlier worked with ing it was something to be emulated by other several motor companies in Nairobi until he disabled people in the country. Challenges felt he needed to work with fellow disabled The vice chairperson of the group, Mrs people to uplift their standards of living. Elizabeth Ngesu, who has an autistic child re- He quit his job and joined an association Vision 2030 members the many challenges the group faced of disabled persons in Kitui where he became “Clearly you are working towards achieve- in its initial stages as people made all manner their spokesman. Through the organisation ment of Vision 2030 that has the goal to expand of negative comments. However, their resil- Muthui has enjoyed the training workshops middle industries in this country. You should ience made them persist and today they can organized by NCPWD where he has learnt not feel inferior because though disabled you count their blessings. various skills, among them baking. have the ability,” reiterated Chepchieng’. “We started with about seven people, those “With the right facilities and He once worked with Elliots Bakeries and He promised to support to the group in ex- with disabilities and guardians of disabled Trufoods both of which are located in Nairobi. panding their business so that many people can people. People thought we were doomed and support from well wishers, He uses the experience from the two compa- benefit from it. The self help group is registered would not go far. They laughed at us saying we nies to train the group. with the registrar of societies and has a bank ac- were trying to attract the sympathy of various this group can employ about “With the right facilities and support from count where they accumulate their savings. The organisations,” says Ngesu. 12,000 disabled people thus well wishers, this group can employ about proceeds are ploughed back into the group’s Not everybody with a challenged child was 12,000 disabled people thus reducing depend- business and for the upkeep of the members. willing to join the group as some guardians reducing dependency in the ency in the society,” says Muthui. “We don’t want to be a burden to other refused to enlist their disabled relatives prefer- He has injected energy in the group and people by depending on handouts and their ring to instead hide them from the public. society.” has trained them on a cottage industry that sympathy. With our skills we can improve our “Some wanted to hide their disabled rela- has led to establishment of the village bakery. economic wellbeing,” says Ms Katuma Mutio, tives, others said they were able to take care — Mr Francis Muthui. They are now looking for financial support to who is disabled. 8 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Kenyans feeding on germs Schools and places of work have the highest disease causing micro-organisms

By HENRY OWINO

Next time you want to grab a bite while seated at your office desk think of the various species of bacteria lurking around. You could pick over 200 species of bacteria lurking on your keyboard and mouse including some faecal related bacteria. Think of roadside foods eaten as take away such as roast maize and chips as well as roast potatoes among other foods. These are kept under high tem- peratures not to mention the customer’s unwashed hands and those of the seller who also doubles as the cashier. This is because different species of bacteria can be found on a keyboard compared to the toilet. A mouse can contain around 1,676 counts, while the same area on the keyboard will host around 3,300 counts. Think about the doors handles, padlocks, keys, switch- es, sockets, photocopiers . . . the list is endless. Survey As Kenyans go back to school and work after the festive season, the re- search suggests that they may have to change their eating habits. These came out of a pilot survey which revealed that schools and places of work are among the environments that have the highest disease-causing micro-organisms. The survey was carried out on 119 people in various settings, including schools and restaurants involving kin- dergarten children, primary schools pupils, restaurants, gardeners, labora- tory staff and food handlers in both A man cleans his hands under running low-cost and high-cost hotels. water. People collect a lot of germs The research showed that office and from equipment that they use in the school settings have the highest levels work place. of microbial exposure on different sur- Pictures: AWC and Henry Owino faces with the hands of children and workers showing various levels of con- tamination. to clean off only dirt that is visible The survey was carried out by Prof Mo- prevents most people from observ- hammed Karama of Kenya Medical Research ing proper hygiene practices,” ex- Institute (KEMRI) for Lifebuoy. plained Karama. Karama said: “Among the primary children surveyed, 60 percent were found to have high colonies of bacteria before washing hands. Af- Bacterial counts ter washing hands with soap, the bacteria re- In an office setting, the bacte- duced to negligible levels in 80 percent of the rial count at different areas would pupils. He added: “Children in kindergarten indicate that computer keyboard were worse off, with all of them having high have 1,500 bacterial counts, pho- bacteria counts indicating the lower the age tocopier 1000, door knobs 1,000, the higher the likelihood for hand contamina- computer mouse 1,000 while a well tion.” cleaned toilet seat would register Karama reiterated that gardeners and clean- 500 amongst other facilities. ers did not fare much better, with 80 percent of The study indicates that germs those surveyed showing high bacteria counts that transmit viral illness, such as before washing hands with soap. Four out of flu, can survive on various surfaces five were able to clear the bacteria load to a in the office for an unlimited pe- negligible number after washing with soap. riod. At the same time, dirty cups He said poor hand washing technique was and food crumbs left on the table observed among some in the groups. present an excellent environment “The worrying finding was that 100 percent for the bacteria to grow and repro- of workers in the low-cost restaurants surveyed duce. had high colony counts before hand washing, This is why simple measures food handlers. Hands were the dirtiest among their hands are clean hence they contaminate with 80 percent retaining high counts even af- such as hand washing will reduce ones en- school children (44 percent) indicating that themselves. ter washing with soap,” explained Karama. counter with the germs. People need to ensure the lower the age, the higher the chances for ‘’School children are more exposed to risk “One likely explanation is that the restau- they have washed their hands using proper hand contamination. Office workers were the of hand contamination and must be taught the rant had no piped water and the water sourced techniques before they eat even at their office second with 34 percent while the cleanest were proper hand-washing techniques to enable from vendors was itself highly contaminated. desks, or restaurants. food handlers 13 percent and gardeners 10 them attend all their schools days. 272 million In addition, the workers were not trained on “Most adults assume that their hands are percent. school days are lost each year worldwide due proper hand washing techniques,’’ said Karama clean but this is not true as they shake hands, Past research showed that soap is almost to diarrhoea and related diseases,’’ reiterated who is the principal investigator at KEMRI. handle different equipment and facilities, they universally present in households but its ac- Karama. “School and workplace are among the en- are much more exposed to germs,” explained tual use for hand-washing is considerably low- Global hand washing day is marked every vironments that can covertly transmit disease Karama. Researchers found that hand hy- er. The problem is that soap is rarely used for October 15 to raise awareness on hand wash- –causing micro-organisms but the tendency giene was minimal among office workers and hand-washing as people rush to eat or assume ing and cleanliness. ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 9 School boards set Zaitun makes the best to increase fees By GILBERT OCHIENG

Parents and Teachers Associations [PTAs] and the Board of Governors [BoGs] of various secondary schools in the Busia out of a positive situation County have forwarded this year’s fee in- crement proposals to respective District Education Boards for approval. A spot check carried out by Reject at various secondary schools in the Busia County recently has established that the respective school management commit- tees have been operating on a strict budg- et due to lack of adequate funds. The secondary school principals who talked on condition of anonymity said that failure on the part of the ministry to disburse the subsidised free secondary education fund in good time has put them in an awkward situation as they are unable to meet the daily financial requirements in terms of food and other essentials. This has compelled them to depend wholly on the PTA fund which is always inadequate. Most of the proposals that had been forwarded to the District Education Boards for approval suggested that parents should pay KSh3, 000 per student up from the current KSh2, 000. They argue that the cost of food has gone up tremendously and schools cannot operate effectively without enough funds taking into consideration the fact that the Ministry of Education has always failed to release the free secondary education funds in good time. The Busia County Education Officer, Mr John Owino said that the District Ed- ucation Board would sit to consider the proposals and advise accordingly. “In order to bail the secondary schools in the Busia County out of the acute bottlenecks they have been en- countering due to lack adequate funds, By KIPROTICH EDWIN Zaituni Hassan who has been living with HIV for the past 15 years has come out openly it is high time the ministry moved with about her status. Today, together with colleagues she runs a support group as well as speed to disburse the funds for the sub- a non-governmental organization that offers support to those living with HIV/Aids. sidised secondary education within When Zaitun Hassan was confined to the Inten- Picture: Kiprotich Edwin good time,” said Owino. sive Care Unit of Mbagathi District Hospital in early 2005, only the strongest of hearts hoped that she would come out alive. All her colleagues who had tested HIV positive had passed on and times she was obliged to carry along her own estate in Nairobi, Zaitun has seen the organiza- naturally many thought it was her turn. utensils since no one wanted to ‘risk’ using a plate tion grow and today it has support groups in Thanks to the stigma that was the daily life of or spoon used by one infected with HIV. Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, Isiolo, Malindi and Disabled persons want Aids sufferers and lack of Anti Retroviral drugs, Life was a daily trauma and many Aids survi- Emuhaya. her immune system had continually deteriorat- vors died as a result of stress related sicknesses. It is a life of selflessness and Zaitun has to more recognition ed. Her condition deteriorated to a point where Even hospitals were not kind to Aids patients balance time between her job, the organization she could not walk and had to use a wheel chair who were just dumped in the sick bay however and family. to move around. Though she had lived with the serious their condition. “This is not an easy task especially since the By BONIFACE MULU condition for close to ten years, that year her “Life was unbearable and I almost resigned organisation cannot sustain itself financially and death bells seemed to be ringing. from my job,’’ she says. It was against this back- so it seeks funding and donation from well-wish- The Government can only serve the “My hope in life was dwindling and even drop that she and other like-minded colleagues ers and humanitarian organizations,” explains disabled effectively if it creates an inde- those close to me given up that I would survive,’’ founded Faasik in 2005, an NGO that aims at Zaitun. She adds: “It also has a tight programme pendent ministry for the them instead of she says. But God gave her a new lease for life and restoring dignity and giving value to the lives of of activities that require time and dedication.” having them placed under the Special Pro- she is still alive today. She decided to use herself people living with HIV/Aids. As I intercepted her for an interview, Zaitun grammes Ministry. as an example to give hope to those living with “The organisation participates in various com- was headed to the Saudi Arabian Embassy to seek According to the disabled people’s the scourge. munity activities including providing relief food for food donation ahead of the Ramadhan week. spokesperson things will only work well to the infected and those affected by the scourge In the early hours of the morning, she ensured if the Government set aside funds for the Looking back in slum areas,” explains Zaitun. She adds: “We that the counselling session had proceeded well disabled. also carry out Aids awareness campaigns among and during the night she served her shift as a nurse “We were in the past under the Social As one of the founders and directors of communities, encourage testing and educating at Eastleigh District Hospital’s maternity section. Faasik, a local NGO that addresses the concerns Services Ministry and now we fall under those infected on best nutrition practices.” the Special Programmes Ministry. We of people living with HIV in Kenya, Zaitun says They also participate in various community the brief brush with death was a turning point Testing need our own ministry. That deserting activities like visiting the sick and environmen- life within the ministries is confusing us in her life because it made her listen to the inner She says her efforts are paying off. Already tal cleanliness. To strengthen the spirit of com- for we do not know where we are,” said voices of those infected. many families especially from the Muslim com- radeship among the people it serves, the organi- Mr Francis Muthui, who is the chairman Things took a different turn for the mother of munity have come out to be tested and have ac- sation has established peer groups where they Kitui District Disabled Persons Associa- five when her husband who was a police officer cepted their condition. The organization assisted have merry go-rounds to empower one another tion. died of Aids related complications. That was in many to be put on ARVs while other cases have economically. He thanked the Government for allo- 1996. Then the stigma against the pandemic was been advised on behavioural change. Operating from a small office in Eastleigh cating the disabled in the country KSh100 rife, especially among the Muslim faithful. With cooperation with other groups and or- million in 2010. While in Islam polygamy is accepted, Zaitun ganisations, they have been able to create aware- “Many of disabled persons have been knew that her husband’s death meant she and ness on HIV/Aids and reduce stigmatization filling forms to get funding from the her co-wife, who would later died in 2002 were against people living with HIV/AIDS. Aids was then perceived to Government and not all of them get the infected. “I am proud that today those of us living with funds,” said Muthui. He pleaded for offic- Aids was then perceived to be a disease of HIV can stand up and be counted just like any be a disease of people with es to be set up in each of the 47 counties people with loose moral character. The sufferers other person,’’ she says. in specifically for disabled persons. had to contend with stigmatization and rejec- But it has not been smooth all the way, when loose moral character. The There are more than 3.1 million disa- tion. Even in the Nairobi City Council, where they began the organization in 2005, convincing bled persons in Kenya. The August 2009 she works as a nurse, when the word reached people to come out and get tested was not an easy sufferers had to contend with national census 3.1 figure for the disabled there that she was HIV positive, things changed. task. They had to use themselves as role models, in the country is not the real number. Colleagues whom she had worked with for stigmatization and rejection. people who had lived with the virus for long and several years discriminated against her, some- were still moving on with their lives. 10 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Small businesses pick up Conservancy gives hope with the high tourist season to deformed By KIGONDU NDAVANO animals Jane Mwikali is slightly blinded by the strong rays of the sun as she By GEORGE OMONSO cleans a section of the beach of dry leaves and sea weeds covering what While human beings born with deformities was recently a clean white sandy have always faced stigmatization, animals born beach. with physical challenges have faced worse con- With pieces of timber, wood sequences. Many believe that animals and hu- and sisal ropes she builds a small mans born with deformities stoke fire of a pre- one square metre wide and two vious curse or gods gone mad again. They are a metres’ high stand with a table like sight that many do not want to behold and the section capable of holding several first temptation to get rid of them fast. light items. All reasoning is put forward for the disabil- She is just settling down into ities and the need to discard the reminder of ill a small makeshift stand, her daily tempting fortunes with the swelling crowd of work station at the Watamu Beach, advisers. But one person has come to reverse confident that the stand is strong this weird thinking. enough to hold her merchandise. Kitale Nature Conservancy is sanctuary Mwikali first systematically to unique animals and plants species that has opens up her large bag full of vari- put into sharp focus the proprietor Boniface ous items and starts to slowly blow Ndura other than the animals he rears. off the dust from them ready for Maintaining the animals which are born display. with all sorts of deformities ranging from As she arranges small pieces of sexual organs to head complexities is very wooden curios and ties hanging expensive although the immediate gains are colourful kangas and kikoys on the William Nyabwari Kenyatta, a trader who makes and sells curios attending to a tourist in his difficult to see in the immediate future for a weak wooden pillars of her stand, stall along the beaches of Malindi. Inset: Consolata Agutu arranges her wares at a stall along casual observer. But Ndura who has his eyes the sun is surely becoming hot and the tourist road. Picture: Kigondu Ndavano set on posterity and the future differs. the beach is slowly becoming ac- The Kitale Nature Conservancy is a unique areas of business in Malindi as indicated by the groups of tourists booking for safaris to the tive. one as it is home to the deformed, endangered activities taking place each day at the Silver- Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Amboseli from From the tourist hotels’ beach outlets, and vulnerable animal and plants species that sands and Casuarina where safari sellers (trips his office have been overwhelming in the last groups of tourists who include women dressed have been ignored by the contemporary con- to local tourist spots), freelance tour guides month. in colourful swim suits and men only in shorts servationist and government arms concerned. emerge to bask in the sand and sun. and curio traders are making good money. “Sometimes we get several groups of tour- Some are in a hurry to deep their bodies “I have to admit that things are good be- ists booking for safaris to the parks and vari- Weak animals into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean per- cause tourists from hotels such as Tropical and ous lodges, but over bookings in vehicles and haps for the first time in their lives. Others are Coconut villages have been pouring into the various lodges and camps has on some occa- Rejected even as they appear to be, the attracted by the colour of the various items temporary curio bandas along the beach access sions forced us to reject bookings or postpone deformed animals Ndura is now so much de- on display on Mwikali’s makeshift stand now roads to purchase many items,” notes Consolata them until vans to ferry tourists to the park termined to rear, are obtained at a price, ex- already sandwiched by several other similar Agutu, a stall owner near Tropical village. area are available,” explains Rudainy. pensive to maintain and as delicate as a glass work stations. There has also been a boom at the Malindi of wine. Curios Marine Park with boat owners reporting at- “They bear weaker genetic traits and are tractive business. Chairman of the Malindi prone to diseases and less resistant to environ- Booming business She notes that there is a changing trend Boat Owners Association, Mr Twalib Abed mental hazards. We have to keep a residential among Italian tourists in the choice of items Many items are on sale to tourists and like says bookings have been good despite the veterinary officer to keep minute watch as any they purchase with many now targeting small hundreds of people, mainly women in Ma- heavy competition the boat owners face from small lapse could mark their exit,” he said in an items such as necklaces and key holders among lindi, Watamu and Mambrui, Mwikali is ready vessels owned by hotels and some foreigners. interview with the Reject. other artefacts. to start her business of selling curios and arte- “According to statistics, Kenya is feared to “They seem to have a preference for items facts to tourists at the beach. be losing about five plant species every year that are light in weight and easy to carry back Transport In the immediate neighbourhood, other and it is on the verge of losing many more. to their countries,” explains Agutu. Across the Malindi food and fruit markets, beach operators in the area are busy arranging Animals like the De Brazza Monkeys and the “We no longer stock the once popular fish outlets and around town, transport indus- their items as the first day of this year’s high Statunga antelope are also fast disappearing,” heavy and sometimes large wooden curio try dominated by the now popular but deafen- tourist season kicks off. explains Ndura. carvings. With the cost of baggage in interna- ingly Tuk Tuks business has increased. The beach operators have high expectations “Our mission as a conservancy is, there- tional flights having risen and the limit on lug- “Groups of tourists have been booking for that the high tourist season will be good. Nor- fore, to contribute in a small way towards the gage one can carry, most tourists today go for transport around town with Tuk Tuks and we mally the beach operators abandon the shore- conservation of our environmental and the small items,” explains Agutu. have been making a killing.” said Mohammed line when tourist hotels close for the low tourist country’s biodiversity by targeting the youth The beach traders meanwhile arrange a Awadh, owner of three tuk tuk taxis. season which starts in March and ends in July and the nature lovers,” he reiterates. Ndura consignment of about half a kilogramme of A fish dealer at the Shella area, Mr Fuad each year. adds: “Our botanical garden and models of key holders, necklaces made of different col- Mohammed notes that orders for fresh fish “We are happy tourists have returned into houses with eco roofs place us in a class of our ours of beads and other small artefacts already from tourist hotels, restaurants and villas have the hotels and this means we can revive our own in conservation while our genetically dis- ordered by an Italian tourist expected to de- increased surprisingly at a time when the sea small scale businesses which had collapsed advantaged animals make our park a special part in a few hours time. is not yielding very good catches. “Due to high when the hotels were empty,” says Mwikali. place on this planet.” Safari and tour travel firms whose vans and demand for fish and scarcity of the popular “Economic activities have returned to vi- But is it worth the effort for a simple Ken- four wheel drive vehicles have had to remain in food among tourists, the price of a kilogramme brancy in the various tourist zones of Malindi yan who wants to make a difference in a coun- the parking bay for months have brought back of fish has risen from KSh250 a few weeks ago including Watamu, Mambrui and Mayungu try where the priorities are skewed and mis- the machines on the roads. Yasin Rudainy of to KSh350,” says Mohammed. with hotels recording attractive bed occupan- placed? the Tausi Tours and Safaris firm with offices Tour guides say they are earning good cies,” says Mr Isaac Rodrot, Temple Point Vil- Ndura started by conserving the fast fading next to Uhuru Gardens in Malindi admits that money by taking visitors to various sites in lage Director. rare species of monkeys called the De Braza Malindi. Chairman of the tour guides asso- that put him on a collision course with the ciation Mr Akhim Aidarus says the number Economic boost Kenya Wildlife Services. However, they were of unlicensed freelance tour guides has grown later to approve of his intentions and recom- With tourism being the pillar of the Malindi and some are known to harass tourists while There is a changing trend mend him as a peer partner in game conser- economy, the high season means that nearly seeking to be hired to take them around. vation. all the major business activities which had At the Uhuru Gardens scenes of illegal tour among Italian tourists in What is more, we were shocked to find out grounded to a halt resume generally “waking guides and children who pour out near the that deformed animals are even more expen- up the town”. the choice of items they popular boutiques to beg from tourists play sive than the grade cows that are bought at the A restaurant operator, Mr Godfrey Karume what could be described as hide and seek with Agriculture Development Corporation farms. indicates that within weeks since the high purchase with many now tourist police unit officers who patrol the area. “These days people have realised that the tourist season started, the number of revellers As the town’s restaurants overflow with Es- deformed animals have a ready market at Ki- and diners in local drinking places and restau- targeting small items such presso Coffee drinking Italians, street money tale Nature Conservancy and although they rants has increased by up to 60 per cent and changers offer local currency from some hid- may have very little to do with the animals returns from sales have been good. as necklaces and key holders den corners. Parking bays which were empty they view them as a bad omen. But when we The beaches are perhaps the most vibrant for months are today full. among other artefacts. come in, they want to sell them for a fortune,” ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 11 Former teacher reaps benefits from the farm Girl rescued Risk to quit teaching career pays off from By WAIKWA MAINA marriage Eighteen years ago armed with a resignation letter, he walked into Teachers Service Com- By Muasya Charles mission offices to terminate his 15 year old teaching career. A standard six girl who abandoned The former secondary school teacher school for early marriage under in- dumped chalk and duster for his then small fluence by an elderly woman has farm in the semi-arid Maragua, in Murang’a now been rescued and taken back to County. school. He was tired of swallowing chalk dust, The orphaned girl who was a pu- waking up in the wee hours to walk to class, pil at Itoleka Primary School in Kitui spending tiresome late hours marking books County was taken from her ‘would and preparing lesson plans. He also felt that be husband’ in Mombasa follow- he was not giving enough to his students as ing intervention by Tei wa Wo (True his loyalty was divided between teaching Mercy), a Community Based Organi- and the farm. sation which strives to provide quality “I loved my students and it was a hard education to orphaned girls where the decision to make,” says Mr Koimbia Muritu, girl was a beneficiary. who started his teaching job at Bura Girls’ High School in Coast Province and termi- Transfer nated it at Murang’a Boys’ High School in 1977 and 1992 respectively. Tei wa Wo Coordinator, Ms Jeniffer Nyumu said the man who cohabited Risk with the girl under the guise of mar- riage was also made to record a state- Despite all the odds and challenges of ment at Itoleka Police station where having no reliable income, today Muritu lit- the woman who lured the girl into the erally controls a significant percentage of the marriage was being held. economy in Murang’a and the neighbouring Farmer Koimbia Muritu at his silage plant. He left a teaching career to become a full time Nyumu, a teacher at Itoleka Pri- counties. farmer. Picture: Waikwa Maina mary School said the girl will be taken Not a single day passes without any of to another school to avoid stigmatiza- the locals buying one of his farm products, and sold as meat. The bulls and other animals Muritu. tion. either as raw material or value added directly or produce manure used in the farm and plants Maragua being a dry area, the cost of pump- However, she said a pregnancy indirectly. Products from his farm include per- from the farm are later used to feed the animals,” ing irrigation water from Maragua River has also test will be carried out. “The girl will ishables such as pure milk and its by-products like explains the farmer. been a major setback for him. also be tested for infectious diseases yoghurt as well as tea, pork, beef, eggs and fruits Amazingly, the entire business empire now He also blames the Government for assist- and taken for vigorous counselling,” among others. To many, he is an asset in terms of worth more than KSh10 million, is managed from ing and promoting farming as a business. “The Nyumu explained. the quality farm products, almost dictating supply a portion of land that is less than three acres where Government should regulate cost of farm inputs. and demand. the animals are grazed. The other portion is occu- Unlike in other countries where sick animals are Watchdog group Due to his comparative low prices, Muritu is pied with coffee, bananas and other horticultural culled by the Government and farmers compen- constantly at loggerheads with major manufactur- She advised parents to shun tra- crops. sated in case of outbreak of diseases like foot and ers and suppliers who exploit customers. ditional practices which impede the Currently he has about 6,000 layers producing mouth, Kenyan farmers are left to carry their own Despite his achievement in business and agri- growth of the girl child, and particu- an average of 5,400 eggs every day, 200 dairy cows, cross,” laments Muritu. business empires, Muritu, popularly known as larly orphans from accessing quality enough bulls to be slaughtered round the year, Mwalimu says his greatest achievement in the busi- education. more than 2,000 pigs, all managed by 40 perma- Marketing ness is interacting with people and reality. “Deal- Tei wa Wo has also formed a nent and 150 casual employees. He reiterates: “The Government has not been ing with people and reality are my motivation. women’s watchdog group to help pro- After they are exhausted, the layers are also sold aggressive in securing markets for local farmers and Farming is real, you watch as the crops germinate vincial administration officials curb to the hotel chain. He always has enough stock to that is why imported farm products have flooded up to harvesting time, drying of the plants which illicit brew locally known as ‘kaluvu’ last the hotels all year round. This whole empire the market at the expense of local farmers.” we then use to make silage,” Muritu explains. which is being blamed for high levels was developed from a KSh60,000 loan from the Njoka says Muritu’s achievement in agri-busi- He adds: “It is mesmerising to watch animals de- of poverty in homesteads. ness is a success story that should be emulated by velop from birth to maturity. It is so real since deal- The leader of the watchdog group, other small and large scale farmers. ing with living things has always been my dream.” Ms Rachael Musyoka said they AFC has diversified its products to meet di- Although today he can celebrate his success, it “I harboured a dream of poured over 200 litres of the brew last verse needs. The whole farming business chain has not been without challenges. Unfortunately, month with the help of chiefs and as- has been catered for by introduction of special the same source of joy is also his source frustra- becoming a successful farmer sistant chiefs. packages such as marketing loan, value addition tions. “We have been reaching out to the but capital was a major and production loans. “My most frustrating moments are when em- women involved in the business and “I urge farmers and interested investors willing ployees defy instructions and when they cannot encouraging them to start alternative challenge. The situation was to invest in farm produce business to take advan- work with minimal supervision. Other moments businesses,” explained Musyoka. tage of the loan facilities,” says Njoka. of disappointment and anguish are when an ani- worse after I resigned from my mal gets sick. I hate it when animals writhe in pain and are unable to eat or consequently die,” reiter- job and most people believed I ates the farmer. He adds: “The same case applies with crops when they wither in drought or are at- would not survive.” Victims of Somali raids to get compensation tacked by diseases and pests.” — Koimbia Muritu By BONIFACE MULU is not known. Kithuku is among the victims and he also filled the forms. Trade secret Over 200 families in Endau and Malalani lo- “The Somalis killed my two elder broth- His biggest secret in the multimillion empire Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC). cations in Kitui East (Mutitu) constituency ers and my father’s five workers on June is first trading with himself and only selling sur- “I harboured a dream of becoming a success- whose relatives have been killed or injured 6, 1976 while they were grazing cattle at a plus to his customers. This has helped control and ful farmer but capital was a major challenge. The by Somalis from the neighbouring Somalia ranch. The raiders also stole 300 heads of minimise capital flight. situation was worse after I resigned from my job will compensated by the Government. cattle,” he explained. For example, livestock and poultry, fruits and and most people believed I would not survive,” Area councillor Stephen Kithuku thanked The civic leaders appealed to the govern- vegetables from his farm are sold to his chain of explains the former teacher. the Government through the Truth and Jus- ment to speed up the compensation process. hotels that include Famous and Murmur within In 1996, he got the loan from AFC and bought tice Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) The provincial administration was led by Murang’a town. With reduced and reliable supply some calves at KSh3,000 each and started breeding. which had visited the region. chiefs Samuel Kimanzi and Benson Kavalu from his farm, he is able to prepare the best and AFC Murang’a Branch manager, Mr John Njoka The Commission provided the affected of Endau and Malalani location respectively. enticing meals in town. He also runs occasional says Muritu still takes loans to develop his business. families with compensation forms to fill. In the Mutitu constituency, the TJRC promotions in the hotels. “He is among the best AFC customers in re- Those whose livestock was stolen will also team also met in neighbouring Kyamatu “The surplus is sold to the public, manufactur- paying the soft loans,” explains Njoka. be compensated. Somalis have been harass- Location who also filled the compensation ers and distributors of farm products at fair retail Muritu goes for the soft loans to boost his capi- ing people from Ukambani since 1966 up forms. prices,” says Muritu. tal when he wants to invest in new urgent business to date. The affected had met with Com- The TJRC team also visited the victims The situation is the same in his farm where ventures. missioner Maingi at the Endau Location of the Somali raids in the Mutha, Kanziku, each animal and crop supplement each other thus “Farming has no shortcuts. A farmer must be Chief’s office. Kasaala, Mathima, Voo and Simisi loca- reducing the cost of production. patient, have the will and be honest to himself and However, the amount of money to be tions in Kitui South constituency who also “For example, steers from poultry are used to his God. He must also be dedicated just as a lov- compensated to each of the affected families filled the compensation forms. feed and fatten bulls which are later slaughtered ing mother would take care of her child,” advises 12 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 032, January 16-31, 2011 Healer with a touch for broken hearts By OMONDI GWENGI

She may not be familiar to many, but mention the word Nyaruoth to the locals of Usenge sub- location in Bondo and you will surely ignite some interest from those who have received the help of this traditional healer. In her late 80s, the story of Mama Penina Amara dates back to the 1970s when she was married to the late Mzee Daniel Amara of Nyangera Village, West Yimbo location. By then, she was a virgin in the field of herbal medicine. Herbal medicine “I left my paternal home in Alego Karuoth in Siaya without any knowledge of herbal medi- cine. However, when I got into this home I was introduced to the trade by my late mother-in- law who was a traditional healer before she passed on,” Penina recalls. She adds: “My moth- er-in-law showed me the plants that she used for treating different diseases.” Just like any other field of trade, it was not an easy walk to attain the level of expertise she has reached today. However, there are still those who see her not as a healer but as witch- doctor. “I was first rejected by the community when I started because they thought I was a witch, but unlike the witchdoctors who even perform some rituals for their clients, I use pure herbs,” explains Penina. She adds: “I am a devoted Christian and I cannot add anything to my medicine.” Acceptance The locals started to slowly accept her when she was seen to be healing people with Mama Penina and her daughter in-law Jane Maganda sampling some of the herbs at her home in Bondo. heart problems, ear defects, eye infections and Pictures: OMONDI GWENGI broken limbs. “I have healed many people. Most of the people that I treat are school-going children position. the hospital whenever we fell sick. I am just who break their legs or arms when playing in The peas are then planted in the soil where trying to adapt to the system here,” she says. school,” she says. they are covered with a pot for three-four days. However, Jane says that her daughter is Mama Penina recalls the case of a boy who “After three days, you should come to check if a fast learner. “My daughter is very quick at fell down when playing in school and broke the peas have germinated,” she says. learning things and she is the one who goes his arm. The boy was taken to the hospital but If the peas germinate within that time, you to gather some of the herbal plants which we his parents could not afford the treatment. should take the peas and eat. This becomes a later prepare for treatment,” says Jane. “The boy’s arm was badly broken and I treatment regime for the disorder. even feared handling this. But I did my best “If the pea seeds do not germinate, then we Continuation by massaging him using traditional medicine,” try again. If it fails for the second time, I then Mama Penina is an independent woman explains Penina. refer the patient to the hospital for further who does her trade with the assistance of fam- Money is not always a factor for she some- treatment,” she explains. ily members. “Even if I die today, my daugh- times offers treatment treat at no cost for those Penina has referred a few cases to the hos- ter-in-law and my grandchildren shall have who do not have money. This has made many pital. “I am happy that most of the people that “I was first rejected by the known how the trade is done,” she says. people run to her for help. I healed have been faring well without compli- A devoted Christian, Penina defied the cul- “You cannot be treated in the hospital if cations,” she says. community when I started ture of wife inheritance which is largely prac- you don’t have money but I treat people with- tised among the Luo community. out money sometimes,” she says. because they thought I was Apprenticeship “Since my husband died, no man has ever a witch, but unlike the witch Today, Mama Penina is too old to per- slept in my house in the name of a wife inheri- Difficult cases form some of her treatments. She has passed tor,” boasts Penina. It is obvious that Mama There are some cases such as heart prob- doctors who even perform on the skills to her daughter-in-law, Ms Jane Penina has a fighting spirit and will stand her lems which she refers to hospitals. She says Maganda who now performs some simple ground no matter what. that most people who develop heart problems some rituals for their clients, treatments. However, just like in the conventional realise when it is too late. “I am getting old and tired. I instruct Jane medical field, Penina has faced challenges in While she is able to treat cases that require I use pure herbs. I am a to do simple treatments like massaging those treating HIV/Aids. She says that it is hard to scanning, Penina has no x-ray equipment. with fractures as well as treating those with eye treat and that she can only treat some STIs. However, she uses her eyes to locate the po- devoted Christian and I and ear problems,” she says. However, the traditional healer blames sition of the heart to determine if one has a Age also hinders her ability to walk far and modern foods for the daily health problems heart problem. cannot add anything to my she no longer walks into the bushes to gather we are facing today. She then takes some peas which she places the medicinal plants. “We used to eat traditional foods, but today, on a cooking stick that is placed just below medicine.” Jane who is from the Bukusu community people no longer eat them. They have instead the position of the heart. She then pushes the says she comes from a family where there was resorted to foods that have a lot of chemicals cooking stick as if lifting the heart back to its — Mama Penina Amara. no herbal medicine. “At home we would go to which are not good for health,” she explains.

Write to: Executive Director: Rosemary Okello-Orlale Programme Coordinator: Wilson Ugangu [email protected] Editor: Jane Godia Sub-Editors: Florence Sipalla and Mercy Mumo Designer: noel Lumbama Contributors: Fred Okoth, Valerie Aseto, Rachel Muthoni, Eric mutai, Hussein Dido, The paper is produced with funds from Bendaro Tsuma, Kigondu Ndavano, Nzinga Muasya, Henry Owino, Boniface Mulu, Kiprotich Edwin, Gilbert Ochieng, Waikwa Maina, Muasya www.mediadiversityafrica.org Charles, Omondi Gwengi.