GVI Kenya

The last Friday we had the opportunity to go personally to the forest with the FSF (Friends of Shimoni Forest), and enjoy of this endangered ecosystem with the persons that are fighting harder to preserve it. Hassan, one of the three trained guides of the FSF, walked us through the forest, leading us to some of the most remote parts, most of them new to us. This is the same walk tourists take when they come to visit the forest.

The "tree of oblivion", a parasitic vines who once strangled a baobab

For all those who don’t know it yet, the FSF is a CBO (Community Based Organization) based in Shimoni. It was founded as an initiative of the community, with the help of GVI. Their objective is guaranteeing the conservation of this endangered forest, trying to develop sustainable uses of this forest which is so necessary for their livelihoods. One of their most successful projects was the creation of a forest tour, and the money they get from tourism is put back onto the community, in the form of different projects of grants to students.

Hassan the forest guide, during one of his detailed explanations

And what was the result of our guided tour through the forest? A lot of Angolan black and white colobus, sykes monkeys, hornbills, tons of insects… but it was not only about what we saw. Hassan gently provided us with tons of background information and different stories about the forest, the plants and their medicinal uses and about the local culture. We visited one of the “kayas”, a sacred place of the forest where spirits inhabit and which serves for oration and prayer. After enjoying of such a trip, it’s not strange that tourists always turn out of the forest enthusiastic about all they have seen.

So with Mwenge whipping up a replicate press in a morning, we headed back to Anziwani to start the last few days of training. Koppa, one of the trainees, and also a Friends of Shimoni guide, had made a bet with Mwenge. Koppa believed that the press would break, and Mwenge said that there was no chance of that happening. So 100ksh was put down on the table, and Koppa definitely tried his hardest to test the limits of the press in the next few days!

Mwenge the carpenter with the second press

Over the whole training several combinations of raw material were briquetted. Cardboard that had been shredded into small pieces, and soaked in water for 2 weeks, was pounded and brought into the mix during the last few days.

The new press in action

So the final practical day ended, and we had one in-tact press and a total of 140 briquettes made! The briquettes that contained charcoal fines in any percentage were definitely the favorite, simply for the fact that they do look very similar to charcoal.

Some of the briquettes that were made during the training

The last day came, and we had 9 of our trainees there, with the other sending their apologies for not being able to attend. The opening to the day was led with a prayer, and then we moved on to the topic of the day “What is the next step?” By going round the room, Isaiah asked each person, what they thought the next step was. It was a unanimous vote, to start a group.

The agenda for the final day, written on the blackboard

The election began, and there was a slight delay as two of the trainees were put forward for Chairman. This caused a little bit of a ruckus, but in a positive way. The problem some of the trainees had was that they believed that Hamisi and the other Friends of Shimoni Forest guides, should not be elected as key members of the group. They believed that as the training was for charcoal burners, the group should be lead by charcoal burners, in creating an alternative to charcoal. So everyone agreed, and the committee was elected.

As we headed back to Shimoni, we were all was extremely happy with the group’s decisions. Making a group was the best outcome Friends of Shimoni Forest could have got from setting up the training in biomass fuel briquettes. The road in front of us seemed bright, but of course we would have to be ready for the inevitable bumps and glitches that any new group has to overcome to succeed.

Matata, the chairman of Friends of Shimoni Forest says a few words at the end of the day

The alternative to charcoal training workshop in Anziwani had now been running for 5 days. The attendance of all the trainees had been excellent, with pretty much everyone turning up each day, and we had successfully made the first sample biomass fuel briquettes! However it hadn’t been all smooth running…. The press had shown some weaknesses and the dividers hadn’t handled the force of the jack. But these problems had been dealt with thanks to the help of several local fundis (craftsmen), and we were still moving forward. Not to say that would be the end of the obstacles!

Lawama, one of the trainees holding a briquette made during the training

The afternoon of the 4^th day, we were able to pick up the new metal dividers, ready for briquetting. The next day Isaiah decided that the best plan of action would be to continue with preparation, so that all the raw materials would be ready to use, and we could briquette non stop for the rest of the training days.  The collecting, shredding, pounding, sieving and mixing, continued.

Preparing soaked cardboard

So with all the materials prepared over the past two days, you couldn’t stop the trainees from briquetting at the start of day 6! As people were arriving, the equipment was being set up. The metal dividers looked okay from what we could see, but the real test was when we started to briquette.

The group cracking on with briquetting

The dividers must slip through the PVC pipe perfectly, plus the centre hole of the divider must be completely central to allow the inner pipe to pass through. If the divider is also too small it will reduce the ease in which the briquettes separate.  The mould was loaded and then compressed. Today we were making the briquettes with sawdust combinations. The first combo was sieved sawdust and paper that had been soaking for about two weeks.

The sawdust and paper combination briquettes

When the team got to the ejection stage, the process wasn’t moving incredibly smoothly. We discovered that some of the dividers must have been getting wedged in the PVC. This led to it becoming a rather tiring and time consuming stage in the whole process. We managed to select two dividers that were sliding through the best, and continue briquetting, until… a very loud crack came from the press. It had split again, the original wood used for the frame had a weak spot where there was a knot in the wood - unfortunately exactly where it needed to be extremely strong.

The original frame cracking due to a knot in the wood

The group appeared not to be phased by this, and discussion began on the best way to approach the problem. We planned to visit our friend, Mwenge at his carpentry workshop to have a replicate made with hardwood, before training the next day. So some might have lost interest with all these hiccups, but the group seemed to embrace them and in some way become even more enthusiastic about briquetting the following day!

Their dedication and tenacity is often inspiring!  We’ll bring you the continuation of this epic undertaking soon…

After leaving Anziwani, from the third day of the alternative to charcoal training workshop, we headed straight to Mwenge’s workshop (a local carpenter). We showed him where the press had cracked, and decided (with the help of our resident architect, Carolyn, a volunteer from GVI) where to reinforce it. We then moved on to another workshop in search of a metal fundi. Unfortnately he wasn’t around, so we planned to visit him the next morning.

We woke up bright and early and headed to the metal fundi. We explained what we needed, and he got started on the rather tricky job of making perfectly round dividers made from metal, with limited tools. However, electricity was not on our side and the power cut out. So we had to head up to Anziwani empty handed.

The local metal fundi (craftsman) replicating the plastic dividers

The local metal fundi (craftsman) at work

As we had successfully made some briquettes the day before, the whole group just wanted to keep going! So when we turned up with the bad news of the dividers not being ready, everyone was a little upset. However raw materials needed to be prepared, so we cracked on.

Isaiah explaining the importance of proper preparation

So the agenda was preparation. More pounding of the dry mango leaves had to be done so one group started on that. Isaiah wanted the group to see for themselves, the difference and effect it can have when you remove the stalk and when you leave them on. So more competitions of clapping and pounding continued!

Sambarare and Nassir pounding dried mango leaves

The charcoal dust we had sorted the previous day had left us with a bag full of pieces of whole charcoal. To use it for the training process, we had to make it into fine dust, so a bag and large piece of wood was located and charcoal bashing began!

Mwingi bashing the charcoal in to dust

The sawdust that GVI had collected was then sieved using a mosquito net, so that we collected only the very fine particles. Due to there being a few holes in the net, a couple of us started on patching them up. If we had access to a millet grinder this would be have been a lot easier as it would grind all the particles down and nothing would be wasted. Unfortunately we did not, so we sieved the particles out manually.

Sieving sawdust using a mosquito net

As we headed home to Shimoni, we had our fingers crossed that the electricity would be back on, so we could continue briquetting tomorrow!

Walking back from Anziwani Village at the end of day 4

So with the theory and history of biomass fuel briquettes covered in the previous days we moved on to the practical sessions. Over the next couple of days we prepared the raw materials we had collected and made our first briquettes!  For the third day of training, we were joined by some GVI staff and volunteers eager to see the briquetting in action.

The biomass fuel briquette training team

Isaiah explained that the preparation of the raw materials is probably the most important part of making biomass fuel briquettes. If the material is not soaked, pounded or decomposed for long enough, the briquettes can smoke or not hold together properly. Due to the training only being 9 days long, the stage of decomposing the materials had to be missed. The main impact of this is that the briquettes would probably smoke, due to some chemicals not being broken down enough.  But the main purpose of the training is to show the trainees the key stages so this was not a concern.

 

Isaiah explaining some of the preparation methods

When preparing the dried mango leaves for briquetting, the first step is to remove the stalk, so that you are left with only the dried leaf. If you leave the stalk in the material it can have a negative impact on the briquette once it is pressed. This is due to the stalk not breaking down, causing the briquette to become loose as the stalks bend.  If the composting stage is carried out this is not a problem.

Anna removing the stalks of the dried mango tree leaves

The pounding of the dried leaves using a large mortar and pestal is the next step, so that the leaves are broken down even further. This ended up being a very energetic and fun part of the preparation, with everyone getting involved and showing their skills of clapping whilst pounding!

The ladies pounding the dried mango tree leaves

Matt from GVI getting involved

Another of the materials to be used is the dust left at the bottom of a sack of charcoal. You might think that this defeats the purpose of making an alternative to charcoal, but the charcoal dust is usually wasted, and one thing in briquetting is that you should try not to waste anything! When introducing this alternative to communities it can also help them except it, as it looks very similar to charcoal. The charcoal dust had to sorted to ensure that there were no large particles.

Sorting the charcoal dust

After mixing the materials in the correct ratios, and carrying out several tests to ensure the mix was the right consistency; the squeeze, bounce and shake tests. The briquetting then began! All the trainees were desperate to have a go, and see the press in action, with each team taking a turn to make their own.

The squeeze test

The press in action

When the first briquettes were ejected from the mould set (PVC pipe), massive smiles broke out across the faces of the trainees!  The briquetting continued until during the pressing stage, the wooden frame made a rather bad cracking sound. The frame started to buckle under the pressure of the jack, due to it being soft wood. The plastic dividers used to separate the briquettes, also felt the pressure, with one deciding to crack. Fortunately this was near the end of the day, so the day wasn’t cut short. A visit to a couple of fundis (craftsmen) in the village was quickly planned for the afternoon to sort out these problems.

Isaiah Maobe with the first briquettes made in Anziwani Village

Hamisi and Hassan with their briquettes

No one seemed disheartened and it simply provided a small challenge to solve and overcome!

kez

Biasha placing the briquettes in the sun to dry

The Madrassa, Anziwani Village (venue of the training)

Once back in Shimoni, Isaiah Maobe (our biomass fuel briquette trainer) arrived on a matatu from Mombasa.  From the moment he arrived, there was no doubt that he was a truly honest and genuine gentleman, full of wisdom.  Any worries I had quickly diminished.

Isaiah Maobe, our Biomass Fuel Briquette Trainer

Unfortunately there were some issues about the list that the trainees would sign-up on; it did not reach the community. So as myself, Isaiah, our three FSF tour guides and Asha, walked the 3km up the dirt road to Anziwani, we had no idea who would show. The training was scheduled to start at 8.30am, people slowly joined us in the Madrassa and we were able to start training with a total of 14 people!

Gathering outside the Madrassa, for the training

Some people I recognized, but there were a few new faces. We started the training by introducing ourselves. At first, many of the attendees appeared rather shy and cautious. As people were introducing themselves several said their job was carrying out casual work. Everyone just looked at each other, nervously, until one guy came straight out with it “I’m a charcoal burner”. This caused the group to burst in to fits of laughter, and the ice was broken.

Introductions at the start of the day

The first day consisted of sorting out the schedule for the week, voting for the chairman, time keeper and discipline master, and going through the theory and history of biomass fuel briquetting. Looking around the classroom nearly everyone was taking notes, and several were asking questions. When Isaiah was explaining the importance of the forest to the community he quoted Mahatma Gandhi (India), “What we are doing to the forest of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and another”.

The history of biomass fuel briquettes

 The last topic covered were the advantages of the biomass fuel briquettes; 1. Saves the environment, 2. Generates income, 3. Saves energy, 4. Saves time and 5. Saves money. You could see by some people’s faces and the few questions asked that people were still a bit doubtful and needed to see it to believe it. 

Isaiah teaching the theory of briquetting

We ended the day by collecting some raw materials for the next day’s practical session, in the form of dry mango leaves. On our walk back to Shimoni, we discussed the day’s events. Isaiah had spoken to a few of the trainees, who had shown a lot of interest, and said if this training goes well, this is something they would really like to do. We walked home with high hopes for the rest of the week.

The group collecting dried mango leaves for practical training the next day

Group photo at the end of day one

As some of you may have seen from yesterday’s blog, today was another part of a tree planting initiative being pushed by members of Shimoni village, primarily the area Chief for the Shimoni sub-location and Friends of Shimoni Forest.  GVI work very closely with both parties, and so headed out in the rain to lend a hand.  This was a great opportunity for FSF and GVI to interact with the villagers and demonstrate the importance of re-planting trees in areas of deforestation.   One of the GVI team, Lynsay Bradford, tells us about the day:

Local children help carry the saplings to their new home

Mbambakofi trees are perfect species to introduce into the Shimoni area. These trees once covered the coastal areas, however due to their hard wood components they became readily harvested for production of furniture and houses. Mbambakofi takes centuries to grow and therefore have become endangered through extensive deforestation. Another important factor is the species interaction between birds and the Mbambakofi species. Certain birds such as Crowned Hornbills prefer to forage among Mbambakofi foliage. Re-introducing these trees may encourage more diverse bird populations around Shimoni.

Matata (Chairman of Friends of Shimoni Forest) with the mbambakofi saplings

An area of 15m x 60m was allocated between the assistant chiefs office and the Immigration Department . The ground being a mixture of coral rag, top soil and some flora; the GVI team were geared up for a full day’s work! The first part of the project consisted of a morning brief, in which Matata (Friends of Shimoni Forest chairman) organized some members of FSF to help with the activities. It was decided that in order to give the trees optimum growing conditions we must invent a goat deterrent, or pray for a miracle! Either way our three pole and sack shelter seemed most plausible…… it was time to get down to the nitty gritty!

Kris digging a new hole, as Lynsay and Matt look on

Smiles all round as the work continues

Old poles were foraged from various places including our trusty banda. Rachel and Aisling went on the scavenge for sacks as one team, Kris and Lynsay as another, bearing in mind a Tusker was at stake (may the best team win!). The villagers were very receptive to the idea and donated many materials, including themselves!! Soon after the first hole was dug a number of locals joined in, hacking, sawing and chiseling; before our very eyes 32 holes appeared! The long day GVI and FSF had anticipated turned into a 2 hour village festivity.

Chris and Lynsay construct a 'goat deterent'

Local community members get stuck in

Meanwhile…… Rach, Kez and Aisling gathered local children to help transport the saplings from Adini’s back garden to their new home. The chief even sent a representative to plant him his very own tree! The whole day was a huge success and the feeling of community spirit was high. It just goes to show that education and conservation can be a fun and fulfilling activity.

The representative for the Area Chief plants his tree

After a productive meeting with the Area Chief of Shimoni last week, Friends of Shimoni Forest (FSF) and GVI have set the date to start preparing for and planting 40 saplings of Mbambakofi (Afzelia quanzensis) along the coastline of Shimoni village, tomorrow Tuesday 27^th of April.

The Area Chief has a tree nursery at his house, just up the road in the neighbouring village of Anzwani. He has been nurturing over 100 saplings of Mbambakofi that will planted in different areas of Shimoni, Locations included are the coast line, Shimoni Primary and Secondary schools.

An example of the flower (photo courtesy of mpingoconservation.org)

The Mbambakofi tree (Afzelia quanzensis) occurs from Somalia in the north to Kwazulu Natal in the south and is mainly found in the coastal region in Kenya. The common name is pod mahogany or lucky bean. It grows in altitudes from 0 – 1300m, preferring light / medium sandy soil. It is extremely resistant to drought, and can be the dominating species in areas with deep sandy soil.

The beautiful flowers attract many insects, and are thought to be the main pollinating agent. Hornbills, monkeys and squirrels contribute to the seed dispersal of the species by opening the freshly split pods, eating the red arils and in the process the seeds discarded in their droppings in the surrounding area.

An example of the tree pods (photo courtesy of mpingoconservation.org)

Afzelia quanzensis has become rare due to the timber being prized for carving and construction material, historically being used for making traditional Zanzibar-style doors. Its wood is hard and easy to work with, unfortunately meaning it is one of the first trees to be cut down by locals and many of the largest trees have been felled already to be used for railway sleepers. The exotic coloured seeds are used as counters in board games (e.g. bao) and as beads for jewellery.

Coastal forests of East Africa are lost at alarming rate to deforestation for agricultural land and tourism. They are regarded as a biodiversity hotspot of global importance, containing some of the highest densities of endemic vertebrates and plants of anywhere in the world. Reforestation and education are the key factors in conserving this stunning habitat.

So the tree-planting starts tomorrow! Stay tuned for an update on the day’s events!

Photographs courtesy of Mpingoconservation.org

Well well, I don’t really know where to start today.  A couple of days ago I told you all about Kevin Malone, who kindly donated a wopping £350 to Friends of Shimoni Forest.  That brought our total up significantly.  Today however, I have checked again and I am gobsmacked, proud and excited to tell you we have reached our target of £1000!

The money from this fundraising is going to some amazing causes.  Shimoni’s forests are suffering terrible degradation everyday, putting the survival of some extremely vulnerable species in serious jeopardy.  Not only this, but thousands of people in the area rely on the forest for natural resources such as fuel, medicine, fishing tools and cultural practises.

With this money raised, FSF are planning on pushing forward with the Friends of Shimoni Forest Scholarship Fund and sending local children to secondary school on the condition they give something back to local conservation.  Other destinations for the money include paying the wages of forest patrols, finalising the tourist trail and setting up alternative livelihoods.

Every penny counts towards this cause, there are no admin costs or middle men, so this money can take FSF a long way!  I can’t even put into words how over the moon I am to see this, and how much it will mean to the people here, so I will say it simply;

Dear John “the Jam” Gerber, Timothy McCollough, Kevin Malone, Shirley Corti, Jennifer LeClair, Becky Law, Rick Hill, Katherine Blackwood and two anonymous benefactors,

From Friends of Shimoni Forest, the people of Shimoni, the colobus monkeys and other inhabitants of the forest, and everyone else working hard for the cause,

Thank you.
Really, seriously, thank you.

Hello again everyone,

Today’s blog has but one purpose.  That purpose is to extend the warmest thanks we here in Shimoni can muster, to someone who we all know quite well, and who has made the most extraordinary donation to Friends of Shimoni Forest.  That man is Kevin Malone.

 Kevin on Kisite Island
 

Kevin is from the United States and was a volunteer with GVI in Kenya for 5 weeks in March / April 2009.  During his time here he joined both the marine and terrestrial research teams, as well as spending time in the classroom in Mkwiro Primary School and out with the community development team in Tsavo West.  Kevin’s hardworking attitude and immediate dedication to the programmes shone from the start, and his sense of humour was infamous within days of arriving.  We were sad to say goodbye to Kevin after so short a time, but unfortunately that is the nature of what we do out here.
I received an e-mail from Corti (who set up the justgiving donations page for Friends of Shimoni Forest) this afternoon, informing me of an ENORMOUS donation made towards Friends of Shimon Forest (FSF).  The money raised on this website goes towards the Friends of Shimoni Forest Scholarship Fund, which pays for local children to go to secondary school, on the condition that either they themselves, or their family, assist FSF in conservation work.  The money will also go towards funding initiatives such as forest patrols, alternative charcoal and reforestation of indigenous saplings.   
From what I hear, Kevin donated £350!!  That has brought the total up to £690!  I cannot even explain how much this means to all of us, as Kevin’s money alone will pay for a child to go to secondary school for the best part of two years.  This money could also pay the wages of someone patrolling the forest for 210 days.  This money could also buy 2100 indigenous saplings to be replanted in the highly degraded areas of the forest.
It’s amazing how far money can go out here, especially when donated in British pounds or US dollars.  A relatively small amount can go such a long way, and really help change things.  And with people like Kevin, who are willing to make such generous donations, we are making incredible headway.

 Kevin preparing to go into the forest
So finally – thank you again Kevin.  You.  Are.  A.  legend.

Best wishes to all
Matt

*if you would like more information about Friends of Shimoni Forest, the work they are doing, or if you would like to make a donation, please visit www.justgiving.co.uk/shimoni