GVI Kenya

Greetings from our Tsavo West Community Develpment Project. I’ll be honest, there’s not really any work to report on today. Instead we treated our team to our tour of some of the areas best, but little known sights.

Our day started with a short trek up to the rim of the crater lake at Chala and then down to edge of the turquoise waters. This stunning lake which lays hidden in an old volcanic crater has to be one of Kenya’s better kept secrets. And Tanzania’s for that matter as it straddles the border.

Next stop was Taveta market, always bustling colourful and friendly. We stocked up on supplies and went on a mission to bring back a little something – the cheaper and tackier the better in our opinion – for our colleagues left holding the fort back at the coast.

Then on to the lesser known but equally beautiful Njoro springs, where the Kilimanjaro waters emerge from underground for a freezing, but exceptionally refreshing swim on a hot Taveta day!

We squeezed in a little work at Tunza Mazingira, a tiny local tree nursery that is one of the most beautiful peaceful spots I know of. Full of young trees and pretty plants arranged in neat rows under tall shade tees, it represents a little haven of green cool paradise by hot dusty Taveta. We bought neem trees, which we plant each time we visit Mahandakini. It helps improve their environment, offers a small grass-roots contribution to combating climate change and significantly the group here were sponsored through GVI Charitable Trust, thanks to Rachel our former base manager, to learn how to make soap from the neem tree which is renowned for its medicinal properties. This represents one form of alternative income for these ex-poachers.

Finally, we ended our day with a cold beer at Ziwani Voyager tented camp sat by a pool of hippo, crocodile and wonderful bird life, with impala and waterbuck at the water’s edge. Zebra on the drive back to Mahandakini would have been the perfect end… Except that we were treated to an exquisite yellow sunset behind Kilimanjaro’s lower slopes.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I love it out here!