Had a Forum/Meeting to discuss Self Sustaining and Very few came - a bit of a bummer!

Have you ever heard the saying "Had a party and no one came"? Well it sort of happened to me!
I put up posters in 3 primary schools, secondary school, health clinic, market place and told many people who were interested. We had a real small turnout of mostly people I knew (supported by my 3 fellow volunteers). Hey but don't feel sorry for me as I'm feeling sorry for myself. I'm a bit pissed but I realize that's one of the challenges we face here in Kenya. We try to help the villagers in any way we can. I'm beginning to think that they need to come up with their own ideas to improve their lifestyle. In that way they take ownership of it and work to complete it. Actually most of them simply want a handout or donation.

My meeting (check a previous posting called "Taking the Next Step") was to explain what they have to do to love without help. How they have to change some of their ways of thinking, etc.
They all want to change their lifestyle and want to know how. I setup a meeting and have a couple of people in the community who have made it good. So what happens most don't show up. Well it's really their loss.

We had a retired Economics teacher in a college who is now trying various crops on his farm. He said that people should grow sunflowers as there's a good market for the oil. He's willing to buy it off the farmers and sell them to the big marketers. I say if the villagers get more for sunflower than maize (corn which everyone grows to make ugali the main food of Kenya) then the villagers should try growing both. If it grows as good as he claims and the market is as good then they should switch and only grow sunflowers. Heck then sell the sunflower and buy the maize they need for food and pocket the extra money from their sale. Then they would be further ahead than just growing maize.

Then there was a head teacher at the meeting who isn't worth a shit as an administrator but surprised me with how he's doing with his farm. He bought some poultry, got proper medication, built a fence to keep out animals, got poison to kill the chicken's main predator - the mongoose. He raises new chicks and sells some of the grown chickens. Then he buys goats which multiple like rabbits. He sells these and buys cows and then has milk and cattle to sell.
I also asked Joseph who helps run the Community Bank to attend and bring some of his successful clients. Then talk to the people and maybe get some to open accounts. They have to adopt the idea of saving money to cover droughts or hard times when they need money.
I figure these are ideas that these people are willing to share unlike most villagers who are unwilling to share ideas. I said people should go to successful people not to get a handout but for something more valuable. Find out what these people did to become successful as these are people from their community. There's nothing a successful person likes to do then talk about how they made it. Don't get me wrong as the 2 people I mentioned are humble people and like most Kenyans don't brag like people back home!

Unfortunately most farmers didn't attend so it was a bit of a lost session.

A lot of people want advice, ideas, help getting started and finally want a bit of a donation as they have need money. We tell them to maybe work at something else to make starting capital. I said the guy who wanted cattle didn't go and try to buy cows right away. He raised chickens, then goats first. These are some of the things that I wanted to instill in them with this meeting.
I told them if you're climbing a big mountain, you don't try to walk straight up vertically but think about traversing the mountain as it's easier that way.
So they try something else first to make the money to get the funds to start. Then Don't get me wrong there's a lot of people willing or do try it. But many want a cow right away as many want to see whatever they're working towards right away.

I was a bit pissed at the Woman's Tailoring/Sewing Group as I attended meetings and intervened to get them a Uniform Tender (contract) at the Primary School. As I mentioned in a previous posting they couldn't get their act together to get the tender and were waiting for John (the Kenyan who lives in Canada who is doing so much to assist the villagers by organizing idiots like myself to volunteer here) to get them a tender at the schools (and he's in Canada). So I told them I'd help them. So we gave them a proposal on how we'd provide it to the principal and the parents to make it a win-win scenario for all parties. They told me that it cost 150 KS ($2.50) to buy the material for the uniform. So we based the proposal on this price so there's a profit for them, a bit to put in the bank and enough to buy material for uniforms for orphans who can't afford it. So we had a 4 hr meeting (2 hrs of waiting and 2 hrs of talking) with the parents. I went to visit the Woman's Group yesterday to give them a ledger I made up so they could keep their records. They hadn't provide an interpreter for me during the meeting. So I asked them what they were discussing about the price at the meeting. Well they told me that the parents were complaining about the price of the uniforms. So the Woman's Group dropped the price of the uniforms by about 150 KS to 300KS for an extra large so I knew the small was a lot less. I was pissed at myself for not demanding an interpreter so I could have understood and then said something at the meeting. I said well the cost of the material is 150 KS so you won't make any profit plus there's no money to buy material for the orphan's uniform. Then they told me what really pissed me off! The price of 150 KS for the boy's uniform was only for the shorts. The shirt was another 105KS. The girl's uniforms were the same thing as the material for the blouse was extra. I tore a strip out of them and said why didn't you tell me the exact price of the material as this was a cost and was needed to figure out their profit margin. Plus why didn't they tell me at the meeting that they were accepting a lower price for the uniforms.

I told them they accepted the agreement (I was so pissed) so they have to honor it. I did talk to the principal and he said he'd try and get the parents to share the cost of the orphan's uniforms (my primary concern). I guess the parents wanted the Woman's Group to absorb the cost of the Orphan's uniforms. I wish I knew what they had talked at the meeting because I would have loved to tell them what I thought. Oh well 2 steps forward and 1 to 1 1/2 steps back! Another day in the life of a Volunteer! It can be rewarding (seeing the friendly people even in their poor economic condition) and frustrating (groups that want your ideas then don't give you the correct information).

I still have 300KS owed to me by the Woman's Group for the material I paid for the sample uniforms. I want them to pay me back even if it's only about $5.50. I want them to understand that they have to pay back loans as they said they would. The lady was to get the money yesterday when she went to town. I plan to go see her when I get back to the village. If she makes some lame duck excuse then I'll just take her sewing machine until she gets the money or at least teach them a lesson. I figure this is how they'll learn - the school of hard knocks! If I just write it off they'll never learn - just like kids!

I tried some new things at this meeting. I gave away door prizes by writing down 2 numbers and having them keep one piece and putting the other one in a bag. Then we drew it at the end of them meeting. It was funny because we started the meeting under a large tree in the school yard. When I said a door prize they couldn't figure out what the door was so I told them it's just a term. As it turned out we had a flash rainstorm so we had to run to a classroom and then we had a door! Actually I lost the bag containing all the numbers so I had to give them new numbers. I gave them 3 or 4 pens (my sister Pat had given me a bunch plus I had some that I brought so I separated the total amounts into separate bunches and gave a little to each school and they were thrilled). also had a couple of Rubics Cubes that Jessica brought, got a couple of cell phone cards. They were really excited about the door prizes. I hope I didn't set a precedence that's hard to follow!

We told them about some ways to raise money is maybe the various Woman's Groups could have fund raisers. They could have a charity Football Match (they're crazy about soccer here) where the teachers play the students. Then everyone pays 10 KS (15 cents) and they draw a number and who ever wins gets half the pot and the charity gets the other half. Some of our ideas were pretty new to them. They all nodded and said yes that's a good idea but who knows if they'll ever try it. Most people don't have any initiative to try something! I told them if I came back in 10 years they'll still be talking about new ideas. I told them they don't have to be pushed. but if they turned around I'd give them a boot!
The custom in Kenya before a meeting is to have someone say a prayer. So your's truly had everyone hold their neighbor's hands and I said a prayer (this may be my next calling)! Then I told them "2000 years ago Moses said get on your asses and I'll take you to the Promised land. It's the new Millineum so get off your Asses and get to work to make this the Promised Land".
I'm coming to the conclusion that a person has to be hard on them sometimes.

I still say that there are a lot of great people that I've made friends with here. The majority are hard working and want to better themselves but a lot of the men are lazy, shiftless womanizers that I wouldn't want any woman I knew.

Anyway what did I learn? Well that that may have been my last hurrah! I have about 3 weeks left in the Village. We're only about 2 hrs from Uganda so I'm going to grab a Matatu and visit the country. There's a town called Jinja where the Nile River (the world's longest river) starts. They also have Whitewater Rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, hiking, biking, etc. So I maybe give it a visit. Then I'll head to Kampala to check out the capital and see if there's a chance to visit the mountail gorillas (a bit expensive and a person needs to apply 3 mths ahead to get a permit so my chance seems remote like the gorillas). But we'll see as I'll just may take in the sights and be gone for a week or so.

Well we got another volunteer yesterday - Mike who is Katy's boyfriend. Then I understand on Sun they'll be 3 more arriving. Jessica's mother and her friend who are retired school teachers. Also Adrienne I think her name is who is an UBC student who is coming to do a food survey!
So it will be a little more crowded. I guess not one wants to share a bed. So Katy and Mike will be in 1 room, Jessica and Angus. Then Jessica's mother and her friend in the master bedroom. Then Mildred who is th e cook in one and I'm in the other. But since I'm going to travel for a couple weeks I'll give up my room to Adrienne as no one else is. The plan was to have Mildred sleep in the living room. But she wouldn't have a mosiquito net and Kenyans don't take malaria pills and she just had a doze of malaria a week or so ago. So I've offerred to sleep in the porch if I get a mosquito net. If I don't get one then all bets are off and Adrienne can sleep with the 2 old ladies or whatever. I'll sleep in the porch on a table with the cushions from the sofas! Heck I have mosquitos and bats in my room so those things won't change. But oh well I won't be sleeping there more than probably 6 or 7 nights after Sun when those women come. It'll be a lot cooler than my room to sleep as it'll be like camping and be cool in the early morning. I guess I won't be able to sleep buck naked as the local kids will be gawking! No one said volunteering is easy plus my accommodation and food feeds didn't say I'd get deluxe accommodations. But I can't sleep anywhere as long as I have a mossie net!

So check out my blog as I may post one from Uganda if I make it there. Adios!