Again no report from my side since month. But towards the end of the year I can report to you about my last commitment in the Western Region of Kenya. More precisley Westpokot on the western border from Kenya towards Uganda. Despite all political warnings according the Kenyan elections and the swearing-in of the new and old president Kenyatta, I was traveling from Uganda to Kenya to hold a final seminar.
Tamugh is a lovely village in the mountains north of Kapenguria, reachable within a 2h off “offroad” drive through a very rough road. Some parts are so steep, that a 4×4 car is required. The village itself is widely spreaded into a beautiful valley inside a mountain area. Around 2000 people are living in this village.
I was invited from a cooperation called “Afrikahilfe Tamugh” to hold a 3 weeks seminar for the local women groups. The plan was to train 14 women in 2 groups how to build, use and maintain the energy saving clay stoves. Against this plan too many women came to attend my seminars. Some days around 18 women came to learn how to set a stove. That’s too many for most of the small kitchens. A high requested seminar is great, but too many participants are slowing done the construction process and decrease the learning effect.
Nevertheless, while building 7 stoves within 3 weeks around 20 women could learn the knowledge of the energy saving clay stove. 60 more people were participating my seminars about the health and environmental risks of the traditional fireplaces. Additionally 5 men could be trained in brick laying. A technique which was urgently needed since the villagers of Tamugh are building their house with a wood-clay method that is not using bricks.
But as always, pictures are saying more than words….
