Wow, so here I am in Sinon after nine months away from this wonderful community. I was the farm manager in 2008-2009 and left for Australia in December after handing over to Don Lotter, our current farm manager. I am here for only a few short days this time round with the Kesho Leo volunteers, house mamas, children, staff and neighbours: collectively some of my favourite people in the world.
I've recently arrived from Uganda, where Robert Cork (fws permaculture manager, and environmental engineer) and I had been working for the Cotton On Foundation to advise on environmental systems and sustainability for their project in Mannya . COF have partnered with the Mannya community and St Bernards parish in Geelong to provide schools, a health clinic, money for income generating projects and extension services into the community. The difference that they have made to this rural village is incredible and there are some exciting income generating sustainable programs still to come such as: an organic coffee plantation, agroforestry, honey production, collective marketing schemes for farmers and community education in intensive organic agriculture....the list goes on. COF generously support me in travelling to Tanzania, giving me the chance to catch up with the team in Tanzania.
The day before yesterday I flew into Kilimanjaro airport and made my way to Arusha. I stayed overnight in town and then yesterday morning, with butterflies in my stomach and a grin on my face I arrived in Sinon. Ahhh...Sinoni.
Kesho Leo has changed so much in the short time that I have been away. When I left in December 
the mamas had been living in their new homes for just a few months and were still settling in and adjusting to their new life. The area around the buildings was quite bare, having recently been a building site and the
kindergarten, although well attended, still felt new. Now when I walk around the buildings the transition from house to home is evident everywhere and Kesho Leo looks well loved and beautiful. The education programs are racing ahead and the classrooms (two now, instead of one large one) are adorned with posters, artwork, charts and school work while home-made mobiles hang from the ceiling. Great things are happening at Kesho Leo and I'm hearing so many plans from excited staff and mamas who are now looking ahead to their future with hope and optimism.
the mamas had been living in their new homes for just a few months and were still settling in and adjusting to their new life. The area around the buildings was quite bare, having recently been a building site and the
kindergarten, although well attended, still felt new. Now when I walk around the buildings the transition from house to home is evident everywhere and Kesho Leo looks well loved and beautiful. The education programs are racing ahead and the classrooms (two now, instead of one large one) are adorned with posters, artwork, charts and school work while home-made mobiles hang from the ceiling. Great things are happening at Kesho Leo and I'm hearing so many plans from excited staff and mamas who are now looking ahead to their future with hope and optimism. Here are some stories about a few of the lovely people we work with in Sinon:
Bibi Franki
Bibi (meaning grandma in Kiswahili,) is the matriarch of the project here in Sinon, appreciated and respected as an elder by the Kesho Leo mamas and volunteers alike. She, like many of the mamas at Kesho Leo had done it tough before being employed by fws. Having watched her own children die from AIDS Bibi took on the responsibility of looking after her two remaining grandchildren Franki and Haji. When her husband passed away Bibi lost the rights to her house and land. By law this went to to her husband's family leaving Bibi with no income and two young dependants. The community came to the rescue by alerting the Christian brothers who then started to support 
Bibi with donations of food, housing and a small allowance. Fws took over this support by employing Bibi Franki to become one of the Kesho Leo house mamas in 2007- the rest is history! She is looking fabulous “Kama kijana(like a teenager)!”she exclaimed, looking at a photo of herself that I took. Healthy, happy and according to her enjoying her 'retirement' at Kesho Leo. The easy life! Bibi has been helping to babysit Sumaiya, the small daughter of Mudi our project manager at Kesho Leo while living with her two grandchildren Franki and Haj. In fact Sumaiya seems to have a team of honorary mamas, aunties and cousins just waiting to take their turn to look after her! She is too gorgeous and spoilt by all!
Bibi with donations of food, housing and a small allowance. Fws took over this support by employing Bibi Franki to become one of the Kesho Leo house mamas in 2007- the rest is history! She is looking fabulous “Kama kijana(like a teenager)!”she exclaimed, looking at a photo of herself that I took. Healthy, happy and according to her enjoying her 'retirement' at Kesho Leo. The easy life! Bibi has been helping to babysit Sumaiya, the small daughter of Mudi our project manager at Kesho Leo while living with her two grandchildren Franki and Haj. In fact Sumaiya seems to have a team of honorary mamas, aunties and cousins just waiting to take their turn to look after her! She is too gorgeous and spoilt by all!Ester, a younger house mama who is known for her kind heart has taken it upon herself to cook with (well, for) Bibi Franki and her grandchildren each night so they share their food and spend the evenings chatting and stirring pots getting the meal ready for their five children combined and themselves. Last night I sat with them as the sun went down. Bibi was in charge of making the milky, sweet chai and we drank it together while we waited for the moon and laughed at the antics of hyperactive kids at sunset.
Aggie
Aggie has been with fws right from the start. She has been working only part time (paid by the volunteers to cook lunches and help out around the volunteer village) but despite that she has managed to save for and purchase a small block of land and now, to my utter amazement and delight, has a half-built house, expected to be finished in a few months! Aggie is a young single mum who ran away from her much older, abusive husband during pregnanc
y. She came across the border from Kenya and has been renting a room in a house with some other families for the past few years. Currently she is sharing her bed (Yes, because there is only one and otherwise a dirt floor to sleep on) with her small son, her sister, and her sisters two children. I think she is quite keen to finish building and move into her two room house – one room for her and her son Nelson, and the other for her sister and her sister's children!
y. She came across the border from Kenya and has been renting a room in a house with some other families for the past few years. Currently she is sharing her bed (Yes, because there is only one and otherwise a dirt floor to sleep on) with her small son, her sister, and her sisters two children. I think she is quite keen to finish building and move into her two room house – one room for her and her son Nelson, and the other for her sister and her sister's children!We've all seen how motivated and positive Aggie is as an employee and, recognising Aggie's potential, Sarah (Project manager) and Hannah (Education manager) decided to employ her in the afternoons as a teaching assistant. She has proved to be an excellent teacher and is fantastic with the children in afternoon tuition. Aggie is loving her new position. It's fantastic to see people like Aggie get these opportunities, I couldn't think of anyone who deserves it more.
Our Tanzanian farm manager, John, has been working hard to save money to build his family a new home. He is buying the bricks bit by bit and will finally begin construction once he has accumulated the materials he needs. John and his wife invited me over for lunch today and I had a chance to once again admire their beautiful, productive garden. John's house is like an oasis, set in the dry open land that surrounds Kesho Leo. His garden is green and so productive all year round through his clever use of plants and organic farming techniques that naturally build and replenish the soil.
Helena is one of the Kesho Leo house mamas. She is slightly older than many of the other mamas and is a natural leader. Helena and I walked to visit her elderly mother and on the way she told me that since being employed by fws she has bought and paid off a piece of land where in the future, she plans to grow vegetables as a small income. Her extended family also has a small piece of land where Helena is hoping to build a little house for her mother, a widow, who lives in a small traditional mud hut nearby. Helena has been carefully saving some of her wage each week in order to achieve these things.
Issa works as one of our askaris (guards). When I last saw him he was a confirmed bachelor renting a small room a few doors down from our volunteer village. Smiling ear to ear he informed me yesterday that he now not only has a wife but she is pregnant! Fast worker. He seems very happy with the whole situation and his future.
Onesmo ,the always optimistic will-try-anything all rounder, has had the opportunity to work with carpenters, electricians, plumbers and handymen since he began working with fws in 2008. He has worked with volunteer Australian tradesmen helping them to do everything fro
m installing first flush systems on our water tanks to helping Pricey to wire up the power in the kindergarten. When I saw a recent photo of Onesmo deftly welding together the frame for a kitchen bench I couldn't believe my eyes! Is there anything he can't do these days?!
m installing first flush systems on our water tanks to helping Pricey to wire up the power in the kindergarten. When I saw a recent photo of Onesmo deftly welding together the frame for a kitchen bench I couldn't believe my eyes! Is there anything he can't do these days?! I went to visit Onesmo’s parents with him yesterday and he told me about his plan to save up to go to school. It seems he has been inspired by the recent sale of all of our indigenous goats at Kesho Leo. He had seen that each of our young female goats had given birth to a kid, and as they had all been fed and well looked after they had gained weight and were very big and healthy. This led to very good prices at market and of course we had doubled our numbers as well. Onesmo promptly took his saving and built a goat shelter and bought himself four young female goats and two sheep. He has done his calculations and is excited about the profit making potential of his new small business! Onesmo is already an excellent farmer, but can see more than ever how beneficial it is to make sure that his goats have a balanced, varied diet, shelter and care to ensure that they achieve optimum health.
I also want to make mention of the small team of hard-working volunteers that staff our project in Tanzania and work alongside Tanzanian counterparts to achieve so much for our organisation. I have been lucky enough while here to spend some time talking to each of our long term vounteers about their life and work at Kesho Leo. Having worked on the ground in Tz for eighteen months myself I know just how much volunteers give up to be here and how hard everyone works to keep the project going and progressing day by day. To Sarah (Project Manager), Craig (finances), Laura (communications), Hannah (education), Don (sustainable agriculture) and also to Warren and Clare, who are here for the second time to lend a helping hand, I say a big thankyou. Thanks for everything and keep up the good work.
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