Alex Simiyu, Author at A Rocha Kenya

THE 2023 ASSETS AWARENESS FORUM.

1 September 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

16^th – 19^th of August, 2023 marked very significant days for the ASSETS team. It was on these dates that the ASSETS team held the annual ASSETS awareness days. The 2023 awareness forum was held in Bogamachachuko Primary school (which brought together ASSETS beneficiaries from Malanga, Girimacha and Bogamachuko), Mijomboni primary school (which brought together ASSETS beneficiaries from Chipande, Mida, Mzizima and Mijomboni) and Kahingoni primary school (which brought together the ASSETS beneficiaries from Kahingoni and Nyari) respectively.

The 2023 ASSETS awareness forum is majorly aimed at reviewing the impacts of the long journey of engagement with the ASSETS beneficiaries (including parents and students) and to acquire feedback from them on their views on the way their journey with the ASSETS Program. It included conducting environmental education by our environmental educators Queen, Kazungu, and Lenar from A Rocha Kenya. The students and parents had different sessions with the officers, ASSETS team members and the ASSETS Program coordinator.

The parents had their fruitful session with Queen where they shared their experiences of the journey on ASSETS program. The parents had an opportunity to share stories on how the program has changed their lives positively and also how they have gotten .

They really appreciated A Rocha Kenya through the ASSETS program forsupporting them right from Eco-bursaries, provision of energy saving jikos, fire-less cookers, water tanks that support the tree growing activities and above all, helping them learn and love nature conservation.

On the other hand, the students had their session with Lenar. The students did storytelling of their experience of the journey with the ASSETS program and their opinions on the same through writing. They did write some stories on how they have been transformed, not only by getting a chance to go to school.But also grateful for the opportunities to learn more about conservation and being obn the fore front as the young generation who are protecting the environment.

Both the parents and students were able to watch some documentaries from Afrisos (mama Rafiki and Mi Kasa,su Kasa ) . The films were locally screened so the community could be a part of this enlightening journey.

The three-day event was very successful and from the ASSETS team, we are grateful to the Kenya Community Development Foundation for their support in funding the event. We also like to thank all our donors who support usin various ways(direct donations, through the Sokoke MTB challenge and visiting the Mida creek board walk. Asanti sana!

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Mitigating grazing challenges and ensuring sustainable coexistence in A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve.

29 August 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

As the rains subside in Dakatcha woodland, we are having a challenge of herders who have started flocking through the north part of the reserve to graze their camels, cows, goats, and sheep. The herders are from the neighboring communities.

Pastures around the reserve have depleted due to a huge number of livestock grazing. The reserve is among the remaining patches with some green pastures. Therefore, grazers huge number of camels feed on shoots of higher shrubs and trees causing stunted growth and thus disturbing the habitat regeneration process.

On the flip side, the goats and sheep feed on the undergrowth and sprouting shrubs and herbs suppressing them further. The cows eat the grass in the old farmlands, leaving the land exposed and at risk of erosion. This also damages newly planted trees. This situation is a major setback to our efforts of restoration and conservation.

Our Scouts are putting in relentless effort, even in the face of language barriers, to educate the herders about the reasons behind the grazing restrictions within the reserve. They’ve been taught to avoid using forceful methods and instead engage in conversations, explaining the concept of creation care.

Eric Kinoti ,our research assistant says,”There is gradual progress as the herders that come into the reserve change over time, so our scouts keep on educating them on the importance of protecting the nature reserve.”

Empowering girls with re usable sanitary towels

15 August 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

During the summer of 2022, Sam and Christina, members of the Go Mad charity team, visited A Rocha Kenya for the first time. They were aware of the challenges girls are facing,including frequent school absences due to a lack of proper menstrual hygiene products. Collaborating with A Rocha Kenya’s Environmental Educational Officers(Queen and Lenar) they conducted educational sessions in schools focusing on menstrual health. Girls from Watamu and Dakatcha highlighted the issue of unaffordable sanitary products, impacting their school attendance and academic progress. This challenge resulted in some girl’s poor performance and school drop outs.

A seed of an idea.

Sam and Christina inspired by global initiatives, sought to provide reusable sanitary wear for school girls. Partnering with Queen and Lenar, they visited vocational-technical colleges where they shared expertise in sewing, utilizing materials like preloved towels, cotton sheets, and waterproof fabric (shower curtains) to create reusable pads. Their instructional workshop encouraged students to craft pads creatively, aiming to inspire future sewing businesses among girls and meet the demand for affordable menstrual solutions

Women were also not left behind. A local community group Queen had been collaborating with on a kitchen garden project though lacked the luxury of a classroom with sewing machines, they were keen to make to learn how to make the reusable pads with just a needle and a thread. Despite expecting around 10 participants, the turnout exceeded expectations, with over 40 women and a man attending. Materials were distributed, and participants eagerly began sewing. The sewing machine worked tirelessly as pads were completed one by one. Members shared stories of how these products could positively impact their daughters’ lives, recounting the efforts they undertook to obtain such essential items, often putting themselves at risk.

The seed was watered

Sam and Christina left Kenya with a strong desire to further aid the girls and women they had encountered. Upon returning to the UK, they shared their experiences and began producing more pads. Their narratives inspired increasing numbers of people to join the cause, prompting Christina to establish a sewing group in Wragby, Lincolnshire, and Sam to create a tribe in Sileby, Leicestershire. The groups met regularly and collaborated on cutting fabrics, sewing pads, and crafting pouches. While initially aimed at supporting Kenyan girls and women, these efforts also brought remarkable positive changes to the sewers’ lives, forming meaningful connections and becoming a cherished monthly highlight.

So Wezesha Dada – Empower Sister was born, not a charity or business but a group of like -minded people wanting to make a change. Starter packs were put together, so people could continue to sew at home. Social media groups set up, documenting the groups’ journey and details about meet ups. Sewers from all over the country and further afield wanted to get involved, so digital templates and instruction was sent out. Sewing groups and Women’s Institute groups joined in too. The number of participants was growing and the amount of pads produced too. Non sewers helped out by donating used towels, unwanted sheets and fabric. A local camping shop gifted waterproof tent material, all of these were seen as ‘waste’ materials but were given a new life and saved from landfill. .

The roots took hold

Sam and her husband Jay had booked a return trip to Watamu for the summer of 2023 and knew that their suitcases would contain, the 1500 plus reusable sanitary pads, fabric pouches and underwear that had been created and donated by the Wezesha Dada supporters.

On their Kenyan adventure, A Rocha supported Sam and Jay to deliver the pads to girls in the Watamu and Dakatcha area. Volunteers and attachment students assisted in putting together the packs, a pouch including four pads, soap and a pair of briefs.

Guided by Queen and Lenar, schools, colleges and community groups were identified and trips were made, out into the community. Two journeys to Dakatcha, saw the group visit a Primary and Secondary School, a return trip to the Technical College and a weekend trip to a community group meeting at a church. Another visit to Mkunguni Primary saw a total of over 400 girls and women benefit from the collaboration. The sessions gave an invaluable opportunity to talk ‘all things girls’ including some of the challenges they face, how they can be confident and resourceful to seek answers to some of these issues themselves and fundamentally to ‘be proud to be a girl’.

A tree begins to grow

Our hopes for the future is to see this project growing and going from strength to strength. We wish to continue and expand our sewing groups in the UK but know, simply providing pads is not the long-term solution. Our long term goal is to support local women in the Watamu and Dakatcha area to set up cooperatives, to sew the pads for a fair income. The pads could then be purchased and given out to school girls. We would also like to collaborate with other likeminded charities to share and learn from them.

We hope this work will have the impact of allowing more girls to continue with their education. While at school, they will hear A Rocha’s message of caring for their environment, forests and sea. As mothers of future generations this is extremely powerful. We also hope our project will cut down on plastic pollution, where girls are able to use disposable pads we are offering them a sustainable alternative. The pads have also put materials that could have ended up in landfill in the UK to great use.

The journey of the Wezesha Dada project can be followed on Instagram on @wezesha_dada_kenya

A bird in hand…

25 July 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

Bird ringing is where we put special rings on birds that have a specific and unique number. Each ringed bird has its unique number that will not be shared by any other bird. The rings also come in different sizes, and each ring is fit to a bird according to the size of the species. The rings are made of aluminum which does not rust easily and is less dense than normal metal hence will not change the birds’ weight significantly.

Ringing is done in many parts of the world, and here in Mwamba, our ringing is usually done on Thursday. The special nets called the mist nets have been set up in our nature trail and the nets are opened very early in the morning before sunrise. The birds fly into mist nets and our team goes into the trail at intervals of about 40-60 minutes to check if birds have been trapped.

The birds captured are put in bird bags and then taken to the ringing station. The first thing that our team does is to identify the species. The bird is then given a metal ring and the number is recorded in a specially designed ringing book. The bird is then aged, important biometrics taken, and the molt and mass are recorded before it is gently released back into nature.

There are thousands of reasons why scientists ring birds, including helping to estimate the population size of the birds using the capture-recapture method. When a bird is ringed in a place, over time, one is able to estimate if the population is rising or falling. It also helps to understand the bird’s distribution where a particular species of bird is found in a certain place.

In 2021, we caught a Marsh warbler with a ring from Bulgaria. This was a huge thing for bird lovers and conservationists in understanding where birds go and the routes they follow.

Bird ringing also helps us to find out the physical condition of the birds, while holding a bird in your hand one can check closely if they are healthy or not doing so well.

The aging of birds is very important to understand how many grow to full maturity and continues breeding during their right season. Accurate aging is done during the ringing exercise, and this can also help conservationists to estimate their lifespan.

Habitat assesment in A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve

18 July 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

Deforestation, the purposeful clearing of forest land, is one of the human activities that lead to the loss of habitat. In Dakatcha woodland in Magharini constituency Kilifi County, poverty is the biggest contributor to the deforestation of the woodland.

The habitat is a crucial residence of various endangered species such as the Sokoke Scops Owl (Otus ireneae), Clarke’s weaver (ploceus goladi) and Golden Rumped Elephants shrew (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus).

It is through this that A Rocha Kenya is carrying out a habitat assessment in the A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve (ADNR) to evaluate the degree of damage in various habitats of the woodland. It involves a system of stratified random sampling where the entire area is first divided into different habitats and then from there, different random points are generated.

Our team of researchers then look for these points and collect the data on a 10-meter-research team then looks for these points and collects wide and 500-meter-long strip heading north.

Through this data, A Rocha can know the state of each habitat and thus change the narrative by using it as a basis for environmental conservation, creating more awareness, and continuing with restoration projects in the future.

The Change of Drumbeats.

14 July 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

“Excuse me, can you spare some change?” Like a lyrical choirmaster who signals for a change in a note, we made a rallying call to the farmers to think through the challenges they are facing, go beyond good ideas, and materialize the brilliant thoughts that they had. It’s with no doubt that good intentions and ideas are not enough unless practiced.

Embracing the change…

Change is costly; few people are responsive to it. This murky water calls for daring individuals and Dakatcha Woodland is not short of this category of people. Of the many thoughts that the farmers suggested, apiculture was the common denominator. There was farmer’s selection, site identification, and training offered by African Bee Keepers Ltd.

Tapping from beekeeping, awareness efforts on pollinators and pollinator-pollinators gardens is taking course, practical restoration efforts are gathering steam. Like its mantra, A Rocha is witnessing a people who are undergoing a transformation in their mindset and attitudes and conserving nature.

Dancing to the new tunes

It is two months since we conducted the training. The joy amongst the farmers is palpable. One farmer in Kirosa could not help her elation seeing the hives colonized, “Si hii mizinga ingekuja miaka ya hapo nyuma!” (These hives should have come a few years back). Even in such an environment where conditions seem hard and situations unbearable, the drumbeats are changing, and the footwork of the dancers are surely changing, the future is indeed one to look for!!!

Home,away from home.

30 June 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to experience a home away from home? You will be making the right decision by reserving your stay with us. We are located at Watamu, Kenya along Turtle bay road (Plot 28). You are welcomed by birds chirping in the green nature surrounding us .

Facilities and activities

Our simple double rooms, triple rooms, and back rooms are minutes from the beach offered in full board, half board, bed & breakfast, or bed only according to the guests’ request. You will get a serene environment, and delicious African cuisine prepared by our professional chefs for our meals as a way of letting the guests experience our African culture.

The best part of staying with us is that you get to participate in the ongoing activities. Our guests enjoy breakfast while birds ring every Thursday and get an opportunity to release birds after ringing. Guests get free birding classes from our ringing experts. It can also be a mega beach cleanup, shark surveys, bird counting, plant phenology, moth trapping or even getting an environmental talk with our environmental educators.

Warm family feel

We uniquely create a platform for sharing ideas where we learn from each other as we create memories. At Mwamba you will get to join a community that’s passionate about conservation in different fields as well as career paths. Our esteemed guests get to share meals with field experts, scientists, volunteers, and interns while earning some interactive and educative conversations from them.

More activities…

During your stay with us, you can cherish your moments by participating in bible studies, movie nights, game nights and enjoying a delightful dinner under the stars. For our guests who are here on business we have provided good internet and lounge with a beautiful sea view that creates a space to hold meetings or have personal relaxation time.

Conclusion

Welcome to the family folks!!! We can’t wait to have you.

June, Bird counting at Sabaki

27 June 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

Introduction

The Sabaki river counts is one of the activities that our volunteers love to join in. Naturally, we love having them join with Kirao and the team, just as a much as we love hearing how they found the trip…and sharing that with you.
So, what is new about the Sabaki River Counts? Magdalene and Imnet are more than happy to tell us…

The journey begins

Bumping up and down in the backseats of a white van, we didn’t know what to expect in our field expedition. We knew we were coming along to help Mr. Kirao with bird counting. We knew we needed to bring open-toed shoes. We knew to wear shorts. And that was about it. About an hour after we set off, we finally arrived at the mouth of the Sabaki River, the location for our bird counting.

Once we had all tumbled out of the car, we met our ever friendly tour guide, Amani. Without much ado, we were off. We could tell that it was going to be a fruitful venture as we started seeing birds just as soon as we got past the houses. What was even more exciting was the fact that Kirao could identify the bird species just from the bird calls.

On to the white sand

The path suddenly opened up to rolling sand dunes, and the crashing waves were visible in all their majesty. It was like entering a different world. Or “Dubai” as Eric would say. It was there we first set up the telescope, to look at the Wooly-necked storks. Our guides could identify any bird in an instant, and we had to frantically log in birds we couldn’t even see as Kirao called them out. One of the definite bird highlights were the Madagascar and Collared pratincoles. Again we stopped on the beach and counted more birds and admired the perfect sand and swelling waves.

No matter how long we wanted to stay, we knew we eventually had to move on to observe the birds at the mouth of the river, just before it opened out into the ocean. Only a few minutes later, we stopped again near the Sabaki river. We dipped our feet into the cool water and used our binoculars to watch the birds as our guides continued to rattle their names off.

Muddy counts

It was then, with happy hearts and damp feet, that we discovered the reason for the shorts and sandals requirement. Mud. Not just the small patches of wet soil we were used to in Nairobi. We had to trek through thoroughly soaked swatches of land where the river had passed. Knee deep in mud, we took step after exhausting step. With every step forward, the mud sucked our feet downwards like quicksand.

When we emerged, victorious, our feet were entirely covered in a thick layer of mud from the knees down: “African socks” as Amani put it. To Ruth’s dismay, we soon found ourselves in another muddy patch. Squelching, slipping, and sliding, we made our way through not one, not two, but three muddy patches.

It was worth it

After a messy but fun trek we reached the mangroves, dodging bright orange crabs and hippo footprints to get there. Much to Milly’s relief and Eric’s disappointment, we saw no actual hippos. Our “mud socks” protected us from the brambles as we cut our way back to the car. In the end, we saw only about 1,700birds, which Kirao says is much less than usual for Sabaki. He and our other guides identified around 27 different species of water birds, including Milly’s favorite, the pied avocets with their upward turned beaks.

On the way back, we visited the office where Amani works where they served us deliciously juicy watermelon, a sweet reward for the long morning. Content after a morning spent in God’s wonderful creation, we sat down to write out our thoughts in hopes of encouraging some of you to take part in what has been a delightful adventure for the both of us.

Conclusion

Sabaki is a stopover for many migratory birds. That is why we carry out monthly counts to keep track of the population and types of bird species found here. This helps in establishing a trend, telling us about the healthy of the Sabaki ecosystem and how to best conserve it.

5th edition; The Sokoke Forest MTB Challenge

2 June 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

Eyes on the prize

7Am sharp on Sunday morning (21st of May) found 74 of Kenya’s top riders at the starting line, ready for race. Every single one of them, young and old, earnestly looking at the Ksh. 50,000 cash prize money that lay waiting at the end of the 74KMs for the winner. Who was man/woman enough to ride on the tarmac, get through the winding paths of Watamu, climb the hilly countryside of Mijomboni, descend and ascend the valleys of Jilore, beat the sandy paths right in the heart of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and finally come cruising through the beautiful mangroves all the way to the finishing line?
And not to mention the heat that is so typical to the Kenyan coast! With our youngest rider at 15 years old and oldest at 55, we all waited eagerly to see who would emerge as the alpha of the team.

The fast and furious

The fast and furious 8, as we later came to call them, comprised of young energetic men who had eyes on nothing but the prize. I wish you could see them move; they never slowed down! Whether it was up the hills or down the valleys, whether the sand was too much or they bodies were covered in sweat, they still moved!

These first 8 broke away from the rest of the team as soon as we were done with the neutral zone (the tarmac). The number did drop slightly drop from 8 to 6, who served us to a wonderful sprint finish, crossing the line within seconds of each other. Here is how close it was, 02:39:19, 02:39:20, 02:39:21, 02:39:22, 02:39:23 and 02:39:24. Man that was a close one! They all had an average speed of 26.36kmph

Ladies in the house

Even though the race has grown over the years, that isn’t reflected in the number of ladies who attend. We did have our first truly international woman attending in the race (from South Africa) but that only raised the number of ladies participating in the race to 7. Even the alluring 110k cash prizes didn’t do much in increasing the numbers. But Dadarides did their thing as usual, with Sally, who was third in the previous year emerged as number one for the ladies (27 general) at 03:16:36.

About the family fun ride

As usual, we had a Family fun ride on Saturday, a day before the main event. The Family fun ride brings families together, provide an opportunity for parents to bond with their kids as they enjoy a ride together. In addition, it gives us a platform to create awareness about conservation to the young people. All 16 kids who took part in the race all received certificates at the end their 16km ride.

Thank you for making it happen

All in all, the race was wonderful. A big thank you to our partners who made all this possible. Our gold partners, Lordship Africa, who have been on our side from the very first year until now. We celebrate you! Kericho gold, our silver partners, thank you for sponsoring the t-shirts and water bottles printing. You guys are legends.

A big thank you to Turtle Bay Beach Club and more especially to Shafiq…your inputs planning, and dedication was one of the key pillars that saw this race through. And to all our other partners Ocean Sports, Coca-Cola, Tropical Heat and other partners, we say thank you. Thank you to our wonderful marshals who stood for hours on the road just to make sure that our riders don’t get lost along the way. And last and not least, thank you to our amazing riders who made this MTB Challenge, a Challenge.

Beware! Bees in Dakatcha

2 June 2023

by Alex Simiyu with No Comment News

Conservation has never been sweater

Did you know you can bountifully reap from your efforts to conserve the environment? Climate change is no longer a theory in our books, it is a reality whose ramifications have shelved hunger in our homes. Its effects have forced us to chop down our forests and threatened endemic species of flora and fauna. But in the face of all of this we have managed to structure resilient systems that are geared towards sustainable use of Dakatcha woodland, which has been hit particularly hard.

One step at a time, we will make it

Concerted efforts from A Rocha Kenya, African Bee Keepers Ltd(ABL) and the community in Dakatcha has birthed bee keeping in this threatened habitat. With the trainings offered by ABL and the awareness on environmental conservation by A Rocha, the drumbeats are changing and the practical involvement of the community members has been lucid. The community has started appreciating the importance of pollinators especially bees. In addition, many have started taking personal initiatives towards conservation. Take for example these ten women from Danisa(village in Dakatcha) who took a personal initiative to plant thirty indigenous trees in their homes!

We can hear the buzzing

In this pilot phase, we have selected fifteen farmers across Dakatcha, given each of them four hives and placed another twenty hives in the A Rocha Kenya Dakatcha Nature Reserve. Forty-two of these have already been colonized despite setting traps when swarming had already occurred. We thank God for this. This buzzing is restoring hope in farmers, they are now starting to see the value of trees beyond charcoal burning.

All posts by : Alex Simiyu

THE 2023 ASSETS AWARENESS FORUM.

Mitigating grazing challenges and ensuring sustainable coexistence in A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve.

Empowering girls with re usable sanitary towels

A seed of an idea.

The seed was watered

The roots took hold

A tree begins to grow

A bird in hand…

Habitat assesment in A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve

The Change of Drumbeats.

Embracing the change…

Dancing to the new tunes

Home,away from home.

Introduction

Facilities and activities

Warm family feel

More activities…

Conclusion

June, Bird counting at Sabaki

Introduction

The journey begins

On to the white sand

Muddy counts

It was worth it

Conclusion

5th edition; The Sokoke Forest MTB Challenge

Eyes on the prize

The fast and furious

Ladies in the house

About the family fun ride

Thank you for making it happen

Beware! Bees in Dakatcha

Conservation has never been sweater

One step at a time, we will make it

We can hear the buzzing

House Crows no more

Echinoderm and seagrass studies

Elasmobranchs in Watamu Marine National ...

Kenya Bird Map