Dear Reader:

Greetings from the staff and volunteers of the Northeast Region of Extension and the Illinois counties of Will and Kankakee.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the University of Illinois, the College of ACES and Extension, without whom the Kenya Study Tour 2007 would not have been possible.

We are also grateful to the many people who have assisted us in the months of preparation leading up to our adventure, and without whom this tour would not have been possible.

Our objectives for this study tour are to directly observe the culture and the agriculture of the African Republic of Kenya. We will observe farming and horticulture practices and environmental conservation practices in order to enhance the work of Extension in Illinois.

Our journey begins with Day 0, Wednesday, June 6 and continues through Saturday June 23, 2007. We hope to post our thoughts on this site as often as time and connectivity permit.

Day 0- London, UK

We landed at London's Heathrow International airport on time about 06:30. After clearing customs and freshening up we had a small breakfast and got ready for our London tour.

Our guide, Ian, met us and settled us in to our tour bus. Our driver, Keith, ably maneuvered the famous London traffic.

Our first stop was Westminster Abbey. This venerable church, burial site of thousands, including kings, queens, poets, musicians and such luminaries of science as Sir Isaac Newton reminded us of the influence of the United Kingdom on the cultures of the United States, Kenya and the rest of the modern world.

Next, was Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, and on to London Bridge. The historical and cultural background provided by our tour guide added greatly to today's tour.

Lunch was typical British pub grub, "Bangers and Mash", served in the Johnson room, named for one of its most famous regulars, Samuel Johnson. Our restaurant was right in the heart of the theatre district and our second floor windows faced the upper decks of the London red tour buses. This pub has been in the same family and hosted many famous Brits since 1667.

Then we were off to the last stops of Kensington gardens and the extraordinary monument to Prince Albert. We all, and particularly our master gardeners, greatly admired the formal gardens and extraordinary beauty of this immense park in the heart of London.

London was beautiful, but the purpose of our trip was to visit Kenya and the time of our departure flight to Nairobi was drawing near. We returned to Healthrow and boarded our Kenya Airlines overnight flight to Kenyatta International airport, Nairobi, Kenya.

Day 1- Nairobi and Thika

We arrived at Nairobi in the early hours of the morning and were greeted by Daoudi Kanja, CEO of DotCom Safaris and by our drivers. We proceeded to the Grand Regency Hotel, checked in and then on to the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

At KARI we were graciously received by lead administrators and division chiefs and hosted to a wonderful opening luncheon and a 2 hour exchange on areas of common interest. We explained the goals of our Kenya Extension Study Tour and our hosts were most interested that a group of this size had come to their country to participate in this type of exchange. Dr. Ephraim Mukisira , the KARI director had worked formerly at LSU, and so was highly interested in ways that US style extension methodologies and techniques might be applicable in the Kenyan context. Similarly, our group began to hear themes from our Kenyan colleagues that sounded promising for further exploration on our part.

For James Theuri, the visit to KARI was a type of homecoming, since he had received part of his earlier academic training there.

Next the group traveled to the Thika field station of KARI, located about two hours northwest of Nairobi. There the staff assembled to show us their experimental field studies and explain how they work with affiliated groups to conduct outreach work. In the area of agro forestry research, one of the groups that KARI Thika works closely with is the Green Belt Movement (GBM). GBM was founded by 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Wangari Maathai. This visit to Thika KARIhelped prepare us for our visit to the Green Belt Kagudhi sublocation that was to take place on the following day.

Day 2- Nairobi

Early on day 2, we left Nairobi for the Muranga District where we visited a village which had volunteered to participate in the Green Belt Movement (GBM). This village was located in the Kabati division of Kagudi sublocation.

As the vans arrived in the village, the local women of GBM met us with a traditional greeting including native songs and dancing. Accompanied by their singing, we paraded several blocks to the home of a family where we held our opening meetings.

After the villagers welcomed us, we explained the nature of our visit and they began telling us how the GBM philosphy was being applied locally.

Several travelers attended a demonstration of family life in a GBM village where they observed the lifestyle of rural Kenyans. These travelers were deeply impressed with the GBM philosophy, techniques and processes. They commented on how hard the women of GBM worked and how many trees they had planted both in private and public land. Their efforts were reversing earlier trends of deforestation throughout Kenya.

We noted how different the lives of Kenyan children were from American youth. School days included long bus rides and long days, even for primary students. Secondary education (forms 9 through 12) was optional and many opted out. Recently, Kenya has addressed this concern, and many more students will be receiving secondary education in the future.

Questions asked by villagers demonstrated a keen interest in U of I Extension and its commitment to family life, agriculture and ecology.

One of our visiting team who also attended the family life session was awed by the chanting and dance. She claimed they "danced themselves to life." She was impressed by the how busy the women of GBM were, how generous they were with their time, and their obvious joy in hosting our visit to their village. She felt the villagers were deeply in touch with what's important. Although African and American cultures differ significantly in many respects, there are far more similarities between them.

The other presentations, demonstrating food security and income generation practices were equally impressive.

Although food security activities improved the diet of the villagers, and tree planting contributed to conservation of natural resources, these important activities are not sustainable without an income source. To generate income and thus sustain the program, villagers plant cash crops and develop markets for their produce.

Another visitor noted that rather than a distraction, our visit was perceived by the villagers as a holiday and celebration of their accomplishments. They were pleased that our group was interested in the work of GBM.

On the way back to Nairobi, the tour visited a coffee factory to see how coffee was produced. Visitors remarked how labor intensive this process was and how little the owners invested in modernizing their infrastructure. Working conditions and occupational safety were concerns expressed by members of the study tour on the ride back to our hotel.

At the end of a long day and difficult travel we were happy to take part in an excellent meal and then to much needed rest.

Day 3- Nairobi

Day three began at the Kazuri bead factory. Kazuri is a business that creates authentic African jewelry from clay. Kazuri is both a factory and a sales outlet for their products. It employs a large number of single mothers in a warm and supportive work environment. Working conditions here stood in stark contrast to those at the coffee plantation we visited the previous day.

We next visited the Utamaduni Art Center. This is a cooperative mall selling African art produced by local artists from all over Africa. Artists rent rooms within the center. Commissions from art sales goes to operate and maintain the center; a small percentage of sales goes to conservation; and the balance goes to the individual artist.

We took our lunch at Mamba (Crocodile) village, a family-owned restaurant and park . We walked the extensive grounds where families could picnic, enjoy camel and horseback rides, take a boat trip on a small lake, walk a small art museum, observe resident crocodiles or simply relax. We enjoyed feeding Ostriches. Jane Johnson had the pleasure of having a Camel ride.

We then visited the Ministry of Agriculture, where we met with Dr. Romano Kiome, the Permanent Undersecretary of Agriculture.Dr. Kiome occupiesthe highest ranking civil service position in the Ministry of Agriculture. Following a brief introduction by Emma Theuri, Paul Hixson spoke about the work of the University of Illinois and of Extension in particular. He explained the strong interest of the University in International understanding and action, and invited the group to consider ways U of I Extension and the Kenyan Agricultural system might collaborate on mutually beneficial activities.

Dr. Kiome welcomed the visitors and spoke about his familiarity with Extension through his studies in America. Dr. Kiome has extensive knowledge of the United States including the Extension system. He was impressed by the concept of master gardening. He shared with us copies of the 2007-2008 strategic plan and invited us to review it and look for areas of common interest. He shared with us plans for enhancing the Kenyan extension system, working to make it more available to the public and more pluralistic.

Our day ended at the residence of Daudi Kanja, CEO of DotCom Safaris. Here, we were greeted warmly by our host families with dining and entertainment. Exhausted but happy, we accompanied host families to their homes to enjoy traditional Kenyan hospitality.

Day 4- Nairobi

Visiting with our host families gave us our first opportunity to decompress and relax since leaving the U.S. After church, we visited and participated in the activities of our host family. This was a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and experience the culture of this amazing country.

Day 5- Limuru

Starting out early this morning, we came to the Echuka farm, located high in the mountains northwest of Nairobi. This is an example of a small scale commercial farm.

Farm manager Martin Kimanthi showed us around the gardens which produce vegetables and spices for local restaurants as well as a small dairy specializing in yogurt made from their own cows.

Following this tour, the owners greeted us, served snacks including Kenyan tea, cookies, sausages and pancakes. They told us the story of the farm, established in the 1940's and its succession to the son and daughters after the recent death of their mother.

From Echuka, we traveled to the Maramba tea plantation and factory, also high in the mountains. We toured the tea fields and processing facilities where tea leaves are sorted, fermented, dried, graded and packed for the shipping to the tea auction. The Maramba Tea factory has been in operation only a year. It is a state of the art facility which sells much of its product to Lipton.

Leaving Maramba, we traveled to Loreto High school, Limuru in the Central Province.

We were welcomed to this boarding school not far from Nairobi by Deputy Principal, Ruth Chege and given a tour by the chair of the Science Department.

This is the school attended by Dr. Wangari Maathai and Dr. Emma Theuri, a national boarding school jointly sponsored by Kenyan Government and the Catholic Church. Teachers are paid by government and the church maintains the facility.

Most high schools in Kenya are segregated on the basis of gender. Loreto serves only girls and maintains rigorous discipline. Competition for grades is very strong.

Elementary school (forms 1-8) has been government funded and compulsory. Under President Kibaki who was elected in 2002, Kenya has placed new emphasis and resources for education. Legislation effective beginning in 2008 will provide funding for secondary schools.

Next, our group headed to Egerton University, where we spent the night in the University's guest hostel.

Day 6 – Egerton University

We met with a series of key Egerton Administrators and faculty who were keenly interested in our visit. Since Egerton is the primary agricultural university in Kenya, a number of faculty from there have had an ongoing relationship with the University of Illinois since the early 1970's. In fact, one of our tour guides turned out to be none other than one of Dr. Bob Skirvin's recent post-docs, Dr. Richard Mulwa, who showed up for the event sporting his Illini orange and blue. It is indeed a small world.

We received a thorough briefing on the scope of their programming and a tour of their research and teaching facilities, complete with am opportunity to taste their famous Egerton University strawberry yogurt. It's made according to a carefully guarded "secret recipe," and it sure is good!

The next stop was to visit the Koelel boarding school for boys which was on our way to the Lake Naivasha region. The Assistant Principal welcomed us, gave us a brief presentation and helped us understand the daily life of a boys secondary boarding school.

The last stop of the day was the Lake Nakuru National Park, where we got our first chance to experience some of Kenya's famed game parks. The ability to drive right up to huge flocks of flamingos and pelicans; to see whole herds of buffalo, impalas, zebras, and water bucks; and even to see a couple of lions coming in for their evening meal was absolutely breath taking. One of our participants said, "so this is how it must have been for all people at one time, to be in the same environment with so many other animals."

Day 7 – Lake Naivasha region

We began the day by touring the massive new greenhouses of "Kreative Roses," a Dutch company that specializes in raising cut roses for the world export market. Kreative Roses is but one of many international companies engaged in commercial flower production in the Lake Naivasha region. Our master gardeners were in 7th heaven.

Next stop was the KenGen geothermal electrical power generating station in the hills near Hell's Gate National Park. A KenGen official gave us a detailed briefing on the development of geothermal power, both in Kenya and globally, and then drove us up to the top of a nearby hill so we could get a panoramic view of the entire operation. Geothermal power is an increasingly important source of "clean" energy for Kenya's future.

Then, at the end of the day, we headed back to our lodge, where some folks took the opportunity to visit the nearby woods and take photos of wild giraffes, water buck, and hippos.

Day 8 – travel to Maasai Mara

Most of the day was spent traveling to the Maasai Mara region. The roads were in bad condition and we encountered rain at several points along the way. As we got nearer to our destination, we got more frequent glimpses of Maasai herdsmen as well as occasional wildlife along the roadside. Hints of more to come.

Day 9- Maasai Mara

After breakfast, we boarded our vans to observe the wildlife of Maasai Mara. Before long we encountered a small herd of elephants consisting of an adult male and female with several young including one which appeared to be only days old. There was a moment of tension when the male became separated from the rest of the herd by vehicles in the roadway. He let us know that he was unhappy and our drivers eased away.

As we continued our tour, we were captivated by the landscape of this park with its stunning variety of Acacia trees, Coconut palms and a large variety of flowering plants.

A variety of birds including crested cranes, colorful starlings, hawks, eagles, storks and vultures greeted us at every bend of the road.

Recent rains filling the streams and washing across the roads in numerous places added to the excitement and adventure. After pulling one of our vans from the mud, we encountered a pride of lions. Several cubs wrestled playfully in the wet grass while the adult intently observed a distant herd of water buffalo. These beautiful cats were unperturbed by our presence and close proximity.

Day 10- Maasai Mara

We departed Sarova Mara Lodge for our second day of game drive as the sun was rising to search for the resident wildlife. Hot air balloons were rising majestically over the park as we left the main gate of the lodge.

Herds of water buffalo dotted the hillsides, drawn by the lush grasses of the Mara Savannah. Up close, they grazed contentedly with red-billed and yellow-billed ox peckers on their backs and heads. They were unperturbed as our procession passed closely by.

Soon these herds would join up with herds from the Serengeti as well as zebras for their long and perilous migration southward to Tanzania.

Today we were also privileged to visit a Maasai Village. The Maasai are a Bantu tribe similar to the Kikuyu, but who have succeeded in maintaining their cultural identity and continue to lead a traditional pastoral life. Most Maasai wear distinctive clothing usually red to discourage lion attacks. Their primary occupation is grazing cattle and goats in the open savannah.

They graciously led us through their small village, performed a traditional Maasai dance, and allowed us into their thatched huts. We enjoyed speaking with them and learning about their culture.

As we traveled through this area, we observed the encroachment by non-Maasai populations and the fencing of portions of the Mara, threatening the lifestyles of the Maasai people.

During a group debriefing and reflection session, several members of our group commented on the strong correlation between the wildlife preservation efforts we had seen in the Maasai Mara and the ecologically nurturing activities we had observed with the Green Belt Movement's reforestation program. Key parts of Kenyan society seem to have taken a leading role globally in developing creative ways to live in a non-destructive, sustainable fashion with their environment – both plant and animal. There is much to learn from here on that front.

Day 11- Nairobi

Our first stop today was a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum. This is the site of the original homestead of Karen Blixen, author of the novel "Out of Africa." She used her personal fortune to start a coffee plantation and to create work for the local residents during Kenya's colonial period.

The highlight of the morning for most of us was a visit to the Giraffe Center. We enjoyed feeding these magnificent animals from our second story balcony. The center is a creation of the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife to educate Kenyan school children about wildlife and protecting the environment.

The founders of this center saved the Rothschild giraffe from extinction when only 120 remained in the world. Their habitat in western Kenya was being threatened by development. The Rothschild population now numbers over 300 in different locations throughout the country.

How fortunate we are to have experienced close contact with this marvelous creature and to have visited with the dedicated and knowledgeable staff that are conversant on many diverse environmental subjects.

We then visited the Bomas, an open-air museum showing traditional homesteads of different African peoples. It reminded us of Lincoln's New Salem. Guides explained how different tribes built their distinctive villages, maintained unique customs and practiced their local cultures.

Following our tour, they entertained us with traditional dances and music of various African tribes.

Dinner this evening was at the Carnivore Restaurant to sample exotic African cuisine. This famous restaurant at one time served local game, a practice which has been discontinued in deference to preserving native wildlife. Our foods this evening included farm-raised crocodile, ostrich, lamb, beef, chicken and turkey. Waiters brought skewers of each selection and carved us individual servings. We all enjoyed this unique dining experience rated one of the top 50 restaurants of the world by the Lonely Planet Guide.

Day 12 – Traveling to Mombassa

The flexibility of any group is measured by how they handle things that go wrong. Flexibility was our strength. Upon arrival at the airport in Nairobi we found that our 11:00 flight to Mombassa had been cancelled and we would not be able to depart until 3:00 p.m. Group members showed their resiliency by settling in to reading and journal writing. However, our flexibility was outdone by our tour guide James' resourcefulness as he helped arrange for a bus to take us shopping and lunch before our flight, all provided by Kenya Airways. We were a very appreciative group for this kindness.

Upon our arrival in Mombassa, we were struck by the difference in the architectural and cultural flavor of this city compared to the more British Nairobi. Mombassa has a distinctly Arab flare in architecture and people. The city of Mombassa is an island which can be entered from the main land by ferry, bridge or causeway. One is impressed by the dense population of the area when you look at the masses of people queuing for the ferry. Being a bustling ocean port, the waterway must accommodate huge ships, so the ferry is the most economical way to cross on the south side of the island. A bridge over the narrow waterway would be very expensive and require a large amount of land in order to be high enough to accommodate the freighters, and military ships.

The early history of Mombassa includes Fort Jesus which is at the mouth of the waterway. It protected the initial Portuguese settlement which changed hands several times with the Arabs and British. The simple joys of the strong ocean breeze and lovely view were refreshing to all.

Remarkable celestial views of the Moon with Venus and later viewing the Southern Cross constellation in the evening renewed our energy for the next day.

Day 13 – Shimba Hills and the Bixa factory

Shimba Hills National Reserve Park west of Mombassa gave us a new natural environment to appreciate. The lush undergrowth and woods of this area gave the wildlife plenty of cover. We were able to view wildlife, but it took a far sharper eye to spot the various animals. Just like in the U.S. the topography, flora and fauna change as you move across the country.

Kenya Agricultural Research Institute has many locations across the country. Each location has individual goals based on the resources and needs of the people in the area. The Kwale District Service Unit of KARI is in the early stages of a comprehensive agricultural development and rural incomes project that is already showing considerable promise. The project emphasizes direct participation by the farmers themselves in setting target goals, measuring progress, and actively seeking to improve the necessary base-level management skills. As an early indication of some success, when the addition of a certain new practice was initially suggested by some in the project, the majority said that although they were definitely interested in its adoption, actual implementation had to wait until the appropriate training had first taken place.

Next, the Kwale DSU staff toured us through their research farm and greenhouses. Highlights included an impressive crop of antherium, using coconut hulls as mulch; grafted citrus rootstocks; and work on developing higher yielding passion fruit.

Women in the study tour particularly appreciated the Bixa processing plant, since Bixa is a key ingredient to natural red color in cosmetics. The red seed is dried, ground and processed for shipping for a primarily US market. Individual farmers grow harvest and deliver the seed to the processing plant. The amount of usable bixa is quite small in relation to the area it needs to grow and the labor involved in farming it. Safe, natural, colorings is one of those items we seldom take pause to consider.

Day 14 – Free time

Our only unscheduled day of the trip was spent outside Mombassa. Each member selected his or her activities for the day. Additional farm visits filled the day for several members of the delegation. One couple chose to use the local matatus (a private bus type service) to get to the ferry and enjoy a walking tour of Mombassa complete with shopping and tasty somosas for lunch. Others enjoyed the ocean by taking a snorkel trip on a dhow (a traditional Arab sailing vessel). The goal was to go to a marine park, but the rough seas prevented the group from getting to the marine park, so snorkeling was in a harbor on the leaward side of the island. A seafood lunch was enjoyed at a hotel (restaurant) on an island followed by a cultural tour of a village including the nursery school. Dry land was appreciated at the end of the adventure. Others shopped locally or relaxed taking advantage of some of the spa services at the resort.

Day 15 – Overland to Nairobi

We departed Mombassa at 5:30 a.m. in order to beat the traffic. Heavy traffic is a way of life in Kenyan cities since the roads are narrow and choked by pot holes. The drive through Tsavo National Park provided glimpses of zebras and baboons. We were very grateful for the improved road conditions east of Nairobi. Our long drive ended in Nairobi at 5:15 p.m. which thankfully lacked the drama of the drive from Maasai Mara to Nairobi.

Day 16 –Saying good bye, major themes

Shopping in Nairobi's main business area helped us all spend the remaining Kenyan Schillings and ensure that those left at home would be able to have a token of an incredible adventure and learning experience in Kenya.

Kenyan hospitality is unsurpassed. Daoudi and Jane Kanja hosted a party that will forever be in our hearts. We ate wonderful traditional Kenyan food. We feasted on chicken, goat ribs, arrow root, ugali, irio, sweet potato, chapatti(pan bread), sukuma wiki (greens), salad relish, and beverages. Tea was staple in our diets, but we tried new flavors of soda, hot water with ginger and lime, and Kenyan coffee.

The party was truly festive with fantastic musicians, Kayamba Fiesta, who fortunately had CD's available for purchase. A comedian helped us laugh and bond with each other. The music was so inviting and according to custom everyone danced and sang. The dancing was great since all of us had so many hours of "seat time" ahead of us on our long flight home. Farewell gifts were bestowed upon all of us by our host families and Dotcom Safaris. Sadly, the time came to board the bus and head for the airport. We truly hope to have the opportunity to share American hospitality with these lovely, gracious people.

As we left Kenya, each of us was still processing what had been learned during this wonderful, jam-packed educational experience. And we realized that some of that processing will undoubtedly continue long after our return to our normal daily lives. But at this point, several major themes stand out. First, of course, is the warmth and generosity of the Kenyan people. It is at the top of any scale!

Next, is the cultural weath and treasure that is present in a society that is made up of 42 different tribal groupings, each with its own native language – along with the challenges to creating and maintaining a stable, inclusive democracy that comes with such diversity. The ways that Kenyans deal with such a"rich cultural stew" holds many lessons for us – both as Extension staff/volunteers and as Americans. As Dr. Wanari Maathi wrote in her recent autobiography "Unbowed", "...although being in one country does not mean we are identical peoples. We have to accept that our baggage can be divisive or destructive, and we should discard it. But this process has to be deliberate so that we focus on what brings us together, which will allow us to cooperate and respect one another. We need to honor the past but look to the future. In this way, we can consciously create a new idea of what it means to be Kenyan." Wise words for all of us.

And the last big theme from our trip concerns what can be learned from Kenyan friends and colleagues regarding how all of us can live in harmony with nature, particularly in the context of a rapidly shrinking, globalizing world. Kenya was well on its way to totally losing its forests, and the Green Belt Movement was born to show all of us a different path. In similar fashion, the wild animals were being hunted, some to near extinction, and the game preserves and hunting bans were created to allow wild species to survive. Finally, we all face the consequences of global warming -- and again, the Green Belt Movement is showing us one way that everyday citizens can be brought into the process of taking small, but meaningful, steps in the right direction of environmental healing.

We are keenly aware that we have only scratched the surface with this brief trip, but are also convinced that there is great potential for further follow-up.

Day 17 – Fly home from London

Exhausted, we arrived safely in Chicago. We have all been touched by this unique and lasting opportunity. We extend our gratitude to the committee and University of Illinois Extension for making this possible.