Blogs from Africa - page 3029

An abundance of animals gather around these holes in the dry seasonThe first 3 days here were spent game driving in the truck around Etosha National Park - this was absolutely fantastic and we saw as much wildlife here as we have done in all the other places put together. We saw massive herds of elephants, prides of lions, including one consisting of about 13 lions all around a watering hole, as well as lots and lots of zebra and giraffe. Unusually we were also lucky enough to see two black rhinos and two leopards - at last! Now we have seen all the big animals that there are and can leave contented. After there we went to a cheetah park, where they "rescue" cheetahs that would otherwise be shot by farmers. They have a huge ... read more

All Work ?? For almost two years now I have wondered what it would feel like to walk out the door of the office building where I work and know I did not have to go back. Today, three days into “other employment”, I sit on our front porch wrapped up in a blanket, eating Kashi cereal and watching the dew burn off the grass when the sun’s rays finds it from the shadows like a fire smoking just before it burst into flames. It’s barely 50 degrees, and the calm of the morning was deafening. WOW! …. That pretty much sums it up! A year ago one of the Managing Partners of the company I work with was conducting our yearly evaluations. It came my time to sit and listen to what they had to ... read more

Since we were with you last, and we are well aware that was an almost obcenely large amount of time we have done the following: -Been away for 100 nights -Crossed from Burkina to Ghana in a dugout canoe -Got shouted at by Ghanian immigration officals -Been in the road for 20 hours in one day -Waited 5 hours at the side of a dusty road for a lift -Walked with a travelling salesman complete with a sack of dried cows feet -Walked on a rope bridge 40m above the rainforest floor -Saw a chameleon -Wasted a week lazing on a perfect beach -Ate burger and chips -Got diarrhoea from eating overspiced kebabs -Saw a marine pig -Met the most inept man in the world -Saw a dog doing an impression of a snake -Had rice ... read more

Now let me tell you about a couple of organizations who stand out for me that embody the local community based approaches that are resonating with me: C-MEDA and St. Rita’s Community Based Orphanage. One has led me to the other. I first came across C-MEDA (Community Mobilization and Economic Development Agency) when I attended a good governance seminar in Nakuru my second week here. Unfortunately it has taken me a month or two to reconnect with their CEO Anne-Marie. But a conversation that Anne-Marie and I had in those early days has stayed with me. We talked about supporting orphans to stay in their home communities with a relative or friend of the family acting as guardian has stuck. This in stark contrast to institutionalizing children - pulling them out and away from their roots. ... read more

Day 114: Wednesday, Sep 13: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to Botswana Today we waited around for Ash. The day before he was involved in a plane crash in a 1940's biplane called a Tiger Moth (I flew in one of these in Australia). Upon takeoff, the engine cut out and instead of heading straight for some trees, he banked right, missed the trees, but clipped the wing on the ground and turned the plane into a tin can. Both Ash and the pilot walked away (well, not literally, sounds like both blacked out and woke up in the ambulance, but both were released the next day). Ash has cuts and bruises on his leg, a slight concussion and 2 very black eyes. He's already in good spirits and will be getting an MRI when we get to ... read more