Off to Kenya... (December 31, 2006)

I fly out on December 30th, to Nairobi via London. I'll be in Nairobi for a few days, with a local contact (whom I know to be trustworthy and who will keep me safe, don't anybody worry!), who will be giving me tours of the UN and Red Cross offices, organizing meetings with some human rights and aid workers, and also a tour of one of Nairobi's slums.

I will then spend two weeks at Wajee, in the area just north of Nairobi amidst the coffee plantations and agricultural areas. It is a bird sanctuary and contains a resort with amazing potential for tourism opportunities. The resort I'll be working at is privately owned with a 10% profit sharing agreement with management and staff, who are from the local community. The community is cash poor but generally healthy, and eager to make the most of their tourism opportunities to better themselves and their economic future. I'll be acting as a trainer and consultant to upgrade their service standards, implement some procedures and manuals for them to use and work with after I leave, and make recommendations for future upgrades to their property and services.

I will then come back through Nairobi and be on my way to the Masai area of Kenya, where I will be spending the remainder of my trip at a lodge on a community owned ranch/wildlife reserve. The site is needing to be opened up to tourism, and those who will run it need recommendations on future opportunities, and some guidance on infrastructure for the resort and so on. The deal with this community-owned site is that ownership was given to the local people in exchange for their agreement not to hunt the wildlife, so it's critical that the land and resort be used effectively for them to benefit economically from their ownership. This one will probably be a bigger challenge than the already running resort in the bird sanctuary, but hey! I will do my best.

Sending you all best wishes for a Happy New Year, and lots of love!