A satisfying day

We met today with a group that confirms our faith that the people of Kenya are able and willing to work out their own solutions to their problems, given the right tools.

We set up the committee for a well that will be put in close to a polluted stream in Muluanda (see previous posts.)

Thanks to Bibiana, the town councillor, they have registered their group and are well organized for the start of the project. I took a wonderful video of their singing to greet us, but fear it will be much to slow to upload.

A few weeks ago I taught the making of liquid soap and cow dung fuel to a small group. One never knows how hard people will work to make a success of what they have learned. we saw today that the news has spread. It was wonderful to see a demonstration of making 16 litres of liquid soap, coloured a pretty blue. They add a little Dettol disinfectant (for the smell) and Bibiana has been collecting used water bottles from hotels that hold seminars. A few of the women have been going into town to market the

product. My only warning was that they were not asking enough money! They should make the current batch an 'introductory offer' and put up the price in the new year. It will still be much less than the supermarket and just as efficacious. We need now to think of labelling to make it more attractive and to spread the contact information.

Cow dung fuel is also making a difference to the costs of cooking and the time women gain from not trekking through fields and woods looking for firewood.

Rod has been doing lots of experiments on making compressed blocks for building with local soil and a little cement. The results are encouraging. We plan to use the earth dug out of the two wells now going in.

Our big problem was finding or making a machine. Two weeks ago we met Reuben (who will be on our Tembo committee) and who has a machine. His problem was start up to use it. We discussed using his machine at Imulama and Muluanda.

Our second problem was training people to make the correct mixture and operate the machine. Today we met two people at Muluanda who have been trained by an NGO in making interlocking blocks from earth but who have had no opportunity to put it into practice. When we dig the well, they will be able to use the spoil and put up a demonstration wall.

Small steps, but significant ones