The faces after my own heart!

For the sake of the friendships I still have in Nairobi I promised not to mention anything bad about Nairobi especially not about the faces you meet every day as you go about your business in the city and let’s be honest it’s not just Nairobi but most cities in the world. 

The person driving in the car next to you in the traffic as you enter the city through the Globe roundabout or the guy passing suspiciously next to your car wearing a baggy coat eyeing your side mirrors we all know what happened to the old ones two weeks ago at almost the same spot you are right about now, the face of the cleaning lady you meet in the elevator as you enter at the ground floor only to realize someone at the basement as called for the elevator only for it to open and the face is of your boss who upon seeing you checks his wrist watch and yes you are almost one hour late because of the traffic. Ohh damn it! Am really sorry I almost forgot I promised not to talk about Nairobi! 

Yesterday I was in Laikipia in a dispensary called Il Mutiok where we were distributing tree seedlings to be planted along the Ewaso river along the riverine area which has been degraded due to uncontrolled sand harvesting, soil erosion and general land degradation in the areas adjacent. Luckily the same day was also a child care/ nutrition training day at dispensary. The doctor was passionately teaching the mothers about food and proper diets for the children. As I interacted with the children it just hit me how different I now interact with strangers I meet every day! Now it takes only seconds to make friends and just minutes to be friends enough to be invited for lunch in someone’s home! Below are photos of different people I have met in Samburu, Isiolo and Laikipia as I went about my work as a mere ecologist. Just goes to remind me of my Lecturer one Mr. Ayeko back in University who said ‘we cannot separate conservation from the people, these people have lived with wildlife for hundreds of years …..they know the wildlife better than anyone who comes here and is said to have discovered a certain species ….. Just ask……. They know the routes taken by elephant, they know when they leave and where they are headed because they shared more than land with this animals they shared water, they shared browse for the livestock…….’ I can not separate my ecology work from the people. To learn better about Samburu, Isiolo and Laikipias' wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole I have to interact and listen to the people!

A Maasai Woman contributing to a discussion we had about planting of trees along Ewaso River and in their homes

 Having lunch after a community meeting discussing tree planting, we were using an old tree trunk fell by an elephant as our seat!

 All inclusive conservation! Maasai Morans for conservation In Ol Donyiro, Isiolo

 They stand chest out like the warriors they are! Now warriors for wildlife

Lovely Maasai woman from Koija in Laikipia, much respect for this woman never fearful to express herself even in meeting! She is one brave woman.

Met with this young Lad helping the lamp just born a few hours ago, you should have seen his face when I gave him some drinking water he was ecstatic!

Mother with their young ones keenly listening to the doctor at Il Motiok Dispensary in Laikipia County

 Carefully peeling the paper off the tree seedling so she can plant into our planet Earth

We just had to have a selfie............ hahaha!

 Taking home a tree of hope

Children looking on as we work on Predator proof bomas in their homestead

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This is what traveling through the rural Kenya has taught me, every face I meet is special and their voices are relevant!