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Africa

An actress impersonates a child bride getting married to a much older man. Part of an Amnestiy International Campaign to end child marriage.
Africa Nasaru Learning Center
February 10, 2019

Child Marriage

On february 10th 2019 is World Marriage Day. This day honors husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily married life.

But how is this married life perceived by minors and what are the consequences of child marriage for the lives of married minors – most of them girls ? What are the consequences for society ?

Child marriage is a formal marriage entered into by an individual before reaching a certain age. In many cases , only one marriage-partner is a child, usually the female. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’s definition this certain age is 18 years.

According to UNICEF an estimated 12 million girls are married away prematurely every year – with dramatic consequences:
These girls are deprived of their fundamental rights for protection, health, education, play and relaxation.
A marriage immediately ends childhood for the girls turned wives. From the day of their marriage, their lives are dominated by sex, motherhood and responsibility for the family’s life and household.

Moreover, complications during pregnancy and childbirth are very common in this group of age as their bodies are not yet sufficiently developed to cope with pregnancy and childbirth. The risk of maternal death is twice as high for girls aged 15 to 19 as for women in their 20s and five times higher for girls aged 10 to 14. Globally, around 50.000 teenager girls die each year during pregnancy and childbirth. The risk of a stillborn child or an early death within the first week of life for babies born to mothers aged 15 to 19 years is 50% higher than for babies born to mothers aged 20 to 29 years.

But there is also an impact on society ! These young women cannot live their potential and thus do not contribute to the GDP of the countries. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that those 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are countries with an extremely low per capita gross domestic product (GDP).

20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage *

Country Child marriage in % GDP per capita **
Niger 76% $1’200
Central African Republic 68% $700
Chad 68% $2’300
Mali 55% $2’200
Bangladesh 52% $4’200
Burkina Faso 52% $1’900
Guinea 52% $2’200
South Sudan 52% $1’600
Mozambique 48% $1’300
India 47% $7’200
Malawi 46% $1’200
Somalia 45% NA
Nigeria 43% $5’900
Eritrea 41% $1’600
Ethiopia 41% $2’200
Madagascar 41% $1’600
Nicaragua 41% $5’900
Uganda 40% $2’400
Sierra Leone 39% $1’600
Cameroon 38% $3’700

*Child marriage prevalence is the percentage of women 20 – 24 years old who were first married or in union before they were 18 years old.
** Estimate 2017

Sources: UNICEF State of the World’s Children, 2016. It is based on Multiple Indicator Surveys (MICS), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and other national surveys, and refers to the most recent year available during the period 2008 – 2014. CIA Factbook, www.cia.gov

UNICEF’s press release from March 6th, 2018 talks about a globally decreasing prevalence of child marriage over the course of the last ten years by 15 per cent. Without further action more than 150 million additional girls will marry before their 18th birthday by 2030. However, to end the practice by 2030 – the target set out in the Sustainable Development Goals – progess must be significantly accelerated.

As Anju Malhotra, UNICEF’s Principal Gender Advisor put it, « Each and every child marriage prevented gives another girl the chance to fulfill her potential. »

Child marriage is a violation of human rights !

The organization girlsnotbrides.org estimates that in Kenya 4% of all girls are married before their 15th birthday and 23% before their 18th birthday. According to the UNICEF study «State oft he World’s children, 2016» 482 000 Kenyan girls were married before the age of 18. Girls in rural areas are more prone than girls in urban areas.

This is why we would like to support the girls of Iloshion!



We want to spare them the fate of child marriage and want to provide them with a proper school education. Therefore, in 2018 we started the construction oft he Nasaru Learning Center for Masai Girls. This center will be finished soon and will be able to host a total of 72 girls.

We are planning to add a market garden to teach them gardening, how to deal with water and to grow their own vegetables for in improved diet for themselves as well as their future families. Moreover, they should be taught how to elevate chicken which also are a possible dietary enrichment and a potential source of future income. Thus, we are going to provide them with a chicken coop as well.

For these two side projects we are still looking for donations! Every donation counts – no matter how small !

Thank you !

Photo credit title/header picture
This picture was taken as part of a campaign by Amnestiy International to end Child Marriage. A young actress impersonates a child bride aged 10 getting married to a much older man. Picture: AFP

Femmes des rizières Nasaru Learning Center
October 11, 2018

International Day of the Girl Child 2018

Since 2012 October 11th has been marked by the U.N. as the International Day of the Girl Child. This year’s theme is With Her: A Skilled GirlForce and aims to expand existing learning opportunities, chart new pathways and call on the global community to rethink how to prepare them for a successful transition into the world of work.
Internationally, there are 600 million adolescent girls that will enter the workforce in the next decade, more than 90% of those living in developing countries will work in the informal sector with very often low or no pay, abuse and exploitation.
Under the theme, With Her: A Skilled GirlForce, International Day of the Girl will mark the beginning of a year-long effort to bring together partners and stakeholders to advocate for, and draw attention and investments to, the most pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills for employability.
We are trying to contribute to this global effort with two projects in particular. First of all the construction of the Nasaru Learning Center for Masai Girls in Iloshion, Kenya. Secondly, with the development of the social brand «Femmes des rizières » together with the Safe House in Battambang, Cambodia.
Nasaru should give young Masai girls the possibility to finish school and to qualify for higher eduation whilst being offered add-on training opportunities to improve their perspectives to provide for themselves and their families in the future.
The creation of « Femmes des rizières » will give young Cambodian women a potential source of income and job opportunity by producing handmade and sophisticated garments which are inspired by the beauty of the Cambodian temple dancers. « Femmes des rizières » not only is an opportunity for the women from the paddy fields but also for the women everywhere to dress themselves in an ethical and social way.

Stay tuned for more information about both projects….

Having fun during the fotoshoot for Femmes des rizières

Farm in Africa Masai Mama Africa Center (MMAC) Uncategorized
September 1, 2018

Susi and Manu go to Africa – Part 2

Also this year we – Susi and Manu – decided to travel to Kenya in order to personally check on the situation there. Not only did we want to see the development of the projects with our own eyes, we were very curious about the longterm effects of our projects on the development of the villages.

View from the car on the road
We did not really know what to expect and thus were very excited. The atmosphere in Olpirikata was very cheerful. As we arrived on a Sunday, the local population had decided to reduce the usually very long mass ceremonies, however, we could not avoid having to sit through a number of relatively long sermons given by lay priests. It was a very warm welcome.

After the opening ceremony, we headed straight off for our visit to the farm or Acacia Camp as the locals call it. The local Masai population has provided 18 ha of land for the farm project, which now includes a stable for 20 dairy cows, three greenhouses, a couple of vegetable fields, fenced grazing land for the cows, a hens’ coop with 250 chicken and 500 Aloe Vera plants. The greenhouses were necessary to protect the young and fragile vegetable plants from the strong and frequent winds in the savannah.

Upon arriving at the farm on time for the vespertine milking at 5pm, we were surprised to find a queue of people lined up with their own plastic containers to buy fresh milk. The plastic containers faintly reminded us of laundry detergent containers. The people had formed a proper line and were waiting patiently until it was their turn.

Masai milk cans

John Sawa Tuwei is responsible for the farm and is also in charge of the other 6 men and 3 women who are employeed at the farm. The men take care of the cows, ie. they feed, nurture and milk them, and also manage the sale of the milk. They also take care of the fields and the greenhouse and are greatly supported by Antonio, a collaborator of La Nostra Africa who lives in Olpirikata permanently. The three women take care of the hens’ coop and sell the eggs.

Generally speaking, the atmosphere in Olpirikata is very good – thanks to our well project, the village has been spared from last year’s drought and they have enough water for the population as well as for the cattle. The fact that fresh milk can now be easily bought at any time is perceived as a miracle. You can see children waving happily with their milk containers and the local shop owner was able to increase business by selling Chai (sugared tea with hot milk), which has turned her shop into the local Starbuck’s of Olpirikata.

On this trip, we stayed overnight in Olpirikata for the first time, that is to say, we slept in one of the rooms of the Massai Mama Africa Center. We were fed well and enjoyed tomatoes, eggs and milk from the farm. Since Giorgio also wants to teach the Massai how to make cheese, he brought a lab-ferment from Italy for the first trial with local milk. After adding the lab-ferment to the milk, he let it rest for 24 hours and then made the cheese. We got to be the guinea pigs for this first cheese production and we survived!

The following day we travelled to Iloshion to participate in the celebrations of the first stone laying for the Nasaru Learning Center for Massai Girls. Iloshion suffered a terrible drought last year and people there are worse off than those in Olpirikata. Nevertheless, they provided us with a very friendly and warm welcome with children forming a guard of honor for us. It was very emotional!

We then had the opportunity to observe the children at break time at the local elementary school:
All children bring a little bit of milk in a plastic container to school. This milk is then poured into a huge pot where the women prepare the porridge as a snack for the break. At break time, the kids make a line in front of the pot and everybody gets a portion.

 

Then we visited the new administration building of Iloshion and interviewed and photographed numerous children and adults.

After a typical Massai ceremony with lots of speeches and gifts, the whole assembly was directed towards the future construction site for the Nasaru Learning Center.

It was a very big group walking through the savannah as a rather big number of parents had arrived especially for the celebration. The teachers told the children to form a line along the floor space of the future building. This was very impressive as this way one could imagine the dimensions of the future building complex. Symbolically we laid the first stone and then distributed some sweets to the children. A touching moment we had been looking forward to for a very long time!

Our next stop was the Boma complex of a family in Olpirikata. We were invited to discuss a potential future project. The family would be willing to provide land for this project which is still in the planning stage. Although we, as two women, were treated with a little bit of suspicion, we were once again given a very warm welcome.

Our dinner consisted of pizza prepared by Antonio with homemade cheese and tomatoes from the farm! As we were a little scared of potential bacteria, we washed it down with a little bit of gin – strictly as a safety measurement! The nocturnal way to the bathrooms proved to be an adventure which definitely will have a positive impact on Susi’s and Manu’s friendship. Experiences like this are bonding and will never be forgotten. Generally speaking on trips like this one, bodily functions turn into very repetitive and interesting topics!
Next on our list was a visit to Singiraine. This is a village with a population of about 2,000 and does not have any water even though there is a river bed right next to it. Singiraine unfortunately is proof of the German saying, “the opposite of “well done” is very often “well meant”. Actually, another NGO intended to build a dam but unfortunately the project was abandoned before termination and thus the population is still without water. The people, ie the women of Singiraine, have to walk 10 km and more to fetch water! Giorgio from La Nostra Africa is working on the evaluation of a project – in close cooperation with an Italian university – to finish the dam.

After a long and very tiring journey back to Nairobi, we went to see furniture to find inspiration for our next project. Information about this project will follow soon…. And then our short but very intensive visit had come to an end. We left Kenya full of new impressions and ideas and know one thing for sure: We will be back!

Africa Health Kenya
May 31, 2018

Female Genital Mutilation from a gynecologist’s perspective

As gynecologist with own office I am regularly if not very often confronted with this practice. Due to immigration from countries practicing FGM we see this phenomenon increasingly also in European countries.
It is important to be sensitized to this topic and to know more about it to treat affected women adequately and to prevent further damage caused by lack of experience, repudiation and judgment of FGM.

Here is some important background information:

FGM (or female circumcision as described by some authors) comprises the partial or total removal or other injury to the external female genitalia executed for cultural or other, non-medical purposes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that worldwide at least 200 million women are affected by FGM. The annual number of new cases amounts to two million – most of them being infants, toddlers and young girls.

History

Even though often religious motifs are used to justify the practice, no religion explicitly demands FGM. The practice is older than Christianity and Islam. In the areas concerned Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, animists and atheists practice FGM.

Social and cultural reasons do have an important imfluence :

  • Tradition, rite of passage
  • Purity requirements
  • Aesthetic reasons
  • Preservation of virginity
  • Assure  fidelity in married women
  • Increase in fertility
  • Group membership

These are just a few examples, the list could be extended indefinitely.

Geography

FGM is practiced predominantly in 28 African countries south of the Sahara and more rarely in some Asian regions. Egypt is the only north-African country where the practice is used.

Types of FGM

There are four types of FGM

Type 1 Sunna circumcision – removal of prepuce and partial or total removal of the clitoris.
Type 2 Removal of the clitoris plus part or all of the labia minora.
Type 3 Infibulation – removal of part or all of the labia minora, with the labia majora sewn together, covering the uretha and vagina and leaving a small hole for urine and menstrual fluid. The scar has to be opened for sexual intercourse and birth which provokes additional pain. This is the worst type of FGM.
Type 4 All other procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes including pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterization.

The majority of all (80%) comprise types 1 and 2. Infibulation represents 15% of all cases.

Procedure of FGM

Generally the procedures are performed by traditional circumcisers. In most cases the intervention takes place without anaesthesia and non-sterile devices. Devices include knives, scissors, razors, glass and scalpels.
In 70% of the cases FMG is undertaken during childhood. In some regions it is done shortly after birth, in others prior to a wedding or during puberty .

Consequences of FGM

FGM harms women’s physical and emotional health dramatically. Immediately after the FGM the complications can be hemorrhages, inflammations, tetanus, bladder paralysis or septicemia, which frequently are fatal. The use of non-steril devices can also provoke an infection with the HIV virus.

In the long term victims often complain of pain while urinating or during period. Infections of the bladder and incontinence may occur as well as pain during sexual intercourse and infertility.

Interestingly, affected women very often do not realize that these complications are consequences of the FGM. Usually the FGM is an event far in the past and they share these problems with most of the women around them («The typical life of a woman»).

Women concerned who live in the West very often are struggling more with the psychological problems and FGM can provoke severe psychological trauma. Very often it is perceived as a breach of confidentiality of their parents and grandparents. Anxiety, depression, couple problems or psychosis may be the results.

Legal situation

FGM is considered an aggravated assault which represents a punishable act in Switzerland . This applies also when the procedure is executed according to the patient’s desire.

Finally, I would like to emphasize the necessity to also take into account the legal, cultural and ethical problems as well as the medical ones when dealing with women affected by FGM. When confronted with the consequences of a tradition which most of us condemn vehemently, we may show reactions that are humiliating the women even more. Consequently, the topic has to be addressed with the utmost sensibility – even though it has to be addressed – because we have to protect their daughters from having to go through the same ordeal.

 

Dr. med. Elisabeth Lebeda
FMH Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe
Dorfstrasse 5
8700 Küsnacht

Africa Empowerment Farm in Africa Food Health Microcredit
March 18, 2018

Facts and Figures about Eggs

Since August 2017 the Masai Farm in Olpirikata, Kenia is up and running and already after five months it has turned autonomous and the ten men working on the farm can be paid with proceeds of the milk sale.
Chicken are also raised on the farm and this connects to one of our future projects, which we will present soon. On the occasion of the upcoming easter celebrations, we have collected a couple of facts about eggs.
Happy reading!

How many eggs does a chicken lay ?

A hen lays approximately up to 280 eggs a year. The amount may vary due to the breed and age of a chicken as well as their feed and environment. They do not lay eggs during the molting season which is when they shed their old old feathers and grow new feathers.

What determines the color of egg shells?

The color of a hen’s egg shells is determined genetically and is not influenced by the feathers or the feed – actually it is determined by their ears. Or more precisely , the color of a hen’s egg shells is determined by the color of the patches where their earlobe would be. Hens with white patches lay white eggs and hens with red patches produce brown eggs. Moreover, there are some breeds known for blue or green eggs. These breeds also have red patches.

Different egg shell colors

Source: Gmoose1, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6010309

How does the color get into the egg shell?

The different colors of egg shells come from the storage of color pigments in the egg shell which is made of calcium carbonate, a crystal white in color. Consequently, white eggs do not have any pigment in their shell.1) The blue-green color of eggs shells, named oocyan, is considered to consist, in part, of the bile pigment biliverdin. 2)
The color of the eggs is established in the egg gland of the hen where color pigments produced priorily as a side product of blood and bile (where they are stored) are being brought to the calcium shell. If all color pigments come together the color of the egg shell will be brown. If a hen lacks the gene for color production her eggs will be white.
The color of an egg shell, however, does not influence the taste or the nutritional value of an egg. Feeding, environment and genetics are responsable for these characteristics.

Why is the egg not round?

A raw egg is not as fragile as it appears. Even though the egg shell measures only 0.4 mm in thickness, it is almost impossible to break an egg kept upright between the fingers of a hand and even when it is lying flat it is almost impossible to break it with the fingers. The explanation for this resistence can be found in its curved shape, which evenly distributes the pressure applied on one spot over the curve. And of course, the egg has to resist the weight of the hatching hen.
The stability of the curved form also applies to a spherical form. The reason why nature opted for a different packing design is the different rolling pattern once an egg falls out of nest – a spherical shaped egg would roll away much easier than a normal shaped egg. 3) This can be tried out easily: Put a ball and an egg on a table and push them. The ball will roll much longer and maybe even fall off the table whereas the egg will make a curve and roll in a much more irregular way.

What is the nutritional value of an egg?

Eggs are among the most precious animal foods. The biological valence of eggs is higher than that of fish, meat and milk. The egg protein helps the human body to develop important proteins for different body functions and furthermore provides energy and is essential for the composition of muscles.
The yolk is rich in vitamins (A, D, K, B12), protein, calcium, iron as well as fat and cholesterol. The yolk represents on average 42% of an egg’s weight.
An egg white is made mainly of a protein called albumen, and also contains niacin (vitamin B3), riboflavin (vitamin B2), chlorine, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulfur, according to the Iowa Egg Council, an industry group. The white contains about 58 percent of an egg’s protein.
The so called chalazae are two spiral bands of tissue that suspend the yolk in the center of white and thus prevent the yolk’s attaching to the shell. Fresh eggs show a higher viscosity of the egg white compared to older eggs. The egg white represents on average 58% of the weight of an egg. 5)

Anatomy of an egg

The Egg Anatomy of the University of Kentucky Source: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/09/hatch-along-with-chicken-chick-part-3/egg-anatomy-from-univ-of-kentucky/

How long do eggs last?

Fresh eggs have a minimum shelf life of 28 days after laying. But even after the expiry date they sometimes stay fresh past that date and they do not have to be tossed yet. Old eggs should be heated to at least 70 degrees centigrade to make them safe for consumption.

How to test the freshness of eggs:

The water and bowl test
Place the eggs in a bowl of water. If the egg lays on its side at the bottom, it is still quite fresh. If the egg stands upright on the bottom, it is still fine to eat, but should be eaten very soon, or hard-boiled. If the egg floats to the top, it is past its prime, and not good for eating.

The cracked egg and plate test
The yolk of a fresh egg will have a round and compact appearance and it will sit positioned quite high up in the middle of the egg. The white that surrounds it will be thick and stay close to the yolk. A cloudy coloring to the egg white is a sign of extra freshness, as this « cloudiness » is in fact carbon dioxide, which is present when the egg is laid. Over time, the egg white will become more transparent, as the carbon dioxide dissipates. A less fresh egg will contain a flatter yolk that may break easily and a thinner white that spreads quite far over the plate.

The sound test
Gently shake the egg from side to side. If you cannot hear any sound whatsoever, the egg is perfectly fine to eat and there is nothing wrong with it.

How to store eggs?

Fresh eggs do not have to be stored in the fridge – unless the eggs have been bought stored in the fridge at the supermarket. Consequently, the cold chain should not be broken and the eggs should be stored in the fridge as cold eggs do cope very badly with a change in temperature. An increase in temperature provokes the water condensation on the shell which will damage the cuticle. Thus, germs may get into the inside of the egg. Storing the eggs in the fridge protects the vitamins in the egg from light and oxygen.
So whether or not your store the eggs in the fridge depends on how they were when you bought them but it is very important to protect them from light exposure – in or out of the fridge. Also do they have to be stored with their rounder side up, as storing them upside down would cause the air space to move and cracking the shell membrane which would increase the possibility of bacteria entering.

Why can you store eggs outside the fridge ?

The shell is equipped with approximately 10.000 pores providing the calcium crystals of the shell with a grid like structure which function as a respirational system. The shell is covered with a thin strata, the so called cuticle, that prevents germs from accessing the inside of the egg. Water destroys this natural protection sheet of the egg. Therefore: never wash an egg before storage. 4)

Group of brown raw chicken eggs, one is broken, yolk egg visible, isolated on white, studio shot

Tips and tricks for handling eggs

  • Store them best in a carton, protected from light and oxygen.
  • Never expose fresh eggs to the sun.
  • Extreme changes in temperature negatively impact the natural protection of the egg, deteriorates the quality and accelerates the aging process of an egg.
  • You can use eggs after their shelf line date provided that they do not smell badly. At that age though it is safer to not eat them heated at least to 70 degrees centigrade either in a cake or boiled or hard boiled.
  • Cooking them at a temperature above 90 degrees centigrade can provoke a chemical reaction between the iron of the yolk and the sulfur of the egg white which may lead to the creation of a green ring around the yolk. Putting the egg into cold water after cooking may prevent this.
  • Eggs are best to eat from day four after laying as it still has to fully develop after being laid.
  • Always store eggs with the rounder side up to prevent the movement of the air space within the egg. 6)
  • Never wash eggs before storing them – washing destroys their natural protective layer.
  • Do not store eggs close to smelly food.
  • Hard boiled eggs from somewhat older eggs can be peeled easier as the older egg has already changed its acidity due to loss of carbon dioxide through the shell. 7)
  • Do not chill hard boiled eggs after cooking as this reduces their expiry date. Hard boiled eggs can be stored four weeks and in the fridge up to six weeks.
  • Remnants of yolk and egg white can be frozen or kept in a small glass. Add some sunflower oil or cold water to prevent it from drying out and put it into the fridge.
  • Egg shells can be used as fertilizer or be composted.

Sources

  1. http://www.wirkochen.at/lexikon/Der-Unterschied-zwischen-braunen-und-weissen-Eiern/240782411
  2. Wikipedia : https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/oocyan
  3. http://www.daserste.de/information/wissen-kultur/w-wie-wissen/sendung/2010/die-perfekte-form-ei-100.html
  4. https://www.focus.de/gesundheit/praxistipps/eier-richtig-lagern-darauf-kommt-es-an_id_6931486.html.
  5. https://www.lebensmittellexikon.de/e0000520.php
  6. www.eier.de
  7. Zitiert nach Thomas Vilgis, Forscher am Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung in Mainz und Experte unter anderem für die Physik von Nahrungsmitteln im Artikel «Warum sich manches Ei schwer pellen lässt» vom 08.04.2012
Africa Cambodia Empowerment Farm in Africa Kenya
January 30, 2018

2017 – The Year in Review

Before January ends, we want to give you a quick review of 2017 which was a milestone in the development of our association. On this day a year ago, I departed to Cambodia together with my daughter in order to visit the Safe House in Battambang.

It was a very interesting, inspiring and intense stay with the lovely Theavy Bun and her dedicated and friendly husband Patrik Roux and of course the children. My daughter read the Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry with the teenagers and took care of her greeting cards’ project.

Monkeys are observing us while we take pictures of the flowers in the temple.

Motifs for the greeting cards from Anna’s project wrapped with lucky bracelets made in the Safe House.

I worked on our Femmes des Rizières Project together with Theavy but unfortunately, the project has not been further developed so far. Volunteers for this project are more than welcome!

My daughter Anna was very impressed with her experience in the Safe House and I would like to quote her from her project report: ” I am speechless. Poverty is relative. The children gave me something which I cannot put into words and I hope that I was able to give back. I miss them and would have loved to get to know them better. (…) Now, when I hear other people complain about material things, I realize what a privilege it is to be able to complain about it.”

In the following months we were working on the development of the WeCare-Website and preparations for the tenth edition of the Susi’s Bazaar commenced.

On July 7th we travelled to Kenya for the groundbreaking of the construction of the farm. You can find our travel report here. Together with Manuela I visited the Massai community of Olpirikata which had dedicated 18 hectares of land to the project. The community gave us a very warm welcome and we tried to point out the importance for the Masai men to assume responsibility for the running of the farm. So far, the project has been a huge success. The population is buying the milk and in November the first calf was born. The second calf is due in March 2018 – we are looking forward to it! There are still some parts of the farm missing, such as the construction of the water reservoir and a lot of planting. We do have very high expectations when it comes to substantially improving the nutritional situation of the local population by arable farming. The planted Aloe Vera should also be commercialized and thus present a future source of income.

Our next stop was Ilsohion, where we decided to make the project “Nasaru – Masai Girls’ Learning Center” our next baby.

The girls of Iloshion who will benefit from the construction of the Nasaru – Masai Girls’ Learning Center.

In Tanzania we met lovely Mokili, who was able to have these beautiful ponchos made especially for us. You can order the ponchos (in many different colors) at the price of Fr. 120,- from us. Please send a mail to hello@wecare-association.com.

 

In November 2017 the 10th edition of Susi’s Bazaar took place and we were able to obtain a total of Fr. 80.000 for the Nasaru Project. A big thank you goes to all our donators and sponsors!

 

 

 

We have many ideas and projects for 2018: We want to launch a Scolarship Program for talented students whom we want to support and find sponsors for them. Furthermore, we would also like to launch an apprenticeship program for the restauration and hotel business – similar to the Swiss system. And, of course, Nasaru has to be built.

We are looking forward to a very exciting year! Stay tuned.

Kids watching the work in progress.
Africa Farm in Africa
October 24, 2017

Building a farm in Africa

On July 17 2017 the construction of the long awaited farm finally began. In the first week there were 10 workers present who started clearing the land. The Masai people have dedicated a  total of 18 hectare of land to the project which they call «Acacia Camp».

The arrival of the tractor in the following week accelerated the work progress.

Schoolkids are curiously observing the consctruction progress.

 

The fencing of the farm started on July 25, 2017. 43 Masai men were ready to take up work at the farm. Unfortunately, they had to be informed that there only 10 men could be granted a job at the farm. We hope that the project will grow soon!

Until August 20, 2017 500 aloe vera plants were planted alongside the 1 km border of the Acacia Camp. The sap of the aloe vera should be used to produce a soothing cream.

The stables slowly are taking form as well.

 

On August 28,2017 Giorgio Girella went cattle shopping at the Gogar Farm. This farm is owned by an Englishman who has been living in Kenya since 1949 and today owns 16.2 km2 of land with 1.100 cows. Giorgio bought a total of 20 cows of which two were in calf. The first calf of the Acacia Camp will be born in November and the second calf is due in March 2018.

10 days later the cows, including pedigree, were delivered to Olpirikata.

Finally at home!

The cows in their new home.

The cows in their new home.

On September 8, 2017 a total of 40 liters were milked and sold at the Kajiado market for 0.70 Cents per liter. Consequently, seven men earned 3 Euro a day. On the same evening 28 liters of milk were sold directly to the population of Olpirikata who were queuing in front of the farm to buy milk.

The following week marked the beginning of the planting. The milk production has started very well. Every cow gives approximately 10 liters a day – usually the fine tuning of nutrition and milk production takes at least a month. Currently, the milk does not even be brought to the Kajiado market to be sold as people from other communities such as Karero, Ilailupa and Rruya are coming to Olpirikata to buy milk.

On September 28th 2017 was payday and the men were very proud of their work and the milk produced.

 

Lorenzo is a student at the University of Milan and writes his thesis on the project. The positive progress of the project is also owed to him and his commitment.

There is even a set of rules which has been established for the management of the stables which appear to be extremely clean and organized. The cleanliness is partly due to the men non having been paid for a week after disrespecting the rule of cleanliness.

The first vegetables have been planted and the first harvest will take place in a month time. Stay tuned.

Africa Farm in Africa
September 26, 2017

Susi and Manuela go to Africa

On July 7th, 2017 Manuela and myself started our trip to Africa. After having taken 5 Immodium already very early in the morning, I was prepared to export my abdominal flu virus and went to the airport feeling a little queasy. At the airport we realized that Manuela wanted to travel on a different name as written on her ticket as she had brought her Italian passport with her maiden name on it. Thanks to Swiss efficiency a Swiss emergency passport was issued within a few minutes at a counter at the airport. The counter apparently is there for a very good reason : At 08 :00 am she was already the 15th Swiss citizen in need of an emergency passport. After that we were ready to check in my four suitcases and Manuela’s small backbag.

Moni Hess and Peter Brock had provided us with a lot of dressing material…THANK YOU!

After a flight time of seven hours we arrived at Nairobi where we spent the first night. Early on the next morning we met Giorgio and Eleonora. Eleonora studies anthropology and writes a thesis on FGM (female genital mutilation). After a short visit to the local Masai market and a dentist wholesale operation (Angela the then doctor of Olpirikata has asked us to buy a couple of things) we went to an enormous supermarket where we bought mosquito nets, footballs and candies. Our trip to Kajiado went smoothly and we arrived there in the afternoon where we visited four hotels which might be potential locations and or employers for our next project « Nasaru : Masai Girls’ Learning Center ».

After an almost abstinent evening (quote Manuela: «If there is no white wine, we will drink water.») – with gin tonic (and «just a little bit of gin») we slept more or less well in the best hotel of downtown Kajiado.

Early next day we left for Olpirikate where we received a warm welcome by the women of the cooperative. We had a long and intense motivational talk with doctor Angela before joining the other women who were preparing lunch under a tree. We did a briefing on the Bazaar products we wanted to order showing them the sample products we had bought at the Nairobi Masai market.

We had lunch together with the men in the refectory and then the usual «meeting» of the community took place outside. The community expressed their sincere gratitude for our help and we emphasized the need for their support of the upcoming farm project. At the end of the meeting we received gifts in a very touching ceremonial way. Here you find the video of the gift giving ceremony.

Children in Olpirikata are very happily playing with their new football. 

The day ended with another dinner in downtown Kajiado and just a little bit of gin. Early next day we left for Iloshion which is another 30 km away from Olpirikata in the middle o the savannah. The dust road to Iloshion allows 30 km per hour – with the car! There was a lot of dust and the road was extremely bumpy.

Our visit to Iloshion was very emotional and touching. Since the opening of the school in 2011 not a single girl has finished school. They have to walk up to 10 km to school and are facing «challenges» on their way to school, meaning that they have a high risk of getting pregnant.

Principal Paul and the teachers gave us a warm welcome and they underlined the need for a solution to the «challenges» for the girls. Therefore, we decided to dedicate the proceeds of this year’s Bazaar to the construction of a learning center with dormitory for the Masai girls of Iloshion.

Masai girls who will benefit from the project of the Bazaar 2017

Girls from the Iloshion primary school

We were given Masai names: Manuela is called Nashipae and myself got the Masai name Nasaru. Then we left for our way back to Nairobi where we arrived after four hours of dust road and two hours on the tarmac. At the airport we said goodbye to Giorgio and Eleonora.

A short flight of an hour brought us to Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzanie where a driver of the «More-Than-A-Drop» Bed & Breakfast waited for us. We were very happy to re-unite with our friend Nicola who is the principal of the attached hospitality school. This interesting and sustainable project is financed by the Swiss MoreThanADrop-Foundation and has been set up almost two years ago.

Re-union with our friend and principal of the Hospitality school in Moshi – Nicola

During our stay there we also had a chance to visit Sam’s project Born To Learn which again was very inspirational. It is impressive how much good one can do with a lot of goodwill and of course donations.

A safari in the Arusha National Parc concluded our short trip to Africa. We met Mokili, a young and very ambitious Masai man who works there as a guide. His enormous knowledge about local flora and fauna impressed us. He told us that he was the youngest of 13 ( !) children and was offered the financing of his education by an American couple. Whilst his friends advised him to take the money and to buy a house or cows he decided to go to school arguing that a house can burn down and the cow can die but the acquired know-how will always stick with him. Now he is able to support his family and also help his community. Nashipae and Nasaru were so impressed that we decided spontanously to place an order for the development of a product which we will introduce and present at the Bazaar 2017.

Full of new impressions and very motivated we then returned to Zurich and we know for sure «We will be back!

 

Africa Tanzania
June 13, 2017

International Albinism Awareness Day

The term «Albinism» is from the Latin albus, «white». According to Wikipedia, in humans it is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism is associated with a number of vision defects, such as photophobia, nystagmus, and amblyopia. Lack of skin pigmentation makes for more susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancer. As this disorder is immediately visible on the outside, people suffering from albinism in Africa have to fear discrimination and persecution. Persecution of people with albinism is based on the belief that certain body parts of albinistic people can transmit magical powers. Such superstition has been promulgated and exploited by witch doctors and others who use such body parts as ingredients in rituals, concoctions and potions with the claim that their magic will bring prosperity to the user.
According to an article in the Tanzanian paper « The Citizen » from May 10, 2016, the government established temporary holding centres (THCs) as « safe » houses for children with albinism in efforts to curb physical attacks on them. But albino children confined in the special centres are still living in fear and insecurity. Since 2015, 8 cases have been reported in Tanzania on attacks against people with albinism. Currently, there are 32 THCs for such children in Tanzania, the biggest being Buhangija in Shinyanga which hosts about 301 children.

This is a very interesting documentary about « The hunt for Albinos »

 

 

 

Africa Empowerment Farm in Africa Kenya
June 1, 2017

World Farming Day

World Farming Day is a day established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to recognise the importance of milk as a global food. It has been observed since 2000 when on the occasion of the world Expo in Hannover it was proposed for the first time. The day is intended to provide an opportunity to draw attention to activities that are connected with the farming sector.

Therefore, today we also think about the Masai population of Olpirikata who donated 18 hectares of land to the farm project which will be constructed in summer 2017. Members of the agricultural faculty of the University of Bologna have already established the ideal plants based on soil samples brought to them in December 2016. To learn more about the project…

For a more in-depth view on the Masais’ daily lives ….

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