Into Kenya

I mean, if you don’t laugh what’s the alternative? Crying? It’s not so much their belief that no matter what, no matter how many school/University/public space bloodbaths there are, that there should still be no changes to their gun laws coined back when militia were a legitimate part of a country’s defense. It’s more the… [more]

It’s been a while since my last email/post, and together with a rather restless night with not much sleep I thought it about time I threw some verbiage together to let folks know what’s been happening. Good stuff for the most part, but also some issues arising most definitely from the colour of my skin… [more]

Feeling tired this week, really, really tired. Was to be expected somewhat, with the second Michezo Youth Initiative tournament this weekend, but still, perhaps didn’t expect to be feeling quite THIS tired. I have my moments where I wonder if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, if what I am aiming for is… [more]

Damn, time goes by fast sometimes… just a couple of weeks out from the second Michezo Youth tournament and the new, fully developed website is up. More than just a few photos now. A few sleepless nights trying to get this finished amongst all the other work I have going on at the moment. Too… [more]

What a great final that was, that one afternoon in September for 2006. Two champion teams going head to head for Australian sport’s most prestigious prize (sorry ARL followers, AFL far outranks yours in terms of players, fan base and money. Plus, I personally find league, well, let’s be honest here, bloody boring as batshit!… [more]

I usually prefer not to just post stuff from other sites, I figure I have enough mindless crap to fill a dozen blogs… however, this did amuse me no end. I will definitely have to pick one up me thinks. And I also love the featured quote: “The point of terrorism is to cause terror,… [more]

As mentioned in my previous post, am currently in the research and planning stage for a community youth football project in the Thika district. I thought it might be beneficial to post a list of some of the resources I’ve come across during my research. Hope it can provide some use to someone out there:… [more]

…since I last wrote. Those of you who know me as the source of endless ramblings (sober or otherwise) have probably been wondering what’s happened to me. Those of you tired of my stories have probably been relieved to have a break from my pointless drivel. Whichever camp you’re in, I thought it was time… [more]

Will be taking a break for a little over a month, just a wee little trip across to Germany for a certain event going on… You’ll take care now, you hear?!

I used to take a small amount of pride in the fact that I’ve travelled for a good many years in some fairly off-the-beaten-track places and yet managed to avoid being mugged/robbed/pick pocketed. Well, no more. At around 8.00am this Sunday morning that exemplary record was well and truly spat on, thrown in the mud,… [more]

Kenyan’s are an extremely hospitable bunch of people. Visit them in their homes and you will be overwhelmed by their attention and desire to make you feel at home, offering you whatever they are able to. Without any research into the matter, I would guess that similar to the Arabic culture it is something to… [more]

As I’m sitting here adding these latest posts to my blog, I look over to the left of me and there’s a chap checking out porno sites next to me. I just hope he doesn’t go to unzip his trousers…

Most people have probably heard some of the negative things said about NGOs, which can range from the work they’re doing through to the way that they run their organisation. I’ve recently come across one of those organisations – unfortunately due to a couple of friends of mine working with them – that give the… [more]

It seems that there is more than just corruption and poverty coming out of the slums of Nairobi. There is also a model for community youth football that has recently been adopted by FIFA as the model for community sports programs to spread across Africa. The Mathare Youth Sports Association has been running for around… [more]

Had a few hours to kill in Mombasa on the way back from Lamu, so got down to the Jesus Fort and the old town.

Escaped to Lamu for the Easter break, and a very relaxing place it is. Not quite as intersting or diverse as Zanzibar, but still a very nice place to spend a few days and experience some very different Kenyan culture from most of the country, a unique blend of African, Arab and Indian influences from… [more]

No, not the title of a bad 80s romance song… “I’m having sleepless nights… waiting for your love to arrive…”, sung by one of those guys with really BIG hair, but rather my last few nights. Seems I’m having a lot of thoughts running through my head when I lay down for the night, a… [more]

Headed down to Amboseli for a weekend, only a few hous drive from Nairobi. Following are a selection of images from our drive around the park.

It was a lovely evening tonight in old Thika town. I walked back from our Interim Care Centre after an afternoon kickabout with the boys, followed by dinner and a DVD. Another war movie unfortunately – more death and destruction, their favourite type of movie. I had actually borrowed a DVD for them from our… [more]

The day after the in some ways farcical though deeply offensive situation and comments that arose from the night mentioned in a recent post, when one of the kids we’re working with came to our residence at 10:00pm after spending a few days back on the street, wanting some food and perhaps an opportunity to… [more]

One of my major tasks at the moment is to do the rounds of the various agencies, funding bodies, embassies, corporations, and any other organisation or even individual that may be able to provide any sort of funding or help at all. And damn it’s a thankless task! I’m reminded of why I never wanted… [more]

Well, according to a fellow Australian volunteer from Melbourne I am. Apparently, because I dared to have another opinion than one of our Kenyan managers, and ended up talking her around to trying out my idea, I’m a racist. Even though, in trying out my idea, it in no way precludes subsequently trying out the… [more]

Well, not really, though at 5am in the morning after a completely sleepless night due to the pain all sorts of weird and disturbing possibilities were going through my sleep deprived head. The pain was from a seemingly innocuous and small graze on my right elbow that, due to my oversight of not putting something… [more]

Well, just in case someone happens upon my little blog with some spare World Cup tickets… (hey,never know your luck in the big city… or the big World Wide Web!). If anyone happensto have a ticket or two spare for any of the Aussie games,and feel kind hearted enough to donate them (or sell for… [more]

I’m sure everyone will be as disappointed as I was to learn that our housekeeper’s husband is NOT actually possessed, but instead is suffering from a strain of malaria known as cerebral malaria, which can “induce changes in mental status and coma. It is an acute, widespread disease of the brain which is accompanied by… [more]

We’re expecting protests in Nairobi today, so the warning’s gone out to vacate the city centre by late morning (which meant a cancellation of a couple of meetings). The protest is to happen outside the Danish Embassy, in protest to those infamous cartoons… Mentioned it to one of the old dears at the East African… [more]

I’m not sure if there will be any head spinning or projectile vomiting, but apparently the husband of our housekeeper is possessed by demons. Well, according to himself and the local priest anyway. However Anne, AFC director and qualified social worker, believes his symptoms (voices in his head) sound like the classic symptoms of schizophrenia,… [more]

It was the smell that hit me first. A mix of raw sewage, human sweat and various other odours of waste and rubbish carried on the wind. That and the dust, dust everywhere, blown across the bare, red earth by the unrelenting wind that had sprung up today, causing me to shield my eyes with… [more]

So, three days in paradise and trying to get my head around all that needs to be done here. The organisation I’m with works with street kids, trying to get them off the street and either back home with their families if at all possible, or else onto some other solution such as a boarding… [more]

Don’t worry, even though I’m not working with Unite for Sight in Kenya anymore, all donated glasses found a very good home with an organisation called Foresight Australia, an Australian international not-for-profit organisation committed to the prevention and cure of world blindness. They will be using the donated glasses for exactly the same purpose as… [more]

Well, after a month or so of not knowing exactly who I would be working for in Kenya, that’s finally been sorted out with Action for Children in Conflict offering me a volunteer position working with them. So what happened to Unite for Sight? Well… A month or so ago I received an email from… [more]

Just a reminder… am after old reading and/or sun glasses from yourself, your parents, friends, work colleagues… or the guy down the road. A few of my friends working at larger companies have created a collection box in their offices, which would be a great idea for someone in a similar position to do! Any… [more]

Hi all, As some of you may be aware, after my – quite literally – life changing experience in Sri Lanka earlier this year I have now embarked on a new direction in my career and my life. This is in the area of international humanitarianism and development. (For those of you not aware of… [more]