This week update: Peter Kamweru (Kenya Coordinator) and Nahashon Kamau Mbiu (Health Services Coordinator), both working with EastAfricaPartnership (www.eastafricapartnership.org) picked me up a week ago (Tuesday 1/18th) from the Nairobi airport. My accommodation is about 35 km northwest of Nairobi close to Limuru. We had several meetings with one of the Ministers of Parliament and two meetings with the vice president of Kenya. However, we still did not get the memorandum of understanding signed. We will continue to discuss the issue with the Kenyan Government. Next week, we will go to Arusha/Tanzania and I am really keen on getting out in the field and see at what stage the cooperative is in the region on the west side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. During the last week, I have been involved sorting through containers of medical equipment and allocating the items to 10 different dispensaries which are supported by EastAfricaPartnership (EAPP). I have already met quite a lot of people involved in the several projects run by EAPP. I am excited to see one of the orphanages (a home for 85 girls) soon and to learn about their program.

Update on the Kenya agricultural project close to Mwingi: The memorandum of understanding between the cooperative, EAPP und the government is still under debate from the government side.

Update on the Kenya agricultural project in West Kilimanjaro: A cooperative is under development und a memorandum of understanding has been started to design. We know more by the end of next week.

Overall: My actual proposed work has not started yet, but I am trying to keep me busy with helping on other projects as much as I can. I will be learning about the area in Tanzania first and I may be staying in Tanzania first for a little longer period of time.

I am setup with a cell phone and wireless connection with my little netbook and I hope that my solar panel will help to get everything powered while I will be in the field in Tanzania.

You all can get involved in any part of EAPP, just have a look at the webpage. Beside that I am trying to help Nahashon with setting up another orphanage and I told him that I will try amongst my friends to raise some funds and/or find people how are willing to support a child over a longer period of time.

All the best from Kenya,

Michael