Today was a day of it’s own kind. After a great feasting last evening, saying goodbye to the A Rocha International Managing Director who has been with us for just under a week, half the team arrived late this morning. 9.00 a.m. was the appointed time for us to leave for Mida primary school where we were meeting the parents and students benefiting from the ASSETS bursary fund but it wasn’t until 9.30 a.m that we managed to push start the truck whose battery is broken. We had to repeat this exercise twice; 1st when we stopped to fuel the trukc and again when it stalled just a kilometer from the gas station.At last, Tsofa and Tony had to hitch-hike a lift to get to the meeting before the parents gave up waiting and leave. 11.15 a.m is when the meeting started, with 14 students and 21 parents attending.

These meetings are held during every school holiday to link the bursaries received to the conservation of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek. After a great awareness meeting with tons of coments from the participants, we were again faced with the task of starting the vehicle. This time we had promised to give a lift to some of the parents going to Chipande, 7 km away. (Now this is the most ridiculaous thing) “this vehicle must respect people from Chipande” an old man utters amidst the crowd. “It has to start without any problem.” All the other parents laugh. “Ok, amen to your words old man” says Jonathan as he jumps into the truck, turns on the engine and it starts straight away. Goodness, what a mirracle! we are wondering whether we should pick the old man up tomorrow when we go to Nyari for the next meeting just in case the truck refuses to behave.

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