Arriving in Kisumu

Beginning my involvement with SANGO-Kenya

The flights from Nairobi to Kisumu are onboard small propellor-powered planes. I was glued to the window the whole flight (about 50 minutes).

My friend Kit was telling me about the project she was involved with. She and a friend, a Kenyan-born academic researcher (Connie) had started a small NGO.

They were driven to action by discovering that so many families in the Kisumu area have severe food security challenges. In other words, a significant percentage of the time, women don’t have enough food to feed their families.

I knew nothing of Kenya; I knew nothing of Kisumu; I knew nothing of food security. I still am no expert on any of these. So, anything you read here is only my genuine impression of things.

Kit had seen my photographs from a trek I did a couple of years prior along the Narmada River in India.

Kit and I had been friends for many years and she was always a big fan of my photography. This was not always deserved, but I humored her.

One of the biggest challenges of an NGO is fundraising, and to fundraise you need to be able to tell your story effectively and to do that you need good photographs, videos, and moving stories people can relate to.

How about, Kit suggested, I tag along the next time they are in Kisumu and take photos… No, they can’t pay for the flight but can supply room and board while I’m there. How about it?

First, I wanted to hear about what they do there. So the short version was like this: they work with farmers (almost exclusively women) in the Kisumu area, training them to cope with climate change and to grow crops that can improve their food security. Help them feed their families. It was early days, but already the program was showing outstanding success and was welcomed with tremendous enthusiasm by the farmers.

I was hooked. Of course.

First of all… Kit was very persuasive, and second, as a UI designer working in high-tech as a freelancer for about 30 years, being involved in anything with actual meaning was a strange sensation. I was starting to like it.

I started making arrangements for the trip. This involved getting vaccinations for African travel at a travel clinic (8 of them) and attempting to apply for a visa.

If you search online for Kenyan visa applications, you will find several dozens of sites. Some look very professional and polished, and some look like they were put together as a class project. I went for the most professional-looking one and quickly completed the process. One click away from submitting, I checked in with Kit…. And of course, turns out that the site I was using was one of many, many scam sites. They take your credit card information and go and buy something nice for the family.

Visa in hand. Nothing can stop me now

This was my first introduction to Kenya. The actual formal site was the least polished one, and it required at least four attempts at submitting. But eventually, it was done.

Soon I was on my way. To get to Kisumu, one flies to Nairobi and changes to a domestic airline flying the one-hour flight to Kisumu.

A clear giveaway as to Kisumu’s nature was the fact that I was the only white ‘tourist’ on the flight. It is definitely not a tourist destination.

On the plus side… the domestic flight is quick, efficient, and accessible.

The next day we were scheduled to go out to the field. But first, time to explore Kisumu.

My first impressions of Kisumu were of a flat, sprawling, busy mess. A city of over a million people that looks like it was the result of city fragments strewn about from a helicopter.

It looks like a giant market with stalls selling everything from carrots to cellphones to clothing to string.

But the most prominent impression is of the vast hierarchy of transportation options. All trying to convince you to take a ride with them. Boda Bodas. (That’s what they are called).

At the top of the food chain are the Tuk-Tuks. They will take you anywhere you want to go. They will also take 12 people and a goat if needed.

The Tuk-Tuks are quite amazing in their ability to adapt to nearly any cargo or any number of people, livestock, or hardware. I kept wondering if these things are still being produced since you never see a new one. And also whether the designers in Italy many years ago (they are made by the company that makes Vespas) envisioned what they will be used for.

There isn’t much that can’t be placed on a Tuk Tuk

There is always a big selection of Tuk Tuks to choose from

Next down the taxi food chain are the motorcycle Boda Bodas. These are everywhere. Also… They are very social creatures so you will never see just one.

You are never quite sure if they are anxious for a fare or would just like to be left alone

Boda Boda can usually be seen with three riders. A driver and two passengers, though whole families or people with furniture can also be spotted riding them.

It is rare to see less than three people on a motorcycle

Next down the hierarchy are the bicycles. They will take you where you want to go. You will sit on the cushion in the back. The driver will peddle.

This is the cheapest option

The next thing you notice is the dizzying amount of stalls, shacks, and just people standing around selling stuff.

Some are permanent (more or less) structures

Some are just people laying out their wares for sale

Another thing that impressed me, and not necessarily in a good way, was the amount of security everywhere. Stores have a guard placed at the entrance. ATMs have several guards all around. This doesn’t broadcast personal safety.

Guards are everywhere.

…Though not always effective.

In the area that most resembles the center stands Kisumu University. It has this reassuring sign by the entrance:

Interesting what this says about what is outside of the campus.

Kisumu lies on the shore of Lake Victoria. You wouldn’t know that unless you checked out Google Maps or climbed up to one of the taller buildings. Access to the lake shore is blocked in the city. A strange decision. I heard there are plans for developing the lakefront. One day maybe, who knows?

The lake can be seen behind the center. But there is no access to it from the city.

We live in an apartment building in the best area of town. We have running water, electricity most of the time, and periodic internet access.

We have a guard at the gate of our apartment building. Always greeting us with a smile.

Still, a lot to discover in Kisumu. I had just arrived. Tomorrow we go out to the field. Meet the farmers and see what the program is all about.

That’s in the next chapter….

In the meantime… if you want to learn a bit more about SANGO-Kenya. you can check it out here: https://sango-kenya.org/

…and you can see more of my photos here: https://www.rozinphotos.com/