Longonot
on Kenya VSO (Kenya), 14/Sep/2009 06:04, 34 days ago
www.africaclimbing.com/.../longont-mtkenya.htmI got out of Nairobi at the weekend as the Kenya Society for the Blind had their annual fundraising climb up Mount Longonot., which is an old volcano complete with an impressive crater at the top. In fact the climb is not that long but it is steep in places and very dusty. This was a fundraiser with plenty of school kids and some participants with sight problems, for them it must have been a challenge. Luckily there were plenty of folk to give help. Never one to miss the chance of a climb with some assistance I got to the top, with rather more assistance I got down as well.I have been in Nairobi for over two months now and VSO has just got a new draft of volunteers, so I am no longer the‘new kid on the block’. The surprise was when I got back from Longonot hot tired and dusty to find that I have a house mate, a VSO volunteer working in the Education Ministry. The house is not large, so we will have to see how things work out. Luckily since I was here first I have got the marginally better bedroom.The rag trade has never been governed by sentiment, Kenya in common with many African countries gets second hand clothes imported from the rest of the world. This is not great news for the local garment trade and means that you can be walking through Nairobi and suddenly get a reminder of home seeing a sweatshirt or tee shirt from a campaign or other group which is not big in the UK but that you know and that is probably more than can be said for the person wearing it!