The Beginnings

It just dawned on me that it was just a little over a year ago that the seed was sown for what will culminate in the Field Trip to Kenya in May/June of next year. At that time it was my tutor group who were due to make a presentation on the topic of the week which was 'When the Harvest Fails'. It was decided, with some encouragement from me (!!!), that it would be an opportunity to focus away from 'US/WE/ME' and the Harvest Festival and where the Harvest doesn't fail to somewhere that the Harvest DOES Fail on a regular basis. In fact somewhere that the harvest is rarely successful!

At the time a band named Mattafix had recently released a single and video for the track 'LIVING DARFUR'. I was immediately taken by this track and showed it as part of our assembly. The audience was silenced.................. even the Headteacher commented on the presentation.

From this followed Africa Week and a Mufti Day (£1132) and then the Sponsored Walk - "The Walk to Africa" (£6,000+ money still to be collected).

The Video can be watched on You Tube by clicking HERE on the link above.

During the year I also showed numerous videos with a similar theme and these are also available on YouTube (I will post the links when I have time). I just wanted the students to be aware that they have so much and the majority of people in the world have virtually nothing, struggling to survive from day to day.

The people of Marich may not be as badly off as some in the world. They have a ready supply of water from the river, albeit not clean and not piped to their homes, but there is water. Food is not plentiful but they are not starving as long as there is sufficient rain (not too much and no failure of the rains!) and as long as the elephants and monkeys don't get to it first. From experience I have seen great community spirit in Marich where families help each other in times of need................... a characteristic that is sadly missing from our society today. However in recent times Marich has suffered due to the sad loss of David Roden, resulting in the loss of employment at the Field Studies Centre. In addition, the Political problems in late 2007 early 2008 proved to complicate matters in Marich even though the fighting never reached that far north. The problem was that tourists stopped traveling to Kenya.................... end result.................... no tourist revenue...................... loss of employment....................... also causing a reduction in revenue to support worthwhile causes in the area.

Things are improving in Marich................. visitors are starting to return, schools, universities and other institutions that regularly visited the area are booking again BUT, it will take time for the place to recover.