Bala, Kenya

29 April 2013, 09:01 am
Speciality Bites by Paul Hargreaves

Writing this blog as I am in the Kenyan Bush in pitch dark at 7:30pm certainly wins the “keeping in touch” award!

I have no electricity, no running water, but just about have a passable 3G signal.  Actually more passable than when at home in Cirencester.  I am here at a very quiet Bala making plans for an exciting stage in its development.  With the money raised from the ball we have enough to start two if not three significant agricultural projects that will move the centre here from being reliant on western aid to self-sufficiency – we hope!  (By the way, it’s quiet because the Kenyan government has decreed the kids can’t live here during school holidays, so they have all gone to live with local families – strange really as this is home for at least 100 of them)

Tomorrow I am off to another farm to nick a few ideas and Thursday interviewing farm managers.  I never thought selling food would get me on a mission like this!  Communication difficulties (why?) made me wonder whether I was coming into a difficult situation with nothing being done that I had asked to be, but they are all guns blazing here and have enlisted the help of an agricultural consultant – all is starting to happen – very exciting!

Meanwhile as a strange juxtaposition our Christmas catalogue has gone to print this week, offering gifts to those that have everything, and I am here trying to help those who have virtually nothing!  I will finish here for this week as Vodafone warning me I have gone well over my daily limit for “rest of the world” tariff!

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