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Hello from Kelsey Goodick on the veterinary team in Naari!

Canada Day week was an exciting week for our youth farm service project as we focused on cow and calf comfort. Swapping our stethoscopes and rectal sleeves for hammers and nails we became carpenters for a couple of days and worked with two of our youth farmers to build new stalls and improve cow comfort on their farms.

We first began by teaching the farmers the importance of having comfortable, proper fitting sleeping stalls to attain good milk production. We explained that a cow produces the most milk when she is laying down, and to encourage rest she must have a soft and comfortable place where she will want to lay. We also stressed the importance of having a proper fitting stall that isn’t too small that the cow is uncomfortable while sleeping, nor too big that she will pass waste into her stall making an unclean resting environment that will dirty her udder and increase the risk of mastitis. Finally, we discussed the roles of a clean and dry calf pen in preventing calf illness, especially scours. Then with a hammer, a jembe (garden hoe) and a penga (machete) in hand we were off to work to build new stalls.
Our first farm had two sleeping stalls that were much too large, with hard rocky flooring and a calf pen that was too small to comfortably hold their growing calf.  Our solution was to divide one of the sleeping stalls to make two smaller, more appropriate size stalls and remove the rocks to even out and soften the ground, and turn the second sleeping stall into a new calf pen.

 

Emily and Ali discussing construction plans.

With my past handy-man experience being limited to building a slanted bookshelf in home etch, assembling IKEA furniture and hanging pictures, I thought this plan sounded easier said than done.  However, with many hands make light work, and with the help of the farmer, lots of muscle work and only a few hammered thumbs we got the job done – Emily andI even built a new milking stool (farmer comfort is important too)!

Our farmer was a great help at hammering all the difficult nails!

The new calf pen!

Emily testing the milking stool in the new sleeping stalls!
The next day we were ready to take on our next construction challenge; building two sleeping stalls and a feed trough from scratch! With our second farm only having a fenced in area and a milking stall for their cows, we certainly had our work cut out for us. After a long day of clearing manure, removing rocks and adding fresh soil to soften the ground, chopping trees for wood, hammering, digging and masoning we successfully completed our task!

Our rectal sleeves were used after all – to clear manure!

Everyone hard at work!

Our end result: new sleeping stalls and a new feed trough!

We were very pleased with improvements made on both youth farms, and we hope that the cows will rest more comfortably and that the farmers will soon begin to see increases in milk production!

Nutritional Wednesday

It has been more than a month since we moved to Naari and on this particular Wednesday I decided to join the nutrition team in the field. The morning was chilly and cold with mist covering most of our neighboring forests. This was not helping with my wardrobe malfunction that happened when I tried to sport a long free flowing dress that looked horrifying on me. I came to a conclusion that it was in my best interest to stick to my casual jeans and shirt.

We left home at half past nine and got to Kiirua secondary school early enough and with lots of time to spare. We met with the deputy Head teacher Mr.0 Muriithi and proceeded to the kitchen to meet with the cooking staff. Here the girls explained what they would do and got to it, they took weights of the ingredients used to make the lunch meal which was Githeri. We walked to the nearby Kiirua primary school to do the same and take the measurements of the ingredients they use. In this primary school our visit coincided with the 10 o’clock tea break and it necessitated us to help in the kitchen with serving porridge, working on the ingredients and taking the measurements.

Sarah weighing the kales. Assessment of the weighing scale used at the secondary school

As we waited for the lunch bells to be rang we visited the respective gardens in both schools, these were very well maintained with  combinations of vegetables that ranged from kales, collards, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots and orange sweet potato . In addition to this I looked at their three cows (couldn’t help it) and indulged the farm manager and gave commendations and recommendations where needed. We also assisted in the secondary kitchen with peeling potatoes, carrots, onions and preparation of green peas for the staff. The cook mama Ann had never seen that many people in her kitchen at the same time and her work done in such a short time. She definitely will have a tale to tell.

The team admiring the vegetables. Having a discussion with the farm manager on cow management

 

At around 12.45pm, the lunch bells were heard and the team headed to the primary school to take further measurements and returned to the secondary school where we measured the pot size and food portions per student. When all this was done we headed to the Head teacher’s office where we had a sumptuous hot meal for lunch complemented by various discussions and lots of laughter.

In general, it was a great, quiet and relaxing day with many differences from a standard day with the vet team. I got to learn and understand what the nutrition team does and the activities they carry out and the impact it is expected to bring in the society in the short and long term. In addition to this I got to have a hot meal for lunch and book an early spot in one of the cook house events with the champs that they will be involved in later in the summer. Till then, goodbye and Kenya Hakuna matata!!!!

Sarah and Salome serving porridge.  Kira and Catherine engaging the adorable students

Hi its Kira and Catherine the nutrition students from the university of Prince Edward Island. 🙂

The past couple of days in Kenya have been so wonderful. We have been so busy and have done so much already! It is very exciting to have met the women and men we will be working with this summer. Everyone has already been so kind and generous-three days and I already feel at home.

On our first day, the nutrition team spent time exploring the Kenyan culture. Our wonderful guide, Susan, took us to our first Nakumat (similar to a Walmart) for shopping, out for Kenyan coffee, to the David Sheldwick Wildlife Elephant Orphanage, then to more shopping at Kazuri beads where we met the hard working women in the Kazuri beads factory, to the Giraffe centre, and finally to meet Henry our travel agent.

Our second day was just as busy as the first! Both the nutrition team and vet team went for a visit to Kenyatta University. We met the dean and faculty of Applied Human Sciences and then later the Vice-Chancellor of Kenyatta University. Our meeting was very nice and was my first ever video recorded meeting! After, we finally got to meet the new Kenyan graduate students, Emily, Sarah, Grace and Ann that will be joining our project. We were all so excited to meet one another! We quickly finished our meetings up and got ready for the long 5 hour drive to Naari. On our way we stopped at the huge dairy in Wakulima! We were given a nice tour of the dairy and the opportunity to see how milk is produced. We continued on with our journey and made it up some very rough hills up to our new home. Our wonderful cook Vincent made us a big meal as we were all pretty hungry and exhausted. I don’t know about the rest, but Catherine and I fell asleep pretty fast!

On our third day, yesterday, we met with the Naari Dairy board and Upendo women’s group leaders. It was wonderful meeting everyone that we will be working so closely with. I would like to note how grateful and appreciative they were of the work that has already been done and will be done. The farmers have noticed improvement in milk production since the projects began. On average, there has been an increase from 3.5kg of milk per day per farmer up to 7kg of milk.

I think that so far, one of my favourite memories from Kenya is every time we drive by a group of children. We wave and say hello and the reaction the children give us is incredible! They start screaming with smiles on their face, jumping up and down, and even chase after our car! It is just so adorable.

I am looking forward to getting into the Naari community and working with the Naari women’s groups to improve nutrition within their families. Thank-you Kenya for being so wonderful so far.

Kira and Catherine.

Pictured: Ann, Sarah, Grace, Kira, Catherine.