Markham's Simon Cumbers Journey

Lugares de interés (POIs) del Mapa

0: Lunatic Express | Sept 2

The 'Lunatic Express' was the name given to the rail line starting in Mombasa and heading up to Nairobi, and on into Uganda.

Today it's a must-do for wazungu (whities) like myself. It's also cheaper than flying, and safer and more comfortable than taking an overnight bus. I'll be taking this journey this week.

Más sobre Lunatic Express | Sept 2

1: NBO

Nairobi is the jumping-off point for a trip funded in part by a Simon Cumbers Media Challenge Fund grant from Irish Aid. Keep an eye on this map for more details, uploads, audiboos and the like.

Más sobre NBO

2: Karibu Kibera | August 28

Approx location of our lunch stop on day one in Kibera. Read the full post on Expad.ie

Más sobre Karibu Kibera | August 28

3: Welcome to Kibera

Más sobre Welcome to Kibera

4: Tree-menduous | August 29

Visiting Komaza.org in Kilifi. Komaza is a sustainable forestry non-profit working with local farmers to encourage greater takeup of forestry and provide farms with financial stability.

Más sobre Tree-menduous | August 29

5: First Call Home

For the first of many audio updates, this one posted just after arrival in Nairobi.

Más sobre First Call Home

6: All Change | August 30

Just posted a bit on what I've seen change already while here in Kenya. Mobile phone growth is massive, and that's largely what the piece is about. What's struck me also about the familiar narrative of Chinese impacts in Africa is that the reality is not a story about China, but about Africa being seen as place to do two-way business.

Quick example: motorbikes. In Kilifi, there are probably five times as many motorbikes as there were in 2003, largely due to new, cheaper brands of Chinese motorbikes arriving. The same goes for mobile phones. Kenya has become a viable marketplace, rather than merely a place from which to extract resources.

Más sobre All Change | August 30

7: Mombasa | August 31

Heading to Mombasa today to meet with Irish NGO Camara and see how their IT training is impacting local businesses.

Then taking the Mombasa - Nairobi train back into the centre of Kenya. Chooo Chooo. (Three o's in each chooo, because Choo with two o's means toilet in Swahili)

Más sobre Mombasa | August 31

8: Adventure Alternative

Adventure Alternative operate safaris to Mt Kenya and else where in Kenya and Tanzania (they do Mt Kilimanjaro,too), in tandem with an NGO called Moving Mountains, all founded by Northern Irish climber Gavin Bate.

This placemark is a little off-putting as I won't be heading out to Mt Kenya, rather visiting their Nairobi base.

Más sobre Adventure Alternative

9: KNCU Coffee Co-op

The KNCU operates out of Moshi, one of Tanzania's oldest coffee cooperatives representing tens of thousands of smallhold coffee farmers.

Más sobre KNCU Coffee Co-op

10: Uniqueco

I'll be meeting the team at Uniqueco, who clear beaches in coastal provinces of flipflops and other debris, and turn it into saleable souvenirs.

Más sobre Uniqueco

11: Lohada

En route to KNCU in Moshi, I'll hopefully get to call in to Lohada, a small local NGO that was the first place I visited in Africa.

At the time, it was being run pretty poorly by a western 'do-gooder'. Before I arrived, I was contacted by former volunteers warning me that he had nothing planned and that a lot of the funds were passing through his liver.

The remaining volunteers helped Lohada to go independent, and it remains that way to date.

Más sobre Lohada

12: Mombasa Missive | Sept 1

Morning time in Mombasa.

Más sobre Mombasa Missive | Sept 1

13: The 'China Road'

A few musings on the massively visible Chinese influence in Kenya. I'll be avoiding the 'China Road' this time around, but there's no avoiding the China motorbikes, China phones and China tuk-tuks.

Podcast here.

Más sobre The 'China Road'

14: Kaugi Primary School

Met the kids from Kaugi Primary school in Mombasa Train station. A lively, articulate bunch, they peppered me with questions about Ireland and my work, and anything they had the English to ask. More on www.expad.ie later.

Más sobre Kaugi Primary School

15: Adventure Alternative

This where I'm currently holed up, the HQ for both Adventure Alternative and its partner organisation, Moving Mountains.

The charity (MM) helps street children and their families with education, health and welfare, building and promoting environmentally and economically sustainable projects, and providing much-needed employment and income for a wide range of people caught in the poverty trap.

Más sobre Adventure Alternative

16: iHub Nairobi

Visiting the iHub this week to get a picture of what Ushahidi is all about.

Más sobre iHub Nairobi

17: Long Train Running | Sept 5

Sights and sounds from the Mombasa - Nairobi train journey.

Más sobre Long Train Running | Sept 5

18: Bean There

Heading to Thika on Thursday morning to meet some specialty coffee growers, and am massively, massively, excited about it.

There's a town called Kahawa on the way, which is apt. Kahawa is the Swahili word for 'coffee'.

Más sobre Bean There

0: Lunatic Express \| Sept 2 Ver detalle
1: NBO Ver detalle
2: Karibu Kibera \| August 28 Ver detalle
3: Welcome to Kibera Ver detalle
4: Tree-menduous \| August 29 Ver detalle
5: First Call Home Ver detalle
6: All Change \| August 30 Ver detalle
7: Mombasa \| August 31 Ver detalle
8: Adventure Alternative Ver detalle
9: KNCU Coffee Co-op Ver detalle
10: Uniqueco Ver detalle
11: Lohada Ver detalle
12: Mombasa Missive \| Sept 1 Ver detalle
13: The 'China Road' Ver detalle
14: Kaugi Primary School Ver detalle
15: Adventure Alternative Ver detalle
16: iHub Nairobi Ver detalle
17: Long Train Running \| Sept 5 Ver detalle
18: Bean There Ver detalle
19: Gatwekera - approximate location of filming for fire section of video Ver detalle
20: God's Favourite Cabbie Ver detalle
21: Iron Snake Ver detalle
22: Shabby old train Ver detalle
23: Kanyoni Kid Ver detalle
24: Bucket of Coffee Ver detalle