First Weekend i Kenya

Weekend 1

First week is already gone and so is the first weekend. 

Even the first week has been very busy our first safari was already planned for the weekend . So after a quick meeting with Christine and Richard from the Ministry Friday morning, the entire 4ibmcsc team together with Alex was picked up by 2 wans and were headed of to Safari in the famous Masai Mara. Even it was a long drive (9 hours) we saw the diversity of the Kenyan landscape.
 

In Front of Great Rift Valley

 We stopped at the Great Rift Valley going all the way from Israel to Mozambique. Amazing view of the Rift even with  the skys after heavy rain and as always a good shop where all the masai craft can be brought. 
The road out to Masai Mara was not in the best conditions and the last kilometers were a challenge to sustain. But we all managed and arrived in good spirit to our Tent Camp Embogo close to the Masai Mara National Park Entry.  A nice meal was prepared for us by the camp's chefs and we sat with oil lamps and had dinner and a Tusker bear.

After a rain full night with wild animal sounds we got up early heading for the Park. After only short drive we saw zebras and some gazelles. But we were all looking for the Big 5's being the 1.African elephant, 2 Black rhinoceros, 3 Cape buffalo, 4 Lion and 5 Leopard. We saw all except for the Rhino which also is very rare even in this National Park. 

We saw all of the animals in very short distance and they all seem not disturbed - except a huge male elephant so we quickly backed off.  

 The Leopard was hidden in the Acacia tree spotted just in the sunset. After a long day in the Bush we went back to the Camp for another good meal from the chefs. We all soon turned into our dark tents after a talk round the fireworks. 

Another early morning and we went into the park again looking for more animals. We ended up the weekend seeing giraffes, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, tapir, various apes different birds and more than I ever expected. 

Driving our way back we went to a Masai Village and saw their cultural way of living having saved their tribe tradition both for living, dancing, clothing. The village was of 73 persons all with the same man in top. 
A long ride back and we arrived at our new Home the Grand Hotel in Machakos getting ready for week number 2.




Henriette

Working all day, Machakos and Girafs

Tuesday

A busy day working where we went to the Ministry of Higher Education for all day work sessions. As in best African task oriented stile we got of the hotel at 9.30 where we were supposed to be a the meeting. Going 9 floor up in a building revealed a serious fire a month ago and they were still recovering.
Meetings all day being very productive and we settled with our schedule

Muriuki came in the afternoon for support and setting the scene again for the stakeholders.

Muriuki and me at the ministry

After many hours work and good output we got into the car with Rafel and the traffic in Nairobi was not showing it from its best side, so 7 km took 1 hour. 
We went for dinner at at local restaurant nearby the hotel.

 Wednesday
 Was a travel day where we had to go to Machakos (approx 65 km) from Nairobi as our residence for the next coming 3 weeks. Machokos Google

But first Dilhun, Jennifer, Richard and I went with the driver Rafel to the Giraf zoo where we met Daisy (20 years old firaf) and Helen (2 years old) and were kissing Daisy. We learned that girafs don't sleep and don't blink.

After this fantastic visit where they foster the girafs and then put then into the bush and all money goes to poor children in Kenya, we went to Country Lodge for check-out. All our luggage was put into 6 cars and the take off to Machakos. On our way we saw great country side and also storks in the trees in the middle of a round-about in Nairobi. 



At 1 we arrived to our new home "Grand Hotel" and the landscape and the hotel building were just as in "Out of Africa" with Karen Blixen. Picture is taken from the Hotel garden. We had a good lunch before meeting the District Commissionaire of Machakos.


 
A tour around the town with Alex and Rita where we meet a lot of nice people and saw the town which is very different from Nairobi. Toys were not something to buy but something to make by yourself.
Back to the hotel to explore the bad internet connection.






Henriette

First 3 Days in Nairobi, Kenya

It is already Monday and looking back the first 3 days have just went off..

The flight Friday from Copenhagen to Nairobi via Istanbul took 14 hours as scheduled.

Arriving at 01.30 am together with Dilhun (from Turkey) and Jeniffer (from Canada) and meeting Isabel (from Portugal) we were all meet with smiles from Raphael and Wilson picking us up from the airport and driving us to the Country Lodge Hotel.

Saturday

After few hours sleep, 10 of the 12 Kenya4 team members went out sightseeing to Nairobi and shopping at the Masei Market. 

There we all got a shopping instructor who supported us and took what we potential would like to buy also known as "maybes"  in the basket and then at the end we starting barging about the total price. 

 

We ran into local ceremonial singing and dancing in the Kenyan colors and join them for singing (with hymning) and dancing.

From the Kenyatta Conference center (KCC) we went up 32 floors and got a guided tour to see all over Nairobi up to Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro.

Saturday evening took place on fairView hotel with introduction to DOT, the team etc and fine dinner hosted by Muriuki Mureithi and Alex Mutungi from D.O.T. 

 Sunday

 Sunday started early (07.00 am) with finalizing our presentation for the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MoHEST) and then going to the Fairview for general introduction to Kenya - there is a lovely garden there:

Then we went to meet the first client and had a good first experience with meeting the clients here in Kenya and getting the best out of any unplanned situations. 

Sunday ended a local dance restaurant at City center where 1 beer and rice with beef was around 7 Dollars (36 DKK). 

Monday 

Monday my team "Twiga" was meeting the client at their premises at 8 o'clock, so another early morning. The presentation on the task we are to be doing for them, went very well and we ended up giving and receiving gifts. I received a little wooden mirror with an elephant on. 

 

Going straight then to IBM's office here in Nairobi where we meet with the IBM country Executive and his team to understand and leverage from IBM. The view from the IBM office even in the middle of Nairobi is very nice.

The last client meeting was rescheduled for Tuesday so not all of us will go. My team will go to MoHEST all day and get starting for real on our assignment the next month.

Henriette

4 days until Departure

Now there is only 4 days to go to Nairobi and we have already delivered our first  Work Plan to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Technology (MoHEST) and we will meet them next week Monday for our first presentation.
There is 26 Degrees in Nairobi so going from Denmark with 5-10 degrees will be a nice change.

 Next couple of days will be packaging and being with the family.

Henriette's Adventure in Kenya - IBM Corporate Service Corps

Summer 2011 I was going on vacation with the family and just before shutting down my IBM laptop a mail ticked into the mailbox."Congratulations!!!  Very exciting news -  You've been assigned to the Kenya 4 Team with an expected departure date of October 21, 2011. We need to have your decision by Monday".


I remembered of course that I have applied for this honorable program and that I was accepted back in June. But that it was going to be already and then to Kenya - my priority #1.
I accepted immediately even without my Manager accept - as she was on vacation.

So I'm going to Kenya, Africa for 5 weeks- but first I took 3 weeks vacation with my family - Florida was destination..

Coming back in mid August I was 3 weeks behind schedule with e-learning, readings,  team calls etc. All to secure that the IBM Corporate Service Corps is a success not only for the "Clients" but also for the participants. So all participants have a least 40-80 hours of preparation before even coming to the country. Preparation covering;

• Learning about the principles of IBM  Corporate Service Corps program
• Cultural Adaptability 
• Kenya Culture
• Global teamwork, high performance

As Dane I learned that in Kenya it is rude to speak out loud. So that I need to practice when I get there.

The other Team members of "Team Kenya 4  - a truly global team;

Adekunle - USA (Nigeria)

Bahram - Germany

Cammy - Mexico

Dilhun - Turkey

Isabel  - Potugal

Jennifer - Canada

Kensuke - Japan

Lotem - Israel

Marissa - USA

Richard - India

Rob - UK

We now soon have completed our prestudies and learning and  have received our assignments - Statement of Works. My team is Richard, Bahram and Jennifer and we are going to examine innovation hubs for the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MOHEST). More to come on that.

We are going to live in Machakos (100.000 citizens), a town about 70 kms south of Nairobi.

The hotel we are going to live and work in is Garden Hotel