Nyama Choma

I thought I would find and share a picture of Nyama Choma today. Notice the meat in the picture...Nyama Choma can be from many different animals...however, this is most likely from a goat. When we were in Kenya the Nyama Choma was excellent...you just have to try it!

Details-Labor

Labor: Obviously we will need people to work at the IV-Hopewell to keep things fresh and running. I will guess at some positions and someone from Kenya can give me an idea of what each of these positions should get paid to do this work.

Manager-This person must be trained first in people skills and secondly in all things hospitality. While this is by no means intended to be a posh experience, we do want everyone to enjoy their stay. This person would oversee all areas including but not limited to: cooks, waitstaff, housekeepers, security guards, drivers, and groundskeepers. Must be very honest with everyone from WTW Board of Directors to his/her staff, to guests.

*Note: depending on the number of guests, vacancy, and more these duties can be and should be combined to save on money...however it is also important to note that having jobs and paying salaries is beneficial to the community as well.

Cooks- How many cooks are needed to cook for 0-40 people? How much does a cook get paid?

Waitstaff- Can be easily combined with other duties. Key is to be clean, friendly, smile, and be willing and able to serve.

Housekeepers- Would need to do the very important job of keeping the entire place clean from the dining room, bedrooms, bathrooms, great room, everything inside!

Security guards- 24/7 Security...

Driver(s)- While I think this is down the road...it is important to get a cost for two vehicles that are able to take on the Barut roads...one smaller and one larger...maybe even a matatu? Also, what kind of schooling does a driver need to complete? I remember Charles talking about his education...are there Hopewell students wanting a job like this? What does a driver get for pay?

Groundskeepers- Their main job would be to keep the grounds and outside areas of the village clean and in good repair. Possibly someone with mechanical expertise if we do consider getting a vehicle or vehicles.

Building Details

Details!

Building- Strong and safe, doesn't need to be fancy, one window and door per room. Rooms should open into hallway and not outside. Floors need to be solid! One of the things I remember from seeing some of the older classrooms at Hopewell was the cement floors falling apart within I think it was only 2 years! A floor covering such as tiling should be examined. Rooms can be semi private with walls not reaching the ceilings if that saves money. It would be best if done with Barut/Hopewell labor.

Furniture- Best if quality built by Barut/Hopewell labor. Need costs for single beds and bunk beds for rooms. Possibly a dresser or two in each room depending on cost and quality. Bed mattresses, I am unsure what is available...does not need to be fancy DOES need to be able to be kept clean. No bed bugs! I got those in Sri Lanka...and was miserable!

Bathroom- Function is most important, followed by eco/green technology. Does not have to be Western Standards...only acceptable and have the ability to be kept very clean and free from smell.

Kitchen- I have no idea what a Kenyan kitchen looks like...none! Obviously nothing fancy...would be great be able to make the traditional dishes, like Greens, Ugali, smoked meat such as Noma Choma, Tea, etc. Must also include storage for dry goods, bottled water, and ... I am going to need some help here from my Kenyan friends.

Dining Area- Dining tables and chairs for 40? Does that sound like a good number?

Great room- Chairs, couches, tables, etc

Eco/Green- Costs need to be figured on the following: a new well, clean water filtration, water harvesting program, bio gas for cooking/heat, solar energy for electricity.

Transportation- It would be wonderful...but definitely not a first step...to get a touring van and a smaller car for transportation.

Linens- Most international travelers bring their own linens to sleep with, however sheets, towels for showering, table cloths, and cloth napkins for eating may be worth investing in.

IV-Hopewell 5-29-08 Email

We have global communication rolling! I have received emails from Vitalice and from Alice so our connection is good and now comes the fun part: picking a project! You can read Vitalice's reply here about his project "Clean City" and about his response to the scanned project phillklamm.blogspot.com WTW's International Village-Hopewell.

Vision/Dreambuilding-Picture a constant flow of international visitors, think of the money that comes in, think of the connections that are made, think of the global synergy that would happen at Hopewell/Barut/Nakuru/Kenya/World etc. Think of the job skills that could be learned and improved at the IV-Hopewell and students could transition to other places around Kenya...think Nairobi, Mombasa, etc.

Now take the learning experiences we have with IV-Hopewell and transition that to IV-South America (Brazil?), IV-SE ASIA, IV-Eastern Europe, etc. Can you imagine a network of WTW IV's around the world where visitors could travel to and have real experiences while helping the local areas?

I love the "Clean City" proposal...cant wait to see more details!

What if? What if we did a new well for IV-Hopewell with water purification, supplemented the water supply with rain water harvesting from the roof, used solar energy, bio-gas, and was able to set up a completely "green" location to stay at? Add this with local food such as Noma Choma, Kale, Ugali, etc

One more thing and than Ill hit send...I promise! What if we were able to nail this down soon, start the fundraising process get our group solidified and was able to cut the ribbon on this deal next June...completed by June...we could stay there...train staff, plant trees, work on "Clean City" initiative, set standards for visitors, take pictures and videos to promote it...can you see us sitting in the courtyard of our new IV-Hopewell having a fire, enjoying Noma Choma, and writing personal letters to celebrities, travel magazines, journalists, friends, and family...would this be after collecting tons of garbage off the streets? Getting home from Masai Mara Game Drive and seeing the "Big 5"? How about after sitting down with some of the village elders and praising them for their leadership? Or visiting the children in the village and playing soccer, handing out books, and sitting down together with some sweets? What is it for you?

You are not normal...you are far from ordinary...what makes you want to do this? How do you see this in your head? How will this change the rest of your life? What will be the story you tell the most when you come back and talk to the people who found excuses not to go? What picture will you show your grandchildren or nieces and nephews when they ask you how you started this global village?

I believe in you...you can do this!

Vitalice's reply:
Thanks for that swift response. And Alice came over to see me yester evening with this grand idea of a project proposed from your end. That is a sure blockbuster of a project! I don’t know why nobody else has ever thought of a project like that! Centres around Hopewell, involving the entire Barut community and basically serving as the nucleus for economic development of this underdeveloped section of Nakuru. The idea is cool, viable and doable. The scan of the diagram you sent Alice didn’t print out ok but I get the general idea. I asked Alice to spare time this coming Saturday so that together with James, another graduate of Hopewell who serves as a project assistant in school and Nelly or Rashid and brainstorm further on this. I believe after that session, we could provide you with an approximate financial outlook of this project.

Yes, the dorm is located 20 meters from the borehole along the fence. It is those two tin classrooms adjoining the library that we pulled down and replaced with a large hall portioned into two to serve as a girls’ dorm. We currently have 135 girls boarding. The rest will come in slowly as space is created by provision of beds.

The environmental project I was proposing is not the one sent to Steve. This will be somewhat an education campaign but with a major one-day town clean-up operation to launch the ‘Clean City” campaign. We expect the momentum to build slowly as we get schools involved, colleges, businesses and other organizations. Funds will be needed in mobilizing cleaning equipment, advertisements and general administrative expenses in coordinating the whole exercise expected to have 5000 participants in the 18 residential estates of Nakuru. I will still send you this project proposal but it definitely doesn’t come any closer to the one you hatched already.

WTW's International Village-Hopewell

Here are some initial drawings of an idea for a project for the WTW Summer 2009 Africa trip.

You can see one is done completely by hand and the other has been modified in photoshop.

While this is a completely new idea and one that needs to be researched extensively. There are some uique thoughts on why this would be a good idea.

To build a "green" International Village (IV) in the area of Hopewell in Barut, Nakuru, Kenya would cost a lot. To justify this cost for this project in an area where there is limited water, very limited clean water, substandard sanitation in regards to both human excrement and garbage, lack of food, lack of free education, and more; the positives of this project would need to be clear and substantial.

To create a 10 bedroom, 2 shared bathroom, 1 large kitchen, 1 large dining room, and a Great Room, with fenced in security, a secured gate, parking, a courtyard, and a flag plaza is going to cost a lot of money...we shall see what the total is later.

Lets first look at uses. First and foremost in my mind is the international traveler looking to get a "real" view at Africa. An international traveler would be able to stay at the IV-Hopewell for much cheaper than the local hotels. Agreed, the accomodations will not be as nice, however, it will offer a better chance at getting to know the locals, eating the local cuisine, and putting the extra funds towards the development of the Hopewell Community (Hopewell HS, Hopewell Technical College, Hopewell Jr Academy, & Barut Primary). Other uses could be to highlight the area with a local Rotary luncheon, meetings such as community get togethers, awards banquets and much more.

Now lets look at employment. A fulltime manager, a driver, cooks, security guards, housekeeping, and possibly more. These people would be trained and be top notch in serving the needs of their guests. Also, it would be great experience for Hopewell HS students to be trained in these areas to be placed in other parts of the country in the tourism industry.

Eco/Green. Rainwater harvesting and solar energy would be a must to promote the best way to use the earth's resources in a sustainable way. In addition, approved pit toilets and showers would be used to minimize the effect of the environment.

Parking would be allowed for up to 6 vehicles. It would be awesome if the IV-Hopewell had a smaller vehicle and a large touring vehicle for guests to use with IV-Hopewell's own driver(s) that have been trained after graduating from Hopewell HS. It would make this a very attractive spot for international travelers if there were drivers and vehicles for nominal travel in town and for game drives at Nakuru National Park and Masai Mara.

It would be great to surround the IV-Hopewell with a nursery. I know there has been some talk of this at Hopewell for a long time. If you take the dimensions from the picture in this post and place young trees on 40' of each side of the secured gate...lets say 10' deep all the way around leaving only the secured gate without trees in front of it.

With the IV-Hopewell, the main idea is to keep fundraising internationally while building connections to other large groups from around the world. If you look at what happened in one instance starting with Darleen and Johnny and HOPE INC out of California, than to Matt Werner and Wrestling the World in Wisconsin, than to Steve and Pat Werner, Walworth/Fontana Rotary and more, than to SOAR-Kenya and Don and Mary Hoffman. It is amazing what has been done and what continues to be done at Hopewell. What if we entice people to come and stay, meet new people, and help, by offering them a clean, safe place to stay for a fraction of the cost of a hotel...knowing all the money earned pays the staff and works toward the next project. Which brings me to...the next project.

The next project would be a IV-Hopewell initiative where there would be a place in the Great Hall promoting what the money has already built, is currently being used for, and will be used for in the future. Always following the rule of SIBKIS "See it Big Keep it Simple"

Some possible projects include:more classrooms for Hopewell HS, classrooms for Hopewell Tech, another clean water well station placed in Barut, micro-loans, etc.