A friend of mine sent me this story of his time in the Marine Corps.  Read through to the end, it’s a shocker.

Another crappy day in paradise, or The things you see when you ain’t got a gun.

Hawaii is a wonderful place. My father was stationed there in 1945 or so, working at Wahiawa Naval Communications Station on Oahu . When I joined the Marines in 1977, one of my personal goals was to travel as much as he did, at least try to. I was lucky enough to get stationed in a unit that deployed on ship at least once a year to distant places from the Atlantic Ocean . In 1978, I traveled to northern Europe; to Germany, Scotland, Norway and Holland.

In 1979, while waiting for the next deployment, this time to the Mediterranean Sea and to Turkey , all of a sudden we were told of orders to Okinawa , another place where my unit had a permanent presence at, Marine Corps Air Station, Futenma. Well, I didn’t want to go to Okinawa, I wanted to go to Turkey ! I wanted the Med, I could get orders to Okinawa, or “The Rock” as we called it anytime in my 4 year tour. So I passed on that deal.

3 days later, Staff Sergeant Day approached our work detail behind S-4 and announced, “Hey, there’s an error, of those 8 billets for Okinawa, 2 of them are for Hawaii!” “I’ll go!” I shouted! Who cared about Turkey when Hawaii was available! Smitty also spoke up and off we went a few months later, to spend 2 years of duty at what is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Well, it sure was beautiful, I’ll say that. When I got there, they had a bus take us from the airport in Honolulu to my new base, Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay . It was on the northeast side of Oahu, it was the north shore but no one used that term for that side of the island, it was just called K-bay. To get there, we took the Nuuanu Pali Highway, and one of the most pleasant surprises anyone can get in early November is to drive up the Pali and go through the mountain in daylight.

The view was breathtaking, on my right was a sheer wall of green mountain and grey rock, the road cut into the mountain like in some Swiss Alps scene or some place in the Andes, and to my left was an open expanse and a drop of almost 1000 feet to the basin of a crater, long ago filled in with green vegetation, homes, telephone lines and all the modern accoutrements of the late 20th century, only you didn’t see any of that. All you saw was the green mountains towering up, 1800 feet I was told to the summit, jagged but grass covered, almost vertical, sloping sharply down to almost the bottom and then becoming the basin where life began on that side of the island. All of us new guys screamed in delight, literally, excited to the beauty of it all while those who had been stationed there for a while laughed and smiled at our astonishment, knowing that is how they reacted their first time.

Hawaii was not such a friendly place as it was beautiful. In fact, on the 15th and 30th of every month, it was downright dangerous for servicemen, especially if you were not a Marine. We all heard the stories; the Hawaiian locals hated us, the haoles, and hated Black Americans, pupuas, even more. Marines had a reputation that most likely they had to outnumber you 10 to one before you got attacked. Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen didn’t have it so lucky; they got outnumbered 2 or 3 on one right away. If you saw a pack of Hawaiian men about age 20 or so, you left the sidewalk. Back then, Marines were the only service to wear their hair the way men wear their hair commonly today: short, cropped, and high and tight. All the other branches allowed longer hair so Marines stood out. Plus, I was 6’4” since I was 16 and looked like a solid Marine in those days, I broke up fights between locals and servicemen, not once was I ever attacked, even 10 to one.

Most of our days, when we had liberty, we would go to the local beaches. It was such a spoiler.  Growing up in Connecticut, to me the beach was  Barkhampstead, some lake, a gorge in Granby called Enders, and if someone had a car, we took the 2 hour drive to Misquamicut, Rhode Island, to swim in the ocean. My family rented a cottage each year in Cape Cod , sometimes for 2 weeks at a time each summer. It was heaven to be there those short times. But to live in Hawaii? The beach was everywhere!

Honolulu was a rarity, when we went to the big city, we mostly didn’t go unless it was payday night because we just didn’t make money like civilians did. In 1980, I was making $679 a month as a Corporal, and that aint a lot in a place that charged $150 a night for a hotel room in the days of Jimmy Carter’s malaise. But, we did go, spent all our money, and dated the tourist girls from Canada who seemed to love Marines. I guess our perpetual tans and fit physiques helped a little.

In the service, there are some strange experiences you can go through. I met a few people who I never would have had a chance to meet; some of that good, some of that bad. I met the son of G. Gordon Liddy on board the USS Okinawa in 1980 when we were heading to Iran . My ship was part of the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit, deployed in January 1980 from Pearl Harbor as normal, and once in Subic Bay, Philippines, President Jimmy Carter announced what is now called, “The Carter Doctrine”. As I remember it, some group of men were standing near the port side of the hanger deck, just milling around near some open hatchway, and I noticed they were inspecting some military equipment, don’t remember what, but I saw this person’s name written on his trousers, “LIDDY”

Gordon Liddy was the chief of what was called the ‘Plumbers” in the Nixon White House. During the Watergate scandal, many secrets of the Nixon administration were revealed, most of them known to be performed by both political parties, but, the media wanted to show support for the democrats and every slight that could be connected to Nixon was done and G. Gordon Liddy was questioned before Congress. Liddy balked and refused to rat out his friends and associates! Liddy manned up, admitted nothing, and was found guilty anyways and sent to jail.

So, I find myself standing next to a 6’2” man about 28 or so with the name LIDDY on his trousers, and I asked him, “Hey, are you related to Gordon Liddy?” His answer surprised me totally, “Yes, that’s my father”. The likeness was now apparent and unmistakable and since then, I have read how one of his sons was a Navy SEAL at that time, so, that is who I met. What was embarrassing for me, was I was struck, he was among the famous persons I met while in the Corps, I commented how his dad never ratted anyone out, and he said, “No, He didn’t”. I was filled with wonder at meeting him and I told him that it felt like I was talking to a celebrity. That didn’t go over too well, his face changed it’s stoic expression to one of, “You’re annoying me” and a blonde man next to me spoke up, “Uh, You’re talking to my Lieutenant here…”

Well, that proved embarrassing, so I quickly apologized and stepped back, I honestly didn’t know he was an officer and wouldn’t have spoken up otherwise, but the blonde guy stood next to me after I stepped back, sort of like watching me. I remarked how that must happen a lot, but the blonde guy said no, it didn’t. I took that as a hint and about faced after another quick apology.

I met a few people who were in the papers that year. Before we left Hawaii, while our ship was taking on Marines and equipment in Pearl Harbor, the NFL had its first PRO-BOWL game in Hawaii and the players were given a tour of Pearl and I happened to see them and summoned up my courage to ask for autographs. I got some from Bob Baumhour, Randy Logan, Walter Peyton, Bob Smith, Joe Lavender and one other whose name escapes me. That was a thrill, I still have the dollar bill they signed.

But the next man I want to speak of is the most important of all. And I want to express here, what I am about to tell you, I believe with all sincerity and truthfulness. I am making nothing up here, except maybe a few words to keep a written dialog in readable form, but I believe I met Barak Obama in Hawaii in 1980 in Honolulu .

It was after we had come home from that float. The rescue attempt had happened in Iran. My squadron was flying search and rescue the day the aircraft left the USS Nimitz on the afternoon of April 24, 1980, in the Arabian Sea. After the mission was aborted and the crash happened, our ship had set sail to Mombassa for liberty.

The ship spent 4 days in Mombassa, but due to some Marines stealing a radio, I was a brig guard for the month and only had 2 days ashore. I made time to go on a short safari in the Tsavo East National park, seeing elephants and hippos in the wild, some gazelles, water buffalo, some large birds and one particular lizard the size of a German Shepard that I held up for everyone to take pictures of while it lazed about in the daytime sun. Why it didn’t bite me, I can only thank God.

While back in Hawaii by late June of 1980, we went back to Honolulu for liberty. I don’t remember the exact address, or the exact business, but one August night, early August 1980, I stopped at a small shop that was either on Kalakaua Blvd or the street just north of it, one block north. I struck up a conversation with a young man, Mulatto, about 18, all teeth, smiling, skinny, short hair that I remember, at least short for the year we lived in.

He told me he lived in Hawaii. Not too many black Americans lived in Hawaii at all, now or then, so he being there was an oddity. I asked if he was in the service and he said no. I told him that I was a Marine and had recently gotten back from float. We spoke of world travel at this time and I told him the places we went to.

What strikes me most is what he said as to where he grew up: Indonesia. He told me he wanted to be President of the US someday. I remember lightly smiling and commenting that maybe by the time he gets to be 40 or so, America will be ready for a Black man to be President and I wished him luck. We spoke of the racial tensions I saw at home while growing up and I asked him if he ever saw that overseas or since he returned back to Hawaii. I don’t remember his answer, but we spoke more of his time overseas and his thoughts on life and philosophy of government. He made some strange comments to me, it was obvious he never set foot for any time in the continental United States and I told him he better realize that he is making judgments about the United States when he himself never actually lived there. I told him, “Hawaii aint the United States!”

He also told me something that I never forgot, for it caused me to do some other things in an effort to be nice to him and possibly a favor. We spoke of where I had been and the world as I saw it. I told him I had been to Africa , Mombassa specifically, and he said to me abruptly, “I was born there”. I told him he is not eligible to be president if that was true, but I remembered he said his mom was an American, so, maybe it was okay. But it was what I did after that makes this a true memory: I went back to the barracks and told others of this guy and suggested we all grab our photo albums and visit him again and show him pictures of Mombassa so he could see where he was from.

No one wanted to go, and at that time, my camera had failed me weeks before we hit Mombassa and it was late August or early September until I had borrowed someone else’s pictures to develop myself so I had copies of where I was. But I never forgot meeting that man for those reasons. I was going to do him a favor and show him his home country of birth. And I never went back for some reason, most likely I forgot to or just felt that a one time chance encounter would be meaningless to both of us and didn’t mean we were friends.

In the light of what is called “The Birther” movement, these memories are still foremost in my mind concerning this. While I cannot swear it was Barak Obama, all the details I do remember of that chance encounter fit the profile of the man who some people claim is born in Kenya and others claim he was born in Hawaii . The man I met was about 18, thin, Mulatto, told me he was born in Mombassa, raised overseas, was living in Hawaii and hadn’t yet been to many places in the world outside of those places, mostly, hadn’t been to the mainland of America for any long time period if at all. And he openly told me he wanted to be President.

And I remember that face, the face of a young man who sat on a table to my right front, his hands resting on the edge of the table, him leaning forward, his smile, all teeth. It was Barak Obama. I don’t know if I’d bet my life on it, but I am willing to tell people openly at the risk of my ridicule. I was there, and saw him, spoke to him, and he openly told me he was born in Mombassa, Kenya, not Hawaii .

Does it matter? Of course it does. It should not have to be explained as to why it matters.

…from my 8th grade students at school .

My kids got so excited today when I told them I was going to Africa for my Thanksgiving break.  They didn’t believe me at first, but when they realized it was true, they had lots of questions and even more advice to offer.  Here are some of the best pieces of advice they gave…

1)  If I see a real lion, I should run.  They really will eat me!  (I think they may have heard that on the Discovery Channel for Kids or something.)

2)  We should definitely pack a turkey, so we can have a Thanksgiving dinner…instead of eating goat.

3)  I should try eating monkey brains while I’m over there.  (They’ve heard they really do eat that in Africa…who knew?!)

4)  They (all 95 of them) should be at the top of my souvenir shopping list.

5)  This is my favorite…ladies, they think we should take turns washing each other’s hair in the sink in the bathroom.  This way we don’t have to endanger ourselves by swallowing any water.

“The heavens declare the glory of God. 

The skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech. 

Night after night displays knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.”

Psalm 19

I love that Psalm.  Psalm means “song of praise” in Hebrew.  Oh, may the Lord put a new song in your heart, in my heart.  So much trouble under the heavens these days.  War, crime, poverty, Swine flu scares.  Easy to get bogged down with it all.  So, look up!  The skies remind us that God loves us, that He is powerful, that He is beautiful. 

As the sun faithfully rises every morning

 and sets again every evening,

He is faithful. 

And so generous, He give us these beautiful skies for free!  “…for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45b

 God IS good.  God IS powerful.  We CAN trust Him. 

Do you know Him?  Click on this leaf He made for a quick introduction:

Special thanks to these photographers: David B. Vernon (moon over bridge), Mulia Nurhasan (Aurora Borealis), Sarah Mack (hand under sunset),

     For the last month or so I have been thinking about how to present and introduce you to a new friend of mine.  He is a wonderful brother in the Lord and has a very powerful, wonderful, persecuted and much needed ministry in Africa.  The timing is an absolute must now!  The letter email below comes from Rev.  Sebastian Ombima, founder of World Revival Evangelistic Ministries, Eldoret, Kenya, East Africa.

“Dear Prayer partners,

    ”My orphanage administrator wrote me a message below stressing the overwhelming needs at the orphanage.  This comes at a time when we have many other needs for the Church and ministry.  Please, pray for us and as the Lord leads your support will be so helpful.  Blessings!

Rev Ombima”

“Praise Jesus, Rev.  Just wanted to inform you that the food stock has expired and if anything is not done, the children will be starving.  Yours, Jescah”  

Will you at least pray?

Please check out their website and respond as the Lord would have you do.  Prayer is always most crucial, true Spirit led prayer that is!  Pray that the Lord will open up the store houses upon the children and most importantly Christ will be shown to every man, woman and child.

To contact, support or send an encouraging word to Rev. Sebastian Ombima directly, email him at: rev_ombima@yahoo.co.uk 

Remember to sign up for our UrgencytoRise book give-a-way.

Click here.

Kenya Africa Travel Photography by Martin Worster, originally uploaded by MartinWorster.

A giraffe on the East African savannah.. Kenya 1993

In my new Beehouse teapot for two, the boyfriend and I enjoyed Upton Tea Imports’ Season’s Pick Kenya Blend: his with sugar and mine with milk and sugar.

This tea is rather astringent, which is not surprising for a black tea. It, according to the boyfriend, has an earthy aftertaste. The tea is a little too bold for my palate. I may have overdone the amount of tea leaves with two and a half heaping teaspoons.

The Northern Acacia-Commiphora Bushlands and Thickets cover much of Kenya.

Continuing our survey of East Africa’s ecoregions, we now turn our attention to the Northern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets ecoregion. The ecoregion is bordered on the south by the wetter Southern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets ecoregion and on the north by the drier Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets ecoregion. As such it hosts many of the species of plant and animal found in both. However, it’s not wet enough to support the large migratory herds that roam the Southern ecoregion, but it’s too wet for species adapted to the drier climate of the Somali ecoregion. Large tracts of the region are protected within Kenya’s system of parks and reserves (ie, Amboseli, Tsavo East and West, Nairobi NP, Samburu).

Mammalian diversity and density are both high in the protected areas. In fact, the familiar grasslands predominate because the big mammals, particularly the elephants, control the growth of trees. Without the steady attention of these grazers, the trees would soon transform the landscape into woodland. Species endemism is low however, limited to a few gerbils among the mammals and several birds and reptiles.

Species that once thrived in the region have diminished in number as a result of the usual suspects — diminishing range, competition for water and forage from domesticated animals, poaching. Black Rhinos have been especially hard hit. Wild dogs, which once roamed the breadth of sub-Saharan East Africa, are rare even in the protected areas. Some conservation efforts, in contrast, have succeeded too well. There is some evidence that the growing population of big grazers in Amboseli National Park have altered the mix of both plants and predators. How? Competition from nomadic Masaai cattle — now banned from the park — probably played a role in the evolution of the region’s familiar blend of plant and animal. An ecoregion is not simply a plot of earth upon which certain plants and animals exist. It is a complex system of interactions among landscape, climate, flora, and fauna. Each participant contributes to the creation of the whole. Changes to one necessitate changes among the rest.

‘Birther’ stories led to Lou Dobbs’ resignation
Sources say CNN dispute over Obama’s eligibility was ‘beginning of the end’

Article: WorldNetDaily

Lou Dobbs’ refusal to drop “birther” stories about challenges to President Obama’s constitutional eligibility to hold office was a major source of contention with CNN management, leading the unconventional anchor to walk away from the network and more than $9 million, according to the New York Post.

Dobbs, known for his strong stand against illegal immigration, surprised his loyal viewers Wednesday night by announcing his resignation and offering no indication of his next move.

The Post, citing anonymous sources, said the beginning of the end of a long-simmering dispute came in July, when CNN President Jonathan Klein told Dobbs’ staff in a memo to stop reporting on lawsuits that demand Obama produce evidence he’s a natural-born American citizen, as required by the Constitution.

“It seems this story is dead because anyone who still is not convinced doesn’t really have a legitimate beef,“ Klein’s memo said.

Oh yeah? How about someone who spends hundreds of thousands dollars to cover up the truth of their past… is that legitimate beef’? Just because the libtards refuse to accept and acknowledge that there IS a difference between a short form and a long form birth certificate, and the fact that Hawai’i will issue birth certificates to children who were NOT born in Hawai’i doesn’t make the concerns of anyone questioning BHussein, the half-breed Muslim, and his eligibility. What’s so difficult and unrealistic about providing actual proof? I even heard one moron say that “high resolution photographs” of a document should be proof enough. Typical libtard thinking.

A source told the Post Klein’s move incensed Dobbs.

“They have been talking pretty regularly since then,” the source said. “And it’s been pretty bad.”

Dobbs, who also hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, told his radio audience in July that “even though I said I believe the president is a citizen of the United States, I don’t understand why he shouldn’t produce a birth certificate. My God, you’re talking about the third rail of American journalism, baby! That’s it. I’m not going to back off.”

The Post said CNN had long been asking Dobbs to “tone down his harsh rhetoric” on issues such as immigration.

Selective journalism. Pick and choose. Liberal media bias at it’s finest. The way I see it; if it’s an issue that touches ANYONE – it’s newsworthy. But, again. CNN caters to the liberals; therefore they have to dumb their “reports” down and only talk about whatever they think will bring in the ratings. (which aren’t so hot to begin with…)

Sources said CNN likely would not have renewed Dobbs’ contract in 2011, and the newsman’s agent told Klein that since both parties were unhappy, it would be best to release him now.

A television insider told the Post Dobbs was “polluting” the brand of the oldest cable news network, which is trying to position itself between the left-leaning MSNBC and conservative Fox News Channel.

A Fox News Channel spokeswoman told the Post her network wasn’t interested in hiring Dobbs.

Veteran Washington political correspondent John King will take over Dobbs’ 7 p.m. slot, CNN announced.

As WND reported, Dobbs told his radio audience Oct. 26 a gunshot was fired into his home after a series of threatening phone calls.

Dobbs said advocacy groups that support illegal aliens and have pressed for him to be fired “have created an atmosphere and have been unrelenting in their propaganda.”

Outspoken opponents of Dobbs include the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Anti-Defamation League, the National Council of La Raza, Internet media watchdog Media Matters and Geraldo Rivera of Fox News.

In his daily column today, WND CEO and Editor Joseph Farah calls Dobbs a “real newsman” whose departure from CNN after 30 years “leaves the network in a state of programming irrelevancy.”

“What makes Lou Dobbs so special,” Farah writes, “is his independence and fearlessness. Dobbs clearly set his own agenda. He had no interest in the ‘conventional wisdom’ of his industry. Dobbs thinks like a real American newsman – a throwback to an age when journalists actually believed they were watchdogs of government and asked tough questions in the interests of the people.“

Fifth attempt to remove, Rose-Jane & Natale

Last week a passenger protest saved Rose-Jane and baby Natale from deportation, when some passengers on the Nairobi-bound flight refused to fasten their safety belts. But now the Home Office is trying again. Another deportation attempt is set for Wednesday.

Rose Jane & baby Natlale, were snatched from their Home in Hyde, Cheshire on Sunday 1st of November. An attempt to remove them on Wednesday 4th November failed, when Rose Jane refused to fly. Then again on 12th November, when a passenger protest stopped the deportation. Mother and child are currently in Yarl’s Wood IRC, and new removal directions have been set for Wednesday 18th November from London Heathrow terminal 5 on British Airways Flight BA65 @10:00 to Nairobi. Please help.

This is the FIFTH time they have been put through this inhuman treatment. Please do what you can to help. Ask British Airways not to accept these passengers – they are in real danger. Ask the Home Secretary to reconsider – a mother and daughter are at risk of genital mutilation, or worse. The more emails, faxes, phone calls we send, the more chance we have of saving Rose-Jane and Natale.

If you are able, please go to Heathrow on Wednesday to leaflet passengers, asking them for help – it worked last week, it could work again on Wednesday. Contact Dee Robinson at New Routes for leaflets email: newroutes@tiscali.co.uk

For more information on Rose-Jane and Natale, see the website at: http://bit.ly/rosejane

What you can do to help:

1) Email/Phone Willie Walsh, Chief Executive Officer British Airways and urge him not to carry out the forced removal of Rose-Jane & Natale. Please use the attached Rose-JaneBANov18 You can copy, amend or write your own version and add your address at the top – if you do please include all the following details: Please do not remove, Rose-Jane Wanjohi and her daughter Natale, due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Wednesday 18th November from London Heathrow terminal 5 on British Airways Flight BA65 @10:00 to Nairobi.

Email: willie.walsh@ba.com

Online Contact customer relations:

http://tinyurl.com/BACustomerRelations

Customer Relations phone: 0844 493 0 787 Monday-Friday 08:00-18:30 (hold line till operator answers)

2) Email/Fax, Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson MP Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that Ms. Rosejane Wanjohi HO ref. W1119087 and daughter Natale, be granted protection in the UK. Please download “model letter” Rose-JaneAJNov18 which you can copy/amend/write your own version (if you do so, please remember to include their HO ref W1119087)

Fax: 020 8760 3132(00 44 20 8760 3132 if you are faxing from outside UK)

Emails: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk

“CIT – Treat Official” CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

The Slurp

I think we like cheetahs so much because they act and look like big pussycats. They even purr, as I’m sure the kitten above was doing while he licked his mom. Though they are small and downright frail for a big cat, I always felt out-classed in the presence of a cheetah.

There are said to be about 12,400 cheetahs left on the planet. We saw a lot of them in the Masai Mara in Kenya and you never would have guessed they are endangered. The cheetahs that remain have a  surprisingly low genetic variation, suggesting they almost died off once before and they are all inbred. This makes them vulnerable to disease.

Cheetah Stake-out

We typically found cheetahs resting atop a termite mound, which they used for a vantage point on the flat savanna. They slept, they fidgeted. They did not seem to be paying much attention to their environment until suddenly the ears would go forward and the brow would furrow in that predator stare that I hope never to be on the receiving end of. In September in the Masai Mara the recipient of their attention was usually a newborn Thomson’s gazelle that had not kept quite hidden enough.

A cheetah can go from 0 to 64 mile per hour in three seconds, faster than most race cars. They can reach 70 mph in short bursts. Most chases require only about 40 mph and they can only maintain that for a few hundred yards before they overheat. The typically trip their prey with a front paw and then pounce on the tumbling animal for a neck bite. A mother with half-grown kittens may bring a baby gazelle back alive for the kittens to practice chasing and killing.

Masai Mara Cheetah

If the above cheetah seems to look a bit sheepish, it is because she had just tackled a seven month old wildebeest calf, only to have the mother wildebeest lower her horns and drive the cheetah away. She was a bit chagrined. I think she was showing off and a bit embarrassed that we saw that. Not sure why else she would tackle a calf that outweighed her by about one hundred pounds.

Tree Marking

The best part about the above photograph for me is the curious gazelles in the background. They just can’t seem to help themselves.

Sheniz Janmohamed and founder Shariffa Keshavjee at Hawkers Market Girls Centre

In September 2009, Sheniz Janmohamed, President and Founder of Ignite Poets, traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to establish its Kenyan branch. With the guidance and support of fellow poets Muki Garang, Pepe Haze and Dennis Dancan Mosiere, Sheniz was able to organize a show of Kenyan poetry, music and spoken word. The show, Ignite Poets: Two Nations, One Flame, was held at the Alliance Francaise De Nairobi on October 7th, 2009.

Featured poets included Maik Kwambo, Wanjiku Mwaura, Kennet B, Moses Omondi (Pillars of Kibera), Ritongo Afrika, Joshua Muraya (Storymoja) and many more. The proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to the Hawkers Market Girls Centre in Parklands, Nairobi. The Hawkers Market Girls Centre is a partner with the Kenya Girl Guides Association and trains young underprivileged women in various skills including computer literacy, basic accounting and entrepreneurship. The girls from the HMGC performed for the first time at Ignite Poets: Two Nations, One Flame, reciting a poem written by one of their peers, Caroline, entitled “Unity and Diversity”. The topics covered at Ignite Poets: Two Nations, One Flame included government accountability, the post-election violence in Kenya, women’s empowerment and hope for Africa’s future and its next generation.

At Ignite Poets: Two Nations, One Flame, Sheniz Janmohamed presented a collection of poems, words of encouragement and letters from authors, writers and artists from around the world, including letters from Lahore, Pakistan, Trinidad & Tobago and Toronto, Canada.

Ignite Poets was established in 2003 and its aim is to provide opportunities for young poets, musicians and spoken word artists to collaborate and creatively work together for peace and partnership. Ignite’s second show, Ignite II: Unite, raised money for The World Partnership Walk (The Aga Khan Foundation).

“The contribution you have made will definitely go to enabling the girls to pay for their computer fees for exams so that just like the pens you gave them, they will be able to connect with others who write and give the spoken word its power to heal.

You have spread the word of the Hawkers Market Girls Centre, far and wide. The messages from all of them are poignant and say volumes.” -Shariffa Keshavjee, Founding Member of Hawkers Market Girls Centre

To find out more about Ignite Poets, visit: www.myspace.com/ignitepoets
To learn more about the Hawkers Market Girls Centre, visit: www.girlscentre.com
Photo Credits: Julian. M. Njoroge

by Mwaura Kimani, for Business Daily, November 16, 2009.

Hundreds of company secretaries from across Africa and Asia convene in Dar-es-Salaam to forge fresh strategies to address corporate governance issues which have plagued the continent, leading to a number of corporate failures.

In the wake of the global financial crisis, blame has been heaped on an ethical deficit in managing corporations said to have fuelled what has now mutated into the worst global recession in over half a century.

While Africa may have been an innocent bystander as the crisis ravaged developed economies, troubling similarities hinging on greed, corporate governance loopholes and unethical business practices make the continent a ripe spot for future crisis, analysts say.

Delegates from more than 20 countries are expected to convene for the International Federation of Company Secretaries (IFCS) Conference from December 2 to 4th in Tanzania, giving them an opportunity to discuss governance issues in the public and private sectors as well as the challenges posed by the global financial crisis…(continue reading)

by Julian Harrison

Swahili for “journey,” the word “safari” originated when Arab slave and ivory traders ventured through wild country where the tribes were least sophisticated and most dangerous — and where the elephants and other trophy animals dwelled. Today, Africa’s most popular photo safari areas are its south and southeast, mainly due to wide-open ecosystems home to countless fauna and flora.

Most itineraries are organized around luxury lodges — some stone and thatch, others large tents akin to canvas suites, with several days at several lodges. For more remote destinations with few or no roads, like northern Botswana and southern Tanzania, fly-in safaris are more common, with small bush planes shuttling guests between lodges.

Many lodges offer walking as an option, but walking safaris have you on foot with an armed guard most or all of the time, sometimes walking each day from one pre-erected camp to another. Canoe trails  are conducted down some of Africa’s great rivers, such as the Zambezi between Zimbabwe and Zambia with small groups of up to eight paddling in two-person canoes from one pre erected camp to another (not recommended for first-timers). Finally, mobile safaris put you in Land Rovers or Toyota Land Cruisers fitted with extra seats, long-range fuel tanks, high canopies, and large windows. Most are self-sufficient camping affairs using a mix of public and private campsites, and sometimes booking into luxury lodges along the way.

Top destinations

Botswana is rainy from late November through February, while June-October is prime game-spotting season.  Mostly small, spread-out tented camps allow for low-density viewing; they’re either luxury tented camps or low-end, with visitors expected to put up their own tents and assist with chores.

One of Africa’s greatest remaining nature sanctuaries, accessed by light aircraft and four-wheel-drive vehicles, its Okavango Delta covers more than 6,000 square miles (almost 16,000  square km) of waterways, palm-filled islands, and lagoons and harbors the most animal and plant species in the southern hemisphere. Activities include game drives in open vehicles, guided island walks, and poling through shallow, reed-lined channels in makoros (dugout canoes).

In East Africa,  Kenya’s and Tanzania’s numerous national parks are known for their vast array of species and especially for their annual wildebeest migration. Following the Serengeti’s April/May rains, wildebeest move into its western corridor toward the Mara River, generally staying in Kenya’s Maasai Mara late July to early November before returning to the Serengeti. Rainy seasons are April through early June and November/early December.

National parks and reserves cover over eight percent of Kenya. The “Big Five” (elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard) can be seen in Masai Mara and Amboseli national parks, amongst others; remote Samburu holds unique species like Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, and Grevy’s zebra; viewing’s best July through September and January through March. Masai Mara’s undulating hills and rolling grasslands support huge animal populations, including elephants, cheetahs, leopards, Cape buffalos, giraffe, gazelles, Topi antelope, and Africa’s largest lion population; in the Mara River there are also hundreds of hippos and crocodiles.

Top among Tanzania’s extraordinary wildlife and grand landscapes are the year-round snow-capped peaks of majestic Mount Kilimanjaro; mighty, mystical Ngorongoro Crater; and the Serengeti National Park, with more than three million large animals spread across vast.

Semi-desert and one of Africa’s least populated countries, Namibia’s all about unspoiled nature, rich wildlife, abundant sunshine, and striking beauty, with a short rainy season in November and the main rains in February and March.

Etosha National Park is mainly saline desert, savannah, and woodlands;  its main feature is the Etosha Pan, a shallow depression stretching some 6,133 square kilometers (about 2,400 square miles). This white “place of dry water” is very different from Africa’s other reserves; some days it’s a shimmering sheet of mirages on which the animals appear to be floating on air. Its more than 110 mammal species include rare endangered species such as black rhino and black-faced impala, the latter unique to northwestern Namibia and southwestern Angola.

In South Africa’s top wildlife destination, Kruger National Park, annual rains fall late November through February; the rest of the year’s mostly dry. Game-spotting’s good almost year round, but July and August are considered low season, so fewer tourists come to the lodges and you can score some great deals. In actual fact, it’s still a superb time for game viewing.

Many luxury lodges line Kruger’s western boundary in three main areas: Sabi Sands, Timbivati, and Manyaleti. Sabi Sands is best for year-round game; a two- or three-night stay should yield “Big Five” sightings at the very least.

Uganda  is where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle, and the only place in Africa where you can watch lions prowling the open plains in the morning, track wild chimpanzees through the rainforest in the afternoon, then the next day navigate tropical channels teeming with hippo and crocodiles before setting off into misty mountains to spend time with Uganda’s stars: its highly endangered mountain gorillas. Seeing these gentle giants up close is as humbling as it is thrilling, particularly when one realizes that there are a mere 700 or so left in the wild, found only in Bwindi National Park and the Virunga Mountains. Heavy rains come March through May, then lighter rains in October/November.

Bigger than Texas, Zambia has big, unspoiled national parks with tremendous game viewing, especially on walking safaris.  It’s rainy, though, so the season’s fairly short;  the best time is June through October, but April/May and November/December also offer decent wildlife spotting.

The 3500-square-mile (9,000-square-kilometer) Luangwa Valley is one of Africa’s last unspoiled wilderness areas and one of its finest wildlife sanctuaries. The Luangwa River meanders through, and oxbow lagoons, woodlands, and plains harbor huge animal populations, including elephants, buffalos, lions, giraffes, and hippos; Luangwa’s especially well known for leopards.

Zimbabwe  may be a disaster politically and economically, but it’s still top-notch and safe for game viewing, with unspoiled wilderness and outstanding variety of wildlife,  including endangered species which once roamed all Africa.  Dry except during for late November through February; game spotting is good for most of the year, and peak season runs June through October.

Hwange National Park includes vast open palm-fringed plains, acacia woodlands, and mopane forests with elephants, buffalos, sables, roans, giraffe, wildebeests, impalas, and sometimes oryx. It’s also tops for predators — lions, leopards, wild dog, and cheetah, along with the smaller African wildcats, serval, honey badger, civits, and hyenas.

More info: Tripatini’s Africa Safaris group.

Drought and war in eastern Africa have left more than 20 million people in desperate need of emergency food aid, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

“The situation is very worrying due to expected crop and pasture failures from poor rains in several areas, the increase in conflicts, trade disruptions and continuing high food prices,” the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.

In its latest report on food and crop prospects (www.fao.org), FAO said delayed rains and dry spells often followed by floods had hurt crops and pastures in Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda.

Read more [Reuters]

Satellite-based insurance for livestock has been developed in Kenya to measure the country’s “greenness,” safeguarding herders against droughts and other effects of climate change.

Slated to begin in early 2010, Kenya will be the first developing nation to set up a satellite insurance mechanism.

Specialists will study satellite images measuring the greenness of vegetation in the northern Marsabit region. If there is a shift to brown, pastoralists who rely on the land will be paid for the deaths of their livestock predicted to follow such a vegetative transition.

Read more [MediaGlobal/Voice of the global south]