Discovering Kenya

January 10, 2004 ISSUE #002

Jambo and Asante Sana for becoming a ‘Discovering Kenya‘ Member. The new year is finally here and a new promise to yourself that this year will get you to experience your dream vacation! So, get yourself comfortable and enjoy!...and I promise to make it short and sweet, with exciting news and updates.

1. Intro
2. Contents
3. New additions of the Month
- New Book
- Safari Tour Operator
4. Local Music Artists Info
5. Little history on Kenya Tea
6. Conservation efforts
7. Local News

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New additions of the Month:

a. Mandela, Mobutu, and Me: A Bittersweet Journal of Africa by Lynne Duke
"Mandela, Mobutu, and Me" is a clear-eyed account of the hard realities the author discovered, including the devastation wrought by ruthless dictators like Mobutu and his successor, Kabila. The murderous activities of warlords in the Congo, and the appalling indifference of Europeans and Americans to the legacy of their own exploitation of the continent make this an emotional read. But Duke also records the highpoints, writing with warmth and admiration about Nelson Mandela and others who embody the visionary leadership that serves as an antidote to the chaos and killings. Most of all, she pays tribute to the irrepressible, generous spirit of ordinary Africans who, she reminds us, far outnumber the cruel and power-mad tyrants responsible for Africa's tarnished reputation.
I found this book hard to get into at first, but once involved, it was difficult to put down. Since the author is African American, this book will offer a unique perspective (There are very few African American journalists writing about Africa).
Lynne Duke has been a staff writer at ‘The Washington Post’ for more than fifteen years. She currently writes from the newspaper’s New York bureau.

b. Safari Tour Operator
‘Explore! Worldwide’ believes in smaller groups, meaning fewer footprints. ‘Explore’ is very much dedicated to Responsible Tourism and has been rewarded by a ’3-Star Responsible Tourism status’ by the Association of Independent Tour Operators, which is the highest level achievable.
The prices are fabulous and definitely worth checking out. Ask for a catalog, it’s pretty cool and makes you wanna go on your trip even more. ;)

Local Musicians Info
There is a brand new music style in Kenya, called Kendian, short for Kenya-India and it was created by Bhangra disc jockey-cum-singer Shaheed Ali Khan. He is better known under DJ Sak and he feels this new style is a reflection of his double heritage.
He has already released a song called Twanga Twanga with a little collaboration from hip-hop crooner Moustafa Daoud of Deux Vultures. The song is a successful fusion of Kenyan and Indian rhythms, with a blend of techno and hip-hop beats.
In late 2002, DJ Sak released another hit song, Ni Friday, off his 14-track CD titled, Mpenzi (Kiswahili for lover). It received good airplay on FM stations in East Africa. (You can catch it on Kiss 100).
With his state-of-the-art studio at his Nairobi South C estate house, DJ Sak is not only looking forward to producing more songs, but also helping up-and-coming musicians to record.

Little history on Kenya Tea and some more info
Considering the non coffee drinkers among us, we added a little information page about Kenya Tea . Although most of Kenya’s tea is being used as a blend, mostly for ‘English breakfast’ tea, if you look around a little, you will find pure Kenya tea and it is absolutely wonderful. Both coffee website links on the Coffee page offer Kenya tea, should you want to give a try. I find it to be a soft tea with an excellent delightful aroma. Researches claim that tea has a lot of health benefits, so, what more can I say?!

We’ve also added a brand new, constantly growing 'LINKS' page, which already features a multitude of very exciting sites where you can find more information about Kenya as well as links to places where you will find everything you can possibly need to travel in general. Just a little warning....it’s hard to leave these sites without making a purchase. Happy exploring!

Conservation efforts
The Nation Aberdare Forest Fund has received a Sh100,000 donation from the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA). Mr. Ngugi, EATTA chairman ,said that the association recognized efforts made by various organizations to protect what little remained of Kenya’s indigenous forests. The association has also donated a similar amount to the Rhino Ark and the Friends of Mau Watershed. Nation Media Group chief executive officer Mr. Kiboro thanked the association for the donation, noting that conserving the environment was everyone’s responsibility.

Exciting news for AWF! The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) received a top, four-Star overall rating by Charity Navigator. AWF was also ranked Four-Star for its organizational efficiency and organizational capacity.
Charity Navigator is a non-profit organization which works to help charitable givers make intelligent giving decisions by providing information on over 2,600 charities and by evaluating the financial health of each of them.
Charity Navigator defines AWF’s Four-Star ranking as ‘exceeding industry standards and outperforming most charities in its cause’.

Local News, coffee related
From the ‘Daily Nation on the Web’, Tuesday December 23, 2003
A world conference aimed at promoting Africa’s finest and wildest coffee will be held in Nairobi in February 2004. This first ever World’s Wildest Coffee Conference to be held in Nairobi, has been organized by the East African Fine Coffee Association (EAFCA).
The conference is expected to attract exhibitors from, among others, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Coffee roasters, buyers and industry leaders from USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, India, Brazil, Philippines and South America are also expected to take part.....
Kenya will market its coffee during the conference, which will provide an opportunity for the coffee dealers to meet the buyers.
The country’s coffee is reputed to be among the best in the world. It is widely used by unscrupulous business men to blend poor quality coffee from other countries to fetch good prices....

This is it for this New Years issue, whishing everybody a great start to planning and putting together a trip to Kenya this year and Kwa heri (Good by) for now.

Siggi

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