Still here in Nairobi...

Well, I am embarrassed at the length of time it has been since I wrote last. My intentions were to keep everyone updated on life here in Kenya. Oh well. Isn’t there a saying about “good intentions?” Instead of writing one massive post about everything that has happened, I will try and write a few notes over the coming week, and post them periodically (the important word in that sentence was “try”).

First off, I am still here—Nairboi, that is. Once again, I was asked to extend my trip until mid-December. It seems as though I always come back from Africa right before Christmas. I think my family is getting tired of African Christmas presents; I may have to get really creative this year. There are a couple of weddings that I will miss (Amy and Carolyn—again, I am sorry. I hope you two will understand.) But I am very excited about the coming months.

I was asked to extend my trip primarily due to the newest project on which I have been working. This new project is in conjunction with one of the big multi-lateral organizations, and is a bit more finance focused than some of the other projects. The multi-lateral wants to set up a financing facility here in the region, and has quite a few partners interested in being part of the program. We were doing some due diligence and research here on the ground, to define the parameters of the project and propose a structure for the financing facility. (This project is still in the conceptual phase, so I have to be a bit vague at this point.) The initial research phase of the project was funded through the end of September. A few weeks back, the project stakeholders showed enough interest to potentially extend the research/pilot phase for a couple of months, and I was asked to extend my stay here until mid-December. If this project doesn’t continue, there are plenty of other projects that could use some extra help, so I was confident and enthusiastic enough to stay around and see what happens. Early this week, I should have a clearer idea of the work to be done over the coming months.

When I last wrote, I had just been asked to write a business plan for a group of dairy farmers in western Kenya. That was finished long ago. Rumor has it that the group was very excited about the proposal, and is working towards meeting the various targets that we outlined in the document. In fact, just last Thursday, I saw some of the field staff here in the Nairobi office, and they were all smiles. The farmer group is holding a big stakeholder meeting at the end of October, and will vote on different actions to take that will move the group closer to meeting its goals. It is fun to see your work and recommendations in action. I was invited to the meeting; I will try to attend if possible.

So let me keep it short at the moment. Suffice to say I am still here, alive and well, and as always, enjoying my time here in Kenya. I have many other adventures and projects to write about, so keep checking your Inbox and the website for more stories and photos. Hopefully they will be coming soon.

Oh, one more thing…How ‘Bout Them EAGLES!!!