The Milgis Trust

Category: De-brazza Monkeys, Eco-tourism, Livestock, Matthews range, Water holes, elephants | Date: Jul 08 2009 | By: milgistrust

Why?…. I suppose its because there are more people on the world??….. IE More trying to live off less… In Northern Kenya we can expect a pretty bad drought every ten years, but its worse each time… And this time its no exception… I’ve just come back from another beautiful safari in the Matthews, we climbed to the top, but we could not avoid seeing the people and animals enduring hard times…. And doing more damage just to stay alive… As in the pictures below…

Two valuable trees cut down for hungry livestock to try to keep them alive… But then what will they eat tomorrow?… We have so much work to do on this issue..

During our safari we saw plenty of Elephants, but every time one could not but think … Where is the nearest water?, for this beautiful herd of Elephants… Most of the wells we came across are over 20 feet deep, not even a chance for them, but we found flowing mountain water, thanks to the beautiful forest above on the slopes of the Matthews range, in the Ngare Narok Lugga, where the De Brazza monkeys frequent.. Indeed two herds of Elephants came into drink, at the same time, just behind our camp, plenty of trumpeting went on, which made our little camp with the camels all hobbled abit restless!!..

Huge tree in the Matthews range… Strangler fig, growing up a Newtonia..

Below is a positive note from a geologist who comes out to Kenya a lot… and he seems to be giving us some bright news!

Lets look at the forecasts at the Climate Prediction Centre and the
International Research Institute for Climate and Society. We are
currently moving into an El Nino year, slightly anomalous sea-surface
temperatures in the W Pacific, the El Nino/Southern Oscillation is
coupled with the Indian Ocean Dipole that influences E African
rainfall. They are not yet sure about the strength of the El Nino if
it comes later this year. El Nino means more intense short (oct-nov)
rains for most parts of E Africa. The prediction maps do not show any
difference in the rains from other years except for Oct-November where
there is a 40% probability of heavier rains in this time of the year.
Well, get an umbrella soon!!!

Our Milgis Trust website has been updated, If any of you have got time to read whats going on, it out lines all our plans and goals…

Finally a little note on how Pete is doing!! Hes walking!!… But the Doctor is still working on getting all the dead tissue, killed by the Snakes poison, out of his foot… What a palaver… but hes in good spirits, and looking forward to getting back to the bush…

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Category: Eco-tourism, Health, Northern Frontier District | Date: Jun 23 2009 | By: milgistrust

We are all conservationists , us lot who write the blogs and our readers!, but I can see we are divided, about SNAKES!!..Thanks so much for every ones nice ‘ good recovery’ comments to Pete!… Actually he is back in hospital, as now the secondary infection which we have been warned about is coming out.. Abscesses, but we hope to have that under control soon, and get on to the ‘home strait soon’… Ay, Ay, Ay…The moral of the story is don’t get bitten by a snake! We all know that but as Anna hopes, and I hope!!, it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time… But Anna, I thought two wrongs made a right!?? To be positive the Right of this is we’ve all learnt abit more, and all your comments are adding to our experience…But Sheryl, when you come to Africa, if I’ve made 48 years with out even a threat from a snake, don’t worry!!.. I’ll send a Samburu into the shower with you with his ‘rungu’ because after two days here we won’t beable to live with you!!!

Our trip to the doc., turned out to be a ‘funny’ story, now at least, as Pete has got over it, and the doc apologised!! We had been told that if there are any signs of soft swellings etc to go and see a doctor…So we make an appointment, and head to Nanyuki Cottage hospital, Dr Butt is an expert on snake bite, but as we are getting out of the car we get a phone call that don’t bother to come unfortunately there has been two emergencies, and he can’t see you, but we persevered and waited, and we were told 2 hours and he will be with you… Good news.. !! But suddenly, 15 minutes before our ‘D’ time a vehicle comes racing in at high speed..There was guy who had been shot, so we were told sorry but you’ll have to come back tomorrow.. Luckily the head nurse had seen Pete, and she told the doctor… Sorry please give Pete 5 minutes… When he saw Pete’s ankle, he now realised he had two more emergencies, but the operating theatre was already occupied.. The doc made a quick decision, and Pete had to endure a ‘bush type op.!’as if he had left it any longer, it would turned into septicaemia… Pete nearly expired!.. But he survived to tell the tale, and today he is feeling so much better!!..

Bob, actually probably the snake expert of all of us!… glad you saw my blog, actually was going to contact you on this experience, when you update your book, you must ask Wamba hospital, about all the various, esp.red spitter bites they deal with.. While we were there was a woman who was bitten on her finger, and they actually brought the snake in for identification!… On our part, at 3 am with Pete there was no sign of panic, or surprise they went about getting the Fav-Afrique anti-venom, into Pete as soon as possible!!… Two weeks before two children sleeping in the same bed, one was bitten on the cheek, pretty big reaction, the other one was bitten on the forehead,.. no reaction at all .. obviously all the venom had gone into the first, one!.. Both cases were lucky to be close to Wamba!.. That Rendille kid was pretty lucky to find you!.. The good news!!, as most of us conservationists believe… is really, snakes are usually heading in the opposite direction, and don’t want to know… What is strange about this incident is… The snake came from the out side.. he was not cornered, Pete actually was, although he did not know it, until it was too late.. !! Wrong place at wrong time!!.. or what??

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Category: Eco-tourism, Milgis lugga | Date: Apr 19 2009 | By: milgistrust

Sorry every one… The most important photo on Stellas Blog, is the picture of her bedroom at Elkanto, but it did not go on… So I’m trying again…

If it hasn’t come up, I’ll try to describe it for you… Imagine a 360 degrees view from your bed… Remember you are on a hill, 600 hundred feet above the surrounding area…

Elkanto Hill taken from the Parsaloi Lugga.. Matthews behind..

At night… There is no light pollution at all so you can see every star and planet, and any thing else exciting out there in the sky, bright, bright!, right to the horizon… you can sometimes see the north star, and we are only 1 degrees north of the equator! Hey Stella, ‘ You are not meant to sleep well at Elkanto, because you will miss every thing!!..’ Including all those beautiful night creatures that pass your bed on their way to water!.. Yes we have water, pumped by a solar pump… IE when the sun rises, water comes up the hill!! for the animals and birds..

In the morning this is what you wake up to… To the south.. You look down the Laana Nikan Lugga, as it snakes its way about 40 kms down from the Sware plains [ some people call it the Seiya Lugga, because thats what it says on the map!, but actually the Seiya is further up stream flowing out of the Kirisia hills and it becomes the Laana Nikan where it meets the Ngeng flowing out from the southern end of the Matthews!] beyond that sometimes you can see Mt Kenya, 150 Kms away..

Mt Kenya, taken at Dawn through binoculars, from Elkanto!

Going round to the East you have the full range of the Matthews. Then the Milgis Lugga [ this picture] as it meanders off towards the Kaisut desert, when its clear you can see about 100kms, the dramatic rocks of Laisamis, and Losai.. Turning to wards the north the full range of the powerful looking Ndotos, a majestically blue look to them, with the brown rolling hills of Latakwen in the fore ground, turning to the west, again the huge Parsaloi Lugga winding its way from the northern end of the Kirisia hills…. Many people that visit this remote, secluded spot.. Are generally speechless, not because they have walked up the hill!, but because the view in all directions is exquisite!!!

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Category: Eco-tourism, Samburu | Date: Apr 18 2009 | By: milgistrust

I had been working in one of London’s top advertising agencies until something ‘clicked’ and I realised my skills, abilities and passion for life were being squandered on an unworthy cause…I wanted to go to Africa and work in conservation, there was no doubt about it, but the question was how and where?

So I started with researching Richard Leakey. I knew of his work and his good reputation within conservation and I soon found out he had created a blog site for networking called Wildlife Direct. Reading through the recent posts I came across a wonderfully avid blog from the Milgis Trust. So there it began and having followed Helen Douglas-Dufresne’s passionate and straight-to-the-point snippets of life in northern Kenya I made a decision to take my first step and emailed her asking whether she might consider me as a willing volunteer, not expecting to receive any reply at all. So quite unexpectedly, she replied saying “just come” with her go-with-the-flow outlook on life…and as they say the rest is history…here I am in the depths of Africa and loving every second!

Here’s just a little snippet of my life so far….

Delicately thatched roofs appeared like a mirage in the balmy morning haze as the plane gently swooped over Elkanto’s peak (the Trust’s HQ). I regrettably had little chance to see much else on the flight up from Nairobi to the depths of Samburuland as I struggled against my queasy belly as it twisted and churned with the current of the wind and the lurch of the plane. Thankfully my complaining stomach soon heaved a sigh of relief as Pete’s gentle dive glided us effortlessly along a humble runway dotted with dozing camels and tufts of bush. Clambering out onto terra firma the warm fresh air filled my lungs, as fiery rays of the African sun flushed colour back into my cheeks.

I marvelled at the muscular hills that rolled smoothly around me; the towering Ndotos and the emerald mounds of the Mathews stretching as far as the eye could see.

I soon focused on a figure striding across the runway; a colourful kikoi twisted around her head. Adorned with bright beads and Samburu trinkets Helen greeted me with a warm smile and a welcoming hug, and led me to a table standing under a shady tree laden with tasty treats for brunch. I was then greeted warmly with firm handshakes and smiles all around by Helen’s loyal Samburu crew, of which a few were dressed gracefully in their proud Samburu regalia radiating with majestic aura.

A slow and bumpy drive in the back of a ‘Landy’ pulled us up the west side of Elkanto. Hanging on tightly I watched as long-eared Dikdiks scuttled into the thick bush at the bottom of the hill and multi-coloured birds fluttered into the bright blue sky.

Enchanting singing suddenly echoed from the peak of the hill, thinking someone had turned on the radio I paid little attention. As we rounded the last corner a procession of Samburu women greeted us with their soothing song. Dressed to the chin in delicately entwined beads and lengths of vivacious cloth they danced in perfect unity….The women of a community half a day’s walk away in the blistering sun had come to see Helen. Presenting her with a beautifully designed hanging, beaded in Swahili reading ‘Mama Helen’ they humbly finished their mesmerising performance. I soon found out they had come to ask Helen for help with finding a market for their jewellery and Samburu arts and crafts so they could afford some independence.

So I had only been in the Milgis for half an hour and I had already been well and truly immersed in this amazing land.

An early start was awaiting me in the morning, as I tried to imagine the celebrations the water opening would bring the next day, so I retired to bed.

Torch securely in hand I retraced my steps back to my bed, which now sat on the edge of the hill away from the shelter of the banda. ‘When was the last time you slept under the stars’ I was casually asked.’ Enjoy the night’! As wonderful as it was, it went against everything I had known. Every noise and shadow played tricks on my imagination as I pulled the bed sheets tighter under my neck.

Not even the smiling stars could soothe my twitching nerves as the gravel scratched under my bed and I pictured a hungry leopard deciding which limb to gnaw on first. At one point I had to laugh - was I dreaming? The sun soon rose, shedding safe light over the hill as I awoke from my light slumber. My fears had obviously tired me out and I had slept restlessly at total surrender to the creatures that prowled the night. Regardless of my fears it was an experience I will never forget and one that I think should be had by all. Especially when I had my morning shower under the bough of a helpful tree and elephants meandered peacefully just a stone’s throw below.

This is real nature; we’ve all just evolved so far away from it!

Well, the Latakwen celebrations -where do I begin?! I think Helen has summed it up wonderfully but from an outsiders perspective you really can’t quite describe the joy and gratefulness that emanated from these beautiful people. Their songs, dances and smiling faces touched every emotion and at times I had to bite back the tears (happy tears that is) it was just so overwhelming. Everything about these people, their life and their amazing environment attacks all the senses and makes you feel truly alive!

I’ve certainly found something worth fighting to protect and I can’t express how wonderful it is to be part of something so special.

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Category: Conservation Awareness, Eco-tourism, Education, Health, Lions, Livestock, Mt Kulal, Mt Nyiru, elephants | Date: Nov 19 2008 | By: milgistrust

As I’ve said before… Nomadic communities, to put up with living with wildlife has it trials and tribulations… There are numerous reports from the scouts of predators of all kinds killing the peoples goats, cows, and camels… Elephants break their wells, that have taken them hours to dig, they tear down trees, when we are telling every one not to cut them!!…etc… All those ” bad ” things that wild animals do!!!… So people need to see benefits, or they will not see the point in looking after them… We do camel safaris through out this area, and we pay camping and conservation fees to the communities, and lots of people get employment, but we are not big enough for every one to benefit…Other wise there is very little tourism in the area… Its maybe too remote…[suits me!] Anyway the Milgis Trust has many other projects… Schools, employing teachers, water development, we help with many health problems… It all seems to be happening at the moment…

The SOLAR PANELS ARE IN FINALLY!!…Justus O, Karen B, Nora L, Robert S, and Charlotte B…Thank you all of you from all the Elders, Women and Milgis Pre-School Students from Ilgwe Eldome for giving them water again… Nobody in this wild area ever in their wildest dreams thought that somebody could cut the frame and get away with 4 big solar panels… Although there was somebody looking after them he wasn’t too serious, they had no idea they were so valuable… To them they look like a piece of magic glass, that takes water out of a well and pumps it 4 kms up a hill… !! We are sure it must have been some visiting tradesmen who took them…This issue became a huge problem in the community… When Diane Terry from Private Journeys, came on safari in July they could not stand it either and pledged the money!! Thanks so much…But what a palaver getting them up there in their metal cast so that nobody can steal them again….. So we do apologise that it has taken so long…. The elders waited all day, while they were being installed so that they could put a spell on the panels, in there own way…We now have two serious watchmen!!…

The elders came to say a special prayer to stop the solar panels from ever being stolen again…

We are building TWO new class rooms, one in Latakwen, and one at the Milgis School… Plus a store for the MS and we have fenced the school, with live comifera trees…65 Women did it in one day… All thanks to TOTO TRUST UK….

This week the water will be in Latakwen…Thanks to the VOSS foundation… The community are digging the one and a half km trench from the well to the town, schools and dispensary… All residents of the area have been given there quota of digging… great team spirit… I don’t dare try to put more photos on this page…

Three children were picked up by aircraft yesterday!!… thanks to East African Air Charters, and MEAK [ Medical and Educational Aid] and taken to Nairobi… Two with heart problems, and the other was the girl who was shot through her mouth… Dee Belliere of MEAK has decided that she needed further care and took her to the amazing Bethany children’s hospital in Kijabe for further treatment… Today she is undergoing a big operation.. Thanks to all…

Lastly… But very important for Milgis every day operations..VHF BASE RADIO moves to a higher hill for better communications…We are moving the radio room to a hill that is almost 1000 feet higher than Elkanto, just across the Parsaloi Lugga…. We need better communications to our VHF Radios to the North, and the radio will be on all day and all night…All the materials are being carried up with manpower!, or camels if they can, fit them on… Water and food will be delivered once a week by camel… Thank you Shikar Safari Club Foundation..for helping.. especially in our endeavour to see the Elephants safely home to the Northern mountains…

Tyeing the makuti [ palm thatch] on the New radio house on Orok Onyuki hill…The North end of the Ndoto mountains in the distance…The view from this hill is fabulous… I want to be the radio operator!!….

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