As I do so often at the start of the year, I once again found myself in the remoter regions of Western Kenya. When I say ‘remote’ I do not mean that they are empty of people; quite the contrary actually.
Here, where I am travelling once again to take photographs for Ace Africa, every bit of the fertile land is under subsistence agriculture and people are to be seen everywhere at work – depending upon the season: ploughing, planting, reaping and, whenever there’s enough left over, selling their small surpluses. The area is remote though because often the people live far from roads, towns and certainly the eyes of tourists or visitors. Water is collected from rivers and carried on the women’s heads. Children are everywhere walking along, often barefoot, on the dirt roads always wearing their school uniforms. Bicycles, small local buses called Matatus and nowadays more and more of the ubiquitous boda-bodas (cheap Chinese motorcycle taxis) negotiate the potholed roads.
Around Bungoma town is the sugar heartland of the region where sugar cane can be seen growing for almost as far as the eye can see. Huge worn smooth rocky outcrops like giant boulders strew the landscape too. It is very beautiful here.
Most of these images are hopefully self explanatory. Many tell a story of a remarkable and resourceful person living against often overwhelming odds to make life work for them. The pictures are not in chronological order but hopefully they also combine to tell their own story.
My journey took me down much of the eastern shores of Lake Victoria. Into villages and communities, homes and small farms. Here people live by subsistence only; working the land or the lake to produce enough to eat for them and their nearest and dearest and then, if they’ve been successful, there’s a bit extra to sell. Sickness, poverty and brokenness abound, yet the people are always resourceful. Many Ace beneficiaries have significantly improved their lot by joining together into small groups sharing their land, labour and time.
African school children are always full of enthusiasm and energy and many here use their spare time to start projects of their own – some grow vegetables, others run small poultry or rabbit breeding projects; these are impressive entrepreneurs who delight in their small successes.
It’s a tough life for women here. They bring up the children, fetch the water, grow the food and prepare the meals and with whatever time remains try to find some way, any way, to generate some meagre income to buy necessities or the very occasional small treat but they are somehow seemingly always cheerful. Broad smiles and extraordinary hospitality greet us wherever we go. Grace Ormondi and 89 year old widow living alone and still farming her fields (pictured in this gallery) bought the Ace team a bottle of soda each – abundantly more than she could afford. The more we protested the more she insisted. This is the extraordinary generosity of the very poor – it seems that the less people have the more they are prepared to give.
- Usenge Ferry Port
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Usenge Ferry Port
The Usenge Ferry Port serves Mageta Island and a few other small communities on Lake Victoria. It ia also a fish processing and distribution centre.
- Brian Ochieng, Homabay
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Brian Ochieng, Homabay
Brian Ochieng is an impressive entrepreneurial farmer near Homabay. Every inch of his beautifully laid out land was growing something in abundance.
- Mary Papa, Neema Women’s Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
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Mary Papa, Neema Women’s Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
Mary Papa is a leader of a women’s group providing food and income girl her community.
- Sarah Nanjala Ameli, Nasuri Disabled Support Group, Stabicha Village, Kenya
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Sarah Nanjala Ameli, Nasuri Disabled Support Group, Stabicha Village, Kenya
Sarah runs a small knitting business and shop in her home as part of an Ace supported disabled group.
- Mildred Nafula and sisal. Sumuka Group, Namboani Village
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Mildred Nafula, Sumuka Group, Namboani Village
Mildred’s sisal harvest will be turned into string to use on her farm with any surplus for sale.
- Catherine Nanjala with beehive, Neema Women’s Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
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Catherine Nanjala with beehive, Neema Women’s Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
This traditional woven beehive will be coated with cow dung before being hung in a tree. Wild bees will then colonise it.
- Evans Namiti, Sumuka Group, Namboani Village
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Evans Namiti, Sumuka Group, Namboani Village
Evans harvests his plantain – type of banana that is used as a vegetable.
- Michael Ombiri, Sharon Achieng, Homabay, Kenya,
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Michael Ombiri, Sharon Achieng, Homabay, Kenya,
Michaela and his daughter Sharon sit by the drying maize harvest. Subsistence farmers produce most if not all of their own food in the area.
- Kennedy Omondi with his chickens, Siaya
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Kennedy Omondi with his chickens, Siaya
Schoolboy Kennedy has started his own poultry project in his spare time to bring in much needed revenue for his family.
- Sylvia Ann Olaka with her chickens. Usinda Primary School, East Ugenya
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Sylvia Ann Olaka, Usinda Primary School, East Ugenya
Sylvia plants and harvests her family’s fields and runs a poultry project whilst being in full time primary education.
- Rachael Simiyu in class, Orphan, Southend Academy, Bungoma, Kenya
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Rachael Simiyu in class, Orphan, Southend Academy, Bungoma, Kenya
Both Rachael’s parents have died. Rachael, on the right, sits with her friend in class. She receives sponsorship and other help through Ace Africa .
- Mahanga Primary School Biskra Charitable Trust Project Mageta Island John Clinton Ochieng,
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John Clinton Ochieng, Mageta Island, Kenya
John Is a student at a school where an Ace donor has provided solar power and lighting to class and staff rooms. Results at the school have improved beyond all expectations.
- Boy, Boro, Siaya
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Boy, Boro, Siaya
This boy caught my eye as he stood next to his home in Boro, Siaya
- Children, Ulongi, Kenya
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Children, Ulongi, Kenya
These children were sheltering from the hail and rain that almost instantly turns the ground into rivers of water and mud.
- Brick Making, Neema Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
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Brick Making, Neema Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
Each brick of the hundreds of thousands made across the region is individually handmade.
- Water Collecting 1, Usenge Ferry Port, Lake Victoria.
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Water Collecting 1, Usenge Ferry Port, Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria provides an invaluable sauce of water and food for the people,who live nearby.
- Portrait of a Brick Maker, Neema Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
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Brick Making, Neema Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
Portrait of a Brick Maker – all the bricks in the area are hand made from the local clay soil and the brick makers are covered from head to toe with the splashed excess.
- Girls’ Dormitory, Got Matar Secondary School, Bondo,
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Got Matar Secondary School, Bondo,
Girl students hang out in one of the dormitories at Got Matar Secondary School.
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Belinda, Mageta Island, Lake Victoria
Belinda, Mageta Island, Lake Victoria
- Irene Matasi, Neema Women’s Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
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Irene Matasi, Neema Women’s Group, Kamasielo Village, Kenya
Irene Matasi is a member of a successful Women’s Group that bring together skills and resources to the benefit of many.
- Grace Omondi, 89 year old woman, Ulongi,
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Grace Omondi, 89 year old woman,, Ulongi,
Grace Omondi who is 89, lives alone in her mud hut. She still looks after herself and works her land. No pension here.
- Usinda Primary School, East Ugenya
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Usinda Primary School, East Ugenya
Usinda Primary School students grow maize on part of the school’s kitchen garden project.
- Usenge Ferry Port
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Usenge Ferry Port
By sunrise the women are at the waters edge with anything they can carry water in.
- Water Collecting 2, Usenge Ferry Port, Lake Victoria.
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Water Collecting 2, Usenge Ferry Port, Lake Victoria.
Water collection is a fundamental part of most women’s day in rural Africa.