News archives.................... 

2006

November 2006:  Field Day    (coastweek.com)

"The Holistic Organic Farm Field Day"

*Seeing is different from being told*

Baobab Trust and the Ministry of Agriculture held an open day on the Mtopanga training farm on Wednesday 29^th November 2006 attended by 250 farmers and visitors, some from as far as Makindu and Mtito Andei.

The principles of a holistic approach in organic farming were demonstrated and the use of natural techniques were explained.  Visitors, mainly farmers learnt how to clean and sterilize muddy water using sun and plant seeds, while fish culture and vegetable irrigation can be combined.  A small-scale feed-lot biogas unit and various medicinal plants cultures were part of the demonstration. 

Most farmers were impressed with the new modern biogas installed in the farm house as well as the fish ponds and fish tanks.

Visitors enjoyed a cup of lemon grass tea cooked on biogas and other energy saving jikos.

The Executive Officer from the Ministry of Agriculture was the guest of honor on this day.

October 2006:  Official launch and opening ceremony of the Library This took place on the 24th October 2006 at Nguuni Nature Sanctuary.  The Library, which is now stocked with over 7000 books will benefit the school children and hope to increase reading culture amongst the surrounding communities.

A Fund-Raising Lunch was held on the 28th October 2006 at Nguuni Sanctuary. The event was organised by Sue Williams.

September 2006  :International Coastal Cleanup Kenya 2006 - The Trust  participated in the annual beach cleanup which was held on the 16th September 2006. The event was organised by Bamburi Cement Ltd. and Keen Kleeners Nairobi - after the Trust handed over the exercise to Fred Sewe (Keen Kleeners) in 2005.  More information of the ICC event..   www.coastalcleanup.org

Private Safaris Ltd./Kuoni celebrated 100 years in Nguuni Nature Sanctary on the 9th September 2006.  An outing for the staff including a BBQ lunch and a guided nature walk and a sundowner.

August 2006 : Nguuni Nature Sanctuary appears in Coastweek Newspapers/Website  (4th Aug-10th Aug 2006)

June 2006  :A trip was organised for the Kimbunga community nursery school to release turtle hatchlings on (30th June 2006) The hatchlings were brought from the Trust (Bamburi) hatchery early morning at the Public Beach.  The event was fun, fascinating and created awareness amongst the children for these endangered species.

The staff at Baobab Trust celebrated World Environment Day (5th June 2006)  by planting trees at Nguuni Nature Santuary.

From left:: Stephen Ndeje, Geoffrey Orodi, Benard Mwakina, Jonathan Charo,  Mwayura Mganga, Michael Ngala, Khamis Rajab, Sonal Singh, Richard Sigilai, Gabriel Ndeje, Michael Mjomba and Dr. R D Haller

2005

Initial Fish Farming Course

December 2005

A 2-day practical training session was held for a farmer's group from Makindu - Women and Children for Alternative Lives on the 5th and 6th December 2005.

   Training - lecture                                        Tilapia fish released at Kimbunga

Course successfully completed

Louise Piper's visit to Baobab Trust

Louise Piper, Trustee (& Director - The Haller Foundation www.thehallerfoundation.com) spent a week with the Trust for a Board meeting and visited the various on-going projects.

                 Nguuni Nature Sanctuary                           Kimbunga with Gabriel (community mobilzer)

International Coastal Cleanup, Kenya 2005

17th Saturday September 2005

  Will you be one of them?  Coastweek: 26thAug-1stSep2005

Baobab Trust has organised and co-ordinated the ICC another year again since 1993. 

Being an entirely volunteer effort, support came from various enthusiastic individuals and organisations in different forms; in-kind contribution as well as financial assistance, which made this one-day event a success. A big thank-you to all our sponsors, donors and participants. More details on the cleanup, please contact baobab.trust@bamburi.lafarge.com.

Friends of Fort Jesus visit the Demonstration Organic Farm and Nguuni Nature Sanctuary

6th Saturday, August 2005

 A field trip was organised for Members from FFJ  to the Farm and the Sanctuary.  Dr. Haller showed them around the various projects which made up composting and recycling.  The team proceeded to the Sanctuary for tea where they were all fascinated by the sunset and not forgetting got to see at a close range the giraffes, eland, oryx and other animals.

"Open Day' - 16th March 2005

A successful open-day was held with more than 160 visitors.  Based on the theme 'Water is food' the Trust in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture demonstrated use of water, recycling to promote food security.

2004

Bamburi Cement Ltd. donates the Trust a double cabin Pick-up

September 2004

On the 24th September 2004, Baobab Trust received good news that they would have a vehicle to carry out their activities with much more efficiency and smoothly.  This was made possible by Bamburi Cement Ltd.  The Trust is very grateful for the generous donation of the double cabin Nissan pickup.  Thank you Bamburi Cement!

                 Baobab Trust team

 From left: Ali Salim, Michael Mjomba, Benard Mwakina, Sarah Ater (former employee)                              Marion Teichmann (former Technical Advisor DED/Baobab Trust), Sonal Singh & Khamis Rajab

Nguuni Nature Sanctuary now home to 7 Giraffes

August 2004

Above Left: Giraffe transported through Kiembeni, Above Centre: Arriving at Nguuni in specially constructed trailer, Above Right: Happy in their new home.

Haller Park donated giraffes to Nguuni. The animals were firstly darted and a hood placed over their heads to ensure that they remained calm, then lead into the specially designed trailer, the 5km journey from the Haller Park, located on the Mombasa-Malindi Road through Kiembeni and up to the Trust's Nguuni Nature Sanctuary where they were released into the new Giraffe Boma before being let loose into the whole of the sanctuary.

The 7 Giraffes now in Nguuni (4 Females and 3 males) are: Pansy the first Giraffe at the Haller Park born in 1990, a Rothschild-Maasi Cross a large male called Sir Willy. Nane and Kumi two pure Rothschild Giraffes, Saba, Tisa and most recently, born in 2001 Kuminamoja who are Pansy's offspring born here in Mombasa. 

To arrange a visit to the Nguuni Nature Sanctuary, contact Sonal Singh at Baobab Trust on (Sonal.Singh@bamburi.lafarge.com)

Read more on the Sanctuary

Field Day at Baobab Trust was a full success!

4th August 2004

Above Left: An Organic Kitchen Garden, Above Centre: Organic Farming - the benefits of mulching, Above Right: Biogas Production demonstrated in conjunction with JuaNguvu Ltd.

The Field Day on Baobab Trust Mtopanga Demonstration Farm (shamba – farm in Kiswahili) was a successful day.  Over 200 farmers and visitors were greeted by the Divisional Extension Coordinator and Kisauni Division. An extension officer of the Ministry of Agriculture explained to the groups what organic farming is and how the farmers can make their own organic insecticides.

Various demonstrations were explained:  how a duck fish pond system works,  mulching, organic fertilizers and indigenous vegetables, how cow manure can be transformed into biogas or be used to improve the compost, charcoal making, 

Bamburi Cement Ltd. HIV Programme kindly donated posters and put up an information stand. 

The successful day ended with speech from the guest of honour Mr. Odondi, the Provincial Director of Agriculture. He pointed out the importance of using farming methods and technologies adapted to the dry coastal climate, as they are shown at Baobab Trust and he thanked the Trust for offering the Training programmes to the farmers and the good co-operation of the Trust and the Ministry of Agriculture. 

Above: Visitors listening to Mr Odondi's Speech

Baobab Trust would like to thank the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Livestock and all those who attended. 

Nguuni Nature Sanctuary Featured in Coastweek
2nd July 2004

Baobab Trust's Nguuni Nature Sanctuary was featured in an article written by Neta Peal of Mombasa's Local Newspaper: Coastweek, Neta comments on the beauty of the area and its benefits for wildlife, tourists and local communities alike. Other Baobab Trust activities are also mentioned such as the Mtopanga demonstration farm and the Trust's collaboration with DED (German Development Service) and the Ministry of Agriculture in providing assistance for local communities, giving a current example of a community project producing small energy saving stoves (Jiko Kuni Mbili).

For the full article please visit the Coastweek website: http://www.coastweek.com/2727-18.htm
 

New project to archive and upload scientific research carried out at Bamburi over many years.

May 2004 - Librarian post

Jon Sheppard, an environmental sciences graduate is heading for Bamburi.  He will spend three months organising the research library for the Baobab Trust, funding it though friends, family, sponsors and money raised himself.  Over the past 20 years many PHD and other students have spent time working with Dr. Rene Haller and the Baobab Trust, carrying out botanical, biological and zoological research.  One of Jonathan's tasks will be to collate and sort the reports and publish some of their most significant findings on the Baobab Trust website.

Baobab Trust hosts bio-gas seminar

24th April 2004

The Baobab trust held a seminar to show farmers how to make bio-gas from manure using simple oil drums. The gas can be used for cooking instead of having to buy charcoal. 

Group Dynamics Workshop 

 17th March 2004

For the last two years Baobab Trust has worked very closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Livestock. The overall objective of this co-operation is to assist the local farming communities to practice sustainable agriculture.

The workshop

While working with farmer groups, extension staff and Baobab Trust faced several problems, which were not mere technical but were rather caused by social problems within the groups themselves. Therefore, the technical advisor from ded (German Development Service), who is attached with Baobab Trust organised and held a workshop on Group Dynamics.

The workshop was facilitated by the technical advisor, Dr. Marion Teichmann (ded) and co-facilitated by Mrs. Jacqueline Ombaka, an extension officer with the  Ministry of Agriculture.                                

The Haller Foundation gets charitable status 
(Feb 2004)


The Haller Foundation has just received Charitable Status in the UK. The foundation will be raising funds to help support some Baobab Trust projects.  It is named after Dr. Rene Haller.

International Coastal Cleanup 2003
(20th September 2003)

Over 1500 volunteers participated in last year's Coastal Cleanup, including divers!  They collected over 14,000 kgs of rubbish, including live 2 turtles (Lamu & Mombasa) ensnared in fishing nets, zillions of flip flops and even a barbed wire fence!  The Kenyan Environment Minister made a key note address at the Ceremony afterwards.  

Highlights of the day

Sponsors

2003 Kenya Summary Results