Let’s start from the beginning. My name is Laura and I am Italian. I have been volunteering for VOA4SD for 4 months. I arrived in Kenya on the 1^st May and this is when all  my adventure began.

My main duty has been to help Crystal starting the Youth Empowerment Centre in Webuye. The YEC wants to be a hub for young people in Webuye and for the community around the area. Young people will come to the centre to be trained on basic ICT skills and on a particular curriculum that will allow them to get to know how the internet can empower their lives. We will teach not only ICT but also social business, development strategies, mapping, researching and much more. At the same time the YEC wants to become also a cyber café were young people come to browse, chat, learn from each other and relax.

We are training the possible IT teachers at the moment…and soon we will start running the courses with the students…so keep looking for further updates!

When hundreds of students were busy planing and executing strikes in their schools in the academic year 2008. One student in Nakuru was burning midnight oil but on a different mission. The students saw their action as “heroic” after they razed down investments worth millions of shillings. This was one of the worst secondary school unrest that shook the country and threw the entire education sector into disarray.
But for 17years-old kelvin Macharia Kuria , his efforts saw him emerge a true hero when his Biology exhibit during the national science congress in Embu, led to the birth of a home-made insecticide which has baffled both scientist and manufacturers of insecticides.

The wondered concoction code named “ALOEMEXHOT” catapulted Kelvin into fame three months later after the national science congress held at Kangaru Girls’ high school in Embu town. Unlike his counterparts in other schools, some of whom had landed into jail while others were waiting to be taken to court for their actions. Kelvin brought a lot of glory to his school, Nakuru Boys’ a national high school in Rift valley. The school witnessed a huge influx of visitors from various part of the country since his invention.
His wonder insecticide proved to be an instant killer of the irritant insects like ants and cockroaches which are permanent residents of most of the house holds in the whole country.
It all started one evening when ants invaded his dormitory early the year 2008 causing a lot of anxiety and confusion to the students who saw the insects as un wanted guests. Many of the boy never had a thought of how to end the menace which was disrupting their studies forcing them to wake up in the middle of the night so that to chase away the insects.
However Kelvin saw the invasion as an opportunity to look for better option to tackle the problem which was now becoming unbearable to most of the students. “The ants were so irritating and an eyesore in our dormitory and when one night they made their usual routine invasion. I decided enough was enough, i had to do something,” says Kelvin.
Kelvin started studying local plants and in the process invented a concoction made from locally available plants that are environmentally friendly it wiped out the insects from the school vicinity completely.
His brilliant idea has seen the managing director of Kenya industrial property institute (KIPI) professor James Otieno Ondek, a senior Patent Examiner in the ministry of industrialization and a top engineer from the same ministry visited the school and had a chart with young boy scientist.
The trio visited the school on the orders of Permanent secretary in charge of the ministry of industrialization, Mr. John Lonyangapuo who was also mesmerized when Kelvin presented his exhibition during the school prize giving day where he was chief guest. Nakuru Town Mp and Assistant Minister for roads Hon. Lee Kinyanjui also visited kelvins’ school to familiarize him self with the new invention.
Proffessor Ondek says it is encouraging that such a young student has spent his brilliant innovation to deal with the insects invasion in our vicinity. “It is promising to have such a bright student who uses traditional and modern way to conserver the aesthetic value of the vicinity.” Said professor Ondek. At the same time the scholar hilled Kelvins science teacher for molding young minds into greate ones by so doing the vision 2030 will become a true reality. The senior Partent right Examiner at the ministry of industrialization, Mr Misati Mboi said his minstry was working closely with Kelvin to patent the project and protect it from unscrupulous traders who only like to forge others’ ideas.
During that year year Nakuru Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show held july, Kelvin was invited by the ministry of Agriculture and was allocated a special stand where hundreds of eager show goers were mesmerized by his invention. Earlier , in an interview with the Daily Nation, Kelvin sayed he first presented his project during the Nakuru district Science Congress where he emerged the best and at the provincials competitions held at Karbanet Boys’ High school he emerged position three and qualified to proceed for nationals.
During the National congress,where more than 1200 students from all over the country showcase their scientific talents, Kelvin scooped position four overall with his Biology exhibit. With the help of school laboratory technician , he was able to collect enough plant and extracted the ingredients. “When the ant invaded the dormitories i applied it and it worked instantly killing them. It was from that time that i proved my research was not in vain.” Says Kelvin.
“I became a celebrity overnight and everybody in school calls me a scientist and this encouraged me to study hard and attain a good grade to enable me to go and sturdy Bio-Chemistry at the University.” Says Kelvin. He sincerely thanks the school principal for challenging and encouraging him to think globally and act locally. He also encouraged students to come up with scientific projects that would be useful in creating job opportunities to millions of unemployed youths who are churned out of institutions of higher learning every year.
Typed exactly as it was in the Nation Newspaper 24th August 2008,
By Kelvin Macharia Kuria
Email: mashkevo@yahoo.com
Phone : 0724173453,0751746034

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Photos from the Webuye Member of Parliament Volunteer Luncheon

Alfred Sambu, the Webuye MP, hosted the organization and our volunteers to a luncheon with the local government. It was an great icebreaker for the volunteers and their chiefs and councilors.

Climate change is transforming ecosystems on an extraordinary scale, at an extraordinary pace.  In eastern Africa climate changes has been evidenced by changes in rainfall seasonality and increased frequency and severity in droughts, extreme rainfall events during the rainy season leading to floods, have contributed to changes in the seasonal rhythms of streams and rivers impacting crop production and water availability. It is likely that over the next few decades, the biggest impacts of climate changes will be on agricultural, water and food systems.  There is thus urgent need to develop sound adaptation mechanisms to the current and future shifts in the climate system.

Adaptation and coping capabilities, in one of the most vulnerable regions of the world, depends on projected impacts of climate change.  It is a known fact that most of Africa’s agricultural opportunities and disasters are meteorologically related. The impacts of climate change impede the continent’s ability to attain the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development. The African continent is likely to suffer unless adequate preparations are made and sufficient mitigation as well as risk reduction measures are put in place against the anticipated droughts, food and water insecurity and sea-level rises.

Today information and communication technology offers immense potential to support climate information services and a range of other information needs across multiple sectors. Five years ago, only a handful of countries in Africa had local Internet access or mobile telephones. Today, services are available in virtually every major city. However, in many countries, such services focus only on high income, population-dense corridors and fail to reach rural populations and areas where climate information is crucial.

Early Warning Systems and forecasting tools are increasingly being used in Kenya, to issue periodic warnings to vulnerable groups that are about to become food insecure due to climate change induced meteorological events. Communication of this information is being done through text messaging service. This has helped vulnerable groups, such as farmers to access information more easily; than relying on agricultural extension workers that are not doing enough to reach all farmers in the rural areas.

ICTs are also being used to understand how climate variations are occurring in a specific (regional/national/local) area. Observations are usually carried out through data collection tools, such as remote sensing techniques and sensor-based networks. Data is then stored in digital repositories and shared among the institutions committed to develop an appropriate adaptation strategy. ICTs also support the analysis of climate change scenarios through software based modeling systems to facilitate the development of adaptation plans to carry out what-if analysis for different sectors. ICTs play a key role in producing, storing, retrieving and comparing information related to climate change issues.

The increasing spread and adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has greatly contributed towards climate change adaptation. Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN), a NGO based in Kenya, uses ICTs as tools for marginalized communities to access content relevant to their livelihoods, particularly farming and husbandry techniques. Through podcasts that tailor the most pressing needs of rural farmers affected by climatic variations, ICTs are playing a key role in the distribution of information and best practices, including appropriate seeds and crops, alternatives to costly fertilizers and pesticides, among others. The information disseminated is rooted in field experience from local practitioners and traditional knowledge that emerges from the community. Evidence suggests that ICTs could play an important role inspiring, sharing and helping to realize adaptive ideas and fostering community-based practical solutions to the challenges that arise from climate change impacts.

Arid Lands Information Network: http://www.alin.net/

scientist

Think about the vicinity and our beloved  crescent. Then think about de-polymerization. Its all about maintaining the aesthetic value of our vicinity. How can we do that in our country?

In Kenya today and the world as a whole, we have a critical pollution problem leading to climate change and environmental instability. Among the causes are pollutants like polymers (polythene) which are widely used in the world today. These polymers are non-biodegradable, hence causing pollution. However through knowledge on the topic, i have found a way to recycle these materials after usage.

The de-polymerization plant is an establishment which involves a process for the recycling of polymers (polythene) into monomers (ethane) which can be used as a fuel more so in learning institution laboratories, remaking of the polythene bags and also in brewing industries.Within the compound is also tar and kerosene, each with their own uses.

I came up with this idea after learning about polymerization process in class.The saw this as a viable solution to helping offset pollution and climate change as well as  a resource exploitation since it can be used for fuel as well.

My main objective is:

1. To reduce the level of environmental pollution in the country brought about by the deposition of non-biodegradable polymers on land and increase the aesthetic value of our land.

2. Produce an alternative source of energy other than depending on fossil fuels.

3. To recycle used polymers to produce useful products which can earn an income.

Simple experiment on the project-requirements.

1. Round bottomed flask

2. Delivery tubes

3. Cork

Raw Materials

1. Used polythene

Merits

1. It uses locally available raw materials

2. It enhances maintenance of the aesthetic value of the environment

Demerits

1. Polymers with oils and fat impurities are difficult to clean and leads to the use of large volume of detergents
Emerging Issues

Due to the current emerging issues such as pollution, climate change and emergence of diseases deterring and often hampering the improvement of environmental conservation.It applies in real life situation that the adoption and applications of de-polymerization would be beneficial to the state of our environment and maintain its aesthetic value.

Relevancy

In relevant to the millennium development goal No.7 “Maintaining the aesthetic value of the vicinity” My project work hand in hand to the subject matter since its all about recycling, reusing and reducing the rate of pollutants within the crescent.

Conclusion

I came up with this idea after seeing the critical pollution problem we are in, and recognizing it is necessary for us to come up with our own solutions and methods of maintaining our environment. These polythene bags are one of the major pollutants that we discard daily, and new approaches need to be found. Although my project requires technical know-how, I believe that if put into practical use it would lead to environmental empowerment. By eliminating the non-biodegradable materials from our environment we directly reduce pollution.

Regards,

Prepared by “THE BOY SCIENTIST”

Kelvin Macharia Kuria

mashkevo@yahoo.com

macharia.kelvin@voicesofafrica.com

0724173453    or  0751746034

Any idea in relation to my project is highly welcomed.