January 2013 Sunday David is late. BUT he calls to explain. Which is marvellous. We set off to Uchumi for a massive household shop at 11, pick up Kibe and head to Ruai. The children unexpectedly meet us at the grain store in Ruai village. There seem to be a couple of extras (children) but Read More…
Blog
November 2012
Wednesday 7th November Well smack my bottom and send me to the naughty step but I owe BA a huge apology. But Willie has triumphed over Dick in the air. Check in lovely, no one even blinked at my stupidly overweight bags and no one sniggered at my rose printed wellies (better to wear than Read More…
September 2012
FRIDAY Note to self : must learn to cultivate friends with enormous hatchback cars in London. Tired arguing with taxi drivers about the amount of luggage I carry. Virgin are, as always, a joy at check in. One of my bags weighs 32kg but the lovely lady smiles and sticks a “LUDICROUSLY HEAVY” warning sticker Read More…
June 2012
Kenya Diaries June 2012 WEDNESDAY An interesting lead up to what promises to be an interesting trip. The Mama Biashara Emporium is still closed. And so our primary source of income is drier than the proverbial nun’s chuff. But in the way that has become familiar for those who work with Mama B, other sources Read More…
February 2012
Monday Departure was slightly complicated by a last minute demand for Vintage Chedder and weatherproof sockets, but despite half an hour at a standstill on the A40 with a Somali cab driver who was trying to persuade me that Mogadishu is the place for the astute property purchaser, we made it on time. The battle Read More…
September 2011 Awendo
SUNDAY My trip to DECIP and sojourn in ‘The Naughty Bin” having cut into my ‘buying delightful things for sale in Mama B’s Emporium’ yesterday, I set off for the maasai market at the Yaya Centre. It is pretty classy as markets go. And Mama Jemima the one legged Soapstone Lady has a stall there. Read More…
2011 Kicking off Kucha Kool
Mama B’s latest venture, piloted in Nairobi and now hitting the streets in Kisumu. Kucha is the Swahili word for fingernail and so … Cool Nails. We are working with commercial sex workers who want to get off the street and out of the bars. Utilising skills they already have … like nail care … Read More…
2011 We Are Finally Legal !
After a long … long … long wait, Mama Biashara has finally got full Charitable Status. We are a registered charity, SC042262. This means … well, a load of stuff. We are now eligible for Gift Aid – meaning that for every £1 donated, we get an extra 25p. Which means we can do 25% Read More…
January 2011 Part Two
26 January 2011 Simon and David have left and I am feeling quite sad. Although they were only here for four days we packed a lot in and now the rollercoaster has stopped. I have a meeting with Felista at 11am. By the time she arrives at 2pm I am en route to Kabiria, to the Read More…
2010 Nairobi Hospital
DAY ONE FRIDAY A new family has arrived at DECIEP , Felista Kibe’s wonderful openhearted rescue and refuge home for orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children in Waithake, Nairobi. Their story is as common in Kenya as typhoid in the rainy season. Their mother died of AIDS and their father abandoned them. They were helped by Read More…