THE “LIVING MOUNTAIN” UNDER SEIGE: Bring The Elephant to the confines of your Room

By Charles Ndolo:

                      Now,more than ever before, we need to speak up for nature and ensure that our national topology still has a space for Elephants among other game. Preservation and restoration of ecosystem have been whipped by a craze termed as “Poaching” This should tickle an invasive approach from all inclinations of humanity with sole aim of restoring our ecosystem. Endeavoring to reinstate our ecology to some likeness of a virgin or pre-agitation condition could be an elusive dream, however,nothing is lost. My urge is for all of us to dive into this bandwagon and face the situation head-on until we achieve a near-stable normalcy in our ecosystem.

The elephant

Kenya is a Nation of great strengths, with at least an edge in each and every societal set-up. Be it sports fraternity, be it I.T development, be it tourism, we have gained some leverage in almost all available fields. In fact we made up a dialect from a concoction of available languages (hoping it soon gets fully recognized as official) that’s how strong we are. I can visualize the big side board at my high-school’s assembly ground “Sheng’ ni Haramu Mutlaki” but yes, it is now irresistible sheng’ is taking over. If such were the only measures of prominence, then Kenya would be a world’s super-power. I am not sure what order we would be, is it first, second, third or fourth world? I wouldn’t know anyway, these are non-important divisions and actually they are Man-made decisions.so who cares where we belong? I wish I could attend the next global forum on division of nations, just to ask them to scrap this categorization and may be insert more captivating classifications, if we must have them at all.

 I believe we are all important to each other in equal measures. No one is an island, we need each other, but these divisions just choke me whenever I think of them. All in all, Kenya is a power house, in its unique ways.

Artisans go a step higher to bring the game to your house

That’s why “Tunajivunia Ukenya”

          That said, everyone and every group has métiers and flaws. Like a ritual, we always find ourselves on the wrong and on the downward trend while also scaling high to the Utopia top in other instances, like a see-saw, so does our lives get defined.

           But wait, one concept seems to have evaded us. It is a bit contagious at this point, and I feel like recalling the famous harsh tag #WhereAreWeHeadedTo.

We all know, the sun appears from east and disappears to the west. And that marks the end of day-light and ushers the night in. This sequence will move on so as long as we are available to witness. Or do I just say, as long as we are preserve? Our beautiful, Nairobi infrastructure will also remain for more generations to come. If we keep our nation secure from enemies of progress.

             Today, I was cross-checking, Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye’s directions for Nairobi from her award winning novel, “Coming Birth,” and in truth, the same route, the same ginnels, the same bridges, and the wrong and right turns Paulina took are the same a modern day person would experience. Everything is still in place, like it was more than 65+ years ago. That is the power of preservation. You keep heritage in such ways. Is it not good to have our sons and daughters enjoy the splendor we enjoyed during the days of our lives?

Like, Maggie Q once observed, “We may not be in a position to save the planet. But what Is for sure is that we can draw a line to an issue that can conserve what we already have and what's left in a way that we can actually breathe the air, drink the water, and actually grow things in soil - that matters in a real, practical way. “Let us purpose to preserve anything that made you sad, happy, gloomy, excited, and all kinds of moods that exist. They are at times a sources of inspiration. The word today is preserve

Lack of preservation clearly means unavailability of current products in future. How have you thought of this idea of preservation with respect to our game? We find pride in the fact that, we have a jewel in form of having all the Africa’s big 5 in our Savanna grasslands. That is ok, but do we care how they ae fairing, do we take a look of their well-being, do we protect them from their biggest enemy? In fact, the biggest threat to the existence of our treasured game is Humans. We have assigned them names, calling them, poachers, but that is not enough hiding. I feel pushed to say, the biggest enemy is Kenyans’, I think that will provoke some sense of responsibility.

              While I appreciate some signs of hope for the impending life of East Africa’s savanna elephants, there is still more work to be done. The availability of Ivory markets in the globe, backed by the high returns from their sale, attracts the devotion of structured crime consortiums, provoking poaching that is bringing down elephant populaces across their great habitats of Africa. The “LIVING MOUNTAIN”’s (as mostly referred to by the Maasai community) existences under siege and this should provoke a concerted effort by all parties with an aim of ending the pandemic and bringing a downward trend in pouching.

More Art
work: about the Game

Scores of conservationists assembled in Honolulu for the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress and it was clear a strong stand is to be deliberated to ensure Africa’s (Kenya’s) elephants get a chance to survive. Andrea Turkalo issued a scientific paper

Explaining the desperate plight of savanna Elephant’s through illegal killings for their tusks. An estimate showed that 62% of elephants were killed between 2002 and 2013.We do not expect a return of these lost Elephants anytime soon. This is motivation enough to not soften our positions slightly and say the harm has been done.

               My primary school biology classes served me better. And I believe it is mutual to you. The gestation period (period between conception and birth) of Elephants is 672 days. This translates to 22 months (almost two years.)This period plus maturity (usually 10-15 years) means an elephant may take longer to replace a killed member. In actual sense, it can take 15 years to replace a single Elephant in the wild. In contrast it can take 1 day for a poacher to eliminate 3 elephants from a herd. Clearly, this equation tends to a zero, even with applying all formulae available. Newton with his second law of motion equations would arrive at a null. The external force (Illegal poaching) suppressing this motion is just too enormous to allow motion for a longer period. Baseline, there is a big problem to be addressed. And unless collective responsibility is courted, we shall remain with stories of the “Living Mountain” for generations to come. Thus everyone should join the bandwagon to eradicate pouching. In such a way, we must start to pursue the entire notion, given that we have the benefit of a proof of the concept, and utilize that information with further consideration of what it really means to us as Kenyans.

                     Where did our morals go? I want to believe it’s a short trip and they are on their way back to us.This kind of threatening statistics are brought about by poachers, sorry Kenyans, Who live, eat, drink and go to places of worship with us. 

The Tusk is the targeted trophy by the pouchers

We know them, we mourn and laugh with them, but my biggest question is, do we ever take measures to distract them from this disillusioning addiction? Do we counsel them and what efforts other than shaming them and sending them to prison have we taken? These people are sharp shooters, given the aggressiveness of these animals, they must perpetrate this killings from a distance. These people could even be enrolled in some mentoring program get introduced to some distant shooting sport. I believe, their prowess, will haste them to join the sport and without victimization, enroll them in such a sports club.

We could think of bigger, darts sport, this time using bows and arrows as darts, and a huge hide board to create an indigenous sport. Well, who will draft the rules of the game? I leave that to you. But some sort of engagement is key for these people. Education and disruption of their cycles would be enough to reduce the number of poachers .But of course it is key to repurpose their skills in doing something different but profitable to them. Also, we could think of having a curio Centre for them to draw and curve and model. I believe this talent is well spread across all life inclination.

What are our roles in encouraging poaching?

We have taken each and every thing from the residents around the game reserves. We have even taken preventive measures from these people and left them to be in charge of their own security. It is very important to know some animal killers are not actually strategic killers, like poachers but they are men of  good will exercising their obligations of protecting their households from the game attacks. Who is sleeping on his job? That is the begging question, but once answered, the game death will reduce significantly.

These trophies can work
 as substitute engagements to cub poaching

We have relocated the markets away from these residents, and moved them to urban and semi urban centers, cutting these people away from visitors who would give a word or two to them. Actually, we prove to them that they are part of the jungle and hence symbiosis applies out rightly, where survival will be for the more adapted. The loss mostly goes, to the game who can’t device a spear, or bow and arrow or cannot mobilize peers to wage a revenge.

In real sense, legislating extremely punitive laws and long prison term only will not tackle the poaching endemic but also looking at the concerns disturbing the poachers is very key.

                 Cherish, the existence of this big mammals and other game through appreciating the little things done by our people. Some are so passionate about the game and have been involved in taking this love to our houses through sculptures, drawings and paintings.

Let’s promote these men and women by maybe having a lion on your shelf or an elephant at your door step or even a gazelle at your arm rest. We can embrace art to conserve wildlife through the little acts of kindness, appreciation and solidarity.

Pay-back will be very harsh on us if we don’t come out strongly and disrupt this pouching trend.

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The Plight of Art and Craft in Ukambani

 By,

Charles Ndolo.

I was so thrilled when I learnt that people are talented in so many ways.

When did I become this polka-dot loving guy? Well, this runs in my community. Yes Kamba Nation archetypal to be more precise. We just love art.

I think majority of us are old enough to remember great artists such as kakai kilonzo of kilimambogo boys’ band. The “Kenya nchi yangu” artist; A production that earned him a pajero (I hear so, and this was a big deal those days, you know) from the then president of the republic of Kenya, Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi. That song still fills the air waves every time we have a national holiday.

Then comes Peter Muambi of Kyanganga Boys band. A common figure in the late 80’s and early 90’s.In almost each and every entertainment joint in Nairobi’s Eastlands. You just had a Vitimbi concert or some Kamba musician performing on the stage. The chance of it being Peter Muambi was a high, well no citation available but my guess is 89%

This inventiveness by the Kamba’s is just interesting. They have actually upheld this special blessing releasing a song within a few hours of occurrence. Musyoki wa Kimangu  killed it when he pulled a “Mbomb mblast hit” (in memory of august 7^th 1998 bomb attack at the cooperative building in Nairobi’s cbd ) barely 12 hours after the incident. Well, it is not only in Composition of songs but we pride in having the largest number of musicians in the country.

I have always tried to ponder yonder if there exists that distinctive genetic factor tied to the Kamba nation, regarding this outstanding art work.

 I can perceive the daze in your face, because you imagine how our ladies are so highly ranked for making it happen behind the bedroom doors. I am not sure if this is stereotypical or it is the way it is. Anyway, let me reserve my opinion on that.

This historic believe is literally the stuff of fiction and it culminates in an elite cross-section of internet users flocking social media and affirming the existence of such a character. It has been accepted with mixed reactions, which by the way have impacted the way the targeted culprits behave. This should stop, to encourage the spirit of natural conduct. But all in all Kamba’s are creative in almost everything. It is infectious, it is the way they are.

My flight back to the brilliant and skillful Kamba nation.

 Upon concluding my bachelor’s degree in telecommunication engineering, I decided to look for some formal employment. The journey was long, Worn out shoes, exhausted me, lack of commuting fee, the problems were endless, was the order of the day. All in all, had I not learnt the plight of educated persons in developing countries? I expected my resume to be thrown to the trash bin after leaving an office, I expected bold responses such as” we are not planning to employ any time soon” “we don’t have vacancies” and Lies such as “we will call you back”. That was not fascinating at all and I would tell myself “Man must live” and “Life must continue”. That was my only source of inspiration.

 Does this confirm the culpability of being born in Kenya or Africa? I leave that to you. As for me it did not pull me down, I decided to go back to my roots and see what my “less educated,” kinsmen did to survive.  

Image: Free Hand drawing

 For the last 2 years, I have worked strictly with a cross-section of my tribesmen who earn a living through making sculptures among other curios. Despite Kamba nation being so famous for hunger, drought and lack of water, they have managed to embrace the art of carving. Where do they get these materials (Wood) from? How do they learn to bring out something so super from a rare commodity? Given the adverse weather situations experienced in Ukambani, you don’t suppose this art to flourish, by all rights. Amazingly, these people have always had something to eat and something to curve from. This is a very important contrast!

I took my time to watch how young and old men had perfected the art of using adze, pocket knives and sand paper and produced astounding masterwork. That blend of Men, women, boys and girls was just attention-grabbing. The passing of awareness across the domain was something that caught my eye, and being a lover of knowledge, I just jammed stuck in the middle of nothing. Off, I started my new journey and my present life

I put my egotism aside and decided to intermingle with my new found friends. I wanted to pick up the art of curving but that eluded me spontaneously (My hands were made for pen and paper and maybe screw driver), but still I could not keep my hands off. I had to find another role, the industry is so big, you know. I joined the young boys and women in sand paper job, I didn’t know moving to curving was an initiation, and typically left for the big boys in the crew.

Holding my bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication engineering at heart and a sand paper in the hand, I pulled a gunny bag, kowtowed, and picked an unfinished sculpture to show it how good I could make it. They allowed me to do everything. (You know, graduates continuously enjoy some leverage in such a set-up.) I wish I could thank them here, over and over, unfortunately almost none will see it. May be their children or grandchildren will, one day.

 It looked easy at first, and all seemed to be working well, as I finished statue number 1, 2 3 in that order. It didn’t take long before I got bruised, as my hands occasionally pulled out of the confines of sand paper making me scrub with my bare hands.

I had to humbly, whisper to one of the artists,( who only knew our mother tongue, no certificate, no formal education and only knowing nursery school chants,) requesting for a tutorial. Few months down the line became the guru I am now. Besides, Scrubbing I can now draw designs, I can give the smooth finish and apply gloss paint. They call me “Munene wa Kuminukilya” (the master of Finishing)

With a sand paper, gloss paint and 400 pieces of effigies. My day will be done and you will have stunning curios.

Enough said:

Now I have a reason to think about the way I can develop these talents which have been kept

out of the party by cruel brokers. They trained me, it is my time to pay back to the same society.

Our job isn't sedentary so we don’t have to fight so hard to reduce weight, or find out the solutions to make thighs stop rubbing together or even be thoughtful about what to eat since we have a way to incinerate every calorie put into the mouth, at least there is always a log of wood here and there to carry or some sandpaper is at hand to finish a few effigies. The biggest problem is that our market lacks standards to keep off gluttonous, cold-blooded, inconsiderate and egocentric middle men who have perpetrated pain, desolation and stagnation to our capable men. Well, middle men are not bad, after all we need them to warrant a continuous supply chain, but the question of integrity remains open. We have had to agonize in silence as they make it colossal in expense of our sweat.

Thanks to my conscious for the idea of online shopping. I can swear by the nose, this is the first  platform for the actual workers who now have opened their eyes and realized there is so much  out there we have been too shy, or silly to go and pick.

I feel honored to lead the campaign as well. God bless us and bless you all.

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