During these first three weeks I have worked with three major events / activities:

GISEEM

During this time there has not been many activities around GISEEM because we have been waiting for Mukogodo community to finish their work plans for the coming year. The work plans arrived this weekend on the 6^th of March for evaluation.

Dividing work groups in Dol Dol

We received work plans by all groups established in the previous meeting on advocacy, filming and recording, community mobilization and completing both Eco-calendar and cyber traking. Each plan included minimum  information on what, when, where, by whom and on which cost will be done. Information on culturally important sites and natural resources yet to be tracked were quite well included especially in the advocacy plan, although  it didn’t concentrate so much on advocacy itself. However, plans have to be made a bit more detailed and budgets have to be reconsidered. Thus Julius Muchemi, the head of ERMIS Africa is currently visiting the people responsible of completing the work plans to discuss about their editing. In the previous meeting we found out that another organization, Ilmaamusi, is already working with policies concerning the forest management plan of Mukogodo forest. Julius will also meet Ilmaamusi durinDividing work groups in Dol Dol his visit.

During the time of waiting for the work plans, Martha held a GIS training on the 8^th and 9^th of March for Grace shooting mamas’ comments sitting at the back of the group Peter and Simon due to another project they’re undertaking, but which I attended as well. I’m no, in case of need, able to process the spatial data collected with GPS by the communities into maps and other publications. However, according to Martha the most of the digitizing work has been done already. Only certain essential information, such as the border of the Giitune forest and narratives from Mukogodo are missing.

So now we are waiting for the communities to collect the information. From Mukogodo many sites of medicinal herbs, caves, and some other places of cultural importance have been tracked, but as the distances are long, the elders haven’t been able to join the mapping trips to include the narratives with spatial data. Also another ERMIS trainee Grace Mwaura specialized in conservation filming had visited the community in order to film their narratives. But as the elders weren’t prepared, the content was not adequate for filming.

Grace filming the mamas' comments sitting at the back of the group

Things to work with from now on include further use of collected information, bringing the information back to the communities and advocacy process of Karima and Mukogodo. These will be discussed as Julius returns from his visit.

Seminar on watershed management of lake Nakuru

On the 24^th and 25^th of February I attended a seminar organized by on management of Lake Nakuru wateshead together with Julius and Grace. Seminar was attended by numreous governmental and municipal stakeholders, NGOs and community representatives. On the both of the days different stakeholders presented their activities and researches concerning water- and waste management of Nakuru town and forest management of the catchment area of the lake. The seminar ended with a group discussion on the issues mentioned above, as well as on improvement of cooperation between different actors within the area.

Ermis’ role in the meeting was to present Mau SDI – project, Mau Spatial Data Infrastructure project. The aim of the project is to develop a Platform for all stakeholders within Mau to keep record of and find out about different activities and researches to ensure coherent and effective cooperation. I found the seminar extremely interesting and useful but it’s effects on better water management remain to be seen.

Debate on reforestation with eucalyptus

Where once was the Mau Forest

Another deforested area

Old Mzee and Young Trees

More varied tree species for plantation

Water from the catchment in the beginning of purification process

Pelicans on dry lake bottom

JUMP -Joint University Mentoriship Program

JUMP is a Joint University Mentoriship Program launched by ERMIS, and now organized together with several Kenyan universities. JUMP is an offshoot from 1^st international Mesa conference organized by Unep on last November in Nairobi. In the conference university students addressed a need for greater career mentorship on the field of education for sustainable development, and JUMP is a response for that need.

During these weeks JUMP has been developed from an idea to a complete 3 month program, which includes participation on different ERMIS projects, mentoring by different relevant mentors such as professors and organizations, networking with students and professionals throught fields of studying and levels of career, and a three-week training on participatroy GIS, documentation and Web 2.0 technologies. My task has been to contact my university in order to include international links into JUMP. So far I have contacted professors and coordinators of international issues of the departments of Geography, forestry, ICT and the whole Unversity. ICT department is willing to send students to JUMP when interested ones appear and the other responses I’m still waiting for.

Grace editing maps

On the 3^rd of March me and Grace visited three universities in Nairobi to discuss about the coming program with deans and students of the univsersities. We met the students and three professors and their responses were generally very positive. Some questions on institutionalizement of the project and financing have raised, but we’re now working with the program to response these questions. By now a thorough strategy plan and a detailed program and budget for the three week training period for coming august have been written and we’re waiting for applications from students to join the training.

Sunna talking to Kenyatta University Students

Now Ermis will start negotiations with possible funders and discussions with other universities as well as contact to already started ones will go on.