Kenya is experiencing its worst drought in a decade, and, along with suffering humans, many of Africa's iconic wildlife residing in Kenya are dying. 60 African Elaphants alone have died so far- 30 of them babies. Some have died due to thirst; others died due to lack of edible vegetation or weak immune systems. Lions, crocodiles, zebras, and wildebeests are suffering, too, and drying at rates called "worrisome" by wildlife officials.

Also, the Kenyans are (illegally) driving their cattle further and further into wildlife parks in a desperate attempt to allow their animals to graze. However, the presence of cattle in such parks is dangerous due to the potential poisoning of water that could result from the cattle's presence in the park. However, wildlife officials worry that citizens may poach animals if denied access to the water and grass within the parks for their cattle.

But that's not all.

Many of the inhabitants of Kenya are on the verge of famine, due to the delayed planting in 2008 (due to "post-election violence") and the lack of rainfall this year.

Some scientists believe that this drought, with it's terrible potential to decimate populations of rare species, is related to climate change. Others believe that it is just a part of Kenya's weather cycle.

I'd wager it's likely a bit of both, plus poor management.

For more, see: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090921-kenya-animals-drought-water_2.html

When you hear the words "Means of Transportation" what images come to mind? Some of you may think of your favorite automobile. Is it the AMG Benz or maybe the BMW Z4, whatever your favorite car may be it still doesn't change the fact that most of you reading this thought of a car when you thought of a means of transportation. However for drivers in developing countries those same words take on a totally different manifestation in their reality. Allow me to introduce you to the Worldbike, for the inhabitants of these developing countries this is their means of transportation.

Worldbike is an organization that saw a problem in developing countries and thought of a solution. The bikes are specifically engineered to do the necessary task, whether that be carrying small children to school, adults to work or bread to a neighboring town. This aim with for this organization is to find the most cost effective, resourceful solution to a problem that exists across the board of the less fortunate countries in the world. However in life you will come to find that in every good there is some bad and this good contribution is not exempt to that rule.

The low cost bike produced by worldbike is called the Big Boda. There is a 300 square foot workshop in Kenya that produces the Big Boda. For all of the innovations of the introduction of the Big Boda in East Africa it has it's downfalls. One of the down sides to the Boda is that it is not only affordable but it's components are of lower end material so they don't last. The brakes are weak, the bike is heavy and the pedals are of poor quality making it a real task to pedal the bike. The seat is made of hard plastic and the handle bars aren't designed to accommodate the leg length of it's East African riders (Boda Boda) so their knees hit as they fight to pedal the bike. These and other problems combined have earned the Boda the name "Black Mamba".

The organization designs a higher end bike called The Worldbike. The worldbike has dealt with every problem the riders have faced with the Boda and in my opinion is a good solution to the transportation problem in the aforementioned countries. The only issue now is exposure. I feel that the more exposure these bikes receive the more people will be willing to help. Awareness is the main ingredient when drawing up a plan to help people. Both the Big Boda and the Worldbike were selected by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Nation Design Museum to be a part of their exhibit "Design for the other 90%" in 2007. This is good but it is only the beginning, with more support and exposure the more people will become aware of the difficult living conditions in these countries and feel more compelled to help in any way they can.

For more information, donation information and everything going on in the world of worldbike visit the site at http://www.worldbike.org

Somber headlines serve as a constant reminder that we are tumbling deeper into an economic recession. Lost jobs, lost homes, and lost pride debase our social landscape. Surrounded by the impending threat of scarcity, I try to remind myself of how lucky I am. I'm definitely not rich by American standards, but I am extremely fortunate to have a roof over my head, food to eat, clean water to drink, and a support network of friends and family who will help me if things turn sour. I think about the billions of people who live on less than a few dollars per day, whose children die from starvation and preventable disease, who struggle every day just to survive. For the world's poorest populations, poverty is not a temporary discomfort that waxes and wanes with western economic cycles; it is a continuous battle that often spans entire lifetimes and multiple generations.

Overcoming barriers constructed by poverty is not a simple task. It's inspiring to hear the stories of economically oppressed global citizens who refuse to admit defeat.

Take Eric Masheti, a young Kenyan athlete who lost his parents at the age of 17. He ekes out a living by renting his brother's speakers for local events. Food is expensive, and the demand for basic sound systems is low, but his perseverance is unmatched. He spends his free time playing soccer for the Homeless World Cup Kenyan team, and plans to compete in the international HWC in South Africa in 2010.

Masheti may not have much of a safety net to fall back on, but he's got a desire to play and the motivation to succeed.

* photo courtesy of jamesgrayking, licensed under these terms.

Today I’d like to recognize a collaborative sports effort that pushes for gender equality, teaches about AIDS/HIV prevention, builds life-skills for at-risk youth, and provides educational opportunities for women and girls in Kenya.

The team began with a few primary players: CARE (a humanitarian organization that fights global poverty) and their Sport for Social Change Initiative, Nike Let Me Play (a youth-directed program to fight global poverty and oppression through sports), and the Mathare Youth Soccer Association (dedicated to empowering impoverished youth in Kenya through sports and community service projects).

Once these three players got together to kick some ideas around on the playing field, they realized that they were unstoppable. They chose a team name—the Kenyan American Soccer Exchange, or KASE—and scored goal after goal empowering women and girls in Kenya.

The KASE Girls USA Tour brought Kenyan teams to the States to build relationships and play soccer. KASE also hosts workshops to train Kenyan coaches, build political and economic support for women’s sports in Kenya, and assist Universities in developing women’s sports programs.  

* also check out my previous post detailing MYSA's amazing program in Mathare, Kenya 

Once again, I’ve stumbled upon another sweet soccer program that builds communities and addresses social justice issues. Last week I wrote about women’s soccer in Rwanda. Now move about 500 miles East on the globe and you will witness the wonders of girls’ soccer in Kenya.

This morning I read a story about a couple of New England coaches who recently took a trip to Kenya to help out with community soccer programs. According to the article, it is still socially unacceptable for girls to play sports in many regions of Kenya. Some girls hide their participation from family members but continue to play.

Thanks to cool organizations like the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA), kids in Mathare (one of the poorest regions in Kenya, near Nairobi) have a support network to keep them on the fields and off the streets.

This article by the Population Council describes how MYSA’s efforts have helped to further gender equality in Mathare. MYSA also works to improve kids’ lives in other arenas; they teach about HIV/AIDS prevention, help children find educational opportunities, give kids a chance to travel abroad for soccer tournaments, and require that their soccer players donate service hours to improve their communities.

All around, it's an amazing program that's doing just the kind of work we like to see here at Play City.