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(Friends of Lake Vic

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Lake Victoria Bulletin OSIENALA's monthly newsletter

February issue No. 02 Inside this issue:

LAKE VICTORIA BULLETIN IS BACK! ....................................................................................................................................................... 1

OSIENALA AWARD CHEQUES FOR LAKE VICTORIA CONSERVATION ..................................................................................................... 1

SWEDISH AMBASSADOR VISITS OSIENALA’S CENTRE ........................................................................................................................... 2

ECOSAN TOILETS TRAINING IN EAST AFRICA ........................................................................................................................................ 4

WORLD WETLANDS DAY ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CORNER .............................................................................................................................................. 6

OSIENALA UPDATES ........................................................................................................................................................................... 10

POEM ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Lake Victoria Bulletin is Back!

The OSIENALA's newsletter-Lake Victoria Bulletin is back after lull months of reflections for its revitalization and repackaging. So

welcome back our loyal readers to this monthly newsletter. The newsletter will endeavour to build awareness on specific issues and

activities on Lake Victoria. Thus enable sharing of information, building and showcasing of programmes and provides avenue for

partners, individuals, organization and institutions to outreach Lake Victoria community and interested parties with various messages.

Our readers are urged to own its contents through feedback in terms of comments on articles, suggestions on thematic areas to cover

and writing of articles for the newsletter.

The editor solicits for articles on diverse themes directly or indirectly linked to Lake Victoria. The information can be in the form of

news articles, feature summary, poem and the likes.

Welcome back and lets share on Lake Victoria, our common heritage.

Editor

Lake Victoria Bulletin.

OSIENALA Award Cheques for Lake Victoria Conservation The Executive Director, Dr Obiero Ong’ang’a and Chairman of OSIENALA Board of Directors Mr. Lusimba Rague awarded Cheques

worth 10 million to its Kenyan partners at OSIENALA’s Lake Victoria Centre for Research and Development-Dunga Beach. The

monies were towards portfolio of projects aimed at conservation of Lake Victoria and improved livelihoods of communities in the

region.

The Kenyan partners who received the Cheques included Women In Fishing Industry Project (WIFIP), Lake Victoria Sunset Birders

(LVSB), Tang’lueti Women Group, Nyochoo Women Group and Kayombe Pan Committee Development Group. The activities to be

implemented include water harvesting through installation of tanks, ecological sanitation through ecosan-toilets construction, soil

erosion control structures construction, Village Environmental Committees (VECs) training, wetlands, rivers and catchment

OSIENALA (Friends of

Lake Victoria)

OSIENALA (Friends of

Lake Victoria)

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rehabilitation.

The funds are part of OSIENALA’s Community-Based Strategies for Management of Environment and Resources of Lake Victoria

(COSMER-LAV) programme funded by Swedish International Cooperation Development Agency (SIDA) which has been running from

2005 and will continue up to 2011. The programme aims to empower riparian communities to sustainable utilize and conserve

resources of Lake Victoria.

The COSMER-LAV programme likewise involves partners from Uganda: National Association for Professional Environmentalists

(NAPE) and Rural Development Media Communications (RUDMEC), Tanzania: Takwa Health Care Center (THCC), Community Care

Trust (COMM-CARE) and Kagera Development and Credit Revolving Fund (KADETFU), and is expanding to cover Rwanda and

Burundi.

The event was graced by senior officials of OSIENALA and members of press. The Executive Director of OSIENALA advised partners

to utilize the funds properly on intended activities for easier accountability and common good of Lake Victoria communities.

Moreover, be ready to learn from each other during the partners cross-visits.

Chairman of OSIENALA Board of Directors Mr. Lusimba Rague presenting a Cheque to one of partner group leaders.

Swedish Ambassador Visits OSIENALA’s Centre

The Swedish Ambassador to Kenya Ms Anna Brandt visited OSIENALA’s Lake Victoria Centre for Research and Development at

Dunga Beach, Kisumu. She was leading a powerful Swedish delegation on tour of Lake Victoria Basin Commission and Swedish

International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) funded projects in Lake Victoria region, Kenya.

The Swedish delegation included Mr Klas Markensten (Head of Policy Division for Environment, Climate and Community

Development), Ms Maria Berlekom (Head of Policy Team for Environment and Climate), and Mr Johan Sundberg (Senior Adviser

Marine Environment and UNEP focal point officer, SIDA).

The Swedish delegation was accompanied by Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) officials based at LVBC Kisumu headquarter. The

team was welcome at OSIENALA by Senior Officials who included Pastor Gilbert Angienda (Head of Radio Lake Victoria), Dr Godfrey

Ogonda (Head of Programmes and Righa Makonge (COSMER-LAV Programme Officer).

The tour at Dunga Beach involved visit and chat with traders and fisherpersons and viewing of Dunga Beach and its environs. The

delegation them boarded boat at OSIENALA pier and cruised to Kisumu port.

Swedish Government through SIDA is a major supporter of Lake Victoria conservation and sustainable utilization initiatives through

Lake Victoria Initiative (LVI). The initiative has as its overall goal to help combat poverty within the context of sustainable

development, and put forward East African ownership and donor coordination as the key prerequisites of effective development

cooperation.

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Swedish Ambassador to Kenya in Goggles during Boat rides in Lake Victoria, courtesy of OSIENALA.

Swedish Ambassador to Kenya after alighting from OSIENALA’s Boat at Kisumu port

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Swedish Delegation Waiting to aboard the Board at OSIENALA’s pier, Dunga Beach, Kisumu.

Ecosan Toilets Training in East Africa

Ecological sanitation (Ecosan) toilets artisan training in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania is in great progress. The first round of training saw

the contracted consultant by OSIENALA train 73 ecosan artisans drawn from various villages and towns in the three East African

States.

The artisans were trained on how to construct ecosan toilet in East African villages or settlements not served by centralized sewerage

system. The technology is being promoted by OSIENALA under COSMER-LAV programme as an alternative of sanitation facility for

such settlement and is urging the East African Governments to incorporate ecosan toilets in their building policy.

Ecosan toilets are affordable and involve separation of urine and human faeces through different collection compartments. The human

faeces are sanitized through spread of normal ash each time one visits the toilet. The urine is prepared through dilution with water on

a ratio of 1:3 and poured in trees and crops root base to provide nitrogen. The human waste is ready after six months for use in the

kitchen gardens as organic manure.

The trained artisans are expected to create enterprise in their villages on ecosan construction and repair. Thus serve as employment

source to the unemployed youth.

“Ecological sanitation is next to godliness, order your ecosan toilet TODAY”

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Training of Ecosan Toilet Artisans in Uganda

World Wetlands Day

It was 2nd February, 2009 and World Wetland Day was marked all over the World. The day has been marked since 1997 to

commemorate the adoption date of wetlands convention in Iranian City of Ramsar situated in shores of Caspian Sea. So the day is

earmarked for undertaking actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the

Ramsar convention in particular.

The theme of this year’s celebration is Upstream-Downstream, Wetlands Connect us all. In Kenya, the celebrations were

marked in Ondiri Swamp of Nairobi rivers and Sabaki estuary of river Athi in Kikuyu and Malindi respectively. The activities included

clean-ups, afforestation and thematic speeches.

Around Lake Victoria region, OSIENALA marked the day through informative and interactive radio sessions through Radio Lake

Victoria with listernership of over 3 million. The radio calls-in provided avenue for listeners to ask questions which ranged from why

only one day for wetlands, appropriate grass-root actions to mark the day, sources of support for wetland conservation and

approaches of handling wetlands destruction cases.

OSIENALA’s partners Lake Victoria Sunset birders (LVSB) and Women in Fishing Industry Project (WIFIP) marked the day through

talks and clean-ups along Wigwa river. River Wigwa is one of the many rivers that flow into Lake Victoria through Dunga wetland and

is faced with many environmental challenges. These include pollution from garbage, human waste, eutrophication and siltation emptying

in Dunga Wetland. Jonam/NADUKATO community group played active role by providing the necessary workforce. The collected

garbage piles during the event were trucked away by Municipal council of Kisumu. Moreover, Chairman of LVSB Mr. Elijah Obadha

participated as judge for wetlands essay competition and wards day in Waondo Polytechnic under the invitation of Gembe Youth

Group in Suba District.

Lake Victoria communities are encouraged to mark this day through various wetland conservation activities such as clean-ups, tree or

papyrus planting, desludging, talks, video shows among others.

These will restore wetlands which are currently facing human threats such as burning, reclamation for agriculture, settlement and over

harvesting for crafts making. Thus continue provision of goods and services such as fish breeding grounds, raw materials for crafts and

thatching, source of water during drought and tourist attractions.

“Wetlands are wealthlands not wastelands, conserve them”

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Members of Dunga Village Listening to Speech during World Wetland Day Celebrations.

Collection of Garbage Collected during World Wetland Day at River Wigwa, Dunga Wetland

Environmental Education Corner OSIENALA’s Environmental Education Department is conquering new frontiers under the theme of eco-cultural education. This is

manifested by the newly established mausoleum in addition outdoor environmental activities such as guided boat rides, aquaculture

tours and environmental conservation talks. The mausoleum exhibits resources and culture of Lake Victoria communities. Its exhibits

portfolio includes traditional household items, musical instruments, war and fishing gears, papyrus crafts and furniture, animal statutes,

Lake Victoria flora and fauna exhibits such as snakes, turtles and butterflies. Moreover have aquarium to show diverse species of Lake

Victoria fish species and aquatic life. According to Environmental Education Officer Mr. Frank Otieno, the informative literature briefs

that accompany animal statutes are popular with students.

The Environmental Education activities continue to remain attractive to learning institutions not only from the Lake region but the

entire country. This is obvious in the number of schools that visit OSIENALA’s Lake Victoria Centre for Research and Development,

which is 7 schools per week in 2008 and is expected to double to 14 schools per week in 2009. The charges for boat rides are highly

subsidized and this is Kshs 20 per student and Kshs 50 per adult.

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Animal Statutes and Informative Literature Briefs Exhibit at the Mausoleum

Papyrus Wetlands Crafts Exhibit at the Mausoleum

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Traditional Musical Instruments Exhibit at the Mausoleum

Traditional War Gear Exhibit at the Mausoleum

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Traditional Household Items Exhibit at the Mausoleum

Snake Exhibit at the Mausoleum

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Goibei Girls Secondary School Students from Western Province after Guided Boat ride

OSIENALA updates The World Water Forum organized after every three years is mature. It will be held in Istanbul, Turkey from 16th -22nd March,

2009.The theme of the 5th World Water forum is “Bridging Divides for Water”. The forum is geared towards pushing water

issues on the international agenda. It enables global alliances on water issues and provides avenue for water community and leaders to

dialogue and find workable interventions for water security. OSIENALA will be represented at the forum by Executive Director Dr

Obiero Ong’ang’a. Lake Victoria Bulletin will update you on the on goings and outcome of this noble gathering.

Radio Lake Victoria (RLV) with listernership of over 3 million is expanding. RLV is currently installing extra transmitters and boosters

to expand their reach nationally and regionally. Lake Victoria will keep you updated on this RLV milestone.

OSIENALA’s printing press situated at Lake Victoria Centre for Research and Development, Dunga Beach, Kisumu is fully functional

and has the capacity to design and produce several print products such as newsletters, magazines, business, wedding and funeral cards,

calendars amongst others. The printing press accepts orders from interested parties and has attractive prices.

Poem DEAR NAM LOLWE

Here lies dear Lolwe, having lost her parts,

The Nile source, quencher of Africa hearts,

Say where has out Lake this malady caught?

Did we drink her crystal waters without fault?

Disturbing omena, Tilapia and Nile Perch?

Accept, dear Lolwe this sincere song.

Where are my longest rivers, secrets of Africa?

Where are my largest freshwater lakes?

The pride of the Dark Continent!

With beautiful shorelines…sandy beaches so sweet…

From a distance the skylines looms in steady beat…

Accept, dear Lolwe this sincere song.

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Big ships sailing in the lake,

Small boats ferrying fishermen,

Behind the backdrops of Huma, Gwasi and Gembe hills,

Between Mfangano, Rusinga and Ringiti islands,

I’m in a vast lake completely taken and shaken…

Accept, dear Lolwe this sincere song.

Up with tides…down with winds!

Panting in the heat of bright sunshine!

The lake does not sleep!

Find a CARE I’ve never spoken!

I’m lost for words, can’t write another line.

So I‘ll just say: Accept, dear Lolwe this sincere song.

By Onduto Midika (2009-02-11)