- October 21, 2000
Looking out over the nearside aircraft wing, the first golden rays of daylight pierce the distant horizon, as the air steward announces in kiswahili of our impending landing in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. I have travelled with a team of 15 to help with a conference, musical concerts and takeing supplies to village schools. The tannoy system crackles into life again, “Karibu”, welcome to Kenya.
Straddling the equator, Kenya lies on the East Coast of Africa, with a melting pot of more than 70 different people groups and cultures. Most people come to view the breathtaking landscapes and explore some of the best wildlife parks in Africa but do not realise that this is the 22nd poorest country in the world. With a population of around 30 million, over 50% still do not have access to clean drinking water. In recent years, political violence surrounding the 1997 elections, the bombing of the US embassy in the heart of Nairobi which killed 200 people in August 1998, and the disastrous El Nino rains which caused flooding and disease have been major setbacks for the country and its tourism.
