I hope this message finds you well!
Although we’ve been quiet, I’m thrilled to let you know that Global Angels is alive and thriving. Today, I’m making my fourth trip to Kenya this year. These trips have been a blend of taking teams with me and solo visits, all focused on project management, farm development, preparing for the El Niño rains, forest garden cultivation, building community resilience and team building.
Delicious Home-Grown Organic Papaya and Bananas
One of the most thrilling parts of our journey has been seeing the results of our hard work. Our efforts have culminated in full water tanks and water pans, and the joy of eating delicious papayas and bananas grown by our Shamba team. We’ve also tasted our first lemons and pomegranates, and our fields are lush and green with indigenous trees growing tall.
This photo shows bananas ripening in our forest garden.
The rains have been mostly gentle and we have been able to collect and store vast amounts of rainwater. We have had some heavy rain but due to all our preparation we have had no damage to our infrastructure. The gabions and tyres used to heal our deep gullies are working wonderfully, with excess water flowing into our swales and nourishing the land below.
This photo captures a small part of the Itinyi Valley. On the left, you can see our water pans covered with black shade netting, capable of storing nearly 1 million litres of rainwater. The neighboring lands are also visible, with the majestic Sagalla Hills in the distance providing a stunning backdrop.
Focus on Soil Regeneration
Rather than focusing on large crop harvests this past season, we have concentrated on soil regeneration. We’ve been cutting and dropping grasses to provide a protective mulch cover on our fields, shielding the soil from the harsh sun. Our new solar pumps and irrigation systems are transforming the landscape, by delivering the much needed water to the right places at the times thereby enabling our orchards and shade houses to flourish.
In the photo, you can see our Global Angels Farm buildings. Towards the bottom, there are three black shade net houses. To the left and beneath these shade houses are the poultry buildings. Below the poultry buildings, you will find the milking goat area. The farm centre, abattoir, and office buildings are located on the left. At the top of the photo, there is our one-acre forest garden orchard.
Bees, Beehives and Jumaa – A Story of Serendipity
I’d like to share a short story with you. In April, I arrived in Kenya with books for our new library, determined to finally succeed with bees. Despite having 10 beehives, we had no bees and, consequently, no honey.
My arrival coincided with an enthusiastic young man, Jumaa, joining our building team as a casual worker. Without me knowing, Jumaa had mentioned to Jackson, our Project Manager, that he noticed our beehives needed repair. He offered to work on them and promised that within three days we would have bees in our hives.
This photo features Jumaa, a local farmer and our new beekeeper.
Whilst I was walking on the hillside of our upper fields, a huge swarm of bees flew overhead. Remembering that you can sing or talk to bees, I called out loud, inviting them to find a home in our hives. The next morning, to my delight, we had two hives full of bees.
Two days later, while Jackson and I were in our office, he pointed out a large swarm of bees flying up the hill from below our forest garden orchard. Again, I called out to them and offered them a home in our hives. Within 10 minutes, another staff member excitedly informed us that a huge swarm flew nearby and went straight into two more hives. It was amazing and serendipitous!
This photo features three of our beehives situated in the Neem tree glade.
We found a beautiful Neem tree on the lower part of our land, with a small glade growing naturally around it. We realised this was an ideal place for our hives. When I returned in May, this proved to be true as I discovered we had 10 hives full of bees, with several already making honey. Now, we have bees and a beekeeper, and the lovely hum of bees buzzing around collecting nectar wherever we walk. We are so thankful to have Jumaa on the team.
We now have 20 beehives and expect to harvest honey in the next few months. We are going to need to build a purpose built building to set up a fully equipped honey harvesting area. Our next steps include sending Jumaa on a honey harvesting course and buying the necessary equipment to produce Global Angels Honey.
Important Announcement Coming in Two Weeks!
Our team has been working on something very special for most of this year, and we’ve had to keep it top secret while we finalise local authority certification. If all goes well, we will be able to share the exciting news and photos with you next week. Watch this space!
This photo carries a hint of what is to come. Can you guess what we are building?
Thank you Angels!
We are working on many exciting things for 2024 and I am so grateful for your support in helping us make a huge difference in this community. Your continued support is instrumental in making these achievements possible.
If you would like us help us build the honey house and get the equipment for our honey enterprise please donate on the link below. We expect it will cost about £2000 in total. Every penny received will directly to the honey project 🙂
Remember, our Global Angels Promise means every penny we receive from public donations goes directly to provide tangible on-the-ground resources in our projects bringing solutions such as safe drinking water, education and healthcare.