Weekly Update (The proposal is completed!)

So I'm about to leave for a PCV party near Kisumu this weekend but here's a quick update on life in Kenya: Basically for the last three weeks I've been working my tail off but the proposal is finally completed and I submitted it today. Getting this thing finished felt like completing the last final exam of the year. Putting together the finances and budgeting and making a compelling case is really a lot of work, especially with the last minute deadline. The total amount we are requesting for the project is a little over a million shillings, and that will go towards assembling and running the equipment, purchasing all the accessories we will need, getting the flour certified, and training everyone. I went to Kisumu on Friday and visited a manufacturing plant headquartered in Nairobi that will potentially be making the machinery for milling the flour. They also provide training on proper food manufacturing practices, including standards, quality control, hygiene, and packaging. Between that and Rhoda's input on creating the flour I think we really have a good proposal. After submitting today I had to speak to a review board with Habakkuk, the Network Chairman. The review board really seemed to like the proposal, and the biggest issue was that our group had not budgeted a large enough portion of our own income for the project. Apparently contributions from the group towards achieving the goal are really important, but this was my first grant proposal so live and learn. Anyway, it sounds like after they look it over if they want to give us the funding they will allow us to rewrite the budget to contribute more from our side. That's easier said than done, and a lot of the organizations that showed up today to speak with the review board are already receiving massive amounts of funding through religious organizations, NGO's, etc. I pointed out to the board that Habakkuk and myself came by matatu and boda boda while everyone else arrived in automobiles funded through grant money they've already received. The committee thought that observation was hilarious and hopefully I got a point across as well. So in one week I should know whether we've made it to the next step. I'll keep everyone informed.

Now on to a couple non-work related things. There is a spice mix that makes a fantastic fish marsala which I've been cooking with practically every week. I cooked dinner with one of the Canadian volunteers on Wednesday night and it turned out great; ingredients for Indian food are easy to find here and the spices are better than anything I've come across in the states. Last weekend I went to Eldoret, and besides having good restaurants there's really nothing interesting about the place. The novelty is starting to wear off with new Kenyan cities and they are starting to look the same. Eldoret reminds me of Kisumu, except no giant lake and more trash all over the ground. I've never seen a place with so many plastic bags blowing through the wind, covering fields, snagged on barbed wire fences, etc. It's incredible how much nicer these places would look with a little help from a sanitation department; perhaps money has been allocated for such an effort and its in someone's pocket right now.

So that's about it, time to get out of here and relax. I'll write again when something interesting comes up.