We see it, hear about it, and feel it in our daily lives. The reach of the Somali pirates is hitting closer and closer to home, as they grow more and more powerful.
Recently, a BBC international news headline read: Greek oil supertanker Irene hijacked off Oman. Frankly, you do not need too wild of an imagination to guess that it is the Somali pirates behind this ship seizure. Carrying 266,000 tons of crude oil with an estimated value of $200 million, it is believed this is the largest vessels ever seized by Somalis.
Today, four Americans sailing on a yacht off the coast of Oman were taken hostage by Somali pirates. While pirates usually attack cargo ships, in more recent years it has become increasingly common that they now seize yachts as well. The yacht's owners had been sailing around the world since 2002, apparently on a Bible hand out mission.
Overstretched international anti-piracy forces operating in the Indian Ocean give priority to protecting cargo ships over private yachts. We have an acquaintance here who runs an anti-pirate private security firm. Basically, if you have something you want to transport, he hires mercenary types to board your boat and help keep you safe from the pirates. Right now - business is booming. When I pointed out his rather perverse implications behind this business model, he demurely agreed.
But the story hitting closest to home began four months ago now and is still unfolding. Two people whom we know from the Dar es Salaam were kidnapped off of Mtwara in South Tanzania. They were sailing home to South Africa to spend the holidays with their families; they had volunteered to work as crew on someone else's yacht. The stories about the circumstances under which their yacht was seized are murky, but either way, the result is tragic. Two South Africans from very humble backgrounds are now being held for ransom by Somali pirates. The initial ransom price was set at $10,000,000, an astronomical sum by all accounts. Apparently, their families are bargaining for their release, while at the same time begging for contact to make sure that the person they are dealing with can assure that their loved ones are safe, hell, even alive for that matter.
We recently learned that negotiation proceedings were beginning to reach a formative end, and to help ensure that these negotiations were brought to a positive end we were asked to contribute a rather modest amount, approximately $10US to support the fund being raised to ensure their release. It was assured that all donations would remain anonymous, it certainly doesn't bode well for assuring future safety when pirates know who is willing to fork over cash for someone's release. We unflinchingly were willing to contribute to this fund, in fact we made an extra donation on behalf of our friend who met this couple and has been actively following the story of their release stateside. But the reactions within the community were mixed, and I can see both sides.
Somalia has had no functioning central government since 1991, which allows piracy to flourish off its coast. Somali pirates have made millions of dollars in recent years by capturing cargo vessels in the shipping lanes around the Horn of Africa and holding the ships and crew for ransom. A ransom payment perpetuates and further fuels this practice. This is probably the biggest and most compelling reason to not give money, and it also just so happens that this really goes against the grain of my belief in the importance of "development." I suspect most Somalis themselves would share this opinion.
But seriously, how can we NOT give?! If I were in their position I would certainly want to be rest assured that everyone who was able, was doing everything they could to help secure my release. Moreover, while I don't want me money going to fund piracy on the high seas, where is my small little protest in not funding them going to get me? This is a pretty well established system, with extremely sophisticated leadership and money management, I alone do not have the power to change that.
So I am curious to hear your thoughts. To give or not to give, that is the question.
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
February 19, 2011
October 8, 2010
Jesus for Sale in Mombasa, Kenya.
Back by Popular Demand.
July 21, 2010
Rothschild Giraffe Facts.
As a follow up to my recent post about our visit to Nairobi's giraffe center, I thought it might be interesting to share some facts about this endangered subspecies of Giraffe.
Species:
There is only one species of giraffe, Giraffa Camelopardalis, however there are 9 subspecies to this, one being the endangered Rothschild. The Rothschild can be differentiated by their spot colors, mature males having 5 horns, and a lack of spots below their knees.
Body Size:
Giraffe are the tallest land mamals. Bulls are about 5.5 meters (16-18 ft) and weigh around 1800kg (3000lbs). Cows are smaller, about 4.2-4.9 meters (14-16ft) tall and weigh around 1134kg (2500lbs).
Life Expectancy:
In captivity Giraffes can live up to 28 years old. However, in the wild their average life expectancy is about 10-15 years.
Diet:
Giraffes are grazing herbivores with 4 stomachs. Their favorite food is the leaves of the acacia tree. Adult bulls consume approximately 35kg (75lbs) of food daily, and can eat as much as 65kg at a time.
Gestation:
15 months. Calf birth weight is around 68kg (150lbs) and they stand up to 2m (5ft) tall. Within one hour a calf is able to walk and suckle milk from its mother. Calves suckle for 10-12 months and start eating other food a few days to weeks after birth.
Enemies:
The largest cats and hyenas prey upon calves. On rare occassions adult giraffe are attacked when seated or drinking as are the elderly and sick.
Defence:
Giraffes have height advantage (duh!) with excellent vision. Their long legs are used as weapons in defence with powerful kicks. Giraffe can run up to 56km/h (35mph). Bulls also use their heads as weapons when two males are determining who the dominant animal is.
Circulation:
The heart is large - weighing 11 kg (25lbs) and measuring .3m by .6m (2ft by 1ft). It can pump up tp 76 liters (20 gallons) per minute and generates blood pressure 3 times greater than that of humans.
Sleep:
Giraffe rest during the hottest part of the day, usually standing, but will also lie down to rest with legs tucked beneath the body and the head held up high. Giraffes sleep no more than 5 to 30 minutes in 24 hours.
Social behavior:
Giraffe are social and live in family herds of 2 to 50 animals. Herds are territorial while browsing, with a dominant male present.
---
References:
www.precisionairtz.com
Species:
There is only one species of giraffe, Giraffa Camelopardalis, however there are 9 subspecies to this, one being the endangered Rothschild. The Rothschild can be differentiated by their spot colors, mature males having 5 horns, and a lack of spots below their knees.
Body Size:
Giraffe are the tallest land mamals. Bulls are about 5.5 meters (16-18 ft) and weigh around 1800kg (3000lbs). Cows are smaller, about 4.2-4.9 meters (14-16ft) tall and weigh around 1134kg (2500lbs).
Life Expectancy:
In captivity Giraffes can live up to 28 years old. However, in the wild their average life expectancy is about 10-15 years.
Diet:
Giraffes are grazing herbivores with 4 stomachs. Their favorite food is the leaves of the acacia tree. Adult bulls consume approximately 35kg (75lbs) of food daily, and can eat as much as 65kg at a time.
Gestation:
15 months. Calf birth weight is around 68kg (150lbs) and they stand up to 2m (5ft) tall. Within one hour a calf is able to walk and suckle milk from its mother. Calves suckle for 10-12 months and start eating other food a few days to weeks after birth.
Enemies:
The largest cats and hyenas prey upon calves. On rare occassions adult giraffe are attacked when seated or drinking as are the elderly and sick.
Defence:
Giraffes have height advantage (duh!) with excellent vision. Their long legs are used as weapons in defence with powerful kicks. Giraffe can run up to 56km/h (35mph). Bulls also use their heads as weapons when two males are determining who the dominant animal is.
Circulation:
The heart is large - weighing 11 kg (25lbs) and measuring .3m by .6m (2ft by 1ft). It can pump up tp 76 liters (20 gallons) per minute and generates blood pressure 3 times greater than that of humans.
Sleep:
Giraffe rest during the hottest part of the day, usually standing, but will also lie down to rest with legs tucked beneath the body and the head held up high. Giraffes sleep no more than 5 to 30 minutes in 24 hours.
Social behavior:
Giraffe are social and live in family herds of 2 to 50 animals. Herds are territorial while browsing, with a dominant male present.
---
References:
www.precisionairtz.com
July 20, 2010
Giraffe Manor.
Its reputation precedes it, for better or worse.
In September, before even landing in East Africa, I was told by a fellow penniless intern in DC, "You must visit the famous giraffe hotel in Nairobi." My curiosity was piqued.
After my arrival here, I stumbled across a feature on this same "very special hotel in Nairobi" in one of my favorite blogs. The author's desire to visit Kenya was confirmed after seeing the movie Out of Africa. As someone who described staying in a tent as neither her idea of fun nor a proper vacation, her dream vacation to Africa centers around "fabulous" 5 star accommodations, including this one. My interest began to wane.
Momentarily breaking ourselves free from the rather aggressive pursuits of tourist touts at Jomo Kenyatta airport, we asked a local man for his ideas of what we must see and do during our one day in Nairobi, "Oh, you must go to the Giraffe Center." He was the 3rd person within 20 minutes time to tell us we must visit this place. My waning interest turned to outright aversion. This has got to be a tourist trap we both agreed.
Despite this, later that day we ended up face to face with a family of giraffes, allowing them to lick pellets out of the palms of our hands. After a long trek through Ngong Hills, followed by a leisurely lunch, we still had several hours ahead of us before needing to return to the airport, and so we ended up at the Giraffe Manor. Our visit actually proved quite an interesting diversion.
The Giraffe Manor was built in 1932 by David Duncan of the "Macintosh Toffee" family, and is modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge. This mansion is complete with views of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the south and Ngong Hills to the west. This seemed an apt follow-up to our tour of Karen Blixen's home. In 1974, the grandson of a Scots Earl, Jock Leslie Melville and his American wife Betty bought the Manor to use as their home. Shortly thereafter, they moved two highly endangered Rothschild giraffe onto the estate where future generations have continued to thrive and live today. The Rothschild giraffe lost much of their natural habitat in western Kenya and faced extinction. Jock and Betty founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), and the Giraffe Center was built on their property to provide a venue for Kenyan schoolchildren could learn more about conservation and ecology, complete with the ability to feed giraffe eye to eye. During our visit there, we were surrounded by excited and curious children in purple uniforms.
Profits from the admission fees paid to the Giraffe Center support various conservation projects in Kenya. When Jock died in 1984, Betty returned to the US and opened her house to visitors and it has continued to delight visitors ever since.
---
In September, before even landing in East Africa, I was told by a fellow penniless intern in DC, "You must visit the famous giraffe hotel in Nairobi." My curiosity was piqued.
After my arrival here, I stumbled across a feature on this same "very special hotel in Nairobi" in one of my favorite blogs. The author's desire to visit Kenya was confirmed after seeing the movie Out of Africa. As someone who described staying in a tent as neither her idea of fun nor a proper vacation, her dream vacation to Africa centers around "fabulous" 5 star accommodations, including this one. My interest began to wane.
Momentarily breaking ourselves free from the rather aggressive pursuits of tourist touts at Jomo Kenyatta airport, we asked a local man for his ideas of what we must see and do during our one day in Nairobi, "Oh, you must go to the Giraffe Center." He was the 3rd person within 20 minutes time to tell us we must visit this place. My waning interest turned to outright aversion. This has got to be a tourist trap we both agreed.
Despite this, later that day we ended up face to face with a family of giraffes, allowing them to lick pellets out of the palms of our hands. After a long trek through Ngong Hills, followed by a leisurely lunch, we still had several hours ahead of us before needing to return to the airport, and so we ended up at the Giraffe Manor. Our visit actually proved quite an interesting diversion.
The Giraffe Manor was built in 1932 by David Duncan of the "Macintosh Toffee" family, and is modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge. This mansion is complete with views of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the south and Ngong Hills to the west. This seemed an apt follow-up to our tour of Karen Blixen's home. In 1974, the grandson of a Scots Earl, Jock Leslie Melville and his American wife Betty bought the Manor to use as their home. Shortly thereafter, they moved two highly endangered Rothschild giraffe onto the estate where future generations have continued to thrive and live today. The Rothschild giraffe lost much of their natural habitat in western Kenya and faced extinction. Jock and Betty founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), and the Giraffe Center was built on their property to provide a venue for Kenyan schoolchildren could learn more about conservation and ecology, complete with the ability to feed giraffe eye to eye. During our visit there, we were surrounded by excited and curious children in purple uniforms.
Profits from the admission fees paid to the Giraffe Center support various conservation projects in Kenya. When Jock died in 1984, Betty returned to the US and opened her house to visitors and it has continued to delight visitors ever since.
---References:
http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
Photo Credit:
last photo: http://www.giraffemanor.com/docs1/history.htm
July 15, 2010
Run Like a Kenyan.
Recently Andrei and I traveled to Nairobi for the day. We woke at 3am, were picked up at 4am, departed from Dar es Salaam at 5am, and arrived into Nairobi at 6am. Luggage and agenda free, we had 11 hours of adventure ahead of us before our return flight home. While we both enjoy getting lost in urban settings, we have found that trekking through concrete jungles can make for a less than relaxing getaway.
So instead we hired a driver for the day and headed straight to Ngong Hills, about a 40 minute drive outside of the city center. "Ngong," literally meaning "knuckles" in Maasai, is a series of 4 peaks overlooking the Great Rift Valley on one side and the skyline of Nairobi on the other side. These hils resemble the knuckles of a giant whose fate is the subject of several Masai legends.
At altitudes above 2000m, the air was thin and left us breathless. As we rested and enjoyed the views,
these guys ran circles around us. The Kenyans, famed for their running prowess, did not fail to impress.
But why is it that Kenyans are such good runners? The theories are many and varied.
According to some, high altitude running partially explains this phenomenon, as running at higher altitudes builds greater lung capacity as runners grow more used to the athletic rigors of thinner air. The vast majority of Kenya's most accomplished runners were born and raised at high altitude, hailing from a hilly region surrounding Eldoret ranging in altitude from 7,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level.
But certainly that alone cannot explain this phenomenon, as worldwide many populations live at high altitudes. One theory our driver explained to us in great detail is that the "Kenyan" running stardom actually lies mostly with one particular tribe, the Kalenjin. Though Kalenjins represent just 12 percent of Kenya's population, they comprise about three-quarters of the nation's elite runners. It was Kip Keino who kicked off this trend back in 1968 when he won Olympic gold for his winning performance in the 1,500 meter event. In 1972, added an Olympic steeplechase title. His successes apparently inspired succeeding generations of Kalenjins to seek distance-running titles.
Kip Keino, among many other Kalenjin marathon winners, are viewed as heros and idols for Kalenjin youth. However, not only are they admired for their athletic talent, but also because many young Kenyans view winning distance running titles as their ticket out of poverty. In races where winning cash prizes reach upwards of $100,000, surely this helps aspiring runners keep their eye on the prize. This in turn feeds the legacy and tradition of "Kenyan" running talent because as interest in running increases, so does the competition for much coveted positions on traveling squads and accordingly so does the intensity and difficulty of Kenyan training regimes.
---
References:
http://www.slate.com/id/2090658
http://www.kilimanjaro.cc/eam/ngong-hills.htm
So instead we hired a driver for the day and headed straight to Ngong Hills, about a 40 minute drive outside of the city center. "Ngong," literally meaning "knuckles" in Maasai, is a series of 4 peaks overlooking the Great Rift Valley on one side and the skyline of Nairobi on the other side. These hils resemble the knuckles of a giant whose fate is the subject of several Masai legends.
At altitudes above 2000m, the air was thin and left us breathless. As we rested and enjoyed the views,
According to some, high altitude running partially explains this phenomenon, as running at higher altitudes builds greater lung capacity as runners grow more used to the athletic rigors of thinner air. The vast majority of Kenya's most accomplished runners were born and raised at high altitude, hailing from a hilly region surrounding Eldoret ranging in altitude from 7,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level.
But certainly that alone cannot explain this phenomenon, as worldwide many populations live at high altitudes. One theory our driver explained to us in great detail is that the "Kenyan" running stardom actually lies mostly with one particular tribe, the Kalenjin. Though Kalenjins represent just 12 percent of Kenya's population, they comprise about three-quarters of the nation's elite runners. It was Kip Keino who kicked off this trend back in 1968 when he won Olympic gold for his winning performance in the 1,500 meter event. In 1972, added an Olympic steeplechase title. His successes apparently inspired succeeding generations of Kalenjins to seek distance-running titles.
Kip Keino, among many other Kalenjin marathon winners, are viewed as heros and idols for Kalenjin youth. However, not only are they admired for their athletic talent, but also because many young Kenyans view winning distance running titles as their ticket out of poverty. In races where winning cash prizes reach upwards of $100,000, surely this helps aspiring runners keep their eye on the prize. This in turn feeds the legacy and tradition of "Kenyan" running talent because as interest in running increases, so does the competition for much coveted positions on traveling squads and accordingly so does the intensity and difficulty of Kenyan training regimes.
---
References:
http://www.slate.com/id/2090658
http://www.kilimanjaro.cc/eam/ngong-hills.htm
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