Here is how it all began...
During our (that's my husband Jason, our three children and myself) first stay in Mida Creek in January 2007, two
things became immediately obvious:
The solution, how to help these people was so obvious, especially as Kenya's other coastal areas are very popular
tourists-destinations. The initiative to build a place to have an income from tourism within Mida Creek came from the
Mida community themselves. They had started a campsite, but were missing funds and knowledge.
The second time we visited a 9 month old baby had just died of a cough and a 2 year old boy of malaria. We knew
then to get involved and returned a third time a week later to start building.
On our return to Mida Creek we wrote an e-mail to friends and family asking for donations. To make funds last
longer, we decided to live the same life like the locals. We stayed in a communal hut with them and ate the same
food (I lost 25kg at one stage!). It was tough at times in our eight month there, especially when there was no money
at all...not knowing where to get the next meal from and children needing medical attention queuing outside our hut.
But people here were used to it.
To start, we bought a chainsaw and started manufacturing our own wood from dead palm-trees, we purchased in the
area, for the platform restaurant. The second big step was running a water-pipe to the main road. Water from a tap -
it made life so much easier.
After only three month, end of August 2007, the platform and the three huts were up, and the area for the small
campsite was cleared - which is extremely fast for Kenyan standards. But everyone of our 40 direct helpers worked
very hard, long hours, sometimes without being paid for weeks. This, the 100% support from the whole community
and the gratefulness of these lovely people made this one of the most wonderful experiences!
We added some details as swing-seating areas, pond, a coma (hut to pray to ancestors) to give the camp a 'village-
feel'. After we erected the signboard and the large coconut-arch at the main road, people started coming in to have
a look.
The staff training started. We knew our workers pretty well by this stage and could tell which job was suitable for
which person. I never forget the cook being scared because the fish had turned hard and was very cold - it had
been in the freezer - or the lessons of how to use a tin-opener. But it wasn't one-sided. We had to learn, too. The
guys were in stitches when they saw me hacking fire-wood the first time and I still can't manage to balance a 20 litres
bucket of water on my head - let alone a tree-stump!
In November the Red Cross wanted to camp at Mida Ecocamp with 100 people for a weeks' training. Within a week
we built a separate campsite with extra eight showers, two toilets, kitchen area and another large campfire. The fees
we charged for camping paid to build this facility and it was worth it as they are now regular customers, also
returning in low season.
December 2007 was great - we had quite a lot of guests. We had politicians for their meetings, tourists from over-
seas and guests from the next bigger towns visiting. For the workers to see all these important people coming here,
to THEIR camp, that THEY had built, it was an amazing time. One could feel the excitement.
Unfortunately, after the problems in Kenya after the elections, guests stayed absent in January. We are tying over
until the next season starts and would like to finish some outstanding work till then. But we will need financial
support. If you want to help us, please click this link: Support Us
Thank you!
During our (that's my husband Jason, our three children and myself) first stay in Mida Creek in January 2007, two
things became immediately obvious:
- Mida Creek offers amazing surroundings, but yet there was no place for guests to stay or eat.
- Locals couldn't afford medicine, some couldn't send their children to school and a lot of their illnesses are
related to poor diet based on ugali, made of maize meal.
The solution, how to help these people was so obvious, especially as Kenya's other coastal areas are very popular
tourists-destinations. The initiative to build a place to have an income from tourism within Mida Creek came from the
Mida community themselves. They had started a campsite, but were missing funds and knowledge.
The second time we visited a 9 month old baby had just died of a cough and a 2 year old boy of malaria. We knew
then to get involved and returned a third time a week later to start building.
On our return to Mida Creek we wrote an e-mail to friends and family asking for donations. To make funds last
longer, we decided to live the same life like the locals. We stayed in a communal hut with them and ate the same
food (I lost 25kg at one stage!). It was tough at times in our eight month there, especially when there was no money
at all...not knowing where to get the next meal from and children needing medical attention queuing outside our hut.
But people here were used to it.
To start, we bought a chainsaw and started manufacturing our own wood from dead palm-trees, we purchased in the
area, for the platform restaurant. The second big step was running a water-pipe to the main road. Water from a tap -
it made life so much easier.
After only three month, end of August 2007, the platform and the three huts were up, and the area for the small
campsite was cleared - which is extremely fast for Kenyan standards. But everyone of our 40 direct helpers worked
very hard, long hours, sometimes without being paid for weeks. This, the 100% support from the whole community
and the gratefulness of these lovely people made this one of the most wonderful experiences!
We added some details as swing-seating areas, pond, a coma (hut to pray to ancestors) to give the camp a 'village-
feel'. After we erected the signboard and the large coconut-arch at the main road, people started coming in to have
a look.
The staff training started. We knew our workers pretty well by this stage and could tell which job was suitable for
which person. I never forget the cook being scared because the fish had turned hard and was very cold - it had
been in the freezer - or the lessons of how to use a tin-opener. But it wasn't one-sided. We had to learn, too. The
guys were in stitches when they saw me hacking fire-wood the first time and I still can't manage to balance a 20 litres
bucket of water on my head - let alone a tree-stump!
In November the Red Cross wanted to camp at Mida Ecocamp with 100 people for a weeks' training. Within a week
we built a separate campsite with extra eight showers, two toilets, kitchen area and another large campfire. The fees
we charged for camping paid to build this facility and it was worth it as they are now regular customers, also
returning in low season.
December 2007 was great - we had quite a lot of guests. We had politicians for their meetings, tourists from over-
seas and guests from the next bigger towns visiting. For the workers to see all these important people coming here,
to THEIR camp, that THEY had built, it was an amazing time. One could feel the excitement.
Unfortunately, after the problems in Kenya after the elections, guests stayed absent in January. We are tying over
until the next season starts and would like to finish some outstanding work till then. But we will need financial
support. If you want to help us, please click this link: Support Us
Thank you!
Children collecting rubbish
on the beach for food
on the beach for food
Building a road to the camp
Connecting the water-pipe -
what an exciting day!
what an exciting day!
The big arch at the road-entry
goes up - everyone helps
goes up - everyone helps
The Red Cross on their first visit
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