The African Sun
Photo by @Savvy.snapper
Seldom do you get a picture which captures such a simple statement of pure beauty. The African sun is iconic and well documented as it rises and sets religiously across the vast expanses of Kenya, and you cannot help but be captivated by it. This, along with the charismatic bull elephant enjoying his last few mouthfuls before dusk, as the nocturnal animals begin to emerge from their slumber... The splendour of this image is infectious and one thing I have learnt over the last 8 months is that the pandemic has offered us all an opportunity to take stock, to slow down (not always by choice) and to start appreciating things in life that we sometimes take for granted. That may be family and friends as we were all suddenly isolated from them, it may be work colleagues as now we all work from home indefinitely, or it may be just the ’normal’ things like popping to the local Starbucks for a coffee that we feel aggrieved to not have anymore. Or is it that we just do not have the choice? That simple daily opportunity has been taken from us and our new world takes some adjustments.
It has and will continue to be a transition, but it feels as if mother nature has taken a huge sigh of relief, as if somehow, she is able to breathe again! Looking out the window and being able to see Mt Kilimanjaro, which other than in these times, we have never been able to see from so far. The air is clearer as the factories are not working, we start appreciating the new buds in the garden, and watching the bees toiling away. New bird species coming onto the bird table to grapple over the remaining mango skin, cause us rush to the bird book to try and identify them. The human race has had a chance to reflect on previous actions, and if together we harness a new way of operating, where we all take individual responsibility, we can make a collective difference to 'our world'. Coming from London on one of the last flights home before lockdown, everything I knew was changed by that single action. It didn’t matter what car you drove as it sat stationary in the car port, or what iPhone you had, all that mattered was that you were safe and did the right thing to protect the vulnerable and the elderly. Why does this have to change back? Being kind and supporting others should be the norm for us as people, we all care, and I genuinely believe that this is our moment to harness that and express ourselves with kindness. During this time, I have read more than ever before, seen more news headlines than I would like to remember, yet one statement resonates with me above all others ‘we do not inherit the world from our ancestors; we borrowed it from our children’ Native American Proverb.
A small indigenously owned and run lodge by the name of Ilengwesi is somewhere I have been lucky enough to visit regularly through this time, as it is in such desperate need of local trade to keep afloat. The lodge’s reputation proceeds it, having historically been visited by Princess Diana when Princes William and Harry were younger, it is also known for affording its guests the opportunity to walk with the endangered white Rhino. When I was there a few short weeks ago, we enjoyed a beautiful and memorable evening, where we went on a long walk through the wild mountainous terrain, and were lucky enough to spend a few special moments close to these elegant yet unjustifiably hunted creatures. As is typical of Africa, once the encounter was over we returned to the vehicle and picked a look out spot to watch the sun go down behind the iconic Ololokwe mountain, at which point I remember turning to James the Masai tribesman who had guided us to the Rhino and said, 'we must never take being Kenyans for granted.’ That statement resonated deeply in all of us, for the same reasons that make elephant picture so symbolic. We are privileged to call this country home, the variation in terrain that is the Kenyan landscape and the vast biodiversity it offers, is simply unparalleled and I feel privileged every day to be Kenyan and I look forward to the time when we can again welcome visitors and friends back to Kenya to share it with them. Our efforts at Tofauti are unwavering, albeit there are a few new hurdles for us to navigate and it is for this reason that we are grateful to you all, for showing us the support that we need in order to get the jobs done, thank you for the part you have and continue to play in the Tofauti journey.
As we head into our second lockdown experience, our thoughts are with you all and we hope that we can make the difference this time to curb the cases and once again be in the position to enjoy the worlds offerings soon.
Stay safe and look after each other.