Just wanted to post a quick update so you guys would know what’s going on here at Bedouins! We’ve wrapped up the main editing to the KIINI video as well as the 3 ‘vignettes’ that are going to be used as testimonials to show the impact that KIINI’s had in their community there in Kenya. We’ll be releasing some of the vignettes soon on here as soon as we get the score wrapped up and that’ll help us set the tone for the release of the whole project, which will happen in tandem with the release of our new site/brand!

Phil Moody, the designer behind the new Bedouins look, will be posting on here soon with a teaser of our new look and some insight into what changes we’re making to our brand and why…so stay tuned!

I’m down in Alabama for the summer (shooting weddings) and I arrived to an awesome surprise…the film from our trip to Kenya with Kiini was back!  I just downloaded it and did a really quick thumb through and it’s really really fantastic.  I can’t wait to get it all edited and start working on the project in the next couple of weeks.  Here are a few of my quick favorites from the bunch…be back soon with more!

Well, it’s much past the 7th day of our trip to Nyeri with Kiini, but due to our lack of internet access we’re just now getting around to posting these. We’re actually sitting in the lobby of the Kenya airport waiting to check in (which they don’t allow until a few hours before the flight) and we happened to find some wi-fi!

Our last day with Kiini was a short one, but we were still able to accomplish quite a bit before we made the drive back to Nairobi. We started the morning just across the street from the Kiini office visiting a disabled man who is part of a group that has benefited from the micro-loans through Kiini. He now runs a small shop making all sorts of metal items, from drain pipes to watering cans and much more. He’s been able to start and sustain his business and provide for his family through support from Kiini.

After that we were able to attend one of the group meetings and see first hand how the loans and bookkeeping work. One of the women’s groups had their monthly meeting and Kiini attended to help with the paperwork and banking to assure that everything was in order and that everyone was doing their part.

Our project with Kiini was amazing and we were really impressed with their hearts and commitment to the community there in Nyeri. They are reaching out and touching so many lives and we were honored to get to be a part of what they’re doing.

Stay tuned for much more on Kiini as we begin our ‘back end’ work on the project from the states over the next few weeks. There will be videos/photos/design and many more stories that you won’t want to miss!

This man, who was born disabled, was empowered through the Kiini Sustainable Initiative.

Some of the items that he makes in his shop.

He demonstrated to us how he makes some of the metal items that he sells there in his shop.

Kennedy of Kiini.

The Utugi Ladies group meeting in Nyeri, a group that Kiini works with.  (Utugi means grace)

Boniface goes over the books with one of the women from the Utugi group.

Sam looks in on the group meeting.

Fraciah, one of the women from the Utugi Women’s group.

So you may notice that we missed day 5.  It’s not that we didn’t do anything important; we did.  Unfortunately the camera stopped working for that day.  We’ve been able to get it to work off an on, so it’s still alive-ish, but it’s deffinitely giving us problems.  So we shot all of day 5 on film which we’ll share with you later.

Day 6 was our final full day in Nyeri with Kiini and we spent a good bit of it enjoying the town and relaxing a little.  We finished all of our interviews with the Kiini staff first, and then we headed to Aberdare National Park for a game ride (i.e. safari).  It was a lot of fun and we saw all sorts of wildlife including Jessi’s favorite, elephants!

We’re wrapping up one last shoot this morning and then heading back to Nairobi for a few days of work with a Bishop there.  If we have internet you can expect continued updates on the blog…and if not we’ll be back before you know it!

Thanks for following our progress and stay tuned in the coming months as the Kiini project comes together!

Philip, one of the of the Kiini staff members.

Kennedy, one of the of the Kiini staff members.

Boniface, one of the of the Kiini staff members.

The Kiini staff in the office in Nyeri, Kenya.

Animal Skulls at the entrance to Aberdare Park.

The rest of these were shot during our ‘game ride’ through Aberdare Park;  Waterbuck.

Water Buffalo

Elephant

Jessi and Stephen during the game ride at Aberdare Park.

Hyena

The flooded river due to the recent heavy rains

Jessi searching for elephants on foot

Sam, Stephen and the Father on the 4×4 during our game ride.

We started off today visiting a woman who has benefited from the micro-credit loans through Kiini. She now owns her property and runs a chicken farm as well as a few dairy cows. Now she’s able to buy and sell chickens, chicken eggs and cow milk. All of this was possible because of her loans and the help through Kiini.

An hour drive down the road and we were at a special goat project that Kiini has helped to initiate. There are a lot of goat projects here in Nyeri, many of which Kiini is a part of, but this one stood out because they had saved up the money to purchase a goat of good pedigree which they are now breeding with the local goats to improve their breed here.

The goats were in an area near where Kennedy and Philip grew up, so after finishing that project they took us to a beautiful waterfall near their homes and then we joined their families for a traditional Kikuyu (their tribe) meal at their homes.

We finished off the day at the 3rd member of Kiini, Boniface’s home for coffee and snacks with his family. It was a great (and muddy!) day. The trip is beginning to wind down as we head out today for our last full day of work. Then, Sunday we’ll be spending the morning at one of the national parks here before watching a soccer match and having dinner with everyone. Then Monday it’s back to Nairobi and on to the next project!

Stay tuned…more to come!

Chickens at the chicken farm that we visited.

Some of the boys who live at the chicken farm.

One of the women in the group that runs the chicken farm.

The owner of the chicken farm.

Philip’s niece, Joyce.  She was watching as we photographed the goats (they thought it was very funny that we were taking photos of goats).

Goat.

Philip’s younger brother and Kennedy showing us some of the new hybrid goat kids.

The man who cares for the goats on the goat farm.

Joyce had a really beautiful smile that never left the whole time we were with her.

The waterfall near Philip and Kennedy’s homes.

Sam and Kennedy drinking some natural mineral water from the rocks near the waterfall.

Us hanging out by the waterfall…photo by our good friend and driver, Sam (seen above).

Philip’s grandmother who lives with them.  She is paralyzed on the entire right side of her body.

Stephen enjoying a traditional Kikuyu meal with Philip and Kennedy’s families.

Jessi was going to take Teddy home to America with her!

Philip’s nieces and nephews.

The view near Philip and Kennedy’s homes.

Jessi and Sam getting in the car in pitch darkness and lots of mud after having coffee at Boniface’s home.