Mfangano Island...

Over the Easter weekend I had an unforgettable experience visiting Mfangano Island. The island is situated on the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria, to the far left of this map of Western Kenya. It is home to the Suba people, a population of about 30,000. I travelled there with Moses Otieno, who I met in Mombasa earlier this year. He was born on the island and many of his extended family still live there. Together with Footsteps International, Moses has been working with residents on the island to help improve their livelihoods. Most residents are fishermen and subsistence farmers and many live near the water to make fishing and collecting water easier.

By boat it took an hour and a half to travel from the mainland - and I even got the chance to drive the boat. It is such an untouched area that the first car to ever drive on the island's soil took place on 2nd February 2007. It was only driven 500m, since the road which will eventually circle the island has not been finished. There is also no mains electricity on the island - it was a really interesting experience for me to see how people live without technology and so many of the household items we are used to - and without showers or toilets as we would know them.

Living in such a secluded place seemed to have many positives. It was a beautiful and freeing experience - it was simple and staying there made me count every blessing, acknowledging every little bit of goodness that the earth bestows. I really enjoyed the liberation of being away from modern civilization. The people welcomed me very freely and although I attempted to join in living as the residents of the island do on a daily basis, I was still unbelievably pampered by them.

Despite the natural beauty, it was very obvious that day-to-day life on the island is a real struggle for most people. Healthcare is available but without roads it is inaccessible for many, especially at night. Fish is the main diet and some food is produced, but most staple foods need to be imported and are therefore very expensive. The main problem is that earning money on the island is almost impossible - most people are fishermen, and this is arduous and painstaking work. Most men and women work through the night on fishing boats, which is dangerous as wind and currents can drag them a long way from the shore and the storms can be very strong. A full night's work will earn around 50 Kenyan Shillings, less than 40p - and sometimes if nothing is caught, nothing is earnt. When you need to import your food, surviving here is really difficult.

HIV Aids is prevalent here and other diseases, such as malaria and other poverty-related illnesses, mean that many people die very young. There are huge numbers of orphans and families grow very large as nieces, nephews and grandchildren are taken in following death in the family.

The programmes with which Moses and his supporters are involved include providing new shelters, helping with some school fees, and food programmes. I met some of the beneficiaries of Moses' work, and some who he hopes to help in the future. The lady in this picture is Pilda Awuor, a very immobile and frail widow who forgets her age but is believed to be around eighty years old. She had seven children, all of whom have passed away, and she now lives with five grandchildren and one daughter-in-law. Her family was provided with a new a home and is part of the food programme. The daughter-in-law attempts to look after all the children and Pilda by fishing through the night, but the help that they have received has radically transformed their lives and the relief provided gives the children sustenance and hope for the future.

This is Peris Juma, who is about sixty. Since her husband and two of her children died, Peris is the breadwinner for her own teenage child and the five grandchildren who live with her. She fishes through the night and attempts to grow produce in a garden, but has very poor equipment with which to tend the crops. She also contends with an abusive alcoholic brother-in-law. Her story is a sad one - she is yet to be helped by Moses has indicated that when the financial resources are available he will begin to support the family through the food programme.

I also had the privilege of meeting Opeia, shown here with Moses. Opeia is homesless and has some mental and physical disabilities. When I first met him his t-shirt was shredded and he had no shoes, which meant that walking was extremely difficult for him given his physical disabilities and the rocky terrain on the island. Moses' relationship with Opeia was amazing - Opeia was so overjoyed to see him. Opeia is only twenty-four years old and he survives thanks to the kindness of his community, with people providing a meal or a place to stay for the night. While I was with him I helped in the small way that I could by giving him new clothes and a pair of sandals, as you can see in this second picture. He was ecstatic although a little embarrassed. But Moses' wife, Lilian, said that he had jumped about and danced for joy in front of the women to show them his new outfit - I wish I had seen that.

The fish that I ate on the island was so fresh it was amazing and I joined in by trying my hand in the kitchen. My new friends slaughtered a goat the night before we left - I helped to skin it, which was a little gruesome but a good skill to learn. Unperturbed I then slaughtered and plucked a chicken - they were so impressed that they gave me a live chicken to bring home with me, which I will be preparing next week.

My time on Mfangano Island was truly amazing.