Samsam’s Renewable World road trip in Kenya

Hi I’m Samsam, I’ve worked at Octopus Energy for the past five years, and lived in Kenya for the past year and a half. Here’s how my epic road trip with Renewable World went…

It’s 6am and I am awakened by the loud buzzing of my phone. I scramble to find it under my bed as the hot Nairobi sun streaks into my room. As soon as I answer, a cheery voice booms through the phone: ‘HI, Samsam! It’s Benson from Renewable World – so excited for our road trip to Kajiado – I’ll be at yours in 30 mins!’

A stereotypically African 60 minutes later, Benson and I are weaving through chaotic Nairobi traffic listening to gentle music from the Mombasa coast. Benson, a smile always tugging at the corners of his mouth, tells me all about the incredible work Renewable World does. He has worked for the organisation for 8 years as a Project manager, and is delighted to show me the exciting work they’re planning in Kajiado County.

Like us, Renewable World is on a mission to make green power accessible to all.

To achieve this they have created initiatives to provide free sustainable energy solutions to empower and transform communities. In Nepal, they installed solar power systems in 15 rural clinics transforming the lives of thousands. Some of their other projects we’ve invested in include bringing clean cooking stoves to families in Rwanda and Somalia and restoring boreholes in parts of Rwanda to reduce carbon emissions and dramatically improve the lives of people in the area.

We have donated to many of their projects on behalf of our Super Green customers, who want to carbon offset their gas (as well as their electricity). For these customers, we add up their annual gas usage and donate the equivalent amount of carbon offsetting credit to Renewable World. This balances out the carbon in the atmosphere, and ensures cheap, green energy access to fuel-poor communities around the world.

Benson enthusiastically tells me all about the project:

Along the way to our first health centre, we pick up our videographer Abraham who regales us with his adventurous tales of travelling through gorgeous landscapes and war-torn countries as a freelance videographer.

So starts our journey; a 5 hour trek from Nairobi to one of the most remote parts of Kenya – just a stone’s throw away from Tanzania (I must admit feeling tempted to hightail across the border for a visa-free visit to the sunny paradise).

We drove through untenable terrain, paving our own way across mountain ridges to Kajiado county to discover how solar power can transform a community.

After hundreds of miles of beautiful landscapes, with endless rolling grasslands dotted with towering flat-topped acacia trees, we arrive at the Elkilorid Health Centre. We were quickly invited to a group sit down with the doctors, locals visiting the centre and government officials supporting Renewable World. I got to chat with doctors about the challenges they face being based so remotely, and with no access to power.

I got some fascinating insight from local Maasai men and women who told me about their way of life and their experiences accessing healthcare with a lack of power. Rose, who makes her living weaving jewellery, tells me;

As we’re chatting with the locals, a sudden noise and blow of dust signals the arrival of the doctor, Jared, riding in coolly on his motorcycle from a home visit. The 29 year old is the only doctor at Elkilorid, one of the only health centres in Kajiado west, an area serving over 25,000 people.

I sat down with him to find out what solar power would mean for the centre. “The health centre suffers from a lack of electricity. With no lights, we have to perform life saving procedures with only phone flashlights as illumination’’ he tells me ruefully.

I heard harrowing and heroic tales of doctors going above and beyond to save the lives of their patients.

The lack of power poses challenges on a day to day basis, as Joseph tells me:

Alongside a lack of x-ray or ultrasound machines, and crucial diagnostic equipment, the health centre, like others Renewable World is supporting, is not equipped to provide a good quality service to their patients.

Each person I speak to tells me how grateful they are for the work Renewable World is doing and how solar power is a life-changing measure for them. Many of the locals live simple lives, herding livestock and this centre is their only source of healthcare.

Despite the challenges they face, the group is hopeful for the future and often break out into fits of laughter watching each other being interviewed. At one point, I marvel at how Rose, who is in her 80’s could easily pass for 20 years younger. I quietly ask her secret for looking so great and she tells me it’s obvious; ‘never stop moving, and always be at one with nature!’’

On day two, we get up at 5am to travel the length of the county to the second health centre on our agenda; Torosei Dispensery. It’s based in a remote village up in the mountains of Kajiado county and its the only health care facility for hundreds of miles.

At around noon, we arrive at Torosei Dispensery, an old-looking but spacious building, high up in the mountains, deep in Maasai county. We receive a warm welcome from the local officials and are ushered on to a big circle of chairs in the sunny courtyard to get to know the team and local community a little better.

Our first interview of the day is with Doctor Josphat, and we observe as he quietly and confidently puts his patients at ease. He shows us around the hospital, and tells us all about his challenges they face due to the lack of power. He is the only doctor at the facility, so sleeps in a makeshift bedroom at the centre to support any emergency patients that visit late at night. To our amazement he casually tells us he is a little tired this morning as he was up most of the night due to a horde of elephants passing (again!) by the centre in search of water.

I got the chance to interview some locals who told me their personal experiences with the healthcare centre. It is the only place women can come to give birth, children can get vaccinated and elders can be examined by a doctor. Yet often, women are forced to give birth with only phone light as illumination and children are unable to be vaccinated as there are no fridges to keep the vaccines.

I sought out some locals to get a first-hand understanding of their experience:

This centre, like the other 3 centres chosen for this project, fulfil a crucial role in their respective communities. For thousands, this is the only care available to them and too often, it’s the difference between life and death.

Other organisations have tried to start similar solar power projects but with no continued funding for maintenance or upkeep, the systems quickly go into disrepair. Renewable World is determined to make sure that doesn’t happen here. Benson makes it clear to me that sustainability is the single most important thing to Renewable World.

On our final day, we got up early at our hotel in Kajiado town determined to discover more about Kajiado. We visited the busy market and got to know the local community a little better. One particularly friendly woman selling fresh produce demanded I take her son’s phone number as he was looking for a 3rd wife; ‘He already has two wives, that means he is well-trained and women like him – give him a call!’

Admittedly, the logic is foolproof.

Having lived in Kenya for the past year and a half, I am always struck by the open hearted friendliness and warm welcome wherever you go. This road trip provided a fascinating insight into life in rural Kenya, and the challenges that come with a life spent in the dark.

From hearing first-hand about the experiences of a traditional Maasai woman to the doctor’s harrowing and heroic stories, I was struck by the depth of experiences in this small rural area.

Most of all, I was struck by the determination and calm acceptance with which each person dedicated themselves to caring for others, by whichever means they had available.

Before we leave, I take a moment to sit down with local official Laido to discuss the governments connection to Renewable World.