Excellent! - excellentdevelopment.com

It has been a difficult start to the year for Kenya, as you are almost certainly aware. Everyone at Excellent Development was very saddened to learn of the unfolding electoral violence and we are of course hoping for a speedy and peaceful resolution.

We are very thankful that the troubles have not affected any of our project areas, and all our community groups are carrying on with their work to improve the stability of their water supply, food production, health and incomes. Excellent's founder, Simon Maddrell, is currently in Kenya and has reported that there are currently no issues with food supply, fuel or building materials in Machakos district. We are hoping for a fuller update shortly.

It has been reported that, apart from objecting to corruption, the protestors are motivated by the increasing inequality between rich and poor in the country. This is a pattern that, sadly, seems to be being repeated the world over. As more and more people find rural living unworkable, and are obliged to move to the cities, the slums grow larger and larger. A few make it into an expanding urban middle class, but for the majority of citizens, economic wealth remains out of reach.

Excellent Development tries, in its own small way, to contribute to the reversal of this trend. By supporting the construction of sand dams and helping farmers practice sustainable agriculture techniques, rural life becomes viable, the cycle of environmental degradation gets reversed and communities become stronger. If the younger generation can see that their parents can have everything they need locally, they are less likely to migrate to the cities in search of a better life.