15th July - Saturday - Nella

Today we woke up to some rain but it cleared up pretty quickly. After breakfast we had a chat with Tilda about Oceans Alive which is the NGO we are here in Kenya to get involved with. Tilda talked about some of the work that we will do along side members of the community. The talk ended when we went to join a group of school children from local school who are at the base to learn about conservation. We danced with them which was so heartwarming and lovely.

After lunch we then finally got to visit the beach bar which was a really nice way to spend the afternoon in the sun. 

After dinner we then had our daily check in Habari and chatted about our highs and lows of the day.

Oceans Alive says:

Weekends are free for you to do your own thing. However, the first weekend we like to focus on relaxing and getting over the flight and getting to know the rest of the team. Orientation is important and it takes a little bit of time to get to know how things work in Kenya. Safety is obviously a primary concern and while Kenya, and especially our area Kuruwitu, is quite safe, it is important to stay with the group for the first few days.

The ‘Team Sayari’ project is what brings local school children to Pope every Saturday. Working with the US State Department, Nat Geo, Disney Channel, US AID and Wildlife Direct, Oceans Alive delivers important conservation education in a fun and interactive way. The children love it and often come even when we are not running a session! Thank you so much for getting involved with the children and what a fun way to interact with an impromptu dance! Team Sayari is an important part of our community conservation work and its great for you to see it first hand so early on in your trip.

Vipingo Ridge Beach Bar is a Leaper favourite and the perfect way to spend down time at weekends. You can snorkel directly into the marine protected area, play volleyball, eat, drink and basically be merry! There are fresh water showers at the beach bar too which you are welcome to use (bring your own shampoo!).