distant relatives - an introduction (new)

‘‘‘‘DISTANT RELATIVESDISTANT RELATIVESDISTANT RELATIVESDISTANT RELATIVES’’’’

Kilifi Creek’s Eco-Lodge & Backpackers

An Introduction …

Postal Address: PO BOX 126, Postcode: 80108, Kilifi District; Kilifi Town, Kenya

DATE: 07 April 2012

CONTACTS:

Kenya: Romain Mari | [email protected] | Tel: +254 7 875 351 45

South Africa: Thomas Atkinson | [email protected] | Tel: +277 214 788 59

DISTANT RELATIVES LTD (CPR/2012/68433)

Welcome to Distant Relatives

Distant Relatives Eco-Lodge & Backpackers is a message of optimism, an experimental model of

environmentally and socially conscious living where individuals from around the world come to

participate and share knowledge with other travellers and people from the local community.

Distant Relatives is located in the ancient coastal town of Kilifi on the coast of Kenya (situated midway

between Mombasa and Malindi). A quick stroll from our gardens through an indigenous community-

owned forest and one finds the sandy shores of the beautiful blue and emerald Kilifi creek. Hop over

the rocks and dodge the crabs as you explore the various rock pools and hidden beaches, then grab

some goggles and float out to the spectacular coral reef or head back inland to discover more of the

village and forest. There is a great variety of activities available to guests that range from deep sea

fishing, dhow sailing, snorkelling, and kayaking to horse-back riding, traditional herbal medicine tours,

hiking, and beach volleyball and soccer (see Services and Activities for detail).

Although it may feel rural and remote, this little piece of paradise is only a few minutes motorbike ride

from Kilifi town centre where one can find all essential facilities such as banks, a supermarket, a village

market and a post office.

Accommodation options range from private suites and communal dormitories to jungle huts, tree

houses, campsites or even book a traditional wooden Dhow for a night of spectacular beauty and

serenity on the waters of the creek. Our vast communal spaces, verandas and lush gardens are great for

relaxing with a book, socializing or sharing a meal with new friends. The kitchen provides a daily feast

inspired by Swahili, Portuguese and Giriama traditional cuisine and the fully stocked bar can provide

tropical cocktails to match. Some of the other facilities available are a communal kitchen and BBQ,

indoor and outdoor showers, pool table, film projector, internet access, and book exchange.

Scheduled to open its doors in June 2012, Distant Relatives is already becoming a meeting place for

travellers in the region as well as for those with an interest in alternative and more sustainable living

ideas and ideals.

Sing, dance, explore, imagine, create, conserve, laugh and learn at Distant Relatives

…. karibu saaana!


DISTANT RELATIVES ECO-LODGE & BACKPACKERS

How it Started

Distant Relatives was initiated by two friends: Tom (from Zimbabwe) and Romain (from France).

Tom has an academic background in International Relations, Development and Communication for

Social Change. He has worked for NPO’s such as The Big Issue and the Multi Cultural Development

Association in Australia, Media organisations such as Bush Radio in South Africa and various

hospitality businesses. Most recently he managed Long Street Backpackers in Cape Town

{www.longstreetbackpackers.co.za}.

Romain studied Marine Biology, Ecology and later Natural Resource Management before participating

in various community-based conservation and ecotourism projects in Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique.

He settled down briefly in Cape Town working for an environmental consulting firm, but soon realised

he was quickly sliding down the slippery nine to five slope and began hatching a plan to escape the

office.

We began working on the Distant Relatives idea after a year long voyage from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

to Cape Town (South Africa). The trip was essentially an exploration of our various fields of interest

and an opportunity to visit and work with some unique examples of community

development, eco-tourism and community-based conservation organisations.

Some of these outstanding operations were the permaculture training centre

‘Strawberry Fields’ in Ethiopia, ‘Grevy’s Zebra Trust’ in Northern Kenya, ‘Hairy

Lemon’ in Uganda, ‘Nkwichi’ luxury eco-lodge in Mozambique; and ‘Bulungula

Lodge’ and ‘Terra Khaya’ in South Africa. They inspired us to start envisioning

our own eco-tourism project and provide us today with incredibly helpful advice

and guidance. Other South African enterprises such as ‘The Krall’, ‘The Beach Camp’, ‘Wild Lubanzi’

or ‘Terra Khaya’ have been equally inspiring

During our travels we happened upon Kilifi and were immediately struck by its peace, beauty and

relative simplicity of life. The people were welcoming and friendly, the town centre was unintimidating

and one could get to know characters around town very quickly. The natural beauty and biodiversity of

both the marine and terrestrial environment around the district were simply breathtaking. An

afternoon could be spent cycling through beautiful forests down village paths, chatting with villagers

and sampling local produce; or taking a dhow out over the coral reef to snorkel

and watch the sun set. Naturally we got stuck in Kilifi and left begrudgingly.

Since then, and after several further visits, we have decided to make it our

home and to dedicate ourselves entirely to making a success of the project.

The name ‘Distant Relatives’ is a nod to the somewhat prevalent Kenyan

practice of appropriation, but we feel it appropriately sums up the central

principle and aim of our operation; that is, to bring people together to learn

and share with one another and build lasting positive relationships based on an

understanding and appreciation of community and sustainability.

As newcomers, we must now turn our attention to learning as much as we can

about Kilifi, its environment and its people. This is by no means a small task,

however, we believe that as individuals we have the dedication and experience

to make a success of the project. We will need all the help we can get and hope

to create a platform for various different specialists (be they artists, engineers,

craftsmen or gardeners) to work altogether towards a common purpose.


The Vision

Distant relatives was born of a desire to take advantage of a demonstrable market gap in coastal Kenya’s

budget accommodation options and to create a flagship tourism and hospitality enterprise consistent

with the principles of eco-tourism, responsible tourism and community-based tourism.

At its most ambitious, we see the development of Distant Relatives as an attempt to rise to some of the

most pressing challenges we face in this 21st century - environmental destruction, collapsing eco-

systems, social upheaval, globalisation, inequity in distribution and development, apathy, poor health of

body and mind

As travellers ourselves, we believe that contemporary tourists are changing the ways in which they

interact with place, with community and with the environment. People are beginning to give more

consideration to the effects they have as individuals on the places they visit. This change in attitude and

awareness can and should be harnessed to affect positive social and environmental change. Our vision is

to create an environment which encourages guests to engage in conscious lifestyles and to allow for a

constructive interaction with both the local community and the environment of Kilifi.

We hope that Distant Relatives will be a place that offers this new generation of travellers a unique and

empowering experience of learning, sharing and mutual benefit.

The Values

At Distant Relatives…

… We believe in SUSTAINABILITY An excellent environmental management system is central to this project. We will

place emphasis on the responsible management of waste and resources by promoting

and applying at all times the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ philosophy to preserve natural

resources, landfill space, emissions and energy. Organic waste is composted or fed to

animals, grey water is stored in underground tanks for watering, rain water is collected

in vast amounts from our 800 square meter roof surface, shower water will be heated

by the sun, the kitchen will be run on biogas and sun ovens. Numerous further well-

demonstrated ‘green’ projects (e.g. holistic farming practices such aquaponics and

permaculture) and more innovative and ambitious initiatives aiming at reducing our

impact will be attempted (e.g. power-generating gym area; energy production from

high temperature burning of plastic collected from streets of Kilifi). While the house

is connected to both municipal power and water, we eventually aim to become self-

sufficient in energy by using solar and wind energy, bio-gas, power-generating ultra-

high temperature waste incinerator etc. We also aim to play a significant educational

role with guests as well as with the local community. As measurable targets, we aim to

obtain a bronze or silver rating from the Ecotourism Society of Kenya (ESOK)

within two years of operation. We will also look into certification by Fairtrade

Tourism South Africa and obtaining other labels such as the HotelPlan

Environmental Award. This will allow us to set specific socio-environmental

goals and associated deadlines. It will also help guests evaluate our practices by

comparison to internationally recognized standards and avoid the disappointing

of disillusion of being ‘green-washed’. We will be partnering with Wild Living,

an organization based in Kilifi committed to working on sustainable projects

resulting in the generation of sustainable incomes for local communities: “a

commercially viable working model of integrated land use that has realistic

potential to create tangible livelihoods whilst conserving the natural resource

base” {www.wildlivingresources.org}.


… We believe in COMMUNITY and SELF-RELIANCE In all our operations we must be aware of the effect we are having on the

community in Kilifi, and we must encourage independent criticism from

development specialists regarding our interaction with and influence over this

community

We hope to make Distant Relatives an incubator for locally and autonomously

managed businesses and a customer for existing service providers. We exist because

of the support offered by the people of Kilifi who we must, in turn, support. The

local community must truly benefit from our enterprise economically,

environmentally and socially/culturally with benefits that are realistically sustainable

on the long term and that are measurable.

… We believe in WHOLESOME FOOD

Seasonal, organic, locally produced or grown in our own vege gardens.

Our kitchen takes inspiration from the Portuguese, from the Arabic, from

the Giriama and coastal Mijikenda people. Every dish must be a triumph!

Colour, flavour, texture, company!

With the help of specialists our gardens will be grown in line with the

philosophy and core values of permaculture: care of the Earth, care of

People. Permaculture is “a philosophy of working with, rather than against

nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than premature and

thoughtless labour; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions,

rather than treating any area as a single project system” (Bill Mollison).

… We believe in FUN

Having an incredible time and offering the highest quality of service

need not detract in any way from our social and environmental goals.

If it’s time for a party- then party we will! Our vast and dynamic

social spaces will encourage people to share and communicate with

each other. We will seek to make Distant Relatives a hub of cultural

exchange – of music, art, performance and craft.

We see the arts as being an integral medium of communication,

healing and illumination in any community. To be creative,

expressive and artistic is the most fundamental manifestation of our

humanity- it will be

supported and encouraged

in all our endeavours.


BACKGROUND ON THE AREA

Kilifi: The Location

Set amongst pristine white sandy beaches, a beautiful blue and emerald creek and a

pristine coral reef, Kilifi is an un-spoilt ancient coastal Swahili town

of around 30,000 people, midway between Mombasa and Malindi

(about 60 kms from Mombasa and Malindi International Airports).

The hospital and town itself are on the north side of the bridge with

some residential areas to the south of the bridge in Mnarani. The

main beach is known as Bofa Beach and is said to be one of the best

beaches in Kenya. It is unspoilt and practically deserted. The region

is populated predominantly by subsistence farmers and fishermen

and offers an unintimidating setting for visitors to experience the

vibrant culture of the Mijikenda people in Kilifi’s unequalled natural

setting. The town lies on the Kilifi Creek at the mouth of the Rare

River. Kilifi is the capital of the Kilifi District, one of the six districts

which make up Coast province. To the south is Mombasa District,

to the north Malindi, Tana River and Lamu districts, and to the west

is Taita Taveta. Distant Relatives Eco-Lodge & Backpackers situated

along the creek/ lagoon.

The People, the Economy & the Environment

The people:

Kilifi is steeped in history and African culture, famous for the ancient Mnarani ruins dating back to

14th century and the elegant friendly Giriama people. It is truly a 'hidden gem' on the whole Kenyan

Coast where people 'in the know' rent beachfront properties for their holidays year after year. The

population of the District is estimated to be 720,000, over 80% being from the Mijikenda group. The

Mijikenda (nine tribes), are a loose grouping whose Bantu

languages are closely related to Swahili. They are believed to have

arrived in their present homelands in the seventeenth century

from a quasi-historical state called Shungwaya. This centre was

probably located in south-west corner of present day Somalia. The

group is comprised of the Giriama, Digo, Rabai, Ribe, Duruma,

Chonyi, Jibana, Kauma and Kambe. The

Giriama and Digo are the largest and best

known sub-groups in Kilifi.

The economy:

The two primary forms of economic activity in the district are agriculture and

tourism. The area around Kilifi occupies some of the coast’s best farming land where

livestock rearing, cashew nut, sisal and tropical fruit plantations predominate hidden

away in beautiful tropical gardens. Other industries include fishing, rug weaving and

other handicrafts. The revenue earned from tourism affects only a small proportion

of the population. Agriculture, employing 85% of the population remains the

backbone of the local economy and since the population density is high in relation

to the agricultural potential, the District is one of the poorest in Kenya in terms of

per capita income. Waged employment only absorbs 4% of the population.


The environment:

Kilifi District has four major topographical features: the coastal plain,

the foot plateau, the coastal range and the Nyika Plateau. The coastal

plain is a narrow belt, varying in width between 3 km and 20 km. It lies

below 30m above sea level except for occasional prominent peaks on

the western boundary. The rest of the area is broken by creeks and

estuaries giving rise to excellent marine and estuarine swamps and

untapped potential for marine aquaculture. Kilifi lies in this last strip,

with a coastline dotted with

baobabs and palm trees along

cliffs and beaches facing the warm blue sea. Adjacent to Kilifi

are some of the sacred Kaya forests, the Arabuko Sokoke forest

reserve, as well as vast and pristine mangrove forests and

several marine reserves managed at both community and

national levels (e.g. Kuruwitu Marine Community

Conservation project) as well as bird sanctuary.

Health & Diseases

Just like anywhere else along the Kenyan coast and most of East Africa, Kilifi is an endemic area for

Malaria. However, hospital admissions for malaria in the area have decreased from 18.43 per 1000

children in 2003 to 3.42 in 2007 (divided by 5 in 4 years). Kilifi is also a major centre for clinical and

epidemiological research on Malaria, conducted by the Wellcome Trust and KEMRI, the Kenya

Medical Research Institute. We recommend the use of prophylaxis to prevent Malaria. Feel free to

contact us should you have any questions in this regard. We can recommend you which prophylaxis to

take and where to buy it, as well as herbal homeopathic alternatives. Malnutrition is also another major

problem affecting the children in the District.

Safety, Security & Somali Pirates

Kilifi is a relatively safe place, even by night as a foreigner. Some violent incidents have occurred in the

past, yet remain very isolated occurrences. At Distant relatives, we have a comprehensive, permanent

and versatile security system to ensure guests have peace of mind. We have permanent security guards

on watch day and night, as well as a private security company on call with emergency buttons spread

throughout the premises. We also have security dogs. Most importantly, we live in a very peaceful part

of town with neighbours having never

been too worried about security issues.

With regards to Somali pirates, there is

an evidential disparity between the

perception of this threat and the reality

of this threat. No one in the entire

community of Kilifi is in any way

worried by Somali Pirates apart from

sailors. The location of Kilifi in the

southern region of the Kenyan coast and its relative lack of tourism

infrastructure combine to diminish any security threat significantly. Paul

Simkin, Senior Consultant of Conflict Dynamics International and former

Deputy Director Governance at UNDP Somalia predicts that the pirate

threat will diminish significantly in the next few years (personal

communication 2012).


Local Facilities

The infrastructure of Kilifi is well developed with:

- Banks (Barclays, Imperial Bank, Equity Bank, KCB)

- Supermarkets including Tusky’s and local food markets (butchers, extensive

vegetable market, bottle shops)

- Post office, internet cafes, hairdressers, weavers, tailors, carvers, mechanics …

- Curio and handicrafts shops as well as extensive street markets, hardware,

motorbike, and electronics shops

- Hospital and pharmacies as well as malaria research and treatment centre

- Wide range of restaurants and bars from the most traditional/local to the

highest standards

- Immigration office to renew visas as well as all other authorities

NGO’s in the Area

There are more than twelve NGO's and

two parastatals working directly in the

sector. These NGO's are implementing

various projects district-wide such as

dairy promotion, ox ploughing, seed

supply, organic farming, capacity

building, tree planting, and

environmental conservation. The two

parastatals namely KARI and CDA play a very crucial role in research and

capacity building respectively.


DISTANT RELATIVES ECO-LODGE & BACKPACKERS

Activities

A major objective of our project is to act as an incubator for the creation of small local

businesses. We hope to provide market access to community members who wish to set up

tourism enterprises such as village tours, dhow trips, horse riding, fishing trips, local

restaurants, snorkelling, hiking and cycling tours. We will actively encourage the creation of

such enterprises and will seek no financial benefit from doing so. Some of the pre-existing

activities include:

� Wild-Living eco-tour: Senior staff from Wild Living organization

{www.wildlivingresources.org} will introduce you to all their community

conservation projects (e.g. making of eco-charcoal, wild mushroom picking to prevent

deforestation, Aloe farming and many more) and run you through their approach to

community development and conservation whilst walking through their 130 acre

indigenous forest conservancy located less than 1 km from Kiifi’s centre.

� Water-skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, Hobbycat sailing: Earlier this year, Kilifi

welcomed 3DegreesSouth {www.3degreessouth.co.ke}, a new company offering all sorts of

water sports activities from the Boatyard. Lessons and rentals can be organized straight from

our beach! Otherwise, the boatyard’s taxi-boat will happily come pick you up from our

beach. Discounted rates are available for guests of Distant Relatives.

� Game Park Safaris: Less than two hours from Kilifi is Tsavo East National Park. You can

spend the night at Lions Bluff Lodge that clings to the edge of a cliff, suspended above the

Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary. Numerous other accommodation options are

available to suit all budgets. We will do our best to help you plan your trip and soon hope to

offer game park safari bookings at preferential rates from our reception.

� Snorkelling and scuba-diving PADI courses: There are great opportunities for snorkelling

and scuba diving along the extensive coral reef with several community and nationally

managed marine reserves. Scuba diving can be organized regardless of your experience. The

Vuma Caves at Kilifi Creek are a particular highlight, at a depth of about 20 metres just

nearby Vuma cliffs. Inside the caves lurk some huge groupers, eels and barracuda. Dolphins

can often be seen playing in the open sea near the caves. Discounted rates are available for

guests of Distant Relatives.

� Dhow sailing: Sailing trips can be organized ranging from a two hour sun downers to a few

days, down to Mtwapa or Mombasa or even all the way down to Zanzibar; Captain

“Shallow” can take you snorkelling, fishing or sailing on the

reef on his dhows (beautiful hand-carved traditional

wooden Swahili sailing boats). The trip can include a

traditional Swahili meal and/or snorkelling if requested.

Recently arrived from Lamu, two luxurious dhows now

offer to take you sailing around the creek whilst enjoying a

succulent lunch and fresh cocktails. We have negotiated

discounted rates for guests of Distant Relatives.

� Cultural and historical sights: The Mnarani Ruins of Kilifi, “the lost city of Gedi” as well as

Jumba la Mtwapa Ruins are all remnants of an ancient 14th century civilization open to the

public and all within very reasonable distance.

� Traditional Herbal Medicine tours - A local traditional healer will take you out in the bush

and teach you about traditional herbal medicine in situ.


� Bird-watching: There is s bird sanctuary on the creek

called ‘Bird Island’. The vast mangrove swamps are the

seasonal roost of thousands of migratory species

(Carmine Bee-eaters for example which descend in a riot

of exotic colour) and can be explored by boat or kayak

and even by foot. Guests can also visit Birdland Aviary

in Watamu home to some 1000 birds from about 230

species. Our garden also hosts a wide variety of birds.

� Forests: Kilifi is surrounded by the very diverse and refreshing Arabuko Sokoke forest

reserve as well as various untouched sacred Kaya forests and mangrove forests.

� White sand beaches- The powder soft white sandy

palm and baobab fringed beaches of Kilifi are a haven

for sun worshipers and stretches for miles. The main

beach known as 'Bofa Beach' stretches for miles and is

said to be the finest beach in all of Kenya and one of

the most idyllic in the entire world. It is protected by

a magnificent coral reef, ideal for snorkelling.

� Cliff, reef and deep sea fishing: Kilifi is famous for its

world class big game fishing. Enthusiastic fishermen friends of ours will happily

take you out deep sea fishing for very reasonable and exclusive rates. Local

fishermen will also be honoured to take you along on their dugout canoes, small

motorboats or sailing dhows in the creek or on the reef depending on the season

and weather conditions. Fishing is also possible

right from our beach and some excellent fishing off

nearby Vuma cliffs can also be organized (overnight

stays possible for the more adventurous).

� Kayaks and dugout canoes: Go out for a little

wonder on a dugout canoe around the creek or up

the beautiful mangrove-lined river at the end of the

creek like the local fishermen do. We should soon also have proper fishing sea kayaks

available for our guests.

� Mountain biking and horse-riding – We are working on making this available as soon as

possible as there are truly amazing opportunities for such activities in the area.

� Eating/ drinking/ live music: Kilifi Boatyard is a favourite place to visit for lunch or evening

meals. Here some of the most beautiful circumnavigating yachts are moored up for a break

and various sailing and fishing events take place throughout the year. The boatyard’s taxi-

boat will happily come pick you up from our beach. There are also many local dining and

nightlife options such as Kilifi Members Club, Baroness, Makuti Villas, Hypa Bar and more.

� Mamba Village Crocodile Farm in Nyali, Mombasa.

� Golf club: Just outside of Kilifi is an exclusive 2,500 acre 5 Star residential Golf Resort with

two 18-hole championship golf courses. The estate includes a country club, a game

conservancy, villas, a beach club, private airstrip, numerous lakes, woodland areas and

nature trails – here you can find luxury within a secure, walled and gated community.


How to Get Here

Distant Relatives is just a short distance from the main highway connecting Mombasa to Watamu,

Malindi and Lamu (2km). If you are coming by local transport (“matatu”), you can jump off at Kilifi’s

Tusky’s supermarket or at the bus station (aka “stage”). From here, many motorbikes (“piki-piki”) and

Tuk-Tuks will be able to take you to our place usually for about Ksh 100. If the driver does not seem to

know about us, tell him it is in “Fumbene” (name of the neighborhood) about 300m after “Seahorse

Lodge” (aka “Sea Laguna Lodge”). You will see signs along the way.

Equally, if you would like us to organize a vehicle to pick you up from the ‘stage’ in Kilifi or from

Mombasa, Watamu, Malindi, or elsewhere, or in case of any problem or any question, do not hesitate

to give us a call:

Our phone number is: 07 875 351 45

(+254 7 875 351 45 if you are calling from outside of Kenya)


THE DIRECTORS AND THE ADVISORY TEAM

Owners/ Directors

Thomas Atkinson

� Qualifications: BA. Political Science/ Peace & Conflict Resolution; Graduate

Certificate in Communication; Graduate Certificate in Broadcast Journalism

� Experience: Management of backpackers, restaurants and bars; Community

radio, social projects and not for profit organisations.

Romain Mari

� Qualifications: Bsc. Marine Biology and Ecology; Msc Natural Resource

Management; PADI Divemaster; First aid and lifeguard certificates

� Experience: Environmental consulting; Community-based conservation and

community development projects.

Advisory Team

Land Surveyors: Himme and Zimmerlin

Address: P.O.BOX 99024, Mombasa;

Phone: +254 41313470

Advocate: Anita D. Shah

Address: Kalair Centre, 2nd floor, Nyali Road. Mombasa

Email: [email protected]

Advice on security

and political stability: Paul Simkin

Senior Consultant of Conflict Dynamics International

Former Deputy Director Governance at UNDP Somalia

Business advice: Alain Mari

CEO COATEX


Architectural advice: Jon Atkinson

Architect


distant relatives - an introduction (new)

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