On saturday, Mel and James were there to meet me as I emerged from the airport bleary-eyed at 6am. Next stop the supermarket, and then back to the house for a shower and some breakfast. We spent the afternoon with James and his family ...loads of great food and playing games with the kids!...and then time to don the posh frock and head to the Nairobi Hilton for a Johari fashion show. (Only problem being that I didn’t have a posh frock so had to borrow one of Mel’s...let’s just say I couldn’t breath or bend!!)

On Sunday morning Jeni came round and we planned the schedule for the rest of the week.
After a quick lunch we then headed out of Nairobi to Kandara and spent the rest of the day, and overnight, at the children’s home there. We taught the kids how to play softball (the boys sneakily declared a victory while the girls were having a very important girlie chat in the batting line). Then there was football and french cricket. After wearing the kids out...we went to visit the younger kids (under 4’s). They enjoyed the Cadbury’s chocolate we’d bought them.Then it was time to watch Man Utd clinch the league title in the dining hall and help the kids to do their homework.

On Monday morning it was time to meet Jeni and the Botanics crew and spend the morning getting an update on the status of the organic farming and soap production. Then after lunch we headed off to see the new land that the Foundation has bought ,near to Kandara, before travelling back into Nairobi to the new Foundation offices.

My bean-counting period...we spent a lot of time over the next few days reviewing and working through the Foundation accounts, covering the last two years and this year. It was actually a great way of understanding in detail the history of each project, some of the challenges, and the plans for 08/09. I also visited both of the Johari shops and spent some time with the team to develop a Johari packaging strategy and Johari signature design and fabric.

On Wednesday afternoon, we took some time out from bean-counting activities to go and visit the After School Programme at Ayani (a school on the edge of Kibira – Nairobi’s largest slum). We talked to the kids, teachers and programme workers and helped to hand out the weekly food packs.

Post the daily bean-counting duties I went to visit one of the Seed of Hope centres – truly inspirational to meet all the girls and talk to them. Then a team night out...a chance to relax after a busy week.

A trip back to Kibira to spend some time with Rosabella and her brother at Rosabella’s workshop. Followed by a light spot of accounting in the afternoon. A final team meal of eggs on toast (this was all we had left in the fridge by then!). And then it was time to head off to the airport and an overnight trip home.

I can’t wait to go back!...