Brazier (jiko)

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Jiko (brazier) and makaa (charcoal)

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Cool dry season
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

The Kenyan jiko (brazier) is used all year round, in most parts of Kenya, for cooking meals of all types and sizes. It is heated with charcoal, which itself is also available all year round.

In the cool dry season, however, the jiko obtains an additional quality as a kigo -- it warms the cold house, even while it is being used for cooking. And when it cools off again after the meal has been prepared, the family gather round and enjoy the heat from it for another while.

The more luxurious Kenyan hotels and restaurants provide jikos for their guests in the evening on the outdoor terraces, so as to provide some heat against the chill at this time of year. The jiko as a heater has the quality of a fireplace, in that the heat is concentrated, and one can approach to warm one’s hands or feet -- but it also needs careful supervision, in case a child strays too near and gets burnt.


Charcoal embers glowing in a jiko
Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

Kenyan charcoal is prepared in particular regions and brought to towns and cities, where it is sold in containers of various sizes :


Charcoal seller in Kibera, Nairobi
© PHOTO :　Ina’s Pics

Charcoal is particularly popular in rural regions and urban slums, where there is no electricity and hence, there are no electric cookers. It is also popular for jikos in general, as these can be moved anywhere and are often used, even by the wealthiest people, when there are festive meals to prepare, as these may require many stoves for the various dishes.

Text © Isabelle Prondzynski

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Cooking a special meal on a large jiko
Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski


Very informative video here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92P6P4Uyq1o
France24-EN report, October 2007

More links here :
http://www.solutions-site.org/kids/stories/KScat2_sol60.htm
http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/paper/tech101/jikostove.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aidg/533788023/

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Worldwide use

India

I have come across very similar braziers in very similar climates in the evenings of India too, where hotel guests sitting on a terrace were provided with this kind of mobile heat.

Haiku :

This is how I remember ironing shirts in India, with an iron piece heated by charcoal fire ...

black-out again !
the ironing wallah grabs
for the charcoals

~ Gabi Greve


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Japan

. tadon 炭団 (たどん/ tandon たんどん ) charcoal briquette .
sumiuri, sumi-uri 炭売（すみうり）charcoal vendor, charcoal seller
and many more charcoal KIGO


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Things found on the way

Charcoal is used by the maize roasters along the roadsides of Kenyan towns and cities, such as this one :


Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

Charcoal irons are common in Kenya too, wherever there is no electricity.


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HAIKU

charcoal business --
the day’s supplies arrive
by bike

~ Isabelle Prondzynski

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my grandmother
spreading her hands over a jiko --
drizzly morning

my sister warming
a cold chick around a jiko --
drizzly evening

my father
roasting yams on a jiko --
dewy morning

~Esther Muthoni


neighbours waiting
for the wind to blow the jiko --
smokey room

traffic jam
caused by the charcoal lorry --
tired driver

family members
sitting around the jiko --
showery evening

charcoal seller
with a blackened face --
customers queue

~Peter Nguribu


clouds gathering,
the artisan struggles to finish the jiko --
imminent drizzle

~Patricia Nduta


Saturday evening
grandmother cooking githeri on a jiko --
red hot charcoal

Monday morning,
drying my uniforms on a jiko --
red hot charcoal

warming myself
around the jiko-
cold morning

~Onesmus Kyalo


my uncle
sits beside the hot jiko --
roasting meat

~Anne Wairimu


my mother
warming herself by the jiko --
drizzling morning

~Joseph Kilunda


cold night
crickets crying in fear --
charcoal crackling down

~Beryl Achieng


kids play around
a quickly burning jiko --
chilly morning

~ Judy


adding charcoal
to prepare dinner --
cold evening

~ Caroline Wanjiku


Cooking chapatis on a jiko
Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

heating with jiko --
a busy man selling
roasted maize

jua kali artisan
modelling an iron sheet --
a young jiko

~ Martin Kamau


a charcoal iron
as clothes silently relax --
cold evening

~ James Bundi


grandmother shivering --
our lit up jiko
warms the room

~ Beryl Achieng'


rainy afternoon
mother in the kitchen
the jiko promises heat

~ Anne Wairimu


long queues
people demanding charcoal --
early risers

~ Solomon Kilelu


May evening --
my younger brother
beside the jiko

~ Jedida Nduku


an artisan
carefully mending a jiko --
cold afternoon

~ Peter Nguribu


grandmother
beside a rusty jiko --
chilly morning

~John Mwangi


my uncle
sneezing and wiping eyes --
the jiko smoke

~ Catherine Njeri Maina

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in the grandfather’s hut
kettle on top of the jiko --
chilly morning

around charcoal burner
grandfather meets grandchildren --
story time

~ Maurice Opondo


much cold --
jiko lit with charcoal
warms people up

~ aineah otieno


chattering teeth
a chill breeze blows --
jiko the only saviour

~ shamim mbone


chilly morning
red hot charcoal in a jiko
breakfast session

cold evening --
family around the jiko
talking together

~ ayoma david


women in a queue
waiting to be served --
demand for charcoal

dizzy kids
around the jiko --
drops of rain on the dishes

~ hussein haji


around the jiko
grandmum gives stories --
cure for the cold

~ Ann Wanjiru


red hot charcoal
boiling coffee on it --
chilly morning

~ Duncan Omoto

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chilly June --
my little cat seats near
the jiko door

~ Kelvin Mukoselo


wind blows --
children point their
fingers around a jiko

children moving
around a jiko ---
enjoy legend stories

~ siboko yamame


late evening --
mummy lights a jiko
to cook ugali

~ Gladys Kathini


starlit night --
staring at the crescent moon
as I light the jiko

around the jiko
children talk and sing --
cold night

~ David Caleb Mutua

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Charcoal vendor at a local market
Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

cold season again
charcoal in demand --
dealers busy

four paraded jikos
outside a Soweto hotel
slowly burning up

a young man watches
charcoals passing on fire
from one to the other

early in the morning
mother lights a jiko --
smoke chokes her

~ Anthony Njoroge Irungu


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Related words


***** Slum fires
(Swahili : moto (singular) mioto (plural))


***** Kotatsu, heated table Japan

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Bombax (Chorisia Tree)

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Bombax / silk floss tree in Kenya (Chorisia speciosa)

***** Location: Kenya, Brazil, Tropics
***** Season: Short rains (Kenya)
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

This splendid tree, with its orchid-like pink flowers, lines streets in various parts of Nairobi (photographs below all taken in Outering Estate) and also grows in public parks and gardens (such as Central Park). It is spectacular during its flowering season (April to June), all the more so since the flowers drop perfectly intact and adorn the ground around the base of the tree.



Photo and Text : Isabelle Prondzynski

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Chorisia speciosa ("Bombax" or silk-floss tree)
Family : Bombacaceae

Often confused with Bombax which it resembles, this tree comes from Brazil. It can attain a height of over 45 feet (15 m). The branches have a wide span and the swollen, smooth, green trunk is covered with spines. The flowers have five petals and their colour can vary from red to pink. The large fruit provides kapok, fine cotton-like material surrounding the seeds, which is used for stuffing cushions, toys, etc.

John Karmali, The Beautiful Plants of Kenya, Nairobi 1988.





Photo : Isabelle Prondzynski

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A spectacular deciduous tree with a swollen, spiny trunk, growing to 25 m with a high, rounded crown; widely planted from the coast to 2,000 m and common around Nairobi, often flowering when the tree is bare of leaves.

Bark : grey and smooth, the spiny bosses disappearing with age; bark greenish on younger branches.
Leaves : compound, digitate, 5 to 7 leaflets radiating from a long stalk; each up to 15 cm long but often smaller; apex tapering, midrib prominent below; margin serrated.
Flowers : large, striking, to 15 cm across, 5 mauve-pink petals, edge crinkly, yellowish-white streaked with pink towards the centre; central thick column of joined stamens, with protruding style and stigma.
Fruit : oval woody capsules, to 15 cm long, smooth pale brown, thickly fibrous, splitting open on the tree. The seeds are embedded in masses of fine white fibres, which are a useful kapok.

Practical notes : fairly fast-growing from seed or large cuttings; widely available from nurseries. Best in good red soil, but will succeed in black cotton soil if the site is well-drained. A show-piece for parks, avenues or golf courses, but needs siting with care because of its extensive root system and the fall of leaves and fluffy fibre.

Tim Noad and Ann Birnie, Trees of Kenya, Nairobi 1989

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Photo : Isabelle Prondzynski


Much more information here :
http://www.tfts.org/chorisia.htm


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Things found on the way

The baobab is a member of the same family.
Much useful information here :
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/adansondigit.htm

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HAIKU

chorisia avenue --
flowers and school girls
same colours



Photo and Haiku : Isabelle Prondzynski

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perhaps a former
evolutionary me
climbed too many trees

Reggie Thomson

Look at this photo of Chorisia isignis right here:
http://www.reggie.net/photo.php?albid=540&ph=2393905

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Photo : Isabelle Prondzynski

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Related words



. Flamboyant Tree (Swahili : Mjohoro) 　


***** Nandi flame tree
Spathodea campanulata, African tulip tree


***** Baobab



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Boma Homestead

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Boma Homes

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Non-seasonal Topic
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

A boma is a Swahili word for a traditional Kenyan homstead. Most, if not all, ethnic groups in Kenya have boma style homesteads in the rural areas. These have been replaced with stone, mud brick or mabati (corrugated iron) houses in the urban areas.

A boma comprises an enclosed compound of varying structure and composition, with traditional houses for the various members of the family.

The husband may or may not have his own house. The several wives each have their own houses within the boma, and share these with their small children and the daughters up to marriageable age. The older sons will each have their own houses, and there may be a separate house where the men of the family entertain visitors. In most ethnic groups, the smaller animals (e.g. goats) have a separate compartment within each of these houses, where they spend the nights.

Each boma also contains granaries and other storage buildings, constructed in the same style as the main houses.

Depending on the tribe and region, houses are round in shape and may be constructed of mud and wattle, of wood or of thatch. Roofs are almost always thatched, although the thatching materials (grass, reeds, straw) would vary from one region to another. All of them have good insulation properties, making them cool in the hot season and warm when the outdoor temperature is cold.

Nowadays, urban areas lack the space necessary for the construction of bomas, so that urban families by necessity live together in the one house -- something that would have been totally unacceptable in traditional Kenya. More and more, Kenya also lacks the grasses needed for thatching, and the particular soil needed for the mud and wattle construction.

A good place to discover the bomas of the different parts of Kenya, is the outdoor museum "Bomas of Kenya", where the excellent guides explain the houses and the lifestyles of many ethnic groups, which themselves built the homesteads in adjacent forest clearings, near Lang'ata outside Nairobi.



The photos of a visit to Bomas of Kenya may be seen here :
Bomas of Kenya 30.03.2007

Text and photos © Isabelle Prondzynski.



More INFO on Boma homes.


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In the Kikuyu village
© Photo Isabelle Prondzynski


rounded beautiful bomas
smooth cow dung floors --
grass thatched roofs


More Haiku from a trip to Busia in the west of Kenya
Anthony Njoroge , 2007


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

Mission to Busia



The hidden story of the Boma
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Lesson from the land beyond the Great Rift Valley

The journey to Busia is perhaps the longest journey I have taken this far. Busia is in the western part of Kenya.

the sun rises
the sun sets
through the bus window

As the darkness engulfs the light, sugarcane plantations become the ruling plantation in the land beyond the Great Rift Valley. Trucks ferrying sugarcane to the factory are everywhere. Some with one light, you may confuse them with motorbikes, some with punctured tires, stood on the road as small dark bushes in the night. Life seemed to be in operation for twenty-four hours in the land that is many kilometres away from the city centre.

As I left Nairobi, I knew very well that I was to spend one week in the unknown land. A land with a different culture, world view and very different life to the urban set up which I have been so much accustomed to. Very early in the morning of the following day, we took a boda boda (bicycle used as a taxi in the rural parts of Kenya and common in the great western part) to our final destination -- a place we were to call home in the whole week that we were to spend there. I was shown a “hut” that would be my room during my stay in that place.

It is the story I unearthed, which I never knew, that I want to share with all of us, who are interested by learning from all the senses. Something learned within a week that which transformed my preconceived mind.

The lady who was to take care of me, took my luggage and summoned me to follow her. She could not hide the joy of hosting a visitor who has come with a noble mission. She sang and smiled, she called me time and again to ensure everything was moving well. I felt held like a newborn baby in the hands of a mother who has just given birth for the first time. Time and again, she looked at the heavens,

lips of joy
hymning to the heavens-
the sun lights up

But in my heart, I felt in the most remote parts of Kenya. How could I live in a grass thatched rounded room. Walls fashioned with mud and earth floors. I had learned from my school that this was a mark of poverty, remoteness and uncivilisation. When the colonial people came, these dwelling homes could not be called houses. They were below their standards. I could foresee uncomfort of all sorts.

In the day we were to leave, I desired to be left behind and live in this room where I enjoyed a lot of peace. During hot sun the rooms were cool and in the cold moments there were very comfortable. They had the mechanism to naturally maintain the room temperature favourable and comfortable in all hours and moments of the day.

The floor was made of a mixture from cow dung well made by the hands of skilled women and applied professionally. A lesson learned and passed down in centuries and made better every time it goes down. The thatched roof acted like a ceiling and barred any unnecessary sound from penetrating. Thus whether it was raining or not everything went on well.

Before I thought that these houses were a sign of poverty and as I have indicated backwardness. It is only after I had visited few homes that I discovered that the rich and the poor in the area had one thing in common in the area -- they all lived in bomas. The doctors, farmers, teachers and business people all lived in these houses. I learned later that coming up with such a home was the desire of every young person. It is more expensive than the houses made from timber and iron sheets. In the land where stone quarries are uncommon, they have a great coping strategy. The houses made of stone have only one advantage over this kind of houses, the permanency they come with.

With the sugarcane plantations taking over the whole land that was previously covered with the special grass used for thatching, the community is losing a great heritage. No technology can provide this. Before the discovery of the air conditioners these African women had discovered a great way to cool and warm. Building a boma is now more expensive so that only few can afford it.

Sunday evening knocked and my stay in this rich place had to come to an end. Rich in culture, food and heart. A land where a visitor is second to God or in other words a Gift from the Great Were, the God of the Luhya. I packed my belonging with one prayer.

an opportunity
to come again is
all I want

Monday morning we were all in the bus for the long journey across the Rift Valley.

i will cross you
time and again
for the fruits beyond your valleys


©　by Antony Njoroge, January 2008

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This ancient and revered hut retains within its construction the wisdom of harmony.

the roundness
of a boma -- endless
summer

Your account, dear Mister Njoroge, has inspired my imagination.

Chibi


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Related words

***** Rift Valley

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THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

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Banana fruit

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Banana fruit

***** Location: Kenya, other countries
***** Season: Non-seasonal Topic (see below)
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Bananas exist all year round here in Kenya, both as green and ripe bananas.

Partrick Wafula




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24th July 2006 -
Banana Information Service goes live

Kenya's first large-scale voice information line to support rural farmers went live today. The service supports banana growers at all stages, from first deciding whether to grow bananas, through to planting, maintenance, harvesting and pest control.
©　www.llsti.org

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Banana is the common name used for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa, and is also the name given to the fruit of these plants. They are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and Australia. Today, they are cultivated throughout the Tropics.

Banana plants are of the family Musaceae. They are cultivated primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent for the production of fibre and as ornamental plants. Because of their size and structure, banana plants are often mistaken for trees. The main or upright growth is called a pseudostem, which for some species can obtain a height of up to 2–8 m, with leaves of up to 3.5 m in length. Each pseudostem produces a single bunch of bananas, before dying and being replaced by a new pseudostem.

The banana fruit grow in hanging clusters, with up to 20 fruit to a tier (called a hand), and 3-20 tiers to a bunch. The total of the hanging clusters is known as a bunch, or commercially as a "banana stem", and can weigh from 30–50 kg. The fruit averages 125 g, of which approximately 75% is water and 25% dry matter content.

Each individual fruit (known as a banana or 'finger') has a protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with a fleshy edible inner portion. Typically the fruit has numerous strings (called 'phloem bundles') which run between the skin and the edible portion of the banana, and which are commonly removed individually after the skin is removed. Bananas are a valuable source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and potassium.

Bananas are grown in 132 countries worldwide, more than any other fruit crop.

©　Read more in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Worldwide use

Hawaii

Banana is a year round fruit.

banana belt
best place
on the Kona Coast

shanna moore, Hawaii

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Japan

Banana, banana バナナ banana fruit
kigo for all summer 　

..... mibashoo 甘蕉（みばしょう）

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Bashoo named himself after a Japanese banana tree !!!



Matsuo Basho　松尾芭蕉

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Cloth from banana fibers, bashoofu 芭蕉布
This is a traditional cloth from Okinawa.
bashofu, a fabric woven from the banana-like basho plant

The plant from which it gets its name grows wild in the hills, and the specific fiber used for weaving is called ito-basho. When the trunk of the basho plant reaches two meters, after about two years, it is cut down and fibers are taken from the trunk. The fibers are washed and boiled in water for several cycles before the weaving begins. Coloring from natural dyes is obtained from other plants. It takes about two months from the cutting down of the basho plant to finish the fabric.

After the war, the bashofu industry was all but ruined because of a shortage of the plants and the complexity of the weaving method. But Mrs. Toshiko Taira and fellow residents of Kijoka realized the significance of preserving the traditional textile-making that was handed down from generation to generation. So the women planted basho plants and revived the textilemaking activity. As a result of their efforts, the activity was designated an Intangible National Treasure in 1972.
The women of Kijoka contributed greatly to advertising the quality of a traditional Okinawan textile.
©　www.okinawatimes.co.jp





. . bashoofu 芭蕉布（ばしょうふ） "banana fiber cloth"
humanity kigo for all summer


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. bashoo 芭蕉 (ばしょう) plantain, banana plant 　
Musa paradisiaca
This plant is best liked for its large leaves.


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Trinidad and Tobago

banana is also a year round fruit in Trinidad and Tobago

gillena cox


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

vibrant bananas
keenly watching at you
as you pass by

hawkers allover
kiondos full of bananas
on their backs

kiondos--- baskets


Gladys Kathini, Nairobi


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. . . . . INDIA

In India this fruit is native to all watery areas, even in some hills. In South India they prefer to call it plantain, banana elsewhere, the same thing.
While raw - unripe fruit- is cooked as vegatable, the ripe ones are taken as fruit and it is very common in every household. Different types of bananas with different names are produced in India. It has many health giving qualities too in it.


A monkey snatches
a bunch of banana and eats-
sitting on a parapet.

© Aju Mukhopadhyay, India, 2007



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Related words

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Winners May 2006

nnnnnnnnnnnn TOP nnnnnnnnnnnnn

Winners of the Ginkoo in Kayole, Nairobi (Kenya)

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Short Biographies


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Miriam Nyambura (Bamboochas)

Miriam is a girl aged 20. She is in Form 4 at Bahati Community Centre Secondary school in the outskirts of Nairobi City, on the brink where upcountry begins.

Miriam writes:
"I joined Bahati Community Centre in January 2006 because I heard that there was Poetry in this school. I was very impressed and fascinated by Haiku and therefore, I joined Haiku club. I am very social and it took me a very short time to make friends with haiku poets in the club, and learn how haiku is written. Haiku has expanded my creativity, enhanced my character, and sharpened my senses of observation and hearing and recording what I see.

I wrote this poem about goats and cows and it emerged the 3rd best during the ginkoo on May 27th:

cows and goats
scatered all over the place
grazing up and down

I wrote this poem because I saw cows and goats grazing harmoniuosly together without harming each other, so to me, they portrayed a loving character to each other. Even though they were cows and goats, I could see they have a very good fellowship even when they are scattered all over the place. At that moment I wished I could be a goat.

All in all, haiku has influenced many students to write it in their schools.

"My ambition is to become the most famous poet in the whole world. My career is to become a policewoman. My hobbies and interests are volleyball and football. I would like to get penpals from Japan, Germany, USA, UK and Mexico."

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Cyprian Awino

Age: 19
Class: Form 3
Sex: female
School: Bahati Community Centre Secondary School

I have always been interested in poetry. But since there was no Poetry Club in the school, I couldn’t express my ambition. When Haiku Poetry Club was introduced in the school in January 2006, it was a God-sent opportunity. I joined the club and learned how to write haiku and I was later appointed the assistant secretary of our club.

I love haiku because of its importance to nature and how it promotes and enhances youth talents and environment conservation. I strongly believe I have the potential of a poetess.

The situation in which I was when I was writing the haiku during the ginkoo on May 27th was that I was in a very exuberant and peaceful mood with nature. At that time, I saw a child eating a fleshy avocado and that made me feel very hungry because I had not eaten anything since morning. That child was a little girl and the way she was eating the avocado was so natural and very harmonious with the surrounding.

I have gained a great deal since I started writing haiku. First, my attitude towards the environment changed completely. I have become very friendly to the environment. I have gained a lot of experience in poetry through interaction with other poets. I have also gained technologically through computer training. Hitherto, I had never set my eyes on computer, but now I have an e-mail address and can surf on the Internet.

My ambition in haiku is to expose more people to environmental conservation and how to appreciate nature. I would like to become a great poetess. Lastly, I appreciate Isabelle san for her great concern about us. I wish her a long long and prosperous life. Indeed she has made me who I am.

My favourite subject is English literature. I would like to become a doctor. I would love to get in touch with penpals from Japan, UK, USA, Germany and South Africa.

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Debborah Mocheche

Age: 15
Sex: Female
School: Bahati Community Centre Secondary School
Class: Form 2

I joined Bahati when I came from upcountry to live with my aunt. I joined Bahati Haiku Poetry Club in January 2006. At first, I didn’t know much about haiku, but after Mr. Wafula taught us and then Isabelle san came and gave us more tips, I felt confident enough to try writing haiku. After several trials, I became used to putting down small but interesting observations about nature in haiku form. Now haiku is to me like the oxygen I breathe.

When I was writing the haiku during the May 27th extravaganza I was feeling that all my senses were watchful and I was very close to nature.

Haiku has helped me to know how to observe seasons. I have also known how to write and speak English. I have learned different types of seasons and what happens during these seasons.

My ambition is to become a nurse. I would like penpals from Japan, UK, USA and Germany.

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Raymond Otieno

Age: 24
Sex: Male
Schoool: Bahati Community Centre Secondary School
Class: From 2

I joined Bahati Haiku Poetry Club in January 2006. I have risen from a naïve poet to a coordinator in this club. Haiku has promoted me academically, socially and environmentally. I have developed a positive attitude towards nature and its seasons. Secondly, I had never used a computer before but through haiku I now know how to operate a computer. I now speak haiku, eat haiku and think haiku and I have become a man of few words since I can speak a whole novel in just three lines.

My greatest experience in this club is the unforgettable day of May 27th 2006. It was the day of my greatest haiku poem :

rain has ended
footprints remain dry on paths
kids stumble and fall

That day I was in a haiku mood. I was feeling jovial and flamboyant. I felt that I should write about anything that come across my sight including my situation. And just before I could close my notebook, a small boy stumbled and fell and cried bitterly. This made me to study keenly the cause of the fall, only to find a footprint. Why was it there? I asked myself. Answer : this ground was once wet and muddy from the previous rain. That is how I came up with this haiku.

I look forward to becoming the greatest poet of all time and to use poetry to change people’s attitude towards the environment particularly here in Soweto where people are oblivious of environmental conservation.

I would like pen friends from Japan, USA and any other part of the world.

BACK

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Jeremiah Osewe

Age: 18
Sex: Male
School: Bahati Community Centre Secondary School
Class: Form 3

I joined Bhatai Haiku Poetry Club in February 2006. I had been longing to be in a Poetry Club but there had been none until BHPC came into existence. Haiku is fun and it enhances one’s sense of creativity and environmental consciousness.

When I was writing that haiku on that day of the ginkoo, I was extremely hungry and the weather was too hot and not favourable for a walk.

I would like to get in touch with penpals from any country in the world. My interests are poetry, football and music (Gospel).

BACK

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o

*****************************

!!! BACK to the Ginkoo in Kayole
http://kenyasaijiki.blogspot.com/2005/02/bahati-060527.html

*****************************
THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

Back to the Worldkigo Index

Bahati 060301

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Bahati Haiku Poetry Club
Meeting in March 2006


Caterpillars
-----------------

moving cylinder
whole amour of black arrows
all over the body

an eyeless insect
wriggling on vegetation
leaves disappear

green black and brown
moving in the grass and house
touching it is trouble

long black and hairy
always ready with amoury
one-insect-army

a bird swoops down
picking a caterpillar
on a leaf

a hen pecks
a caterpillar on its beak
the hen is satisfied

hairy insects
hiding in dark places
people clean their houses

evening comes
villagers shake their beddings
they are scared

children play
in the tall grasses
screams are heard

in the village
a woman jumps and screams
tearing off her clothes

in the village
a man pulls down his trousers
he screams

Patrick Wafula


they creep along
on their cylindrical bodies
eating every green
Nicholas Kasyoki



cloudless sky
caterpillar destinates
under withered crops
Cyprian Awino


hairy as they are
they burrow in the soil
aerating the soil

today they are hairy
soon they turn into butterflies
children play with them
Catherine Njeri


hairy insects
scattered on the leaves
destroy our plants

after a short while
beautiful butterflies
come out of them

small hairy worms
silently crawling over the land
soon comes the rain
Felix Munyao


small creatures
vegetables disappear
when you appear
Justin


it strolls along
digging holes in shambas
soon the rain falls
Depporah Mocheche


New school year
----------------------

prefects at work
everyone obeys
making the environment clean

the bell goes
everyone in hurry
do not be late

lesson after lesson
teacher after teacher
the timetable is followed

the bell goes
games and sports
everybody warms up

smiling faces
students with new bags
new books
Felix Munyao



eyes on the board
books and pens on tables
brains at work

bells ring
children run
school gates open

bags on shoulders
books and pens in hand
it is school time
Francis Ouma


the bell goes
monos move with their parents
they gather in the office
Jeremiah Osewe


nyithindo mor
somo and writing on books
as a teacher guides
Walter Ochola


new year
new faces join high school
form one

school year
students carry bagfuls of books
to and from school

a school fees burden
parents struggle to pay
principal is harsh
Jasper Ratemo


hurrah! hurrah!
welcome new faces
call them monos
Linet Anyango


Idd-ul-Fitr
---------------

sweet aroma of rice
kanzus and buibuis
allah akbar
Cyprian Awino


Mourning
-------------

dark hour has come
the dirge slows down
all fight back tears
Cyprian Awino


African Night
------------------

the floor of heaven
carpeted with bright stars
yellow balls
Cyprian Awino


Sunrise
------------

cool breeze blows
the mist evaporates
sparkling rays glow
Cyprian Awino


Funeral
-------------

wails and wui
drums beat horns blow
all over the village
Daniel Awino


Water Shortage
---------------------

water scarcity
jembes take advantage to rest
pots totally dry
Lameck Odhiambo


Plums
---------

a woman
with child on her back
buying plums
Walter Oochola


cracked soil
women bend up and down
selling plums and mangoes
Depporah Mocheche


Wind
---------

calm trees shake
dry leaves and dust fly up
calm sea stirs
Raymond Otieno

feeble things go up
clothes ripple on hang lines
roofs creak
Cyprian Awino


Dust
--------

red dust on roads
brown grass on women's dresses
women carry cans
Depporah Mocheche



Circumcision
-------------------

december comes
all the people all over Kisiiland
sing and dance nyamocheche
Depporah Mocheche



Famine
-----------

empty stomachs
stains of tears on cheeks
clean utensils
Cyprian Awino



Sunny season
--------------------

sunny midday
coats loose their value
sweat streams down
Cyprian Awino


Drought
---------------

rain goes on strike
cassava on high demand
kwashiorkor rises
Cyprian Awino


AIDS
----------

coughing all over
many skeletal people
hospital beds full
Patrick Wafula



Long Rains
---------------

fat healthy cattle
green leaves on thick branches
grass nature's carpet
Cyprian Awino



Mango
-----------

We fold our tongues and suck
Sweet yellow juice
Between out teeth we grind

Tasty yellow flesh
Our fingers we lick
The sweet smell
Cyprian Awino


*****************************
Related words

***** Bahati Haiku Poetry Club, Kenya

***** BAHATI HAIKU POETRY CLUB, Records of all Haiku Collections

***** Caterpillar, Hairy Caterpillar

***** Ramadan ends (Idd ul Fitr)

***** Start of new school year

***** Water shortage , drought

***** World AIDS Day

***** Mango fruit

*****************************
THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

Back to the WHC Worldkigo Index

Bahati Greetings

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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Greetings for the Ginko in Keyole


Greetings from Dr Gabi Greve, Director of WHC World Kigo
Nairobi, 27 May 2006
--------------------------------------------------

Greeting at the start of the Ginkoo
-------------------------------

Dear Haiku friends in Kenya,

finally the great day of your first big Ginkoo, the Haiku walk, has come ! You must be so excited to be on your way, so just a short word of advice:

You will all walk through the same area, so try and see the small details around you, like looking through a microscope. Then your haiku will reflect many facets of this area. Your haiku will then show YOUR very own part of it and will definitely be unique. Even if 200 people walk around in the same place, you might find in the end that each one of you has his or her very special way of seeing and experiencing things.

When Isabelle san visited me in April, we talked a lot about this meeting and I am really sorry not to be with you today. But I gave her a small present for the three best haiku which will be selected today, so try hard !

A great thank you to all who helped prepare this day !

Now be on your way with all the best wishes from your Haiku friends worldwide.

Gabi from Japan
in the name of the World Kigo Database


Greeting at the Prize Giving
--------------------------

Dear friends, your day has come to an end and all haiku are now written and evaluated.

My most heartfelt best wishes to the winners of today's Haiku Meeting ! I hope you all learned a bit more about haiku and will continue to enjoy writing haiku.

Isabelle san will now hand you the three little presents. They are little notebooks to write haiku in, especially for Japanese of course, so you can enjoy looking at these small strange Japanese
characters. Maybe one day, through your continuous study of Haiku, you will even be able to read them !

As you will see, the lines are from top to bottom, in the typical way of writing Japanese !
To use them, you will have to turn the notebook to write in your way !

There are so many different things done differently in other cultures, but through haiku you can learn about many in a pleasant way !

I wish you all the best for your future events !

Gabi from Japan

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Greeting from Sakuo Nakamura to the Nairobi Ginkoo
27 May 2007
-----------------------------------------------

Dear Kenya boys and girls
I am a Japanese, living in Tokyo.

I like to paint pictures, and my work refers to the following story.

Three years ago my old sister has asked me to paint a picture. She was old and ill in bed for some time. Once she was very beautiful and received many love letters.
In my boyhood she was my flower of pride.

I decided to present her my Haiku with a picture. For encouraging her, I painted cherry blossoms and added a short haiku poem.

hana nari shi kimi iki iki to haru goto ni

The English translation means

once like a flower
you refresh
every spring



At first I made this poem in Japanese and translated it to English. This was my first experience to make Haiku.

After that, I have been trying to make haiku with English and Japanese. In those processes, I found that I could start thinking haiku by both languages that finally reach at a single concept.

Haiku consists of few words so that each word of every language should have the same meaning.
This is why I recommend you to make haiku in the language of yours and English, and maybe later in Japanese. The practice will help you to learn foreign languages.

There is one difficult point in bilingual haiku. The point comes from the gap of culture. There are two types of gaps.
One belongs to space, that is between countries.
Your mountain is perhaps red in color but mine are green.
You have a wide desert. We are surrounded by sea.

The other gap is time, for example, that is between myself and the Japanese haiku poet Issa who lived 200 years ago in Japan. I drink coffee now but Issa did not know coffee.

How do you get over those gaps of time and space ?

One assistance is by pictures or photos that bring the image to your mind. So I paint haiga (haiku with an attached picture) in my BLOG called "Everyday Issa".

Issa is one of famous haiku poet in Japan. You can meet him in Dr. David's site on the Internet.

http://haikuguy.com/issa/

http://sakuo3903.blogspot.com


Issa, David and I, Sakuo are flying to anywhere in the world. We three can go anywhere by internet. Through the internet the whole world can get in unison physically, but really we are struggling with each other.

Let's learn haiku to deepen our mutual understanding. Therefore peace comes true.

Sakuo Nakamura in Tokyo


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Back to the Ginko in Kayole

BACK: Kayole, 27 May 2006


[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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BAHATI 060418

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Bahati Haiku Poetry Club
April 2006


Fresh green kales
Shining at the bright glint
Starvation is gone

Large round pears
Everyone sucks on them
As we dash or doze

Gumboots on legs
umbrellas in hand
grump croaks from frogs

Sprouting green grass
Dew-wetted leaves
A morning breeze

A cold chill at night
Beneath woolen blankets
The crickets chirp

Water-borne diseases
Students’ thinking capacity low
Systematic sneezes

Catherine Njeri

ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

Dark lowly clouds
showers of raindrops
flooding earth surface

Heavy rain drops
hitting earth’s floor forcefully
rivers and lakes filled

Mud everywhere
Gumboots on everyone’ legs
Cold breeze blows across

Running everywhere
Sharp heavy drops of rain
Water overflows

Grey cloud cover
Colourless drops of rain
Withered crops rise again

Jembes on shoulders
On the way to the shambas
Waited rain drops
………. *jembe * a hoe.


Strange birds fly up
Frogs crock butterflies fly
Black ants emerge

Umbrellas spread high
Heavy drops land on them
A man shivers hard

Blue gurgling river
Water lilies sprout
Dragon flies fly round

Green grasshoppers
Long nappier grass all over
Cattle grow fatter

Farmers toil
Weeds all over the shambas
Rabbits celebrate

Sweet scented flowers
Colorful butterflies
Peppergrass sprouts

Cyprian Awino

ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

Garisa downpour
Animals sniff and lick the water
Kids splash on mud

A helicopter over head
Flooded residence
people flee to high ground

Open umbrellas
Pedestrians dashing along
Puddles on the streets

Sound of water dropping on roofs
Colorful reflections of streetlights
On the wet pavements

A foggy Marsabit
A plane disappears
Government mourns

Coffins out of the plane
Pallbearers with open umbrellas
Moyale burial

Raymond Atieno

ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

EXAMS

Start stop time on the board
White papers in front of them
Teachers watch by

Raymond Atieno Form 2E


Muddy shoes
Tidiness first priority
A queue at the water tap

Catherine Njeri F2


He is back again
Patrick Sensei with his camera
Chasing after insects

Catherine Njeri F2


ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

FREE HAIKU

Catch and hold it
The Sensei shouts to members
Nature cherishes the soul

Stuck vehicles
Wherever the journey ends
Agitated drivers

Flags half mast
Kenya is mourning
A peace making decree

A terrible plane crash
A county’s shock
Lamentations all over

Bent backs
Sweat trickles
As women toil

Blooming flowers
The river gurgles
Sweeping crops

White shiny butterflies
Silent grasshoppers
Strolling over the wet grass

Happy Easter
All clad in glamour
A holiday for all

Kilifi Nematode
Firmly stuck to the ground
It is fresh and strong

Catherine Njeri F2

ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

Sweep glances on sky
Gibbous moon in control
Scattered stars glitter

Cyprian Awino F3


*****************************
Related LINKs

***** Bahati Haiku Poetry Club, Kenya

***** Bahati Haiku Poetry Club, Record of all Haiku Collections

*****************************
THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

Back to the WHC Worldkigo Index

Bahati 060527

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Ginkoo in Kayole, Nairobi (Kenya)
Bahati Community Secondary School, 27 May 2006


Education is Treasure

On 9 January 2006, when the Bahati Haiku Poetry Club (nickname : The Bamboochas) was born, the members were immediately eager to advance and progress in haiku themselves, and to do this together with their colleagues in neighbouring schools. That very first day, the idea was born to host a Ginkoo (吟行) in May 2006 and to invite other schools to participate.

During the following weeks, the Bamboochas studied and practised haiku under their teacher, Patrick Wafula (Patrick Sensei) and enjoyed themselves thoroughly -- as their name implies. Once they reached the mid-term break, they set out to present the art of haiku to the neighbouring schools, all of which liked the idea and decided to set up their own haiku clubs :

Embakazi Secondary School - The Oaks
Brookfield Secondary School - The Spiders
St Matthew’s Secondary School - The Peacocks
Lorna Waddington High School - The Falcons

Each of these clubs chose a patron among the teachers and started writing haiku. During April and May 2006, they organised a series of mini-ginkoo, one by one, and invited representatives of the other haiku clubs to join them.


Photo 1 : Welcome sign at the Bahati tent.

They also made contact with the Japan Information & Culture Centre of the Embassy of Japan in Kenya and invited the Director, Mr Shinya Machida, to be Guest of Honour at the forthcoming Ginkoo. Mr Kiruri Gachie of the Japanese Department, Kenyatta University, was also invited, as were the Japanese community members resident in Kenya.



Photo 2 : Mr Shinyo Machida (Director of the Japan Information and Culture Centre), Mr Kiruri Gachie (Japanese Department of Kenyatta University), Ms Yooko Enomoto (Co-ordinator of the Japanese Association of Kenya).

A committee was formed in the local community, to take charge of the organisation and planning for the ginkoo, and the scouts were mobilised to contribute to the occasion. Almost 250 participants and guests were invited, including the local Chief and Sub District Officer as well as the Officer in Charge of the Police Post.

Finally, the day dawned to warm sunshine and great activity at Bahati School, as the tent was erected in front of the building and the haiku club members arrived in very good time, paper and pen in hand. Soon, many of the students were going through final rehearsals for their presentations, planned for the afternoon. I too was there early, enjoying the festive mood and the anticipation keenly felt by all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The gathering started soon after 11.00 hrs, with the Kenyan and Japanese flags raised together by the Kenya Scouts, and the Kenyan National Anthem sung.

Photo 3 : Kenya and Japanese flags being raised by the Kenya Scouts

(Unfortunately we can not add all the photos here. Please click on the LINK to see the photos in the Bahati Club Photo Album. )

The Patrons introduced their respective haiku clubs -- and we finally heard why they had chosen their meaningful nicknames :

the Peacocks for the instant readiness of the bird, as well as its beauty,
the Oaks for the strength and durability of the tree,
the Falcons for the keen vision of the bird,
and the Bamboochas for the refreshment which their haiku would bring.



Photo 4 : The haiku clubs ready for action

There was a lot of cheering. Everyone was happy to be there, and to join with the members of the other clubs -- they had already become friends through sharing in the mini-ginkoo. This was the first time that the four schools had come together for an event, the first time that Bahati had hosted an event for the wider community, the first haiku ginkoo ever in Kenya (as far as we know!) -- and we even believe it may have been the biggest haiku event in the world on 27 May 2006. There was great joy in Bahati!

Photo 5 : Eager Falcons listening to the opening speeches

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Mr Machida spoke to the gathering about the tradition of haiku in Japan, the history underlying it, and how it had continued into the present day, since it was grounded in the seasons and in nature. Even as it moved beyond Japan and into new territories, it was this link with nature and the seasons which made it adaptable to any culture and any country. Mr Machida was happy to see this first blossoming of haiku in Kenya, and wished the haiku clubs every success as they continued to learn and to practise.

As the Moderator of Kenya Saijiki, I then sent the students out to start their ginkoo. Observe keenly, and write no more than three haiku. The kigo (if used) could be from either the long rains, or from the cool dry season, as we were right between the two. The students then set out and, very soon, they had scattered in a 500 m radius around the school, heading off in different directions, often in small groups.

Bahati School is situated right next to Kayole River, which at this time was showing the effects of the long rains, with a lot of rubbish (including signs of sewage) washed up on the banks around the school. Several students devoted their attention to the river and its banks, all observing different aspects and drawing different conclusions. Thus, some of the poets observed the dirt and the smell, while others noticed how the deposits were helping nearby maize and bananas to grow!


Photo 6 : Falcon deeply focused on Kayole River

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After an hour, the students returned, and there was great excitement and a feeling of achievement. Everyone then selected their very best haiku of the day, writing it on a piece of colourful origami paper, and handing it over to the jury. Names were not included, only the haiku clubs were identified.

Photo 7 : Haiku submissions

While the jury retired to the cool courtyard of the school, the haiku clubs entertained the guests with lively presentations of poetry and drama, which they had rehearsed for the event. Sodas were enjoyed, bread and biscuits consumed, and much fun was had by all, while anticipation mounted.

Photo 8 : The jury in action

The jury needed quite some time to reach its conclusions on the winners -- luckily, we had a cool space within the school, where we deliberated and grouped the individual haiku entries with weights of water bottles, stones, spectacles and anything else that came to hand!

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Before starting on the prize giving as such, Kiruri Gachie congratulated all the young poets on their work and the beautiful haiku they had written, and encouraged them to keep learning and practising. Being in touch with Kenya Saijiki and Worldkigo by internet would help them to exchange with poets in other countries, as well as learning from today’s masters.

The prize giving started with places 11 to 18 (in no particular order), followed by places 4 to 10 (again, in no particular order, with each poet receiving a Japanese cup). Then, the winners so far posed for a photograph :


Photo 9 : The winners of places 4 to 18

Finally, special prizes to the winners of places 3, 2 and 1 : a haiku notebook from Japan sent by Dr Gabi Greve, the Director of the World Haiku Club’s Worldkigo. A book or a painting went to each of the top three, as well as a Japanese cup and a book on Japan from Mr Machida. The winner of the first prize received a beautiful Ikebana calendar from the "Japanese Cultural Centre".


Photo 10 : The first three prizewinners, Grace Wanjau, Oseme Jeremiah and Miriam Nyambura

The atmosphere was wonderful -- more words of thanks were conveyed and received, and no one wanted to leave. Conversations continued, more photos were taken, but finally, the tent was dismantled and the students went home. There will certainly be more events -- the next one will most likely be a learning event, hosted by the Japanese Cultural Centre.

It was a beautiful day, and an unforgettable memory for most of us. The good wishes of Kenya Saijiki and Worldkigo were passed on and savoured, and we enjoyed being part of a world wide movement and being upheld by world wide good wishes.

Congratulations to everyone -- Bamboochas, Falcons, Oaks and Peacocks, as well as the organising committee -- and we look forward to welcoming the Spiders with us next time!

Isabelle Prondzynski


!!! Please click here to read the greetings from Gabi Greve and Sakuo Nakamura !!!

. Read short biographies of the winners of this contest .


*****************************
HAIKU

The prize winning haiku were as follows :

（Japanese by Nakamura Sakuo）


1.
strong and healthy maize
due to sewage nutrients --
very green colour

-- Grace Wanjau (Falcons)

唐黍や汚水で育つ青々と
tookibi ya osui de sodatsu aoao to


Photo 11 : Haiku student observing Kayole River


2.
a green insect
crawling in green grasses
sucking green sap

-- Oseme Jeremiah (Bamboochas)

青虫や　青葉を這って　青汁チュウ
aomushi ya aoba o hatte aojiru chu~



3.
goats and cows
scattered all over the place
grazing up and down

-- Miriam Nyambura (Bamboochas)

山羊羊　散りて草食み　上下へ
yagi to ushi chirite kusa hami ue shita e



4. - 10. (in alphabetical order of author name)

happy looking child
eats fleshy avocado --
no hunger at last

-- Cyprian Awino (Bamboochas)

幸せな 子　アボガド食べる 飢えは無し
shiawase na ko abocado taberu ue wa nashi


along the river bank
always green butterflies pounce
happily on cool grass

-- Gideon Gichamba (Peacocks)


cool, calm afternoon --
group of students crouch over
the grass for a bed

-- Kennedy Odhiambo (Bamboochas)


steps up and down
up the hills down the valleys
trying to observe

-- Olande E. Nancy (Oaks)

Photo 12 : Haiku students observing and writing


young African girl
looking confused
cutting kales

-- Ouko Hellen (Falcons)


rain has ended
footprints remain dry on the paths
kids stumble and fall

-- Raymond Otieno (Bamboochas)

Photo 13 : Children stuck in a dried rut (picture taken same day)


Kayole river
flooded with sewage
ugh! bad odour

-- Samuel Mwangi (Falcons)


11. - 18. (in alphabetical order of author name)

coloured petals
sprung like mushrooms
Njeri get decoration

-- Bonface Mutua (Falcons)


green turns to grey
crops mature as plants shed
as sun shines

-- David Wandera (Bamboochas)


dried up lips
thirsty throats in hotels
babies barefooted

-- Deborah Mocheche (Bamboochas)


bidens pilosa
growing taller and taller
shining everywhere

-- Felix Muyao (Bamboochas)


under the shade
people are squeezed
loosening their clothes

-- Lameck Odhiambo (Bamboochas)


"ten, ten, jeans!"
a man selling pants
they are so big

-- Mercy Keago (Falcons)


dust on shoes
as people walk down and up
along Soweto slum

-- Sammy Opagala (Bamboochas)


healthy bananas
using sewage manure --
very attractive

-- Samson Munga (Falcons)



Photo 14 : Closing the Ginkoo

*****************************
Related Entries

***** Bahati Haiku Poetry Club

BAHATI HAIKU POETRY CLUB, Records of all Haiku Collections

Look at the Bahati Haiku Poetry Club Photo Album

*****************************
THE KENYA SAIJIKI

Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

Back to the WHC Worldkigo Index

Bahati 0601

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Bahati Haiku Poetry Club
First Meeting January 2006


Night fall-
The crickets sing
The owls hoot
Patrick


Night fall-
Chickens come to roost
The dogs bark
Patrick


Breaking dawn-
Birds chirp merrily
The cocks crow
Patrick


........................................... Drought

Severe drought
Withered crops on farms
Dry riverbeds
Maxmilla


Austere drought
Withered grasses and trees
Carcasses all over
Catherine


Severe drought
Empty granaries
Children cry
Sammy


Austere drought
Deserted manyattas
Animal carcasses
Patrick


Long drought
Clanking jerricans
Empty tanks
Maxmilla


Terrible drought
Long queues at water tanks
Women carry jerricans
Raymond


The hot sun scorches
The earth is dry and parched
People take shelter
Rehema


Dry whirlwinds blow
Maasais and their cattle flee
Carcasses and stench
Teresia



............................... Christmas Season


Christmas season
Children sing carols
The church bells toll
Frank


Christmas season
Disco lights twinkle
Drizzles trickle
Patrick


Merry Christmas
Men drink busaa
Women ululate
Patrick


Happy Christmas-
Drunkards stagger
Children sing
Catherine


Merry Christmas-
Women sing mwanambeli
Litungu plays
Patrick

Christmas season-
Youths clad in glamour
Dance mugithi
Patrick


........................................... Africa

The African sun-
Animals stroll side by side
Hakuna matata
Safari


Harusi ya fahari-
Women in buibui men in clocks
Allahamuddulahi
Safari


Harambee-
Pull push a working nation
Wakenya muko?
Safari


Tujienjoy Christmas
Siasa mchezo mchafu
Bado mapambano
Safari


The Referendum-
Oranges-bananas tawe eeh
Confused Kenyans
Safari


Alluta continua-
Jua kali hammers taa taa
Wacha kuregarega
Patrick


Matatu madness-
Ever so early and so fast
But everyone is late
Patrick


Wanjiku-
Huyo bure pumbavu
Constitution
Safari


Mugithi-
The train passes on and on
Children pass
Safari


............................... The Long Rains

The long rains-
The fisherman´s wife
Grows plumper
Patrick




Photo Isabelle Prondzynski

The long rains-
The jacaranda tree
Blooms purple
Patrick


The long rains-
Sunbirds suck flower juice
Weaverbirds make nests
Patrick


The long rains
The grass is greener and taller
Cattle grows fatter
Patrick


The long rains
Farmers stoop over their farms
Striking with their hoes
Patrick


The long rains
The sky is darker
People rush indoors
Catherine


The long rains
Lightning flashes
Thunder rumbles
Patrick


The long rains-
Umbrella hawkers
Jam the streets
Patrick


The long rains
Muddy water-filled streets
Squelching shoes
Patrick


The long rains-
The herrings swim happily
The eels multiply
Patrick


The long rains
The shoeshiner´s pocket
Grows bigger
Patrick


Rainy season-
Bright coloured butterflies
Flap their wings
Patrick

*****************************
LINKS

***** Bahati Haiku Poetry Club, Kenya

***** Bahati Haiku Poetry Club, Record of all Haiku Collections


..... Continue to the Second Haiku Meeting .....

*****************************
THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

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Bahati 060204

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Bahati Haiku Poetry Club
Third Meeting February 2006

Subject: NEW SCHOOL YEAR

bells ring
it is school year
all over Kenya
Francis Ouma

hoisting the flag
students stand attention
respecting the Nation
Naomi Kamande

timetables arranged
teachers welcome students
lessons begin
Naomi Kamande

the bell rings
everyone to assembly
school activities begin
Naomi Kamande

the flag sways
all students attention
the national anthem
Naomi Kamande

smiling faces
huge bags new shoes
form ones join
Maximilla Khasandi

new classrooms
new friends new textbooks
new teachers
Patrick Wafula

bells ring
students seated
timetables followed
Maximilla Khasandi

back to school
all the media scream
back to school
Patrick Wafula

posters all over
vacancies form one to four
new schools open
Patrick Wafula

heavy trunks and boxes
loaded buses and matatus
uniformed passengers
Patrick Wafula

queues at the bank
queues at uniform shops
queues at bookshops
Patrick Wafula

at the gate enters
new faces and uniforms
how are you monos
Raymond Otieno

ting a ling a ling
stationery from the school store
care for the school property
Catherine Njeri

white shiny aprons
gorgeous chefs roam dining rooms
queues at the kitchen
Catherine Njeri

lesson plans
schemes of work
chalk sticks
Patrick Wafula

new members join
debate and drama club
maths science projects
Patrick Wafula

pens and exercise books
disappear of the bookshelves
homework
Patrick Wafula

carpenter’s brow sweats
supplier’s phone goes crazy
store keeper busy
Patrick Wafula

how I pray
that I may not be
a noisemaker
Patrick Wafula

singing and dancing
colourfully wrapped parcels
prize-giving day
Patrick Wafula

roll calls
John was absent yesterday
where is the cane
Patrick Wafula

k.c.p.e results
Wambui joins Moi Girls
Erick Starehe Boys
Patrick Wafula

students and pupils
huge bags and books
all in uniform
Walter Ochola

bells ring
teachers on duty
be right on time
Walter Ochola

bells ring
teachers carry white chalk
textbooks in hand
Walter Ochola

*****************************
LINKS

***** Bahati Haiku Poetry Club, Kenya

Check out the previous meetings from this LINK.

ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

..... Continue to the Fourth Haiku Meeting .....

*****************************
THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

Back to the WHC Worldkigo Index