My 9 hour flight from London to Nairobi touched down: I could not help but feel the guilt seep through every cell of my body. It was easy to criticise Taylor Swift on her carbon footprint, but I had just helped to emit more carbon than some humans do in an entire year.
I started my internship with Nasio Trust (https://thenasiotrust.org/) on the 5th of July. I met Rashid on the 7th of July: a 6-year-old receiving rehabilitation for severe malnutrition and neglect. The cycle of poverty and illness he was entrapped in seemed to be infinite.
An unforgettable smile was plastered on his face, as he sat on the chair in the lap of his caregiver, porridge cup in hand. He was here, happy and healthy.
The porridge kitchen he was attending had saved his life. The Nasio-grown spirulina had provided unbelievable immunological support, as he consumed this once a week in the kitchen and once a day at home.
He was granted a caregiver, counselled on medication, nutrition, hygiene and milestones.
Rashid was saved by sustainability in action.
I walked through the various kitchen gardens supported by Nasio. Here, the families were provided with seeds to build crops and eventually sell their produce; sustainability in action, clearly addressing the UN sustainable development goals.
On the 26th of July, I participated in a medical campaign aiming to eradicate Tunga penetrans fleas burrowing into the skin. Young children limped with infected feet, often crying in pain. The campaign focused on treatment but the team came to a realisation that prevention was the priority from there onward. I was privileged to undertake primary research to identify affordable, scientifically viable and sustainable methods to address this.
During my visit, I toured the spirulina farm: low-cost and locally produced. Again, a perfect example of sustainbility in action.
I listened, learned, asked and explored. I used local tuktuks to reduce my footprint whilst supporting the local community. I purchased home-grown Kenyan spirulina to share with my community in England. I had a reusable water bottle and avoided plastic waste. I had short showers, washed my clothes by hand and committed to a wool-crocheted bag that became my best friend.
I returned to England with a redefined, broadened understanding of sustainability. Where one action falls short, another can rise to meet it. The Earth does not ask for much: it asks to be cared for as it cares for us.
The community in Mumias taught me this. The Nasio Trust taught me this. The experience taught me this.
Sustainability is not a simple decision. Instead, it is a way of journeying through life.
