Lake Nakuru NP

At 7.00am we left the orphanage and travelled the 15km's to the Nakuru NP which is home to an abundance of Africa's most recognisable and endangered species. Immediately on our arrival we were greeted by a mass of Vervet Monkey's including some babies which were extremely small. Once we entered the park we encountered a vast array of animals, the highlight being two Spotted Hyena's working their way through a carcass (see our photo's for this picture). Some of the smaller animals that we spotted also gave us tremendous satisfaction, in particular the rock hyrax which we spotted at Baboon Cliff and the Lilac Crested Roller- a parrot like bird. Of the big five animals- the Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Rhinoceros and African Buffalo, we were lucky enough to see the Rhinoceros and the African Buffalo.

It was amazing to see just how alive the park was- on one occasion- We spotted no less than 15 Rothschild Giraffes grazing on the plains. The animals were not particularly wary of vehicles or people which helped with taking photo's. It was great to see the smile on Sahra's face because she had been looking forward to her first encounter with the wildlife- particularly the Rothschild Giraffe. Other animals that we spotted during the day included- Thomson's Gazelle's, Helmeted Guinea Fowl's, Greater and Lesser Flamingo's, Plains Zebra's, Impala's, Olive Baboon's, Warthog's and another favourite for me the Black and White Colobus. This was a particularly good spot as they were high in the treetops.

As the day drew to a close we met Mary in the city to finalise our assistance with a family introduced to us by Mrs Pastor. The single mother has two 15 year old daughters but can only afford to send one to school. Petrolina and Thelma help their mother run a small fruit and veg stand. All the produce is sourced from the markets then re-sold to the general public. Each piece sells for 5 shillings or 0.7 cents AUD. It was clear when we met them at their home that any assistance would have a big impact on their lives. Their home consisted of a single room divided by a curtain to distinguish between the living room and bedroom. The living room was just big enough for a single two seater couch and coffee table. To assist the family we bought Thelma the necessary school books and uniform as well as paid for her first semester tuition fees- All in all a busy but eventful day.