Coming Soon: Agricultural Show!

There's a flurry of excitement at TICH as we prepare to exhibit at the Agricultural Society of Kenya's (ASK) regional show in August. Lucas Ngode, head of the academic department, and I have been charged with deciding how much space TICH will need at the show and what we want to promote within that space. Lucas and I ride out to the show grounds to select our site. The grounds are about 20 acres and consist of a rodeo-style center ring surrounded by a grid of dirt roads. The grass is high throughout the complex and I suggest they bring in cows and goats as natural mowers. But soon a bus full of prisoners pulls up. The prisoners climb out wearing their vertically striped uniforms, carefully watched over by the gun-toting guards. They're all given a slasher, a skinny, long piece of metal slightly bent at one end. They swing the slasher just above the ground to cut the grass. Later, as we leave the grounds, Lucas and I note the prisoners have slashed nearly three acres of grass in less than an hour.

The manager of the show has not arrived to work yet, so Lucas and I walk the grounds, looking at possible sites and permanent buildings. Kenya Railways has a huge building, shaped and painted to resemble a train, which they occupy every year. The Sony Sugar company and Mumias Sugar company also have very nice buildings erected. They've already begun to landscape their yards (bushes at their entrances are trimmed in each company's logo) and they have several sections of sugar cane at different stages of growth. Very impressive.

The show grounds are used just once a year, only for the agricultural show. ASK's regional committee realizes the buildings on the grounds should be used year round rather than left empty. The buildings have piped water and electricity and could house many families throughout the year. So the committee is looking into other uses for the grounds and the possibility of each organization renting/loaning their buildings to employees or needy families.

We decide we'll probably take a small site for 25,000 shillings. As we walk, workers from the show join us and show us two sites with permanent buildings. Because the companies that built these “houses” will not be attending this year's show, perhaps TICH can rent one of them. I especially like one particular building for its two huge trees shading the yard. The high grass in front needs cutting and decorative plantings should be put in. The existing building needs sweeping and a thorough cleaning from floor to ceiling. But we can paint the building in TICH's colors and display tables already line the inside of the house. Two doors marked “in” and “out” will help direct the flow of visitors. This plot is a medium for 50,000 shillings, though; twice as much as the small plot.

Lucas and I present our findings to Dan, the director. We can get a small plot for 25,000 and then build a structure or tent, or we can take the shady site with an existing building for 50,000. Dan agrees we should take the plot with the existing building. Next week, we'll go back to the site to begin repairs, cleaning and painting. Maseno University, our competition in Kisumu, has a beautiful building on the grounds and they've already started their landscaping. The front of their building sports a colorful mural of crop fields and farmers. We have a lot of work to do in the next six weeks, especially since we want to be the show's standout exhibit!