Major prep work is underway in Nyongoro, since that’s where we have the bulldozer and can work more large scale than at the manually managed Kiambere. Regardless whether the work is mechanically or manual, it is a delicate task in balance with timing and nature. In Africa, a whole planting is often ruined by either too little or too much rain, or other important factors.

Currently, 250 people earn their living from Better Globe and the number of jobs we are able to offer will increase during 2012. We are of course very proud of this, since this is the only way for many to be able to stay in the area with their families. By having a salary, they can continue farming their own land, even if it isn’t enough to live off of it.

It can hardly have escaped anyone that we were visited by 20 or so clients and Ambassadors in February, and since their return home to their own countries, they have generously shared their experiences and pictures.

The number of purchased donation packages is steadily increasing, but not fast enough for our liking. If you can get all that, and donate that much, while earning significantly more than it costs, it seems incomprehensible that not more people are buying donation packages on a regular basis. It might be that we need more Ambassadors to help us sell and market our trees and our donation packages.

That might have been what Jan Bolmeson was thinking when he, on his own initiative, started a small collection on the side, among his friends. Jan was down there in February and visited, among other things, the school in Mbuti, which thanks to the donation packages we have been able to do a lot for. We have poured new floors, put in gutters, water tanks and not to mention a whole new house for teachers and the principal and a new school kitchen.

The youngest of them are unfortunately still in a too small and completely broken old mud hut, without flooring or anything to occupy them with. Jan invited his friends to small specific collection for building a new school house for them and was told by Jean-Paul Deprins that it would cost about 3 000 USD. In less than a week, with the help of about 20 friends, he collected close to 6 000 USD, so they are also building a new school house for the 60 preschoolers who are also attending the school.

This is a fantastic initiative from one of Better Globe’s many Ambassadors and we at Better Globe are of course extremely proud to have such coworkers and customer. We are also proud that this is what we do, this is our daily work. We operate forestry profitable, and give a really good return on our customers’ investment, and at the same time we’re helping so many people to a better life in a better world. You have to agree, that is something to be proud of!

Things are always going on down in Kenya and Chairman Rino Solberg has held a few meeting for the purpose of increasing the board in Better Globe Forestry Ltd. As the development of the operation in Kenya is progressing fast, we strive to expand the board with people with experience and expertise in both forestry as well as financing.

We also want to strengthen the company’s credibility internationally during the phase we’re heading into now. Rino visited Nyongoro ranching society and prime minister Raila Odinga and took the opportunity to talk about the book ”Put integrity first”, written by Rino himself and reflects the values of Better Globe.

2012 is the third year we will pay out the return on investment as we promised our customers. This year it is the return from trees purchased during 2008 that is up, and if there is somewhere you can really see how fast time is passing, it’s on the trees growing at our plantations.

In 2006, there were many who, of course, doubted us. There weren’t really any concrete evidence that our idea would work. Already in 2010, when those who, after all, still purchased trees and donation packages during 2006 got their first pay out, things looked completely different. The trees had grown large and the amount of trees had multiplied. The people visiting that year were very impressed.

The year after the procedure was repeated and even more people could see a return on their investment in their accounts, and all doubts from 2006 was almost completely gone, at least from those more involved. Now we’re here in 2012 and can on a good foundation make the claim that Better Globe has delivered on everything we promised and we really do have a working concept.

I consider that one of the facts to be noted after the first quarter of 2012.

Lennart Göthe

The Kiambere plantation was our first stop on our trip with Better Globe, and the trip there gave us a flying start on our exploration with lots of new impressions and experiences. I was full of expectations and was still somewhat shocked to see how people were actually living simply in their small huts. Yes, they are surviving the day with cheerfulness and determination. I’m fascinated that we actually managed to help these people grow trees and plan for their future for several years.

Marie Assarsson arrives here, a dietician and curious about everything related to food and nutrition. On this picture I’m asking Jan Vandenabeele, the tree expert, what the local population is growing in this arid region. The answer I got was that they grow mostly corn and millet.

Jan told us: ”corn is for gamblers” and ”millet is for survivors”. He told us that the corn harvest mostly fails, mainly because of the draught. Millet thrives in dry climate and is a cereal rich in minerals and is used for food and feed. Keen and happy with the interesting answer I, of course, had follow-up questions to ask.

Jan interrupted and said ”Let´s talk about mukau tree instead”! So here I am, next to Jan, one of the leading experts in trees and tree plantations in arid regions, and I ask questions about different crops. Jan would basically be able to talk about trees for ever and is really passionate about his cause. It is fascinating to meet a person who really is that dedicated and knowledgeable and at the same time really wants to share his knowledge in a very inspiring way. Nothing happen by chance at the plantation, everything is carefully planned based on many years of theoretical and empirical knowledge and experience, and a burning passion.

During our visit at Mboti primary school we also visited the “school kitchen” and the old kitchen they are now using for food storage. There are two large pots simmering in the kitchen and Wende who is cooking the food tells us that one pot contains corn and the other beans. Beans are a good source of protein, with high quality protein and for optimal effect, they need to be combined with a cereal (protein is necessary for important functions in the body, and is of course vital for growing children).

And there I go again with my curiosity for food and nutrition and say “that is a good combination”, feeling somewhat important. In this case the cereal was corn. Wende replies: “That’s all we have”. Of course it is. There are no discussions here whether to serve low fat milk or 2% milk in school. They just cook and serve whatever is available.

At the same time, my thoughts went to the water at the school that is kept in large water tanks and plays an important role in getting food for the children in the school and give them the opportunity to attend school at all. That the water is playing a vital part is very obvious. Giving the children water at school has made it possible for 95% of the children to attend school, compared to 50% before.

Here the children are thirsting for knowledge and when we asked what their favorite subject was, they all said in unison “science”. I was hit by the incredible will in these children and it was wonderful to listen to when patron Elias Musyoka said as a matter of fact: “Their future will be great!” I’m convinced that with a person like that with that kind of conviction behind them, it will indeed be great.

At the same time I feel a huge responsibility. I really have the opportunity to make a difference for these people by telling other people what they can contribute to. One of the parts of the donation package that fascinates me the most is the micro financing. A small loan without collateral that helps people to help themselves on location, by bringing out the drive and entrepreneurship within them. It has a ripple effect. For example, in this picture, Wende is cooking for 229 students.

The mango trees were very exciting, especially since mango is one of my favorite fruits, so I find it particularly interesting that Better Globe has chosen to invest in growing mango trees. Mango is one of the most important fruits today after the banana and is rich in minerals and vitamins, and mainly beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is unfortunately still common in developing countries and is the most common cause of blindness.

When we visited Mukuyu Farm in Kibwesi, where they grow mango trees among other things, Jan Vandenabeele had brought a book about mango trees in Kenya and read the nutritional information about mangos for us; since he now knows there is a dietician in the group. Here’s the link for ”Mango growing in Kenya” if you want to know more.

A mango type called apple mango will be planted in the Nyongoro plantation. Mango has been cultivated for 4,000 years and originated in Southeast Asia and is available in hundreds of different types. The mango trees that will be planted will yield a harvest every year after they have grown for a few years and are part of the return on the trees.

It will be exciting to follow the development in the future and I look forward to “harvesting the fruit”. I’m already looking forward to going back to Kenya and continue our exploration. I conclude with a lovely picture of the whole group that went to Kenya, and here we are just where the mango trees will be planted in Nyongoro.

By: Marie Assarsson
A proud Better Globe customer

On the way there, I had butterflies in my stomach and my head was buzzing with thoughts. How would it feel once we arrived at the school? It was a trip through an arid landscape where the few farms we saw consisted of dried out corn fields. Most people on the road traveled by foot and many were carrying large water jugs. Sitting in a small buss suddenly felt like a huge privilege.

Once we arrived at the school, we were greeted by singing parents slowly approaching us, and all the children were sitting in the shade of a large tree. The parents and the children looked so happy that a sense of joy filled the body. We are actually helping these people, who have great hopes for the future, to achieve their goals.

We had the opportunity to meet the school’s patron, Elias Musyoka (the current vice president Kalonzo Musyoka’ uncle) who founded the school in 1995. When he was asked about the children’s future, he answered with excitement in his eyes:

It is very bright! Today there are one million people for every doctor. Many of these children will become doctors.

I get all excited when I look back on how everybody saw possibilities; the children, the parents, and the teachers. When we later ask Jan Vandenabeele, Executive Director of Better Globe Forestry, about the greatest challenges for the people living in the area, he looks at me puzzled, and then responds saying that the question isn’t phrased right. They only see possibilities, not problems.

After the tour of the school, where we get to see what the money from the donation packages has resulted in, we sat down with the children, parents, and teachers. Each class of children performed several beautiful songs and it felt like attending a wonderful concert. See the clip below we filmed on location last week:

After the songs, Jan Vandenabeele and Jean-Paul Deprins (Managing Director, Better Globe Forestry) told us about the Mboti out-growers project. It had a great emotionally impact on me, since one of the reasons I got involved with Better Globe was that I wanted to participate in creating the opportunities for people to create healthy communities themselves.

With the help of micro financing, increased access to water, donated trees, and education, they are on their way to create something great. Unfortunately, the situation in Kenya and Africa is such that hard work and determination are not enough. Conditions are so hard that they are often depending on luck for their survival since harvests often are lost due to drought. That’s why it feels good to know that we are contributing to provide opportunities for the farmers, that allow them to make long-term plans for their fields, without being at the mercy of the rain.

When Jan and Jean-Paul described the project in more detail, I was impressed by how well thought out the whole project is and how much time they must have spent working on it.

A whiteboard with workflows we saw at the office in Nairobi comes to mind. Better Globe leaves nothing to chance. They work long-term and have realized the importance of building good relationships with the farmers in order to support them during the changes. I am already looking forward to returning here in a few years and see how they reap the benefits of the changes that Better Globe has facilitated.

Penned by,
Johan Dahl
A happy tree owner and involved ambassador of Better Globe.

We’ve paid out return on investments 3 times already. Twice from trees purchased in 2006 and once for trees purchased in 2007. And this year it is time for a return on the trees purchased in 2008. That four years pass so quickly can only be seen and understood when looking at time that is gone. Isn’t it weird that time that is ahead of us is not viewed the same way?

There was even a time when Better Globe was operating a plantation and I was down there for the first time with my family and the trees were 13 months old. Last summer when I went back, the same trees were 4.5 years old and the area has increased many times its original size. Most noticeable was however that a new plantation had been added in Nyongoro, where we are now getting ahead of the other plantations in terms of planting. With more experience, automated operations, and a massive support from everyone living nearby our plantation, Nyongoro has become a very exciting place to follow as a forest owner.

We already have more customers going down to Africa now in February to study the operation and meet all the people we touch and those who work with Better Globe. It is also in Nyongoro our famous Mango trees will be planted, the investment that makes it possible for Better Globe to give a 15 % yearly return on investment to tree owners around the globe.

I am incredible proud of what we all have managed to create in such a short period of time, since just 2006. Today we have a stable track record and have gotten many positive statements from important people in governments, authorities, and agencies of various kinds.

The Certificates are now available for download on My Pages

The certificates are now available for download from ”My Pages” for those of you who purchased trees in 2001. There are two different types of certificates where one is a certificate showing your tree ownership per year. It shows how many trees you have purchased during the year and what it means in terms of return on investment for you.

The second one is a special certificate showing that you have made 12 or more donations during the year. Those of you who did that have also become carbon neutral here in Sweden based on the fact that the average Swede releases 9 to 14 ton carbon dioxide per year. Or 20-24 ton per average family.

If you made 12 donations, you caused no less than 48 trees to be planted and you own 24 of them. These 48 trees absorb approximately 30 ton carbon dioxide which is more than the average private person in Sweden releases, so you can appreciate yourself for that and let others know.

Share Better Globe with others

I work with marketing and offering Better Globe services along with 100s of other Ambassadors and feel great joy and pride in what we do and we would like to contribute to let more people know about our work. All contributions are appreciated and as you hopefully already know, Better Globe is offering you a donation package free of charge if you assist us in this.

Read about how you easily can get a free donation package, month after month, just by doing what you probably are already doing, talk with more people.

Contact me, or any other Ambassador you already know, if there is anything we can do for you concerning Better Globe.

May the rest of your 2012 be great!

Lennart Göthe

February 15:

We’re going with Brussels Airlines from:

• OSLO 06:40 am
• BROMMA: 06:50 am
• GÖTEBORG:  06:55 am
• KØBENHAVN: 06:35 am

to Brussels, where we meet up to go to Nairobi together at 10:40 am. We have a layover of about 2 hours in Brussels.

We arrive in Nairobi around 11:30 pm local time. That includes a layover in Bujumbura in Burundi. We will be picked up at the airport in Nairobi and driven to the hotel, Methodist Guest House.

February 16:

We will get up early in the morning and go to the plantation in Kiambere. Jan Vandenabeele will meet us there and show us around and show us trees in different stages, from the first ones planted in 2007 to the brand new ones. We also get to plant our own tree.

After lunch at the plantation we will head to Mboti Primary School and Sosoma. We will stay the night at Mwingi Cottage Lodge on the way there and that is also where we will have our supper.

February 17:

We’re heading to Sosoma and will also visit Mboti Primary School – a school which Child Africa and Better Globe gutted and renovated and bought a water cistern for. Here we will meet the children attending the school, the teachers, and even a couple of parents. Afterwards we will go back to Nairobi via Mwingi Cottage Lodge where we have lunch. We will have our dinner at the hotel in Nairobi.

February 18:

We’ll head out early in the morning for Better Globe Mukuyu Farm, Test, and Training Center to look at the testing they’re doing there. We’ll have our lunch there and continue on to Kilaguni Lodge in Tsavo National Park. In the evening we’ll have our dinner at the lodge.

February 19:

After a leisurely and delightful breakfast we will enjoy a day of luxury at the lodge where you can relax by the pool. You can spend the evening in the restaurant where you can enjoy all the wild animals coming to drink from the waterhole below the lodge.

February 20:

We will leave early for Malindi. We will arrive at the hotel Coral Key in the afternoon. Dinner is at the hotel.

February 21:

We will go to the plantation in Nyongoro after breakfast. We will have lunch at the plantation and head back to the hotel in the afternoon for our dinner there.

February 22:

We leave early for Nairobi and have lunch on the way there at Hunters Lodge – a beautiful place – before returning to the Methodist Hotel in Nairobi where we will enjoy today’s dinner.

February 23:

We will have breakfast at the hotel before visiting the Better Globe Forestry’s head office in Nairobi. We’ll have lunch at Naivasha and go for a boat trip on Lake Naivasha. Afterwards we’ll head back to the hotel and end the day with a dinner at Carnivore, a very nice and unique restaurant.

February 24:

Visit at Karen Blixen/Kazuri where we’ll have lunch.
Head back to Nairobi and check out from the hotel.
Heading to the airport at 00:40

February 25:

We arrive in Brussels around 7:20 am.

BROMMA: From Brussel 09:00 To Bromma 11:25
GÖTEBORG: From Brussel 09:15 To Göteborg 11:05
KØBENHAVN: From Brussel 09:30 To Köbenhamn 11:10
OSLO: From Brussel 14:15  To Oslo 16:25

Other practical information

The price includes air fare, buss transport, a shared double room, visa in Kenya, and all meals. You need to notify us as soon as possible if you prefer a single room and there is an additional fee for that.

There has been a change in the schedule that adds a 120 € fee to cover an additional day at Kilaguni Safari Lodge in Tsavvo National Park where we will experience the African wild life up close.

Vaccinations

Contact your doctor or your immunization center for the vaccinations you need. We will be visiting areas in central Kenya along the coast line.

Passport

Make sure your passport is valid for at least 3 months after our return home.

Clothing:

Generally:  Don’t bring too much, laundry service is available at the hotels.
Hat: The sun is directly above us and very strong.
Sweater/jacket:  It can be chilly in the evenings so bring a warm sweater or a jacket.
Shoes: We can’t use sandals on the plantations so bring good shoes or at least sneakers. There are snakes in the grass even if we’ve never encountered any on our trips.
Dress code: Informal, but we encourage something nicer for the dinners in the evenings.
Bathing clothes: Several of the hotels feature pools and there will be opportunities to use them.

Travel Insurance

Better Globe is not a tour operator so everybody needs to get their own travel insurance.

Please bring…

Pen:  To take notes and fill out visa application
Vaccination Card:  You’ll get it at your vaccination center
Antibacterial gel or napkins:  The bacterial flora is different in Africa than in Scandinavia
Imodium or equivalent: For diarrhea
Mosquito repellant: There are mosquitos, especially in the evenings
Malaria pills: Get a prescription from your doctor or vaccination center
Motion sickness pills: If you need it, there will be many and long bus trips
Binoculars:  Is nice to have, but isn’t necessary
Camera:  You will appreciate it
Spending money:  Most things are very cheap in Kenya and the tour includes almost everything except drinks. If you bring 3,000 – 4,000 SEK you’ll have enough for drinks and souvenirs. We won’t have any time set aside especially for shopping, but there will be opportunities to purchase some souvenirs. Please note that it is customary to haggle over prices.