Camping!

After working hard last we week ,we decided to go camping over the weekend .This are kind of adventure you will always leave to remember and curse .From Nairobi to the campsite was 80 miles but four hour drive this is because of the bad roads in Kenya .We left Nairobi at around four PM thinking we will be doing 80 mile per hour later to find out we have to do 40 mile per hour .Arriving at campsite when the dark has fallen is the last thing you will need to happen to you .The beautiful ladies who had accompany us decided to go to strike and the men were doing the cooking . Below are some pictures which I took










Bogo and Ali having some of backfired break first which was cooked by me after of course after burning the eggs three times .




Boys under control after the girls refused to cook and we have a learned a lesson .Sports cars my freind call them

On the truck!

Its time to supply .Our driver Daglouse,Richard ,Dorothy leaves the office to supply bags to the shops .Tell you its time to Sell

selling Time!

A happy customer leaves the shop after getting his new work bag .

Mark Stephenson

During Christmas i kept on receiving emails from friends asking me who is sandaman.Ok i will let them know him.First i think its a blessing lucky to have people from UK working in Kenya . Only few of them will only volunteer to risk there life and come to Africa .But the brave Mark Stephenson left his family thousands miles a way to come and live and work in Kenya! .With all bad infrastructure ,insecurity,poverty and the list goes on a long as runway Mark manages work under all that . Mark has been the best of the best boss i have ever work with .Even pastors cant be as good as him may be you say its exaggeration if its so then please check your sugar levels.
Mark Stephenson Just arrived from Safari .



Believe it or not we were on a meeting when i took this picture.Now this shows the different side of Mark .

As Our managing director he makes sure to make sandstorm is a successful company.In Kenya we have trade international shows around the country and he makes sure we participate to make sure sand storm brand is recognized globally .In Nairobi we have two major bazaar and Mark has never afford to miss this shows . Craft fair in Ngong racecourse and Biz Bazz .Below are some pictures i took during the events
Mark Stephenson at work during the last fall .

Selling selling in all kind of way .I called Edinburgh style .


He knows you have children and they will need to play and eat .Bouncing castles,face painting and all kids stuff are always at the shows we participateParking space is always available and it has a capacity to park over 15,000 cars ,

BUSY MONTH

September 2009 is a month i will leave to remember.It has been busy and chaotic .We have moved our shop to a new building .It bigger loaded with lots of new products which will be posted on the website very soon .We have improved our IT system with installation of Skype softwares

in all PC i took some pictures of the activities

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Above is Engineer Silvano and Engineer Paul installing new sever .In Kenya engineering work was only meant for people over 40 years ,but as time moves we have been inheriting western cultures and ICT revelation has landed in Kenya and young people are dominating in ICT like never before .You can find more about it in www.routingafrica.com

VILLAGE MARKET

In 1992 two Kenyan brothers, Hamed and Mehraz Ehsani had the idea of constructing a shopping and recreation mall within Nairobi. Their objective was to provide a shopping and recreation experience for Gigiri's residents which include diplomats, expatriates and tourists living and/or working within the Nairobi's Diplomatic District and its immediate environs.Construction began in April 1992 with 10 shops. Three years later they opened The Village Market's gates to the public. Today (February 2009) the complex covers over 225,713 square feet (20,969.4 m²) of leasing space; three levels high, with more than 150 outlets.The latest addition to the mall is a 5 star hotel with a 142 guest rooms and suites.[2] In 2007 Sandstorm Kenya launched its second shop in Kenya in a african safari style at the village market ,our shop is suited above food coat .Please pay a visit in our shop when you visit village market ,lots of enduring styles travel bags, work bags, wash bags, ladies bags and outdoor accessories, in Canvas & Leather, Pull-up and Pelage Leathers, African Camel and each one hand-crafted carefully, individually and ethically. Learn more.

Here are some of the pictures i took during the launch of the shop

Masai dancers entertaining guests during the sandstorm village market shop launch,well this kind of dance it was only meant for them ,don't try this at home

dancing in all styles

safari corner inside our shop in village market


lady line small in hair on now available in black and white,also known as Pelage available in travel bags too

Ol Donyo Wuas

The amazing Ol Donyo Wuas is the latest Lodge to take Sandstorm into their shop. If you're lucky enough to visit you will see us there. Ol Donyo Wuas is linked to Great Plains Conservation and you can find out more about their important work here.

Rhino Charge

Rhino Charge is a 20 year old Kenyan institution organised to raise funds for the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust and it takes place this weekend. Sandstorm has supported the event in the past, and this year the extremely persuasive Elodie Sampere, Head of Conservancy Marketing at Lewa has convinced us to sponsor her team Pinks in Charge. You can donate before (and after!) the event at JustGiving here and FirstGiving here.

We in turn managed to convince our friends at Scottish ad agency Newhaven Communications to sponsor them as well. Perhaps not the most tightly targeted piece of sponsorship in history but it's all in a very good cause, and it just goes to show how nice they are.

Below is a little about the event from their website, but follow the link and take a look for yourself.

The Rhino Charge is an off-road event in which competitors are required to visit 13 points scattered over approximately 100 square kms of rough terrain within a 10 hour period. Competitors are supplied with a 1:50,000 scale map of the venue, co-ordinates of the 13 Control Points and their Start position (at one of the Controls). Each competitor must plot the Control Points on the map and decide his/her route. Navigation is by compass/GPS and the winner is the competitor who visits all controls in the shortest distance (GPS measured). The event is organised to raise funds for the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust. Competitors are required to raise the minimum sponsorship set by the organising committee. Most however raise considerably more - the record to date being Kshs 9,393,552 in 2008 from Car No. 5 Alan McKittrick, Bruce Knight, Charlie Hewitt-Stubbs, John Trundell, S. McKittrick, winners of the prestigious David Schaeffer Trophy. Long-time supporters such as Mike and Sarah Higgins have raised a total of Kshs 39,604,399 over the last 20 years.

Karibu Fair

From the 5th - 7th June Joyce and Moshi will be representing Sandstorm Kenya at the Karibu Fair in Arusha, Tanzania. You can find out more at http://www.karibufair.com/ and if you're attending please pay us a visit. We'd love to see you. Moshi will take some pics and post them when he gets back.

SAMBURU

Young Samburu Girl


If you thought MASAI are the only color full people in Kenya,then your tour guide must have hiden a lot from you . The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists. Cattle, as well as sheep, goats and camels, are of utmost importance to the Samburu culture and way of life. The Samburu are extremely dependent on their animals for survival. Their diet consists mostly of milk and sometimes blood from their cows. The blood is collected by making a tiny nick in the jugular of the cow, and draining the blood into a cup. The wound is then quickly sealed with hot ash. Meat is only consumed on special occasions. The Samburu diet is also supplemented with roots, vegetables and tubers dug up and made into a soup.
There is also a game park in the area, Samburu National Reserve only 4x4 vehicles are motor able in these area
Young Samburu worriers with sandstorm bags