It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is my last day with AMREF in Kenya, and that my PULSE journey is coming to a close. It does not feel like 6 months has already passed. While I will be happy to go home to my family and colleagues at GSK who have been very supportive of […]
Author Archives: Curt Utz
Celebrating a 25 Year Partnership
posted by Curt Utz
Last week I had the opportunity to attend a celebration of the continuing partnership between GSK and AMREF at the Dagoretti Child Development and Training Center in Nairobi. This partnership was established in 1988 through the Friends of AMREF with Andrew Bulloch, CEO of GSK at the time, as one of the founding members. Over […]
October
21
Home to the “Honey Do” List
posted by Curt Utz
Since my last post was very dark, due to the terrorist attack on the Westlands Mall here in Nairobi, I thought that I should make this blog post a little brighter. Last Monday night I returned to Nairobi after spending a little over a week back home in the US visiting my family who I […]
September
24
Kenyans Shaken, But Not Defeated
posted by Curt Utz
It’s been a very tense few days here in Nairobi. While I was finishing my food shopping on Saturday, I received a phone call from one of my fellow PULSE volunteers out in Kisumu, Kenya asking if I was OK because there were shootings at a mall here in Nairobi. This was the first that […]
September
10
At the Halfway Point
posted by Curt Utz
It doesn’t seem like it, but I am now at the halfway point of my PULSE journey. It feels like I just arrived here a few weeks ago and not 3 months ago. The time is really flying, but I have learned so much already. When I arrived here in Nairobi in the beginning of […]
August
19
It’s Budget Planning Time
posted by Curt Utz
I’ve been here in Nairobi for 2 months now on my PULSE assignment with AMREF, and things are kicking in to high gear. Right now, it is budget planning time for the new fiscal year, which runs from October through September at AMREF. For the coming year, I have the honors of receiving all of […]
July
29
Dear Sir or Madam Will You Read My Post?
posted by Curt Utz
Okay, it did not take me years to write, but you can still take a look. Also, I do not want to be a Paperback Writer so I will keep this short. As I have mentioned before in my previous blog posts Internet access can be sporadic here in Africa, especially when you get outside […]
July
16
Things You Need to Drive in Nairobi
posted by Curt Utz
Another week has passed on my PULSE assignment, and I have now been here for over a month. That means that it was time for my 30 day check-in with my PULSE coordinator, Sue Gammons, in the U.K. It was a good conversation last Friday, and she had answers to any of my questions. Thank […]
July
09
Oh No! It’s the Dawn Patrol!
posted by Curt Utz
It’s not exactly the elephants from the Disney cartoon movie “The Jungle Book”, but somehow that’s what popped into my mind when we were at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trusts’ (DSWT) Orphans’ Project just inside the Nairobi National Park on Sunday morning. This place is where baby elephants, who have lost their mother to poachers […]
July
02
I Am Officially a Mzungu
posted by Curt Utz
Another week has gone by here in Nairobi at AMREF. So much to learn here. The week started off with no Internet when we got to the office. So I looked over a lot of documentation about my NGO, which was very helpful. I thought I knew quite a bit about what AMREF does, […]
June
24
Winter Time in Nairobi
posted by Curt Utz
I know that it’s the end of June and for many of you it’s time to hit the beach and relax by the pool. But here in Nairobi, it’s actually winter. You may be thinking how could it be winter when Kenya lies on the equator? Nairobi is 5,450 feet or 1,660 meters above sea […]
June
17
Karibu a Kenya
posted by Curt Utz
Karibu – Welcome Mzungu – Foreigner (usually Caucasian) Kwa heri – good-bye Karibu a Kenya! (Welcome to Kenya). I have now been in Nairobi for a week, and it has been a very exciting week. On Friday I was introduced to everyone at AMREF at their company wide “Monthly Tea”. This is where everyone gets […]
June
14
My First Day at AMREF
posted by Curt Utz
Hi everyone, Today (Wednesday) was my first day at my NGO (AMREF) in Nairobi, Kenya under the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) PULSE Programme. Last Sunday, my wife and son dropped me off at the airport to begin my journey. I arrived in Nairobi on Monday night after over 20 hours in the air or changing planes. Needless […]
