Today we wrapped up the training. Tim went over some points again, and I expounded on more free Web 2.0 applications. After Stephen's talk on photography, I showed the participants how to open and use a Flickr account. As with the You Tube account, I stressed the importance of including your Web site's address in the description area. Although we primarily use You Tube and Flickr as media repositories for our Web sites and blogs, many more people can access our media from the actual site that hosts the media. We need to make sure those viewers can access our site for more information.

I have to say how pleased I was to see George Arende, one of the participants, ask to assemble a plan of action... next steps, as it were. After sharing his plan for how he was going to train others in what he learned, assemble a group to start projects, and listing how many people he planned to assemble, George then asked each participant to state out loud what they planned to do with the training and equipment they had just acquired. He then wrote it down. I was very impressed. It was exactly what Tim and I had wanted to do, but I think it was a whole lot more effective, and more accepted, to have one of the participants spearhead this. George is a huge asset to the KELC, and to the family of God.

Labels: Africa, george, kenya, nairobi, workshop

I don't think I can find the words for what I experienced today. I never imagined that I would spend a day with such amazing people. The maasai we visited lived in Kajiado, which is just north of Tanzania. There is a Lutheran Mission there where we had Palm Sunday service. The people very very warm and selfless. Regardless of drought and other conditions, they made us feel at home, and killed a goat for us and gave us sodas. I feel like I made some friends today, especially in Moses, the man that supplied the goat from his own herd for our meal.

Labels: Africa, kajiado, kenya, workshop

Today we took the participants to an open market in downtown Nairobi in order for them to shoot some footage for editing practice. All the participants did a fine job. Some were more comfortable interviewing people than others, but all participants came back with enough footage to do some editing back at the training room.

Labels: Africa, kenya, video, workshop

Today we were out scouting shooting sites for the participants to get footage to be able to use. We were taken to a Internally Displaced Persons Camp just outside of the Mathare ghetto. These people were forced out of their houses from the post-election fighting that took place in January. This would be a great spot for some videos, but we will leave it up to the participants to decide from a range of choices, including a huge Western-style mall (for contrast), downtown Nairobi hawkers, who are being asked to leave, and a drought outside of town. They are also free to come up with ideas of their own.

Labels: Africa, idp, kenya, nairobi, workshop

Today, we picked up Xavier from Madagascar and Christine from Kenya. They will be some of the participants that will learn how to shoot video and upload it to the Web, so that they can take this knowledge back to their churches and grow or even start a communication services department. This is very exciting work, and I am looking forward to meeting everyone and learning what there individual church needs are, and how I can help.

We dropped by the Kenyan Evangelical Lutheran Church Office and met some of the staff there including Bishop Zachariah Kahuthu. We will most likely see him Sunday, to video a greeting to his Sister Synod, Allegheny Synod.

Labels: kenya, nairobi, workshop

We arrived in Kenya after a pleasant flight. No loud child kicking me next to me on this leg of the flight! We were met by our driver and taken to the Methodist Guest House, a conference center and hotel type place. That is where we will be staying and holding the workshop. We were so very tired, that after some dinner, which was excellent, we went to bed to try go conquer the jet lag.


Picture: Nairobi Airport. 2130 hours.

Labels: Africa, kenya, nairobi, workshop

Labels: Africa, kenya, nairobi, workshop

Labels: kenya, nairobi, workshop

Labels: Africa, kenya, workshop

In January, I will be traveling to Nairobi, Kenya to teach Video Production for the Web to four Lutheran churches in Africa. I will have more info soon, but right now I am just making sure I am ready to go. I renewed my passport (it arrived yesterday, horrible picture), am checking on what I need to take, and setting up my means of communicating with you all while I am there. I just installed an app from Shozu.com that allows me to moblog from my phone, without using the laptop. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Labels: kenya, lutheran, moblog, nairobi, shozu, video, workshop