Kasey Cox recently resigned from the US Forest Service in order to move to Africa and work with establishing the Network of Change in Kenya. He is now back in Kenya and we're working hard to connect people in the US [there] with people in need [here].

He says, "Currently I am spending my time working to establish the Network and also building my own home using only native materials in a remote corner of Maasailand. My hope is that the house (and all of the baked brick used to construct it) will stand as an example of the potential found in the natural resources found here."

For further details of the Network of Change Organization visit their website here: www.networkofchange.org.

Australian member Ross asks Kasey a few questions on behalf of Safaritalk, and details www.networkofchange.org. Here are his answers...

In 2006, what was it that made you volunteer in Kenya?

My life had a lot of complications in pre-2005. I was the successful owner of a business, and also had a great career with the US government. The success in my life had gone to my head early so I look back at myself with a few regrets in regard to how I treated people, and conducted my life in general during that time. You know, people in the west are so pre-occupied with finances, jobs, material possessions, and the like. They lose track of time, what is important, and forget to breathe. Some people actually live their entire life without ever being awake at all.

For most of my life, I lived just that way. As a result, I think I have a lot of understanding for these problems and I really feel a great sense of compassion for anyone who is trapped in the cycle of consumption.

I was lucky enough to get a wake-up-call and it was so resounding. It really changed the course of my life.
Two years ago I was traveling through a snowy pass on I-70 near Vail Colorado in the US to meet my brother and sister for a ski-trip. At the time I was driving a 4WD Jeep and I had seen worse roads many times before. I wasn’t really paying attention when I lost control. Because of the ice, the jeep did a 180 degree slide and came to a stop pointing downhill in the face of oncoming traffic. That day, I met the head-on force of a Freightliner truck with a full load.

The Jeep was decimated. I can still recall my last thought before the impact; “Oh, too bad I died two days before Christmas”. The next few moments were the most intense of my life. Something radical changed in me and it happened in a single instant. I really must keep the details of all that for myself though.
When the Jeep came to rest in a snow-bank and I became aware of what had happened, I remember a feeling of total peace. Real calm! To an extent, that feeling has never really left. Whenever I tell this story, I make it a point to tell people that if what I experienced is anything like dying, they really shouldn’t worry. (A bit more radical than puberty but a lot less stressful!)

The incident left me without a single bruise, scrape, or even soreness but only with a new outlook for myself. What I experienced during the crash changed my life. I was granted a certain level of insight for one moment and it has affected every instant of my life from that point. It was only a few days later that I decided to go to Africa. I had never had the desire to see the continent before. Within a short time after, I had sold the entirety of my business and began unloading myself of the burden of material possessions, little by little. Today, all that I own will fit in a medium sized duffel bag.

Where in Kenya were you based?

The first trip to Kenya I was lucky enough to be based in Maasailand with people who would later become as close as family. The village (called Olosho-oibor) is located south of Nairobi (1.5-2 hr drive) to the west of Ngong Hills. Originally I came through one of those “volunteer placement/eco-tourist” organizations though at the time, I thought that their principals were a little different.

To elaborate on this; in almost every case I have seen, these kinds of organizations are adversely affecting the small communities in which the host families are based (they’re also raking in tons of cash folks). In some poverty stricken communities, people have come to rely on this as their main source of income. The income is neither steady nor lasting. Even worse, the host families receive a VERY small piece of the pie in relation to the fees that are charged to volunteers and it is RARE that ANYTHING is put into a community in the form of actual project dollars.

Most of these organizations are poorly organized and while I do believe that some of their leaders have the best of intentions, no direction is provided to this “hodge-podge” base of volunteers (all with different expectations) and therefore, each one affects these small communities in a different way.

The only way that positive changes are going to be seen in these impoverished places are if people will come here and volunteer for extended periods of time under one, organized and directed effort. They must come without the intention to promote their religion, carry no intention to give without expecting the locals to become involved as stakeholders in education, and most of all, they must come with at least a little patience, discipline, humility, and maturity.

What was the highlight of your visit?

There was a day when I became totally aware of the un-tapped potential in these small rural communities. I began to piece together some ideas that were eventually birthed into the Network of Change Organization. The organization and our whole series of philosophies were truly born on Kenyan soil. I knew I was hooked and that I would be back. I knew that my purpose had been realized and that service to others was that purpose. That day was actually the highlight of my life and the most humbling all in one.

When was Network of Change set up and why?

The Network of Change was created out of necessity I suppose. We exist because there is a need for improving the living conditions of the people here, because there is corruption laced throughout a huge majority of other NGO’s in Kenya (and elsewhere), and because so few nonprofits are doing anything sustainable.

Community development and international aide work is a multi-billion dollar arena and a huge amount of this goes to Africa. With all the cash and perceived effort, why is so little changing? We want a piece of the pie to go where it belongs. As long as these problems exist (or I am alive) you can be sure that there will be a Network of Change.

What is the main goal of the Network?

Our work is really quite diverse. The Network strives for the goal of establishing a legacy of sustainable aide. We want to see people educated, self sustaining, healthy, fed, and happy. A side effect is that we hope to work in small ways as an antidote to corruption. We want to see other organizations pick up a more sustainable outlook; we want our work to serve as an example.

On a personal note, I must say that I am as much or more concerned about people in the developed west and our all consuming lifestyles as I am about any impoverished country that exists today. The problems are worlds apart but everyone is looking down a path to disaster. Because of this, it is important for us to raise awareness to this plight in the eyes of the west (on a new level). Too many problems are “out of sight, out of mind”. I want us to melt their hearts by showing the simple truth.

When did you make the move to Kenya and was it a difficult decision to make?

Honestly, I made the decision after being in Kenya the first time for about two weeks. That may sound hasty but I spent nearly a year preparing to return. Was the decision difficult? No, but the process was. Despite leaving a source of steady income, my home, friends, and my family, it was really the most comfortable choice I have ever made. I have spent a lot of time working to release my attachments to money, possessions, and on some level, even physical comforts. It has prepared me for the struggle ahead and made my life a lot less complicated.

Where you are now, how have the locals responded to you and what you are trying to do?

I am back in Kenya and am deep in the process of getting our programs established and running here. Our plans are really unfolding and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The people here are ready for change. I must say that our local leadership is really first class and without them, my work would be much more difficult. Our Kenyan staff is taking the Network mission to heart and explaining it as a philosophy to the people. We’re planting the seeds.

We’re seeing major changes in the school system here, the new agricultural techniques that I am demonstrating at my community work farm are drawing a lot of interest. We are scoping throughout the country to determine where field offices will be placed.

It’s unfortunate but there have been times when other NGO’s in the region have reacted negatively to our presence. They feel that we’re a threat to their business and as a result, can be quite hostile about us being here. It’s unfortunate that they feel this way. A portion of my time is now being spent in assuring them that we’re not here to “oust” them, but it is possible for us to work in harmony as long as their intentions are pure.

How is the Maasai community responding towards the volunteers and better still, how is the community responding towards what we the westerners call progress?

I don’t think we view our work as progress in this context. Cultural preservation is so important. In cases where communities are living healthily in a traditional way, we don’t even approach them out of respect to their way of life. We try to work with people who have been impacted by poverty as a result of the traditional definition of progress (to some extent). Poverty is an intrinsic cycle that never really ends. When supplemented by notorious leadership or a history of poor economics, these unfortunate circumstances flourish. We want to help the poor to lift themselves up, and put them in a position to help their neighbors do it too. We’re being very cautious not to push “21st century progress” on anybody. Rather, we’re encouraging the advancement of health and quality of life.

Where do you see your self being in 12 months?

I can say with a fair degree of certainty that I will be here even 12 years from now. I don’t draw any salary from the Network of Change so occasionally I will have to find creative ways to earn a few dollars here and there. Who can say in which country that might occur?

When we’re financially sound to a degree that I am comfortable with, I may consider accepting payments from the Network to help with my meagre living expenses. Of course I will be making bi-annual trips to the US to do fundraisers, and presentations. Family visits too. Aside from that, my life is here with these people. The simplicity of a self sufficient life is something I really cherish.

In 12 months, I hope to be here with my friends and our Network volunteers teaching people about our work and helping them to find ways to make a difference. It would also be nice to be sending people for scoping missions in other countries to establish more Network of Change field offices. I certainly plan to be here.

Ross: "It has been my pleasure meeting Kasey and I look forward to helping him and the community when I return to Kenya."