Kenya has a varied geography ranging from plains and rainforests to beaches and lakes. It has faced economic troubles but individuals like Dama Karisa, who runs a small café, could benefit from small loans to grow their businesses and help the community. Kenya relies heavily on agriculture, livestock, and natural resources for its economy, with farming being the dominant industry despite only 15% of land being farmable. Tourism also contributes significantly due to Kenya's abundance of wildlife.

1. Kenya is an amazing country with vast plains, an abundance of resources, and great
people. Kenya’s breathtaking views of rainforests and beaches are sure to please. It has
long been experiencing economic troubles; however, there are ways we can help.
Dama Karisa Randu lives in Kilifi, Kenya and is married to Kombe. She was two
children, and she knows how poverty feels. If she receives a loan and her business does
well, she plans to give back to the community through employment. She runs a café and
all she needs a small loan to buy simple products such as cereals, rice, cooking oil, flour,
and potatoes. She plans to pay back the money in eight months. She has been on Kiva for
21 months and now it is her turn to be funded. Receiving a small loan would be like
winning the lottery for Dama Karisa Randu from Kilifi, Kenya.
The geography of Kenya is quite varied. To the north it is a flat bush-covered plain
and to the south it has beautiful beaches and highlands. Shimmering lakes such as Lake
Victoria and Lake Turkana are major lakes and it also has a valley called the Great Rift
Valley. The lakes are an excellent source of transportation and you can fish to feed your
hungry belly. There is also a place to go on a fabulous safari where animals like the
mighty lion can be seen there too! It even has a mountain, Mt. Kenya. Kind of an obvious
name, don’t you agree? It stands at about 17,000 feet. Not as high as Kilimanjaro, but still
pretty high. Dry deserts shift in the north like the Chabli Desert. I don’t know anybody
here who would want to live there! There are quite a few national parks down south.
That’s because there are rainforests in the Rift Valley and Highland and other tropical
canopies can be seen there. Don’t think for a minute that Kenya is completely landlocked.
To the southeast there is the Indian Ocean. That’s where all of the trade and fishing is
done. There is of course the climate of Kenya. It is right on the equator so you can
imagine it is very hot and humid. There is a ton of sunshine, so people can wear summer
clothes all year long, but they might bundle up as the night tends to be cool and dry. The
temperature during the day can go over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but drop to the low 50’s.
There is very little rain, except during the rainy seasons which make the muddy roads
impassable. During the dry season vegetation doesn’t grow well, but there are some areas
that are very tropical, especially the coast of Kenya where you can find mangos and
coconuts. Kenya is like a fruit basket, it’s just so different and varied.
Luke Goyette
Kenya is enriched with all different types of culture. There are so many different
varieties of food ranging from maize (corn) to Indian foods. In between all those is a
personal favorite… fried bread. Sprinkled cinnamon and sugar makes it a must have
food. There are also lots of tasty vegetables. My favorite is peppers. Other than food,
Kenya arts are also magnificent. They have a national art gallery full of amazing
paintings and sculpting. If you like sculpting then you should definitely come to Kenya,
because that is what Kenya is known for. Also literature is a strong tradition in Kenya.
Kenyans like to create colorful masks that they wear. Kenya has many of the same
customs that modern day Christians celebrate, such as Christmas, New Years Day and
Easter Sunday (Abour Day). Villagers also dance to honor a new born baby. Along with
those customs come beliefs. Most Kenyans believe in Santa Claus and the Easter

2. Bunny. They also like to tell stories to each other. Men are also allowed to have as many
as six wives. Another huge part of Kenya’s culture is religion. Religion varies a lot in
Kenya, but the most popular is Protestant. However a lot of other people are Roman
Catholic, Animist or Muslim. Most of Kenya’s people believe in the spirit world. That is
where your soul will go after you die. Education in Kenya is also a focus for many
people. Kenya’s schools are different from American schools. In Kenyan schools they
teach children skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. They don’t learn about
math or grammar that many Americans take for granted that they learn. Girls in Kenya
learn how to carry water, cook and care for children. Boys learn how to herd or farm. All
children go to school free from ages seven to fourteen. Kenyans shelter is very poor.
Most have very small houses with thatched roofs and mud walls. It is really sad. You are
considered wealthy to have a tiled floor. Most floors are the ground. In America people
have three or four story houses where as in Kenya you have only a one story house.
Cam Burke
Kenya’s culture is very different from ours in the USA. They love to tell stories
and dance. Those are their favorite forms of recreation. They also love music and the
most popular sport there is soccer. Even though Kenya is not a very wealthy country,
they are still very creative in making their forms of recreation! All women and some men
are farmers for work, while others may work in a café! Also other people have a farm
and take care of their livestock for a living. Some of the farmers additionally have a part
time job because they don’t get enough money from selling their crops. Kenya has a lot
of different languages, there main ones are Swahili and English. Some ethnic groups
have their own language though. Some of the tools that Kenyans use is sticks, mud and
twigs to make homes. They also use books for learning and some use spears to hunt. All
of the adults pretty much wear the same type of clothes. Men wear a cotton shirt with
shorts or trousers, and women wear cotton dresses or skirts and blouses. Men and
women wear light fabrics for their clothes because they are basically on the equator!
One of the most important things in Kenya is family. Men can have 5-6 wives, which
sounds unusual, but it is normal to them. Also and aunts and uncles are like moms and
dads. Cousins are like brothers and sisters in Kenya. A couple values in Kenya are
definitely soccer and holidays on Sunday are celebrated on Monday and finally, Kenya’s
president is Mwai Kibaki and they have a republican government in the fun country of
Kenya. Even though Kenya is different they and isn’t as wealthy they still have ways to
make you smile.
Jamie Hauswirth
Without agriculture, livestock, and abundant natural resources, Kenya wouldn’t
have an economy. Kenya’s economy relies heavily on livestock such as chicken and dairy
farming, as well as grains such as millet. Only fifteen percent of land in Kenya is
farmable, yet agriculture is still the dominant industry. Other industries include fishing
and farming. Mining and quarrying play a small role in Kenya’s economy, with the main
contribution being a soda ash deposit at Lake Magadi. Rocks and minerals found in
Kenya that are not often mined include limestone, zinc, gypsum, and gold. Other natural
resources that can be found in Kenya are sugarcane and hydro power. Tourism is also
significant in Kenya’s economy, with tourists attracted to Kenya’s wildlife. The Gross
Domestic Product of Kenya is about 61billionU.S. Dollars and the per capita GDP is
about 888 U.S. Dollars annually. There are not many state-owned enterprises. Free trade
is the dominant form of international commerce. Unemployment in Kenya is notably
high, with estimates ranging from fifteen to forty percent. Kenya’s currency is the

3. Kenyan Shilling. With natural resources, tourists, and agriculture, Kenya’s economy
flourishes.
Colin Lang
. Kenya is very nice place because of its natural resources. Kenyan workers mine up gold,
limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies fluorspar, garnets. Kenya gets enough fruit from
its rainforests. One called the Congo rainforest. There are a couple of rivers in Kenya
where people farm, and get drinking water. The main river in Kenya is the Tana River.
There are many animals in Kenya that you can hunt and kill. This provides meat for a few
families and can last for a while. Some of these animals are wild buffaloes, giraffes,
zebras, elephants, and cheats. In the ocean they have reefs where lots of fish live. It is
good to have fish because they can be caught then eaten and they are cool to look at. All
these great things help Kenya be a better country.
Matt Pierce
Kenya is truly a wonderful country. Vast grasslands and small communities dot the map.
Almost all Kenyans wear a smile on their face 24/7. Some people, like Dama Karisa,
need economic assistance. But if they receive it, Kenya could grow into a great nation
with a thriving economy. Many tourists already can’t resist Kenya’s abundant wildlife
and breathtaking views of towering mountains. When it comes to a nation with great
geography, culture, and people, Kenya never disappoints.