Mombasa Diaries: Day 7: Coast Coconut Farms

I finally make it to the coconut factory.  Haaaaaaaallelluyiah!

And find it shut. *primal scream* For the holidays. Until the 2nd. By which point I will be carless and it's too far to bum a ride. This is my second coast trip in a row that I've been here and they're shut. I mean why do they constantly take holidays when their biggest fan comes calling?! #selfish!

So I need to find some oil like yesterday! Off I go to the local Nakumatt but to my surprise, they have none. Figuring it's just sold out, I try Muthaiga Mini Mart further down the road. The shop attendant insists they have the Coast Coconut Farms stuff even though I already checked, then leads me straight to the Tropical oil. If this works for you, thumbs up, but that cold pressed stuff wins me over hands down. 

So I'm shaking my head feeling super self righteous like 'really?!' We're less than 10km from the coconut oil farm and they have every oil under the sun but that? They have Greek olive oil, Indian Amla oil, Chinese sesame oil but no Kenyan coconut oil. I want to stand up and rage against the injustice but it really is too hot. So I get off my soap box and drive down to Chandarana with a now very irritated husband. My last and final chance. And haaaaaaalleluyiah! They have a few! I buy one bottle. My husband, after brief reflection, picks another 'so I don't have to do this again' #direct quote #totallyselfless and off home we go. 

Once back, I SATURATE my hair in the stuff. It's literally dripping down my neck all night as we sip Bloody Marys. I see curious eyes but I have on my best 'whatchulookinat' mug so nobody says a word. Do I care?! Hell no! My hair is getting some much needed coco-love so anyone who doesn't like it can kiss my oily...neck. 

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So after i wrote this post I went online to find some coast coconut farm pictures and instead stumbled upon their story, their history and their management.  I love this product and hope it remains as it is and I believe the company is providing a valuable service and creating employment but I have to admit I am rather disappointed to find that the company is not a Kenyan initiative, even though the raw material is.  We need to start helping ourselves people.  I was recently involved in a conversation about why on earth we dont produce things like mango butter and why avocado oil is produced on such a small scale here.  Why are we in Africa selling our shea butter for nothing to the West so they can repackage it and sell it back to us for an arm and a leg? A typical example is this gorgeous chocolate I bought the other day.  

The packaging caught my eye first but after I read what was printed on it, I was sold.  I bought it. As I grow older, I feel more and more strongly that Africa needs to realise just what resources we have available to us and make them work for all of us, not just the wealthy, in a sustainable way. Rant over. 

Some interesting reading on Coast Coconut Farms:

Troy Holmberg on Coast Coconut Farms