Nairobi accommodation, Kenya
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
The wetlands around the pond which gives Lake View Estate its name is home to many birds and other wildlife because of its eco-system. We have contributed to sustaining this environment by planting scores of indigenous trees and flowering bushes and shrubs both within our property and in the outer public spaces which attracts bird life and other wildlife.
The sounds and songs of the birds in our gardens in early evening and the crooking of the frogs have a welcoming and calming aura for our guests after the hustle and bustle of the workday in the city not that far away.
The soothing morning calls of the birds and the chirping of the crickets hearken to the challenges of a new day. The distinctive calls of the Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) as they return at dusk to their overnight roosts at the pond and as they depart at dawn bespeak of an oasis of tranquility only 10 km from downtown.
By planting numerous indigenous trees, flowering bushes and shrubs within our property and in the outer public spaces we have also contributed to mitigating the noise pollution from motor vehicles on the main thoroughfare of the Estate (Lake View Drive).
We actively promote water conservation on our property. We have placed stickers in appropriate places with the message "Water is life" to remind and urge our guests to conserve water. We capture and conserve rain water for use during dry spells and especially when there is rationing of municipal water.
Our laundry policy is based on conserving water. We encourage guests to re-use bedsheets and towels during their stay; for example, we urge guests to re-use each towel and bedsheet set twice before laundering. Successful implementation of this policy of course requires a cooperative effort from both the guests and our staff. In the majority of cases guests are cooperative.
We conserve energy through use of solar power for hot water heating for the guest rooms.
Community
We participate actively in community activities through our membership in the Lake View Estate Residents Association (LERA) - an affiliate of the Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations. The mission of the Association is to improve the community spirit for the benefit of the residents.
The cooperation of members in promoting security, maintaining common services on the Estate and in seeking to regulate future development on the Estate are good examples of the community spirit.
Members are particularly keen to maintain the original concept of Lake View Estate especially in light of growing concern regarding the nature and extent of building development taking place on the Estate. The original concept was an integrated theme of houses and landscape with each house positioned on its own plot to minimise the visual impact and protect the privacy of the neighbouring plots.
In that regard, properties may be extended whilst maintaining the low rise concept, the garden and within the zoning regulations. However, there now growing concern that some developments may not be in conformity with the original planning concept and risk infringement of the privacy of neighbouring plots. Moreover, there is the feeling that to 'allow everything and anything' to be constructed would destroy the original planning concept and in some cases devalue the properties that are adjacent to these developments.
Members are discussing these concerns to gauge a collective opinion on future planning on the Estate and circumstances where a material change of character, appearance and extent of plot development on individual plots on the estate may arise. Members mandated a committee to explore the possibility of working with Nairobi City Council Planning Department to ascertain whether the Association could be involved in future planning approval applications for developments in the Estate.
Through these collective community efforts we contribute to making Lake View Estate an even better place to live...
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