Where ice is the drink of choice

Mama Ciru (left) is among few Kenyans to have ventured to the remote Modo Gashe town in North Eastern. Her shop is famous for bottled ice, the ice version of bottled water, which are preferred due to the area's desert-like temperatures [GARDY CHACHA/STANDARD]

If you are like me, the name Modogashe will not ring any bells. ‘What is that?’ You may ask. It is not a ‘what’ but a ‘where’.

Modogashe is a town in North Eastern Kenya, uniquely situated at the intersection of Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo counties. It is a semi-arid patch of land with all the hallmarks of a desert which include ridiculously high temperatures.

All newbies coming into the town are advised to carry enough drinking water to wade off dehydration, while the locals have learned to live with the constant sweat. It is a harsh environment for one to live in.

“Welcome to Modogashe. How is Kenya?” Abdi Yusuf’s oxymoron loaded greeting can only offer a quick comic relief but is no panacea for the hard hitting rays from the sun. Kenya (going by his assumption) is much cooler.

Women wear Diras, an ensemble of light and loose fitting linen, while the men tie a Fulana around their waists, equally light and loose.

Trousers are the exception, not the norm, while skirts are nearly non-existent. Fashion in this part of the world is anything that regulates or rids the body of heat - nothing fancy.

But there is something else residents of Modogashe prefer to deal with to counter the heat and that is ice. This trade became popular in 2011 when electricity, tapped from Garissa, finally made its way into the town.

“Ice cold water is often the only thing that can quench thirst here,” says Mama Ciru who is one of only two traders who sell bottled ice.

The high demand for icy water provoked her to go further and she came up with fruit juices. These, in Nairobi, would taste mundane but in Modogashe they taste like melted caramel and have customers milling at the entrance of her shop every day.

First time visitors are always directed to Mama Ciru also known as Lafe Dhuri, which means old steel in the local dialect. She was so named by residents who find her business acumen admirable.

“Many of us are not sure if Modogashe would be as welcoming as it is now if Lafe Dhuri never appeared with her fridge and fruits,” Abdi says. “She has offered us a new sweet way to deal with the heat – whether it is juice that you want or cold water.”

Across the road, another restaurant sells bottled ice water. Rock-hard ice (in water bottles) is what cuts in this part of Kenya. Residents prefer buying the frozen water to allow them longer time span within which they could still take a sip and the water would still be cold.

The only other available drinking water is nearly 25?C at ‘room temperature’ which does not quite quench one’s thirst in a highly dehydrating environment.

Modogashe is 220kms from Isiolo on your way to Wajir. The road is not tarmacked, making the journey a long and torturous one. It would be impossible to get cold water from that far.

“When you travel to places such as Modogashe where electricity is not available and hence no cold water you have to brace up for the heat. There is nowhere else nearby to get cold water to quench thirst,” John, a driver with humanitarian group Kenya Red Cross says.

Whenever he has to do rounds even further interior he has to carry two litres of ice and one with lemonade. “It is my way of fighting the heat,” he says.