For any visitor to Nairobi, a trip to Masai Mara is a must. The Masai are one of the 42 tribes of Kenya. Mara is the name of a river in the region. Masai Mara is an important tourist spot where one can catch sight of a number of wild animals in their natural habitat. The Masai are, traditionally, keepers of cows, goats, sheep, etc. They are the one tribe who have best preserved their culture and traditions. They fancy local jewellery, their traditional costumes and the piercing of their ears (both men and women alike). They also knock out their four lower front teeth and sometimes even three upper teeth, so that in the eventuality of their falling sick, liquid food can be inserted in their mouths enabling them to survive.

Masai Mara is approximately 240 kilometres from Nairobi. It can be accessed only by road. There are a number of tour operators whose rates are fixed in advance. The whole tour, which lasts for three days and two nights, costs approximately US $120 which is equivalent to Rs. 6,000.

Our tour began at 8.15 a.m. and we reached the resort at 1 p.m. We stayed in Hotel Mara Simba (“Simba” in Kiswahili means Lion). After lunch, we rested a while and then went to the swimming pool for about half an hour. At 4 p.m., after tea, we toured the area where wild animals could be spotted. There were approximately 30 tourist vehicles in the area, which we found were networked. This means that if one operator spotted a wild animal, the message could be conveyed to all the other vehicles. Deer, giraffes, wild buffalo, zebras were aplenty, but it was the spotting of lions that thrilled both the operators and the tourists.

Early the next morning, we went to the Mara River and spotted quite a few crocodiles, hippopotamuses and elephants. On the third day, we returned to the same spot that we had visited on the first day and watched cheetahs and lions catch their prey. This was definitely a thrilling experience.

After speaking to the hotel authorities, I took the opportunity to introduce some of our Godrej products to the hotel’s management. I had carried catalogues of doors, safes, treasure chests, lockers, etc. After going through the various catalogues, they showed interest in our safe-deposit lockers and asked us to leave behind these catalogues for a closer inspection. I thus had the satisfaction of introducing Godrej to people who hadn’t heard of it before.

Exhibition of Godrej Security

Godrej, along with its authorised dealer in Kenya, M/s. Copy Cat Ltd., participated in the Security Exhibition Show 2003 held at Sarit Centre, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya from 11th to 15th June, 2003. The organisers had published booklets that provided a profile of the exhibitors. These booklets were available to all visitors at the entrance. The profile of our Company read as under:

“Copy Cat Ltd., the renowned dealers for quality products of World-Class Branded Products, are pleased to announce the arrival of a new range of high quality security equipment products from Godrej, India, both for corporate and domestic use. Some of these products will be on display at the Security 2003 show exhibition at the Sarit Expo Centre from 11th to 15th June, 2003.

“Godrej, India, one of the largest manufacturers of high quality security quipment, have a range of items that meets the ever growing need of society today. Some of the products include small Rhino Safes that meet not only a small budget but also provide peace of mind to the security conscious home. The tested Data Safe takes care of all the computer media against fire, humidity, pilferage, etc. The Cash Safe is its unique kin; it has flap doors inside, providing complete security and privacy to the customer.”

Godrej has rightly partnered with Copy Cat Ltd., who not only have the skilled manpower and infrastructure in the East African region, but also have a completely reliable after-sales service, ensuring the ultimate satisfaction of the customer.

We had on display Defender Plus Safes (models 26 and 41), Safire Safe, FR 560 Safe, Premium Coffer, Treasure Chest, 4-Drawer Fire-Resisting Filing Cabinet, 53-Litre Volume Data Safes and the newly introduced Rhino Safe. There were four trained sales people to attend to visitors and prospective customers. The visitors’ book was filled with positive comments and praise. The prospective customers filled out the enquiry forms providing their necessary personal details and those of the products that they were interested in.
The event climaxed with a visit by Stephen Tarus, Hon’ble Assistant Minister for Administration and Internal Security from the Office of the President. Rajoo Patel, Chairman, Copy Cat Ltd., also visited our stall. Neelam Pal, Director, Copy Cat Ltd., deserves plaudits for the planning and setting up of the exhibition stall.

Fredrick Correa
Godrej, Kenya