Project Detail

Conserving agriculture through promotion of tradition high value crops

Laikipia County is home to ethnically diverse communities, including the Mukogodo Maasai, Kikuyu, and Meru, who live side by side with the Turkana, Samburu and Pokot. Approximately 700,000 people reside in Laikipia County Census 2009). Crop farming, Cattle-rearing on large commercial ranches and community owned rangelands has for many years been the life-blood of the community. Much of Laikipia has traditionally been used for low intensity grazing that has become a cherished haven for big game.

The Project seeks to address the most biting needs among the community namely poverty, environmental degradation, energy crisis and access to food. The project will also bring together all the stakeholders together in a bid to create synergy and hence effective use of resources to the benefit of the locals.

The program will be undertaken in Nga?rua Division of Laikipia County. It seeks to work directly with 1,800 beneficiaries to improve their livelihoods, income, food security and environment. The approach to be involved includes mobilization, training on biogas production, high value crops production and value addition.

It is expected that at the end of the project, there will be adoption of fixed dome type of biogas production following the Kenya Domestic Biogas Model, increased production of value food crops through practice of conservation agriculture, and, marketing of farm produce/livestock streamlined, community empowered socially, politically and economically and linkages established to ensure continuity of the program beyond the donor support.

The program will be implemented by Farming Systems Kenya

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Farming Systems Kenya

Country:

Kenya

Area Of Work:

Land Degradation

Operational Phase:

OP5 - Y2 (Jul 12 – Jun 13)

Grant Amount:

US$ 50,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 15,801.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 5,128.20

Project Number:

KEN/SGP/OP5/FSP/LD/12/011

Start Date:

11/2012

End Date:

10/2014

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Project sustainability

Continue to grow millet, Lima seeds and Dolichos since they are doing well in the area - Look for own seeds/ multiply more seeds as time progresses. - Full participation by all the members - If only FSK delivers inputs - FMF to be enforced to achieve the intended objective

Notable Community Participation

The community especially of Laikipia has been involved in identifying their priority community needs which were used to come up with this proposal and will continue taking a lead role during the implementation of the project. The project is expected to enjoy enormous support from the community especially being one that will build their capacity to expand and sustain initiatives they are already undertaking. The project will thus involve the community in the entire project cycle, planning and design i.e formation of groups, election of leaders, mobilization of the resources needed for the effective completion of project. They will participate in the training and will organize for the venues and facilities at their own cost. The community will also play a key role in the entire implementation and management of all project activities. The community will also be heavily involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the project. They will be involved in setting key performance indicators (KPIs), which will serve as beacons to measure project progress. FSK staff will keep record of day today field activities going on and produce reports on monthly basis.. Once the project is complete, the community will run and manage the Farmers Marketing Federation and other initiatives e.g. revolving fund, input shops and processing plants among others with minimal input by FSK.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project is expected to enjoy enormous support from the community especially being one that will build their capacity to expand and sustain initiatives they are already undertaking.

Gender Focus

The project will aim at involving all members across gender. All will play a major role in decisions that concern issues of the project. When women?s efforts are not recognized and rewarded, there is increasing tendency to concentrate more on activities that will not translate into income that cater for the well being of the entire households. The traditional crops (sorghum, millet, sweet potatoes, cassava, and traditional pulses) offer such an alternative that will not create conflict within social set ups and women will have control on such without undue conflicts being generated at households level and raising women?s share in income from the farm which will enhance other forms of development other than food security being attained. It is not unusual for women and girls to have to spend the greater part of their day gathering fuel for their home. At times dozens of Kilometers need to be covered to find fuel. Adoption of biogas technology will tremendously save time and provide safe and healthy source of energy and better environment. Biogas will be more efficient especially among women and girls and will subsequently reduce deforestation.

Capacity - Building Component

The project will seek to build their capacity to develop sustainable agricultural production and environmental management / natural resource development initiatives that enhance independence in community decision-making.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

Through brochures.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Trainings were in form of lectures, hands on learning, using brochures, demonstration and group discussions with beneficiaries who gathered in agreed venues convenient to them in the project areas.

Project Results

Reduced food security since farmers are ablt to choose the seeds that odes well in the ares.

They have also learned how to do proper crop spacing.

They are also able to harvest and replant the seeds. The farmers also learned to do farming for high yields.

In addition, they are also promoting agroforestry at home and in primary schools around. They have started tree nursery where each and every group member is supposed to plant trees on their farm because people used to fell the trees indiscriminately, now they are facing the consequences of deforestation. This is what they would like to reverse. Farmers are also using sweet potato vine to feed their goats which increased milk production. They could collect the sorghum and millet stovers to feed to their livestock during dry spell.

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