Its time for water harvesting!

Kasikali says that the water harvested serves his family’s domestic needs and he has also started a tree nursery where he plants and sells seedlings to supplement the family’s income

“I supply these seedlings to the community, schools and organizations “he points out adding that he has been able to make a stable income from the business.He has constructed a smaller tank besides the nursery where he stores water for irrigation.The tank has a thirty (30 ) Litres’ capacity and is attached with a tap and hosepipe.

                                              

                                                                                                    

Mr.Kasikali inspects the water storage tank he uses for watering his seedlings. Below, the tree nursery.

Challenges faced

Mr Kasikali’s venture has not been without setbacks. He points out that his main challenge is lack of proper equipment to expand the earth dam to collect more water.”I use wheelbarrow to move the dugout soil which is very tiring and slow’”he says.

Also, his neighbours expect him to assist with water and thus he ends up giving it to the neighbours than using it for the intended purpose.

Future plans

Mr. Kasikali plans to hire appropriate earth moving equipment to expand the dam to collect more water which he will then use to grow fodder for keeping dairy cattle .He also plans to expand his nursery and plant vegetables for own consumption and also for selling to have more income.

Conclusion

Mr.Kasikali is of the opinion that if farmers in the District embrace the proper water harvesting techniques, then famine will be a forgone calamity.

Cooking made easy

.......A beneficiary only contributes to the raw materials and the labour charge to benefit from the jiko.

Raw materials

“Anybody willing to benefit from the jiko should only contribute the raw materials and the labour charges,’’ says Maingi adding that the labour charges differ according to the size of the jiko.

The jiko is constructed using local materials. These are well baked bricks, cement, ash, sand, water, red oxide,murram and  charcoal dust.

These raw materials are used because they are good heat insulators and hence conserve heat.

Training

Maingi points out that GTZ will fund for 15 -20 installers to  participate on a eight (8 ) day training on the installation process. “Each one of them has already mobilized at least twenty (20) potential beneficiaries where they will construct the jikos as part of the training,’’ he adds.

The trained installers will then be able to construct these jikos to the community at a fee.

Advantages of the Domestic rocket stove

• The jiko is durable in that it is strong.
• Saves money and firewood
• Retains heat and cooks faster
• Smoke free and safe
• Beautifies the kitchen
• Environmentally friendly

  Mrs Catherine Vaati prepares a meal using the Domestic Rocket Stove.Below,the traditional three stone jiko

  

 

Let us embrace sustainable charcoal burning

........He adds that the department is on a mission to train Mutomo District community on the making of these kilns for forest sustainability. So far, the department has built two (2) demonstration kilns in Mutomo and Kanziko Locations.

 Unlike the earth kiln which requires big logs for charcoal production, often leading to felling of the whole tree, the modern kiln requires the branches and the whole tree is not felled. Likewise,the modern kiln retains 90% carbonization (conversion of organic matter into carbon ) as compared to the earth kiln which retains only 45 % carbonization.

Raw materials for the kiln are bricks and mud and no labour charges are needed for an association to benefit from this kiln.

Mbuko says that the Kenya Forests Act 2005 empowers associations to promote environmental conservation and capacity building of community on utilization of tree products.

A group willing to become an association dealing with charcoal products should have membership of fifty (50) people and above. The group then registers with the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Social Services. This certificate is then used to register with the Kenya Forest Services (KFS).The license from KFS,together with  the group’s constitution and minutes, is used to register with the office of the Attorney General.

 

How it is done

Burning charcoal using the modern kiln involves a particular process. The branches are cut and left to dry for a period of between four (4) to six (6) weeks. ‘’ Moist wood will not carbonize properly because of the high moisture content’’, points out Mbuko.

After the wood is dry, it is fend to the kiln through the side entrance until it is half full then remaining space is fed wood through the top entrance. The upper entrance is covered with metal sheet and then sealed with mud. The wood is then ignited and the side entrance closed with bricks

Smoke coming out of the breathers is monitored until it changes from dark to a bright blue. Depending on the size of the kiln, this takes between six to eight days.

‘’When the smoke turns to blue this means that the whole lot has been ignited’’ says Mbuko’’ then the breathers are closed with bricks to retain heat for carbonization which takes two days.” he continues.

The entrances and breathers are then opened after the carbonization process.

Marketing

Mr.Mbuko says that because an association produces in bulk, members can determine the price for their products so that every member sells at the price they have agreed on. All the associations can also get together and source for transportation for their products.

Advantages of the modern brick kiln

The modern kiln is environmental friendly in that only tree branches are used hence enabling the tree to regenerate.This ensures forest conservation.

The kiln takes minimum time to feed wood and ignite Says Mbuko’’ earth kilns are very time consuming in that you have to keep on checking whether there is fire leakage while with the modern kiln you relax and wait for the designated days.’’ 

Disadvantages of the modern brick  kiln

The quantity of charcoal is low in that only a given amount of wood can fit in the kiln at a time. 

Conclusion

Mr Mbuko is of the opinion that if the current trend of cutting down trees for charcoal burning continues, the district will be a desert come 2030.’’ But if the community embraces this new technology, our forests will start healing, ‘’ he concludes

He is however optimistic that residents will embrace this new technology.

A women group's bid to make a difference in the society

 Activities

 

1. Tree nursery

The group engages in tree nursery where they sell the seedlings to members of the community during the rainy seasons. With water being scarce in the area, the members have come up with a duty rota for watering the tree seedlings .The tree nursery is established in Elizabeth Kinyungu’s homestead who is the Chairlady of the group.

2. Bricks making

The group undertakes this activity once every year. The members contribute water and manual labour for the project but engage outside labour for actual making of the bricks.

“We do manual labour like fetching water, making mud and making kiln so that we cut the cost’ says Elizabeth adding that sourcing for outside brick maker costs kshs.1 a brick. They then sell the bricks locally to community members.

“This year, we made Kshs 6,100 from the seedlings and Kshs.25, 000 from brickmaking, “says Ednah William, the group’s treasurer. "Out of this we have been able to purchase food and other basic necessities for some of the neediest children," she continues.

3. Money lending

The group gives soft loans to its members whereby they repay the money with interest. This interest boosts their finances.

In 2003, the group wrote a proposal to the National Aids Council (NAC) and got funding for a year. “However, the funding did not cover basic needs and so we relied on our activities for providing the same to the beneficiaries” says Elizabeth.

Since 2009, the group is under a three (3) year funding from African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) where they hold Capacity building, HIV/AIDS prevention and also care and support of OVCS

Accomplishments 

There has been positive change within the locality especially on HIV/AIDS issues. Says Elizabeth “More people are now seeing the importance of visiting Voluntary Testing and Counseling (VCT) centres to know their HIV/AIDS status because of the extensive capacity building that we have carried out.”

Also, the members have made a positive an impact to the children through supporting them with basic needs.” We are glad that we have touched a child’s heart, no matter how small a way it is,” continues Elizabeth

Challenges

The group lacks youth membership and  ¾  of the members are over 60.Most of the youth members fall out for  according to Ednah, they don’t see any financial benefit for their efforts.

In addition, the members are not equipped with counseling skills and as such do not have know how to approach conflicts within beneficiaries and guardians

There is negative perception by the community because of their gender and age. Most community members especially men view the women as old and uneducated.

Community expectations are very high in that they expect handouts especially during outreaches.

Way forward

The women’s group plans to increase their activities to reach more people within the district through more sensitization.

They also plan to sensitize women in family planning especially to widows and single women as according to them, some of the women continue giving birth after their spouses’ death and yet they do not have the financial capacity to provide for big families.

Increase membership especially the youth because most of the members are old and the work load is large.

The members also plan to build an office at a central place for smooth operations. ''We have already purchased a piece of land and will start constructing the office very soon,” says Ednah

Improve networking to increase knowledge. The members also plan to seek support from different organizations for more knowledge and funding to reach a wider number of children. 

Starting a greenhouse as an income generating projects. Elizabeth says that they have already paid for the same and they are expecting delivery the soonest possible.

 Conclusion

Despite the low membership, low levels of education and the age factor, these women have surely made a mark in this community.” Although we have been as branded as old and lacking, we are happy that we have made it to this point,” concludes Elizabeth.

Contacts

Elizabeth Kinyungu: Chairlady: +254713551531

Ednah William: Treasurer: +254713049936

Florence Katunguu: Secretary: +254727460583

Mutomo Maarifa Centre users praise ALIN for newly stocked library

......Of the same sentiments is Mr. Patrick Mutisya,the District Adult Education Officer who is using the Information Communication and Technology reading material at the Centre. Says he, “In these times and ages it’s very important to be computer literate, I therefore find the newly stocked library at the Maarifa Centre library very useful to me in accomplishing this.Mr Mutisya has been borrowing ICT books from the Centre.

Alex Munyao is a Clinical Officer at the Mutomo Mission Hospital. This is what he had to say “The Maarifa Centre is now stocked with relevant material for reference” adding that the medical books at the Maarifa Centre has been of huge help to him in acquiring additional knowledge relevant in his job.

Both Mr Mburu and Mr Mutisya feel that it would be a good idea to bring in inspirational material at the Centre.

ALIN partnered with Book Aid International to provide books to all Maarifa Centres

Maarifa Centre an information hub to the community

Mutomo District is an arid and semi arid area in Kitui County which is frequently faced by long spells of drought. Residents of the district rely mainly on small scale farming and keeping of drought resistant domestic animals. As such residents are oftenly faced with food shortages and mostly rely on food aid

Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) in partnership with the Communication of Kenya and the Mutomo Mission Hospital established Mutomo Maarifa Centre on October 2008 to provide the community with information on climate change adaptation, natural resources management, small-scale sustainable agriculture and other livelihood issues.

Mutomo Maarifa Centre is hosted by the Mutomo Mission Hospital and all the services are free of cost

Services Offered

·         Internet access

·         e-Government services e.g KRA pin registration,Examination results etc

·         Publications

·         Multi-media content e.g. ipods,CD-ROMS etc

·         Online Market Information

·         Advisory services

·         ICT training.

Richard Kasikali is a community worker with the Catholic Diocese of Kitui and is based at Mutha Division in Mutomo District. He works as a community mobilizer in the Diocese’s project dubbed as ‘Food for Work’ where poor households work in community development projects and are rewarded with food rations. His work usually requires him to send weekly and monthly reports to the head office.

“The Maarifa Centre has enabled me to consistently send these reports” says Kasikali who adds although he is not very conversant with ICT; the Field Officer helps him in compiling and sending the reports.

He also adds that he uses free internet at the Maarifa Centre to access information for disseminating to the community.

Of the same sentiments is Gerrald Mbaya, a Ministry of Agriculture staff who has been getting publications and other reading material from the Maarifa Centre

“The library is stocked with a lot of relevant extension materials which are important to an extension officer like me” he says adding that he has been borrowing books and other reading material and this has helped him in acquiring vital information to disseminate to the community.

The Maarifa Centre has also enabled many youth in improving their ICT skills and social networking. Priscillah Mulwa,a Youth Peer Educator has been able to download and successfully apply for a course at the Mombasa Polytechnic University College.

“I have also been able to keep in touch with my friends on face book social network” adds the 21 year old.

Thirsty?.....Try this

......The porridge can be made from maize, millet, sorghum or finger millet.

Mwende says that a kilo of maize can be used to prepare ten (10) litres of the porridge.

According to Joyce Ngina, a customer and a local resident of Mutomo, after drinking one cup of the porridge she can stay for a whole day without taking water.

Her sentiments are echoed by Daniel Muendo, also a customer who says that every market day he takes at least a cup of the porridge.

Mwende explains this by saying that in every stage of preparation, the porridge is made using a lot of water and then stored in either gourds or enclosed jerry cans which helps maintain the coldness.

“I inherited the knowledge from my mother when I was a young girl’’, says Mwende adding that she has passed on this knowledge to her two daughters.

However, she admits that this knowledge is getting extinguished and people are turning to modern ways of making porridge like grinding using  the posho mills.

PREPARATION

• Break maize using a hand driven mill.
• Soak the proceeds in water for 24 hours
• Filter the water
• Grind the soaked maize using the traditional grinding stones
• Grind  until  a residue is released  then put  the proceeds in water for it to wash out
• Repeat the  process until the entire residue is grinded
• Store the mixture for a few hours until the residue and water separate
• Filter the water out
• Mix  the filtered water with fresh water and boil
• Add the residue to the boiling water
• Boil for 10 minutes as you keep on stirring
• Store the porridge in an airy room  until it is cold
• Pour the cold porridge into clean containers with lids
• Serve cold

ADVANTAGES

• Raw materials  are locally produced i.e. maize, millet, sorghum or finger millet
• No preparation costs as the maize is grinded traditionally using grinding stones

DISADVANTAGES

• The porridge may pose health  problems if proper hygiene is not observed in preparation
• Preparation is very time consuming

Customers enjoying the traditional uji

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