ISSUE 12
Social Impact
Read about how thousands of Kenyans are benefitting from different interventions, staying safe from Covid-19, launch of AgriBiz and other stories.
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ISSUE 12
Contents A win in the energy sector as F&M Industries supplies multipurpose cookstoves... Page 4 Sweet landing on pawpaw farming as sugarcane fades away... Page 6 From waste products to organic fertiliser increasing farmers’ yields... Page 8 Water from atmosphere benefitting a children’s home in Thika... Page 10 CTCN launches programme for small and medium companies... Page 12 Spurring rural economies through renewable energy sources... Page 14 Combining organic farming and forest conservation for economic sustainability... Page 18 How women, youth are reaping through climate resilience... Page 22 Executive Editor – Edward Mungai Editorial Director – Ruth Ndegwa Managing Editor – Ernest Chitechi Senior Editor – Solomon Irungu N Commissioning Editor - Vincent Ogaya Editor – Stephen Musyoka
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Writers – Nicholas Koigu, CTCN team, Vincent Ogaya, Solomon Irungu Contributors – Michelle Mung’ata, Lydia Theuri, Zachary Mikwa, Moses Kimemia Photography – PhotoMagic Studios and other sources Layout – Solomon Irungu Published by: Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC): communication@kenyacic.org
Editorial
As we prepare this edition of the Live green magazine, the world is in a limbo. We are facing the one of the most uncertain moments of our lifetime which has been occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries are in lockdown and we are experiencing economic and social turmoil unimagined before. The loss of lives across the world and the very difficult decisions that global leaders have had to make to contain the pandemic is a story that will be passed down to generations to come. This is not the only challenge facing the world today. Countries are still grappling with challenges such as climate change and immigration among others. Amidst the challenges, we have witnessed emergence of new leadership from businesses who have positioned themselves to offer solutions to most of the pressing social challenges. Social entrepreneurship This has been by defined Stanford Socuak Innovation Review as “the application of the mindset, processes, tools, and techniques of business entrepreneurship to the pursuit of a social and/or environmental mission.” It has been differentiated from the traditional approach to business in that social enterprises integrate social aims with profits. Social entrepreneurship signals the imperative to drive social change, and it is that potential payoff, with its lasting, transformational benefit to society, that sets the field and its practitioners apart. Currently businesses are adopting sustainable development goals as the roadmaps to ensuring they deliver “social good” to the communities they serve. KCIC supports clean tech businesses which offer significant, positive change towards addressing a pressing social challenge in our country - climate change. The focus sectors of KCIC’s support include; renewable energy, water management, agriculture, waste
management and commercial forestry. The support that these businesses receive enable them to refine their business models and align them towards meeting societal needs by providing quality, efficient and affordable solutions towards climate mitigation and adaptation in Kenya. Understanding how to effectively measure and manage impact is critical to ensuring investors and stakeholders are achieving their desired impact results to address the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. KCIC supports its businesses to integrate social and environmental factors into businesses decisions and operations. We employ a set of tools and frameworks that comprehensively demonstrate social impact and how organizations or people served by our clients have been able to change and influence communities. Our objective is to provide the story “behind numbers”. Experiential testimonies of how communities and beneficiaries of the various products and services have been impacted. This edition paints a picture of how KCIC works continues to transform lives. Stephen Musyoka, Editor and KCIC Monitoring and Evaluation Officer 3
ISSUE 12
What AgriBIz promises Kenyan youth and women
By Vincent Ogaya and Ernest Chitechi
Key AgriBiz partners during the launch of the programme on 6th March 2020
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espite the struggles by many Kenyans to succeed in agribusiness, they are still being saddled by unstable weather patterns; high costs of farm inputs and transportation; unscrupulous middlemen; post-harvest losses; inaccessible markets; pests and diseases, among others. Financiers are also only keen on other sectors of the economy which they deem predictable and lucrative.
which are only peculiar to youth and women when it comes to tapping into the immense potential in the agriculture sector. Agriculture continues to receive negative perception particularly among the young people who perceive it as a realm of the older generation or at best, an employer of the last resort. The mindset out there is that agriculture is not “cool enough� for the youth. It is still largely left to the older generation, the uneducated or retirees.
Agricultural extension services have also slumped particularly in this era of devolution. It was thought that with devolution of agriculture, such services would be brought closer to the people in a bid to increase investments in the sector.
A large section of the youth and women also lack the necessary capacity to meaningfully derive economic benefit from agriculture. Farm productivity largely remains low with depressed incomes because the shift from subsistence to commercial profitable agricultural production has not been fully embraced. Very few people perceive agriculture as a source of gainful employment.
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Youth and women are also restricted when it comes to accessing natural resources such as land as well as other factors of production including capital. Even though Kenyan laws are progressive on land ownership, traditional systems which bestow ownership of land on the eldest male member of the family, largely hold sway.
The programme will run for five years. Through incubation hubs to be established in eight target counties, the programme will promote business development services including technical assistance and access to facilities; as well as access to land and other resources and factor of agricultural production.
This limits youth and women from accessing financial services from conventional lenders who in most cases require land as collateral. Young people and women’s pursuit of investment in and improvement of land is thus greatly curtailed.
“The mindset out there is
There is possibility, however, to turn the tide. Value addition and the use of technology have the potential to create more opportunities in the value chain and make agribusiness attractive especially for the younger generation who currently shoulder the heaviest burden of unemployment. The Kenya Youth Agribusiness Strategy 2017-2021 estimates that 64% of unemployed Kenyans are youth, a majority of whom opt to move away from the agricultural sector to fast-growing non-agricultural sectors in towns and cities. There needs to be a shift from the current systems that concentrate on production to those that offer value addition and processing in order to create opportunities for jobs along the value chains; in rural, semi-urban and urban areas alike. To address some of the challenges inhibiting youth and women participation in agribusiness and stimulate the growth of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the agribusiness sector, the European Union, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Danida), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa Guarantee Fund (AGF) and Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) launched AgriBiz, a programme which aims to stimulate sustainable jobs for women and youth in the agricultural sector in Kenya.
that agriculture is not “cool enough” for the youth. Additionally, it will enable access to finance for youth and women-owned SMEs engaged in agribusiness. Awareness creation and the pursuit of an enabling environment for greater involvement of women and youth in agribusiness will also be carried out. It is envisioned that 17,000 job opportunities will be created by 2,400 SMEs which will be supported to upscale their business operations. AgriBiz will be a boost to smallholder production which will in turn increase household incomes and improve food security and nutrition for our country. It will accelerate the achievement of Kenya’s economic blueprint and also advance the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, AgriBiz is key to ending poverty (Goal 1), eradicating hunger (Goal 2), promoting decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), combating climate change (Goal 13) and promoting sustainable use of land (Goal 15) AgriBiz will be implemented in Kilifi, Machakos, Kiambu, Meru, Isiolo, Kisii, Bungoma and Uasin Gishu counties. It will benefit not only the eight host counties, but the regional economic blocks as well. 5
ISSUE 12
A win in the energy sector as F&M Industries supplies multipurpose cookstoves By Solomon Irungu and Nicholas Koigu
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hink of a household that uses firewood as source of fuel. Imagine the amount of Carbon released to the environment and the repercussions on forest cover over the years. That household now wants to climb up the energy ladder and start using other sources of fuel that have less effects on the environment. The cost of buying another cookstove is however high and the family resorts to using the same fuel that they have been using over the years. This is the challenge that F&M Industries, one of KCIC clients in the energy sector, is addressing through the discovery of a multipurpose cookstove that assists families climb up the energy ladder. The company’s main product, called Jikotosha (a Swahili name that means “enough cookstove”) is a hybrid cook stove that uses multiple sources of energy. The cookstove can use Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), biogas and biomass briquettes. This gives the end user alternatives de-
A household in Homabay that is transitioning to Jikotosha
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pending on their disposable income and enables household to climb the energy ladder without the need to purchase a new cookstove.
Otieno the CEO of Nyalore Impact Ltd says. “It will therefore be easy to transition these households from using wood fuel into using other sources of fuel.
An analysis of the national energy shows heavy dependency on wood fuel and other biomass that account for 68% of the total energy consumption. Firewood and charcoal are considered the two main sources of cooking fuel in most rural and urban areas in Kenya.
Other partners who are working with F&M Industries are SNV and Shamba Shape Up where the partners distribute the cookstove to far communities that are out of urban areas. They distribute the cookstoves for free or enable households to pay in minimal monthly installments according to the financial capacity of the families.
According to the Kenya Cooking Sector Report, the traditional three-stone open firewood cooking method remains the most common in Kenya, with 58 per cent of the population using it, says Statistics from the Ministry of Energy indicate that more than 90 per cent of rural households use firewood for cooking and heating, while more than 80 per cent of urban households use charcoal. It is therefore not surprising that this demand for fuel wood is the one of the major drivers of deforestation in Kenya. As a result, forests and woodlands are rapidly being degraded, while biodiversity is seriously depleted and basic ecosystem services are being negatively affected.
F&M Industries hopes to continue reaching to more households in Kenya especially in the rural areas with an aim to reducing Carbon emmissions and helping in the conservation of forests. “Our aim is to not only distribute this cookstove to as many households in the rural areas as possible, but to also help them climb up the energy ladder and start using other forms of energy that have less pollution to the environment,” Feabrine Asiachi the CEO of F&M Industries says.
The new F&M Cookstove that can use firewood, biomass briquettes or gas as sources of fuel
As Kenya works towards empowering its population to move from wood fuel towards use of LPG and other forms of renewable energy, the Jikotosha comes in handy because households will not have to invest in other cookstoves. One such place that is benefitting significantly from this cookstove is in Homabay County where Nyalore Impact Ltd is working with communities to empower them climb the energy ladder. The company sources for stoves that are environmentally friendly and promotes their use to the communities. “We are glad to have identified the discovery of the Jikotosha by F&M Industries because this cookstove works for all household notwithstanding the kind of fuel that they use,” Dorothy
F&M Industries can be contacted via +254720338108 or +254733743968 7
ISSUE 12
Sweet landing on pawpaw farming as sugarcane fades away By Vincent Ogaya
Inspection of fruits by Kenya Papaya before harvesting begins
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hen the mills at Mumias Sugar Company went silent some years back, residents of Mumias town and its environs were left in a state of destitution. The once vibrant economy that was powered by cane farming in this part of western Kenya faced severe headwinds. Farmers who previously prioritized cane farming are now looking elsewhere to adapt to the changing times. The farmers are buoyed by the prospects in pawpaw farming as championed by Kenya Papaya, an agro-processing firm which is a KCIC client in the incubator programme. “We started growing papaws when sugar-
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cane farming died off. We are still recruiting farmers and the response is very good,� said Silas Were, a pawpaws farmer, when we caught up with him at his farm in Lureko, Mumias in Kakamega County. Kenya Papaya supplies the farmers with seedlings after which they are linked to agronomists to ensure standard techniques are incorporated into planting, cultivation and harvesting. Organic production of crops and value addition are some of the practices being championed along the pawpaw value chain. Based in Vihiga County, the enterprise obtains pawpaws from over 300 contracted farmers across Nyanza, Western and Rift
Valley regions. They have also recruited and trained 5,400 farmers on pawpaw farming. The company produces pawpaw products blended with Ganordema mushroom. Retailing by the brand name Deina, final products include: jam, papaya leaf tea, seed oil, seed cake, papaya cubes and slices among others. All these are sold in local and international markets. Francis Okwemba, founder and one of the directors at Kenya Papaya says that they encourage farmers to grow other crops so as to diversify their produce. The farmers are then linked to potential markets for such produce. They contend the demand for papaw products is high and the only challenge is how to meet the demand.
“Farmers who previously
prioritized can farming are now looking elsewhere to adapt to the changing times.
some way since Kenya Papaya has adopted sustainable ways of production to minimise waste. The peels for instance undergo composting to produce biogas while the seeds are dried then compressed to produce papaya oil for cosmetics. Latex has medicinal value in the production of cancer drugs. This initiative continues to create employment for people in the fields of production, processing, transport and marketing. It has tremendously increased incomes to households because of sustained uptake of a variety of raw materials that comprise not only the pawpaw fruit but also other produce such as latex and seeds.
Kenya Papaya recently turned three years since inception. The company continues to grow through the introduction of diverse products and incorporating more farmers into their programme. Their products are readily available in leading supermarkets in Kenya. Kenya Papaya can be contacted through +254 720 472815
“Because of lifestyle changes, everyone is fighting to live healthy by consuming pawpaw products. This drives the demand,” said Esau Kaisha, a pawpaw farmer in Vihiga County who is also a Field Officer at Kenya Papaya. Given the scarcity of land In Vihiga County farmers are encouraged to grow 150 stems in an 1/8-acre piece of land. “This gives some decent income to enable us sustain our livelihoods - buy food, pay school fees - and to also make some investments,” contends Kaisha. Every product from pawpaw including the peels the seeds, the pawpaw flesh, the pulp, the latex and the stem is utilised in 9
ISSUE 12
From waste products to organic fertiliser increasing farmers’ yields By Solomon Irungu N.
Beth Githendu at her farm in Nyahururu
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eep in the heart of central Kenya in the North East of Nakuru lies the town of Nyahururu. The town derives its name from the Maasai word e-naiwurruwurr, meaning waterfall and/or windy or place of storms. The climate of the area is normally cool and wet, with residents there believing that there are no seasons. When a team from KCIC visited the town to see a number of clients, they shivered all night having come from Nairobi where the temperature was above 22 degrees celsius and having to spend in an area that was below 10 degrees. Nyahururu is the first town in Kenya recorded to have snowed, a phenomenal occurence in the East African country. In spite of the cold weather. residents from
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the area still rely on agriculture as their source of livelihood. Beth Githendu is one of the farmers in the region who relies on agriculture for her upkeep. “This area is dry and does not favour the growth of different crops, yet we are dependent on farming for our subsistence,” Beth says. “Over the years, majority of the foodstuff we plant are “burnt” by the intense cold that characterises this area. We are left with limited options for food and upkeep.” All is however not lost and the farmers have a reason to reignite their farming passion. This is after one of KCIC clients came up with an innovation that is important in the growth of crops in the area despit the harsh climate conditions. Agri-Flora Organic solutions Ltd is a manufacturing entity that
offers organic fertilizer solution. The company is providing farmers with high quality and competitive priced organic fertilizer both solid and granulated. “Agri-Flora is committed to manufacturing quality and affordable organic fertilizer which has been occasioned by the global awareness for the hazard of long-term chemical fertilizer use is growing,” Laban Kiboi, the CEO of Agri-Flora says. “Among the benefits of using organic fertilizers are non-toxic food, lower cost, better soil fertility, and of course, a safer environment.” The fertiliser provided by Agri-Flora is a one-off application fertiliser which provides all the essential nutrients according to the soil needs. “Agri-Flora came and tested my soil then later made the fertiliser according to the needs of my soil,” Beth says. “Since then my yields have increased and I have also noted that some of the pests that were affecting my crops when I used to apply the chemical fertilisers are no longer there.”
A farmer, Phanel Shiritha Odianga, displays maize harvested from his farm in Kakamega. He says that his yield has increased from 15 - 20 bags per acre of land to 30 bags since he started using Agri Flora organic fertiliser.
Agri-Flora makes the fertiliser using waste products that they collect from the county. “Some of the waste products you see lying in dumpsites have different macro and micro nutrients needed by the soils for proper crop growth,” Kiboi says. “We have contracted youth groups who collect these waste products including bones and egg shells; We pay them and in turn use these waste products to produce the fertiliser.” Agri-Flora is now spreading its reach to farmers in Western Kenya. The company plans to handle the issue of waste by reducing it from the dumpsites and to empower farmers with the fertiliser so that they can increase their yields and consequently increase food security. The company says that it has the capacity of soil testing and making customised fertiliser according to each farmers needs and the kind of crops that the farmer wishes to produce.
A technician at Agri Flora processing farm works on a machine that is used for packaging. Agri Flora does all the processing under one roof and employs youth and women. 11
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Pictorial
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1. A visit by partners to KCIC client Dash Crop 2. Comments by newly incubated clients 3. Members of the Kenya Climate Ventures board of management 4. KCIC signs agreement with development partners EU and Danida 5. KCIC client during an interview with a DW journalist 6. A consultative meeting with agribusiness farmers in Makueni County 7. Botanic Treasures exhibits to a visiting delegation. 8. One of the biogas plants installed by Smat Acre, a KCIC client 9. A serving of dried mango courtesy of Sweet and Dried 10. Making of Lean Biomass Briquettes by Lean Energy Solutions 11. Recycling of waste sawdust into energy by Bio Afrique 12. F&M Industries during an exhibition 13. A farmer in Machakos; His fruit is harvested and bought by Raw Valley for making of juice.
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Cover page: A farmer in Nyahururu who has been using Agri Flora Organic Fertiliser
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ISSUE 12
Spurring rural economies through renewable energy sources
By Vincent Ogaya
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hen Anthony Mayodi cofounded Rafode as a microfinance institution in 2007, the main focus was in supporting SMEs access affordable loans. He would have considered it a figment of one’s imagination had anyone told him at the time that the non-deposit microfinance organization would venture into the sale of renewable energy products. “When we were working in the rural areas giving people small loans, we realized there was a need for rural people to be connected to main grid electricity but they didn’t have the finances so we looked at the options that would enable them access electricity and renewable energy was the cheapest method,” Anthony Mayodi, currently the Managing Director, told us when our team visited him at Rafode Headquarters in Mountain View, Kisumu. One key lesson they picked while working with rural communities was that most households faced lots of struggles using paraffin and wood for lighting and cooking. There are also attendant effects on the environment such as air pollution caused by burning of paraffin and wood. Wood cutting is also a major cause of land degradation. The need for funding and a partner to help build their capacity in renewable energy led Rafode to join KCIC in 2017.
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They were then assigned a mentor who reviewed and refined their business processes to ensure they were aligned to the relevant provisions of law. Staff and senior management went through capacity building on various aspects of business operations relevant to their sector. With the anticipated expansion, Rafode was also supported to refine their business plan so that they could expand profitably. The company also benefited from funding advanced to them in the form of KCIC Early Stage Financing Mechanism (ESFM). The enterprise currently supplies rural communities and slum dwellers across nine counties in Western, Nyanza and North Rift regions with renewable energy products such as solar lanterns, solar panels and clean cookstoves for use at home. The lighting equipment contribute to the expansion of small businesses in market centers in the villages because traders are
able to extend business hours late into the night. Parents who use the solar lanterns also report improved academic performance among their children resulting from a convenient source of lighting. Cases of rampant respiratory infections associated with dirty forms of energy have also reduced. The energy-efficient cookstoves are smoke-free and consume little fuel. Rafode’s products are popular with those at the lower end of the economy because payments are made in small installments. Even with stiff competition from pay as you go vendors of similar products,Rafode’s market niche remains intact because they don’t resort to drastic measures such as cutting off access in cases of default. Instead, the company negotiates with customers on flexible payment terms as per the customer’s circumstance.
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CTCN launches programme for small and medium companies By Climate Technology Centre and Network
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mall and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya and Tanzania will be among the first to benefit from a recently launched programme by the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) that seeks to identify and support mechanisms that will enable industrial SMEs to adopt environmentally sound technologies. The programme has been planned to be replicated in other regions as well. “Working across numerous adaptation and mitigation sectors, CTCN provides technical assistance, knowledge sharing, capacity building and networking. We are supported by more than 550 network member institutions all over the world, half of which are from the private sector. This new programme aims to help identify challenges and specific solutions for the SMEs and support them with the uptake of climate-smart technologies,” says Dr. Rose Mwebaza, the CTCN Director. The programme consists of three stages: introducing climate technologies and international suppliers to local SMEs, creating linkages to finance, and building capacity and awareness of local industrial SMEs. CTCN has started working closely with SMEs in partnership with local organizations. The programme in Asia is planned later this year. In Kenya and Tanzania, the programme is led in partnership with the Kenyan Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC) which offers incubation, capacity building and financing options to SMEs.
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The programme kicked off at the beginning of this year with the KCIC carrying out a research and analysis of SME profiles in East Africa. “As part of the industrial SME cluster mapping exercise, we have identified some technologies that include increasing efficiency in production processes, minimizing the use of natural resources, promoting energy conservation and efficiency, use of renewable energy sources and reducing toxic waste emissions and pollutants,” Christine Mwangi, the Programme Lead from KCIC has said. Kenyan Climate Innovation Centre has also engaged stakeholders in Kenya and Tanzania with an aim to validating the preliminary report findings. According to the findings, industrial sub-sectors that showed significant environmental and technological challenges based on the technological themes assessed are building, mining and construction, paper and board, textile and apparel, timber, wood and furniture and energy and electricals and automotive. Selected SMEs from each country will attend the CTCN SMEs clinics scheduled in the course of this year (the programme to be updated according to Coronavirus status), where they will be supported by experts with business plan development, access to strategic partnerships, networking or financing. A redacted version of this article has been published on https://www.ctc-n.org/
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ISSUE 12
Combining organic farming and forest conservation for economic sustainability
By Vincent Ogaya
Training about soil culture to the community by Pine Mark 18
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Encroachment and illegal logging are things of the past. We now take the lead in ensuring the forest is protected and restored because it provides us with fertilizer for our crops,” says, Hillary Rono, a passion fruit, potato and dairy farmer from Nyangores in Bomet County. Farmers in this area are utilizing Terra Pretty, a form of organic fertilizer made from forest waste because of its potential for increased yields, its affordability and its ability to improve the soil structure. Where the forest used to be the source of food, fuel, and timber products, it is now a source of organic fertilizer. Its natural wastedried and decaying organic matter from natural processes - are used as major components of Terra Pretty. This effort is being spearheaded by Pinemark Africa Limited, a company that works with grassroots organisations towards actualizing environmental sustainability and economic empowerment of farmers using simple homegrown solutions. The organization is one of Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC)’s agribusiness clients in the incubator programme. The social enterprise recognizes that the Kenyan farmer is still bogged down by a number of challenges key among them decreased crop production occasioned by loss of soil fertility resulting from overuse of synthetic fertilizers. Even when the harvest is good, smallholder farmers may not be able to access markets especially international ones. In Bomet County, Pinemark works with 470 farmers through Nyangores Community Forest Association by offering them knowledge on sustainable farming practices and linkages to markets. The group operates in Nyangores Ward, from which it derives its name. This is an area that covers part of the Mau, a forest complex which is the largest
closed-canopy forest ecosystem in Kenya as well as the largest indigenous mountain forest in East Africa. It is a water catchment area for many rivers and lakes, some of which support the most important national wildlife reserves including Maasai Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National Park. “We link forest resources to community livelihoods by creating the need and sense of urgency to protect it,” says Petronilla Gathu, the team leader at Pinemark. Terra Pretty is affordable to most of the farmers- a kilo goes for KES 30 (about USD 0.3). In order to for the smallholder farmers to easily access international markets, Pinemark encourages them to practice pure organic farming guided by international standards such as the European Union regulations on organic farming.
“Where the forest used to be the source of food, fuel, and timber products, it is now a source of organic fertilizer.
Among the services Pinemark has received from KCIC is mentorship and business advisory. Of these, Petronilla says: “The kind of support we receive from KCIC has trickled down to benefit the farmers. We have been able to reach out to them with the knowledge and resources they needed.” This has enabled them to increase yields and diversify their sources of livelihoods, all the while complementing Kenya Forest Service’s efforts in forest conservation. With the use of Terra Pretty, they are optimistic their food security is assured and they are also able to meet other needs such as school fees. 19
ISSUE 12
Water from atmosphere benefitting a children’s home in Thika
By Solomon Irungu N
The Ark Children’s Home is located in a water-scarce area called Ngoliba in Thika. Majik Water Solutions provides the children and staff with 50 litres per day of clean safe drinking water generated from the atmosphere.
Children and staff at Ark Children’s home pose with the machine 20
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he Ark Children’s Home is benefitting from an innovation by one of KCIC’s clients which has been harvesting water from the atmosphere. The children’s center which currently has 43 children and seven members of staff is situated in the rather dry area of Ngoliba which lies on the periphery of Kiambu County. The machine has been provided by Majik Water Solutions. Majik Water is derived from the Swahili word “maji” for water and “k” for “kuna” (harvest).
“Seeing how dire the water situation is at The Ark, we decided to bring this machine here as part of our research on how it will effectively work in a dry area like this, but most importantly to give a water solution to this center,” Beth Koigi the CEO of Majik Water Solutions says. The Ark was founded by former schoolteacher Caroline Gichuhi 11 years ago. The home houses children ages 1-17 who are either orphans, were abandoned or found to have been abused by their parents. The center has no permanent donors and has been surviving through well-wishers and one-time donations. “The presence of this machine at our facility is a big boost because we are able to get the much-needed water for domestic consumption at ease,” Caroline says. “Previously we would go for days without water or have to travel for long distances in search of water, noting that we ended up utilizing the little resources that we had.
estimated to lack access to sources of water with most of Kenyans relying on rain, while ironically at the same time there are no proper rain water harvesting mechanisms. Rain water can also not be entirely relied on given the changes in Kenya’s climatic trends where rain is no longer predicted as was before. Majik Water Solutions machine therefore seems to be future proof because the amount of water in the atmosphere is a lot and should it be tapped, could provide Kenya with the much needed resource. The machine in use at The Ark Children’s Home generates 50 litres of clean water ach day through extracting water from the atmosphere and then filtering it. Air is pulled into the device using a solar powered fan. A desiccant material absorbs water droplets from the air. It is then exposed to heat (generated by solar), releasing the moisture as water vapour. This water vapour is condensed into water and filtered with activated Carbon. The water is then stored in a tank and accessed via a gravity fed tap system which does not require a motor. The harvested water is distilled and thus fit for human consumption.
It is estimated that with a population of 50 million, 41 percent of Kenyans still rely on unimproved water sources, such as ponds, shallow wells and rivers. This challenge is especially evident in the rural areas and the urban slums. According to Water.org, only nine out of 55 public water service providers in Kenya provide continuous water supply, leaving people to find their own ways of searching for appropriate solutions to these basic needs. More than half of Kenya’s population is
An illustration of how the system works 21
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How women, youth are reaping through climate resilience
By Vincent Ogaya
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limate change has been primarily felt through its effects on the water cycle. Erratic rains, prolonged droughts, floods, cyclones and storms are just some of the water-related phenomena of climate change. Kenya has been, for quite a number of years, experiencing long rains at the odd time. Ordinarily, the long rains would start in March and continue into May. This is no longer the case as rains have become erratic being experienced at odd times either in low or excess quantities. For instance, the short rains that are normally received between the months of October and December nowadays tend to extend into the new year. This is fundamentally as a result of climate change. The beginning of the year is typically a dry period for the country as a precursor of the long rains that normally begins in March. Parts of the country are likely to experience flashfloods and crop farming is likely to be a challenge. In Gwasii and Rangwe sub-counties of Homabay County, some farmers have devised an adaptation strategy that includes shifting from growing maize, the staple crop, to more indigenous and climate resilient crops such as sorghum, millet, cassava and amaranth. Such crops withstand a wide range of climatic and soil conditions. They are known to be more heat and drought resistant. Additionally, they also withstand periodic water logging without.
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What is the motivation behind climate-resilient crops?
Lack of market and exploitation by middlemen initially hindered the smallholder farmers from growing such crops. Their produce would fetch little, if at all they made it to the market, hence lead them to huge losses. The reprieve came when the farmers got contracted by Dash Crop, a commercial aggregator of horticulture and grain crops operating not only in Homabay but also across Nyanza and Western regions of Kenya where such crops are grown. Dash Crop is also a KCIC client in the Accelerator Programme. Last year, the enterprise was a beneficiary of our Early Stage Financing to assist them procure machinery for the milling of gluten free flour from the locally available climate resilient crops. Initially, Dash Crop faced challenges of inadequate supply to an already available market due low production. With the financing, their production greatly improved and they aslo support the value chain by providing partial payment upfront to cater for farm activities such as ploughing, weeding and harvesting. The farmers also appreciate fair trade practices Dash Crop has put in place in their dealings, contending that their produce now fetch more unlike before when they would get ripped off by middlemen. Dash Crop produces assorted brands of fortified flour from cassava, finger millet, amaranth and soybean. The range of flours are used for porridge, ugali and baking and are
targeted at low income earners, nutritionally conscious individuals and institutions including schools and hospitals. In Rangwe for instance, women most of whom are widows, have formed groups to enable through which they support one another in tillage and other farm practices such as harvesting and preparation of the crop for market. Most importantly, Dash Crop easily reaches them when they are pooled. Their lives continue to transform for the better - they have installed electricity, solar products and their children - most of them studying in day schools around, are making it to university because of the improved quality of life. “Initially we were planting the indigenous varieties that would take at least two years to mature. Dashcrop has provided us with new varieties that take as less as eight months thereby guaranteeing us food security and steady flow of incomes,” says Damaris Auma, the head of Sinogo Women Group in
Kamagawi, Rangwe. The 25-member women group has been capacity built on modern farm practices that includes early detection and management of pests and diseases in the crops. The group is known in the whole of Homabay County for their resilience. Whenever government agencies such as the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) or the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) visit their farms to inspect the crops, the women group is always given a clean bill of health. The cheer is not only in Rangwe. On the Southern edge of the county bordering Lake Victoria, we meet Jared Ochieng who is a millet and sorghum farmer. “I am able to comfortably meet the needs of my family. I now pay fees comfortably for my children because my crops are guaranteed a steady market,” the youthful father of three from Gwasii tells our team.
Damaris Auma, the head of Sinogo Women Group poses with cassava crop on her farm in Kamagawi, Rangwe. 23
ISSUE 12
A publication of Kenya Climate Innovation Center Strathmore University Business School, 3rd Floor, Ole Sangale Rd, Madaraka. P.O Box 49162 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya. +254703034701/03 communication@kenyacic.org 24
Kenya Climate Innovation Center