Economic Empowerment
Tailoring Workshops
This is a project to empower local women through supporting them to develop and sustain a tailoring workshop.
Chicken Projects
Lifting a family’s economic opportunity through the chicken project.
Community Demonstration Farm
Approximately 100 acres of Community Land is being set aside in the Community name to develop a Community Demonstration Farm based on permaculture principles.
Community Water Pans
Within the Community of Lairaingi we have been working to empower local farmers through building water pans, and supporting them with table banking and ongoing support.
Tailoring Workshops
The Jaya Shah Empowerment Project
This is a project to empower local women through supporting them to develop and sustain a tailoring workshop. Two centres will be developed.
One centre to be located in the village of Kiini,this is just outside Chuka, within Tharaka Nithi sub county approx. 25 miles from the Equator. The second satellite centre to be in the village Kalitheria, within Tigania West sub county. Both locations are rural peasant farming communities.
Funding is coming into place to start the project in 2021 through a Rotary Global Grant
Empowerment Projects at the Centres
The backbone of the project will be establishing a sewing empowerment program at both centres. This will be focused on the manufacture of washable sanitary pads. Lack of sanitary pads is a major reason for girls dropping from school. There is demand for these items and they can be sold to both local women for a small fee and to NGO's who want to support Kenyan women.
In addition the centres can manufacture uniform. Through the Solidarity Bank network of table banking groups we have at present 1500 women who are in a position to place orders through this network, in addition when the girls are trained to a high standard they can manufacture fashion items which can also be sold through this table banking network.
To ensure that all the women connected to this project maximise the economic opportunity we are giving them, they will be offered an opportunity to join a table banking group to give them training and access to funds to enable them to meet their life goals.
Secondary Beneficaries
Sitting alongside the work in these two centres will be an Outreach Education Program, focusing on personal hygiene and reproductive health. One or two women at each centre will be trained to deliver education into schools whilst also providing sanitary pads. This is also a program that we can offer at a small fee to other NGO's who run education sponsorship programs. The education program can also be extended to cover sex education, HIV awareness and FGM education.
The Facilities
The Kiini Centre will be based at a site built for the community by the YMCA. It is approx. 3kms from the tarmac road. The Centre in Kalaitheria will be based at an old MCK church that has been outgrown by its congregation. Ladies in the church and the community were asked if they would be interested in joining a sewing empowerment project focusing on the manufacture of washable sanitary pads, and other items. Over 40 ladies and young people have expressed interest and are currently undertaking training.
Cooperating Partners
For the two centres to be sustainable they will need good financial management, and a well thought through marketing strategy. They will both need access to good product design and materials to enable them to produce high quality items.They will also need access to markets in which to sell these items beyond their own locality.
Guided by Rotary an Advisory Board has been established to provide solid management advice and financial control.
Above are Peter Gitonga FKK a member of the Advisory Board, Caroline Newton UK Chair of FKK, and Vincent Mutwiri Field Director of Ubuntu Crafts, a member of the Advisory Board.
Chicken Projects
It has been identified that keeping chickens offers our families an opportunity to raise their income and improve outcomes for their families. Typically families are given this project through self help groups. Funding is provided for materials to construct chicken houses and the families work together to support each other in the construction. FKK then provide 5 vaccinated chicks, feed and training on how to rear poultry successfully. Regular visits are made subsequently to support the mothers with any issues they have faced. This intervention has proved positive, and in some cases the self help groups have gone on to form a table banking group to support themselves in improving their families livelihood.
Community Demonstration Farm
Approximately 100 acres of Community Land is in the process of being set aside in the Community’s name to develop a Community Demonstration Farm based on permaculture principles. In 2019 the MP’s office coordinated construction of a land dam to irrigate the land. With provision of water many opportunities open up for this land.
An Agro Forestry Centre
It is widely accepted that deforestation affects weather patterns, and it believed that the reduction of trees in the area is adversely affecting rainfall. Working alongside the Kenya Forestry Service a significant area can be reforested with indigenous trees and also offer quality seedlings to the local community. Beekeeping can add an additional benefit to this area.
A Demonstration Farm
Following a model used in other parts of Kenya land will be rented to encourage local farmers to develop permaculture skills. This learning will be supported by Mituntu Polytechnic who will offer educational courses on farming and agro business.
Developing Local Partnerships
FKK and the local community are working alongside Meru University. It is hoped that the University can establish an agricultural research center on adjacent land to explore alternatives to pesticides ( widely believed to contribute to the high levels of stomach cancer found in Meru County), drought resistant seeds, and other technologies to support farming in the locality.
Community Water Pans
Within the Community of Lairaingi we have been working to empower local farmers through building water pans, and supporting them with table banking and ongoing support.
The community formed themselves into a self help group in 2017, and since then we have supported them with water pans and water tanks. This project has been much assisted by the support of the Rotary Club of Sittingbourne Invicta.
The water pan project involves constructing a 50,000L water pan which is lined and roofed, with a pump to a drip irrigation system. This technology has potential to make a significant impact on household incomes. 1/8 th of an acre can grow 2000 plants; as an example if these were cabbage at 25 ksh per cabbage one growing season can generate 50,000 ksh. When 1000 ksh can feed a family for a week, this is a significant contribution to the family economy.
John Mugambi,
John Mugambi, a local farmer had a water pan installed on his land in 2017. Excavating the water pan was challenging as the land was rocky, a single boulder took 5 men 3 hours to get out.
However his pan completely filled to 50,000 L capacity with run off water during the first rainy season. The water was then pumped into the 240 L tank, shown here, and from there it feeds by drip irrigation out over 1/8 th acre, where John had successfully established vegetables. Now being in control of his own water supply John can stagger planting to ensure a more continuous cropping season, and gain a higher market price.
The impact of table banking…
Micro finance has the power to improve lives and bring lasting change. Small loans are given for a variety of reasons, to buy seeds, buy items for resale, set up a small shop, sew school uniforms. These small loans help hard working people make a living on a daily basis. The opportunity for women with no material collateral to access funds usually denied to them by the normal banking system, is often the difference between subsistence living and making a small profit. This small profit can improve food quality, health or to send children to school. Research shows that through financially empowering parents and carers children have brighter futures, and there is a reduction in the numbers living in extreme poverty.
Through supporting livelihoods and developing resilience within the community, the micro finance groups become a central holistic plank in building up the wealth, health and ongoing well being of these vulnerable communities.