Tuesday, May 20, 2014

OLORIKA FOUNDATION, THE MOTHER OF MANY

By Maison Nteetu

Many young children would like to join schools be it primary or secondary schools to ensure they cope with the current generation. However, it is not their faults or even their parents’ if they fail to do so. They sometimes lack finances to carter their school fees and other needs. Education is becoming expensive though it has also become a basic need.

Olorika Foundation came out as the source of hope for the needy society in the year 2005. It extended from Nguruman to many places including Shompole, Oloika, Olkiramatian and Oloserian. Mr. Bonde came up with the foundation after realizing the suffering and how needy the society is.
The foundation has sponsored the following in its mission of helping the needy. 

  •  Students’ school fees payment      
  •  Provision of teachers’ salary.    
  •    Provision of water drams and 
  •    Provision of library books for some schools.

Students’ school fees payment
The foundation sponsors a hundred and fifty secondary and primary students. Seventy two students are from Olkiramatian primary school while sixty five students are in Patterson Memorial Secondary school. The other thirteen are in different secondary schools.

Some of the students are partially sponsored while others are fully sponsored. This was arrived at after realizing that other students are from extreme poverty affected families while others are from poor but not extreme poor families.45 students in primary school are partially sponsored in primary schools while 27 are fully sponsored. In secondary school, 20 students are fully sponsored while 45 are partially sponsored.

Teachers’ Salaries
 Olorika foundation pays salaries for some primary school teachers. It pays 2 Olkiramatian primary school teachers, 3 from Entasopia and one from Pakaase primary school.

The foundation donated 100 library books to Patterson Secondary school. The foundation supplied 20 tanks to the community members. These helped in the environmental conservation.
Olorika foundation beneficiaries in a meeting.
From 2012 however, there was a delay in payment of school fees. Mr. Bonde explained the situation and promised he should have not let them suffer if he was capable of controlling what he is undergoing.
Mr. Bonde is undergoing financial difficulties as his source of finances is affected by frequent attacks. He called the whole community to join him in prayers to help him out of the difficulties.

Mr. Bonde addressing the meeting.
“I can’t promise for any help now as I am struggling to recover from losses caused by my assailants. I will be back to help you if God help me through.” Said Mr. Bonde. 

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Crop diseases, a challenge to nguruman farmers

By Maison Nteetu

As farmers straggle to move out of bondage of poverty, crop diseases tries to make the farmer’s dream delay and sometimes kill their hopes of getting a good harvest. Crop diseases, as well as livestock diseases, act as the farmer’s stumbling block of their success.

Maize lethal necrosis disease for example, has made a lot of farmers to almost lose hope on growing maize after a serious destruction of the crops.

Some of the characteristics of the disease include among others, yellow stripes on leafs and stem of the affected plant. 

 An affected plant. photo by Maison
A good example is a farmer who planted half an acre of maize and the farm was affected by maize lethal necrosis disease. This leaves many hopeless and unwilling to continue growing crops.

After a month almost all the plants turned brown. They seem to be ready for harvest but they bear no grains.
Maize lethal necrosis disease has no cure according to plant-wise investigation. However, a plant clinic held on the first and last week of the month helps farmers to understand ways on how they can prevent their plants from being affected.
 
Mr Kibinge, A plant doctor analysing some samples. Photo by Maison
Some of the preventions include:
  •  Avoid moving plants from infected regions to non-infected regions to reduce spread of the disease.
  • Avoid continues planting of maize crops to stop persistence of virus and possible vectors.  Practice crop rotation.
  •  Avoid planting recycled seeds.
  • Keep the field free from weeds.

Once the plant is affected, the farmer is advised to uproot and destroy the plant by burning or burying it 1m deep.