Yearning for knowledge

It was a well spend educational day for 28 students from Oloibortoto (20) and our lady of mt carmel (8) primary schools who visited the Maarifa center on a learning mission to quench their technological thirst and as well learn about conserving the environment.

Accompanied by their science teachers,the students were happy and excited to learn and have their fingers on the computer keyboards and learn some basics on computer operation.They also learned on tubular biogas and how it operates. The students were also quick to learn and identify some of the effects of climate change and action plan was arrived at that, each student present at the visit should go back home and plant two tree seedlings and take care of them until the time they can survive by their own.

The students could not belief animal waste can produce gas for cooking (Biogas) until they saw it work... "I thought it is just in books for purposes of learning.. I have seen it work" said Margaret Nogipa, a student at mt. carmel primary school.

Mr. Mutisya, the Headmaster and a science teacher at our lady of Mt. carmel primary school had alot to say about their learning mission and could not withhold his joy as he thanked the Maarifa centre team... " Our learning mission has been very positive and we thank the Maarifa centre for imposing such a positive message about climate change to the young generation."

Women as key players in attaining food security

Nguruman location is part of larger Magadi division, Kajiado North District, 160 Kilometres south west of Nairobi. Women around this place have realized that, food security is a factor to be looked into if the health and diet of future generation is important. They have formed women groups and registered them as common interest groups where they undertake activities geared at reclaiming food security which over the past few years has been deteriorating.

Climate change, diminishing soil fertility and poor crop husbandry among other issues have been attributed to food insecurity. According to FAO report on women and sustainable food security, women produce between 60 and 80 per cent of the food in most developing countries and are responsible for half of the world's food production, yet their key role as food producers and providers, and their critical contribution to household food security, is only recently becoming recognized.


Reversing the trend

Nguruman region has long been known for producing fresh vegetables for markets in the outskirts of Nairobi and other Asian vegetables for export. While men are busy venturing in to cash crop farming, women are on the other side ensuring that their families are food sufficient by planting food crops. Women have been seen planting traditional vegetables like cassava, sweet potato and arrow roots which are presumed to be the way forward towards attaining food sufficiency.

When asked where they got the information, Tenebo women group chairlady Mrs. Abu was bold enough to say… “Agricultural information is always available to us courtesy of Nguruman maarifa centre and the ministry of Agriculture extension officers”. The Maarifa centre and the ministry of Agriculture are on the fore front to promote traditional food crops due to their rich source of nutrients and adaptability to weather changes.

Women have reversed the normal trends of holding to large heads of cattle with no enough pasture to feed them throughout the year and are now keeping small stocks like poultry, rabbit, fish and dairy goats which are easy to manage and feed while producing enough food for their families and surplus for the market. One will only notice the marketing activities late in the afternoon when women and children start streaming to the market with bottles and gourds full of milk and others with donkeys loaded with small portions of agricultural produce.

Mama wamboi, a mother of three when asked why she decided to venture in to rabbit keeping, this is what she had to say… "I got interested in rabbit keeping since not many farmers are doing the business and there is a big market for the product. I then borrowed a book at the maarifa centre on backyard rabbit farming in the tropics which helped me to get more information on designing the house, breeding, nutrition, breeds and diseases".


Reference: http://www.fao.org/sd/fsdirect/fbdirect/FSP001.htm

Changing lives through delivery of timely information

Nguruman maarifa centre has been an information hub for communities living around since its establishment in 2006.
Being the only center connected to internet around this place, its rich source of information has encouraged many community members around this area to venture into sustainable livelihood activities like mixed farming and tapping renewable energy sources like Biogas energy. Farmers have no fears to venture in to these avenues since they are sure they will get the right information from the maarifa center.

The information delivered is repackaged to suit the target audience and in the form that they can understand. For Example, if a farmer doesn't know how to read, the center has information in form of DVDs which are show to the farmers as per their information need.

The youth have also a stake of the center since they are able to apply for online jobs, register for colleges and visit social sites like twitter and facebook. Some also have learn about blogging and are now having their blogs where they are able to market Nguruman through private businesses, (http://loitasafaritrekks.blogspot.com/).

Nguruman maarifa centre has also featured in the media which is appreciating the work ALIN is doing in changing peoples lives through delivering information at its Maarifa centers within kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Information+centre+brings+big+change+to+remote+village/-/1056/1241896/-/fu8i74z/-/index.html

Adapting to climate change while improving family livelihood.

Nguruman has for a long time been known for its rich soils and water for irrigation throughout the year. Climate change has had its impacts on the farming activities in this region and people are changing farming patterns in adoption to the change. ALIN has been on the fore front to educate and help farmers adopt to new farming methods which are eco-friendly and at the same time will help improve family livelihood.

In August, 2008 the maarifa center with support from ALIN head quarters collaborated with the ministry of Agriculture officers in this region and organized for an exposure visit to Meru, Ciakago and Thika which involved farmers from Nguruman irrigation scheme. Four years down the line, the impacts are now being felt by the community and are now enjoying the benefits of the exposure.

During the exposure visit, farmers learned a lot of practical lessons which included and not limited to; Dairy goat keeping, agro-forestry, poultry farming and fish farming. Dairy goat keeping in this region has taken shape since some farmers’ bought dairy goats and bucks during the visit and as a result, residents are having enough milk for domestic use and surplus for market.

This breed has also helped improve breeding vigor of the local breeds which are more resistant to harsh environments and as a result, milk yield has shot up and farmers are reducing their heard as a way of adapting to reduced pasture land since they can have enough milk for domestic use and other few liters for the market. Family health has also improved since the families have enough milk to bring up healthy children who are not easily susceptible to diseases.

Over the past few years, farmers have lost a lot of animals worth billions of money to drought and other natural calamities. This has not come out as a lesson to farmers who still hold on to their big heads of cattle. With the changes in climate experienced over the last one year, government policy makers need to enact a policy which will allow livestock extension officers and other stakeholders concerned to take action on farmers who are still reluctant to embrace the information on De-stocking.

Farmers were also motivated and begun apple mango nursery projects as well as planting them and are now reaping the benefits. It will be important to note that, fruits thrive very well in Nguruman and its fruits hit the market when there is no other area producing. This fact gives them a upper hand to venture in the project.

In March 2011, ALIN initiated a pilot project on tubular biogas in Entasopia, which was aimed at conserving the environment by reducing the use of fire wood as fuel for cooking and fossil fuel for lighting thus reducing carbon emissions to the environment. The organization facilitated a four days training for the farmers in which three tubular biogas digesters were installed in three homes in Entasopia. The training also involved farmers and pastoralists from other rural areas like Isinya and Marigat where the technology can be replicated.

The tubular biogas technology is a new innovation that is affordable and the best alternative as an energy source for cooking and lighting for rural folks since it utilizes locally available raw materials while utilizing methane, which if released to the atmosphere contributes to global warming and climate change.

The community members are appreciating the technology since it has reduced family expenditure and now the families can prepare their meals in a clean environment free of smoke. It has also reduced the number of trees felled for charcoal and fuel wood thus contributing to climate change mitigation measures.

These projects have brought a balance in family income since mostly women are the ones involved in dairy goat projects and are appreciating the fact that they can be able to supplement what their husbands are earning. Monitoring the progress has also been easy since they have formed women groups which enable officers to reach them easily incase of information dissemination.

ALIN wins the Access to learning (ATLA) Award.

Access to Learning Award (ATLA) is an award given by Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation each year to recognize the innovative efforts of public libraries or similar organizations outside the United States to connect people to information through free access to computers and the Internet.

Arid lands information Networks (ALIN) are the 2011 winners. The award was given to recognize ALIN's work of connecting the marginalized communities in the Arid and semi Arid regions of East Africa with knowledge and information by setting up 12 Maarifa (Knowledge) centers.

The Maarifa centers acts as referral points to the communities and have library materials and computers connected with internet. All services at the Maarifa centers are offered free of charge and this gives the communities equal access to information.

Community members are also given a chance share ideas about farming and other livelihood issues through organize open days, Training, exchange visits and also through ALIN's publications (Baobab and Joto Africa where their needs are identified and addressed.

For more information about the award you can follow:

URL=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/atla/Pages/2011-atla-award-alin-slideshow.aspx

URL=http://www.alin.net/i/ALIN%2520Awarded%25202011%2520Access%2520to%2520Learning%2520Award%2520by%2520Bill%2520%26%2520Melinda%2520Gates%2520Foundation

CARBON TRADING

During a stakeholders’ meeting for companies, interest groups, the government and NGOs working in Magadi division, the idea of carbon exchange or venturing in the carbon credits markets was raised and discussed as one of the long term plans to mitigate drought and climate change.

It was evident by the views of the members that very few people are aware of the opportunities the carbon exchange market presents.

Normally, carbon trade occurs when companies, mostly in the West, pay a fee for every amount of certified carbon dioxide released to the environment. The money is then used to pay other companies or organizations, which develop projects that facilitate less release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

According to the Kyoto protocol, developed countries are obliged to fulfill specified targets of carbon emissions; countries that produce excess carbon can offset their emissions through projects in their country or by buying carbon credits from other countries.

This has created a multibillion shillings carbon market that companies, organizations and small scale farmers in Kenya can venture into. Carbon credit is the currency for trading carbon emissions and one carbon credit is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide emission.

Opportunities in carbon trading can be utilized in different ways. Projects by organizations that are environmental friendly and provide alternative energy sources that help in reducing carbon emissions can be funded depending on the amount of carbon emissions the project intents to reduce.

For instance, the Maarifa Centre’s Biogas project provides a clean source of energy. It can account for carbon credits in two ways, first it utilizes the methane produced by decomposing animal waste and therefore it is not released to the atmosphere and second it provides an alternative bio-friendly energy source for cooking reducing the use of firewood or charcoal.

Kenya’s electricity power generator, Kengen, earns an estimated Shs442 million every year from the sale of 660, 000 tons of Carbon credits to the World Bank as a compensation for the carbon production avoided by generating geothermal electricity.

In October last year, Mumias Sugar Company made an agreement with the World Bank in which the company was to be paid 22 million from selling 43, 000 tons of carbon credits arising from its electricity generation plant that uses sugarcane. Both cases reduced the use of power that is generated from diesel generators by Kengen and therefore reducing the carbon released to the atmosphere by the diesel engines.

Farmers can also benefit from the market in different ways. Farmers can plant trees in their farms and then get compensation for the amount of carbon the trees are absorbing from the atmosphere. Organic farming methods, afforestation, reforestation and agroforestry can fetch farmers in Nguruman extra income.


In Kenya, farmers from Embu, Meru, Mara and Nanyuki are benefiting from The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST).The TIST program has recruited 7,135 small groups of farmers with a total of 52,637 members to plant trees and earn compensation from carbon trading.

The farmers are provided with tool kits that guide them throughout the process of tree planting from preparing nurseries to transplanting the seedlings and managing the trees. The group’s earnings are paid to its account and they are guided in managing the finances.

The program provides a local TIST organizer to help the farmers in utilizing the toolkit and also in documentation. There are random and annual audits to ascertain the progress and performance of the groups.

Seeking carbon exchange financing

While seeking for funds from the carbon trading market, one needs to prove that the project or activity either absorbs carbon from the atmosphere or reduces emission of the gas to the atmosphere.

The project needs to prove that the reduction of emissions and Sequestration – absorption of carbon from the atmosphere by plants through photosynthesis- would otherwise not have happened without the existence of the project.

It also needs to quantify with precision the amount of carbon emission the project is reducing or the absorbing by providing accurate data about the project’s activities for example the number of trees, their age and size.

The projects need clearly monitoring and evaluation that involve pictures and GPS record of the sites where the project’s activities are taking place.

The World Bank and other organizations have produced guides for communities and task leaders which would enable them to attract carbon markets. Some of the guides are linked below.


USEFUL LINKS

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/ex_act/pdf/carbone_finance.pdf http://www.gvepinternational.org/sites/default/files/carbon_finance_guide.pdf
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTCARBONFINANCE/Resources/TTL_guide_cd.pdf
http://www.kenyaengineer.or.ke/index.php/kenyaengineer/article/viewFile/232/252

SEXUALITY LESSONS REACHING OUT TO MORAN'S IN THE BUSH

The Unite for Body Rights project (UFBR) has devised a unique way of reaching out to the Maasai youths who are initiated into moranhood to hold interactive sessions with them about their sexual reproductive health and rights.

The project, funded by the Dutch government and run by Africa Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) has been facilitating forums in the bush in which trained peer educators discuss issues to deal with sexual life, risky sexual behavior, sexually transmitted infections, harmful traditional practices and other issues that affect the sexual reproductive health of young people in the maasai community.

The trained peer educators are also part of the age set selected by the Inkopir (older men appointed to oversee moran activities and represent their fathers) and trained by the project in facilitating participatory sessions on the issues. With the support of the project goats are provided which are consumed by the Moran as lunch.The goats are prepared by the Moran in their traditional ways and herbs and traditional medicine are mixed with the meat.

The project seeks to help Moran realize safe and informed decision regarding their sexual reproductive health. The decisions include choosing to use condoms, reducing stigma and discrimination against uncircumcised Maasai girls, going for HIV counseling and testing and seeking medical help in cases of sexual transmitted infections and other reproductive health related medical issues.

In view of this, the project has been facilitating a medical practitioner to perform the counseling and testing on the Moran who opt for the test after or during the sessions. The medical office also helps in answering technical health related questions.

The bush sessions provide a forum for the Moran to learn and also share their experiences with each other. Facilitated in Maasai language, the sessions reach out to Moran in their socially accepted habitat and are tailored to fit into their lifestyle in order for them to accept the problems and come up with solutions with the aid of trained peer educators.

Apart from taking time to participate in the sessions, no other aspect of the moran lifestyle is interrupted and therefore acceptance of the issues and participation in the process is enhanced. The Moran’s are at a very high risk of contacting and spreading HIV/AIDS and other STIs due to their culturally defined roles and conduct.

Culturally, the Moran’s are allowed to hold cultural dances at night in different bomas(Manyatta). Girls are allowed to participate in these dances and premarital sex is encouraged by a number of practices in the culture. The dances are usually highly explicit and the Moran who knows how to dance the best or the one who is the best soloist is respected and admired by the girls.

Other issues in their lifestyle include the fact that they have a lot of free time and therefore move from village to village. This encourages them to have multiple sexual partners. The culture also encourages girls to have multiple sexual partners and those who receive less or no attention from the Moran are frowned upon by their age mates.