Introduction
Riana Development Network (RDN) is implementing a UKAID funded project “Creating Decent Employment Opportunities Program” (CREDEEP) across the flooding-are they frequently flooded? lands of Ndhiwa in the county of Homabay - Western Kenya. The “Agriculture for cash” activity seeks to improve the socioeconomic status of communities in this region. It promotes collective action and the strengthening of formal and informal farming techniques, systems, structures and market linkages. The project enhances farmers’ skills in animal husbandry (which includes poultry and small ruminant farming) through training and input provision as well as , horticulture, providing access to current agricultural information, knowledge and skills through an ICT resource centre. It aims to create employment in order for, community members to reduce hunger, poverty and under-nutrition.
The project activities seek to create the conditions necessary to expand opportunities and “pull” together individuals and resources through critical incentives towards improved living standards. These include; 1.) Improving the ability of communities to manage their own resources for increased availability of food Somewhere here we need to put mention income generation and job creation 2.) strengthening household skills on nutrition and WASH services in order to take advantage of available livelihood opportunities 3.) collaborating, learning and adapting to a whole wide world through basic literacy programs at RDN’s ICT resource centre. I feel that this paragraph captured in the above one so we are repeating
The Economic Activities
Through the incentive programs consistency in language-what do you mean by incentive programmes? How does it flow from introduction?, a section of the most vulnerable population received the following; -
· Ten poultry below you then talk about chicks-maybe make it clear here? Were they day old chicks? each (per household), 9 hens and 1 cockerel at a ceremonious event held in Lwanda – Ka’wuor centre. RDN distributed poultry among 52 families who are registered for the activity. Somewhere here we need to mention that the poultry didtributed is to start up small businesses in poultry farming. They have been receiving training on poultry keeping, poultry structures, home-made feeds, and managing outbreak of diseases and pests through vaccination and treatment for the past six months..
The Seven –(in a report numbers below 10 are written out in full.) households consistency in language. Above we refer to families here we refer to households-we need to chose and be consistent throughout meet the compliance criteria of the project. The other 45 household will receive ongoing This sounds scary support to prepare them to receive their share of poultry . After one year, each household is expected to give back the same number of chicks they received which will in turn be used for another cycle of transfer to the remaining households. A program extension officer from the Ministry of Agriculture or RDN? will carry out continuous monitoring and evaluation throughout the program cycle.
· Technical training on horticulture and tillage for sustainable farming methods as well as suitable financing schemes. Nine participants are undergoing continuous training on demonstration farms brief explanantion what demonstration farms are. The team consistency-what is the team? has/have embraced horticultural farming for home grown food and economic purposes. The demonstration farms have evolved[R1] through the last 3 months of growing both Kales, Night Shade, Cabbages and Tomatoes. The initial nursery was set up with 50grams packet of seed each and has yielded monthly USD 300 over the last 2 months.
· Admission into the RDN ICT Resource Centre to strengthen their capacities towards computer usage as well as in managing other livelihood interventions. [R2] The course[R3] facilitator and course instructor has engaged the 42 participants (17 female and 25 men) with different technical skills in the past two weeks. The youngest student being 16 years of age while the oldest 53 years old. This activity seeks to bridge the current high levels of illiteracy[R4] among the youth and parents. Following Kenyan Government’s move towards blue[R5] economy and integration of ICT into school activities and government offices, parents seek computer knowledge to be able to conform to emerging needs.[R6] Numerous developments within the locality include infiltration ?? of computer solutions cyber, and offices. This has prompted us to equip the youth with employability skills[R7] .
Key Learning Opportunities
- · 4 people have furthered their training and now supporting the larger communities with vaccinations and disease management as an income generating activity. RDN has linked these youth with local Agrovets for newer opportunities, further training and subsidized costs.
- · two youth under RDN’s poultry activity, has taken up the responsibility of buying chicks at 1 weeks old and Kshs. 100/= and natural them to the age of 6 weeks for sale at a cost of Kshs. 300/= making a profit of Kshs. 200/= per bird.
Learning and Adapting the Incentive[R1] [R2] Model
Over the last six months RDN has enrolled a total of 309 participants [R3] into the program and later seeks to set up a local owned and financial model [R4] to support program sustainability. The participants are grouped by agricultural activitiy such as poultry rearing, keeping small ruminants, horticultural farming and ICT resource centre[R5] . Key lessons include the following;
· Communities continuously demand for a financial model for savings and loans to promote an investment culture and strengthen financial discipline[R6] . Financial literacy is valued[R7] , but there is a need to guide groups in setting goals for how they hope to use and/or manage their savings.
· Keeping livestock (goats and poultry) is our major program activities [R8] with the goal of improving household resilience via animal products for family consumption and sale. However, continuing fluctuating climatic conditions challenges the well-being of the animals, and participant’s move to peri-urban in search of education and/or employment means they are no longer in a position to personally continue taking care of the animals.[R9]
· Ndhiwa sub-county is vast with poor roads, having only two program officers poses a challenge on continued implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The youth bulge has had 52participants register for the computer literacy course, with some participants travelling over 10km to class, this is met by longer facilitation hours and overcrowding due to scarcity of resources.
· Full participation of county government staff in monitoring and community mobilization for the project will be crucial when it comes to the agricultural policy formulation at the county level[RO10] .
· Intensive and all-inclusive community engagement contributed to community leaders, religious leaders, women and youth to support the program. However, many community members have high expectations for the end result of the program (asset transfers, stipends for engagement).
· A third of people registered for computer literacy course are beneficiaries of small ruminant and horticulture activities. This is due to the high demand to learn new knowledge and skills that affect the quality and quantity of their animal produce as well as marketing options.
The incentive model invests in individuals to build their individual resilience [R11] and that of their households and communities, based on lessons described above, RDN would like to tailor her targets specifically to household heads and youth.
