Agriculture Newsletter

Caritas Nairobi Agriculture Programme

Promoting sustainable agricultural practices for small holder farmers

NAIROBI Environmentally friendly, economically viable and socially acceptable agriculture

Strategic Goals 2014 - 2018

NAIROBI Caritas Nairobi is accordigly the Aid and Development department of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi, which was established in 1973 as the Archdiocesan Development Office of Nairobi (ADO) and transformed to Caritas Nairobi in 2008. Caritas Nairobi coordinates and provides aid and social development services in the Archdiocese, without regard to race, gender, age, social background or religious affiliation.

Caritas Nairobi serves marginalised people especially in the slums of Nairobi and also in pockets of poverty in the larger Kiambu County.

The Archdiocese of Nairobi covers Nairobi and Kiambu County.

Goal I: To enhance self-reliance of 10,000 targeted households within the ADN by 2018 Goal II: To advance and sustain social justice to 6 vulnerable groups i.e. Women, PWD,PLWHA, Youths, Refugees, People Living in Informal Settlement within the ADN by 2018 Goal III: To strengthen Caritas Nairobi’s capacity towards sustainable, effective and efficient service delivery by 2018

Vision : Our vision is “A just self-reliant and value based society�

Our Values Solidarity Human Dignity Charity Professionalism Stewardship

Mission : Our Mission is to work with strategic partners to continuously advance human dignity and the fullness of life to communities in need, by building and enhancing capacities in self-reliance and provision of humanitarian aid.

Our Model for building self realiant and value based socities is based on 3 pillars Catholic Social Teachings Capacity Building Microenterprise development

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How

can resources, including skills and technology be harnessed to help households increase their agricultural productivity, profitability and sustainability, thereby contributing to improved food security for all? How, can we produce higher crop yields and more nutritious foods from thinning soils, making food both affordable and accessible to increasing numbers of people? What are the larger socio-economic conditions necessary for the effective development in agriculture for small scale farmers?

Development aid rather than food aid is what is needed to develop agricultural productive capacity, coupled with support to develop marketing.

The Caritas Nairobi agriculture programme is helping farmers with the following focus; Access to essential inputs including land, credit, water and appropriate seeds and breeds.

Agricultural advice and support that builds on and values farmers’ own knowledge Agricultural development programmes that

are delivered locally.

Participation in decisions regarding the allocation of resources to agriculture, through strengthened farmers’ organisations.

Working with communities to identify alternative longer-term programmes of support to ensure food security.

With further support from friends and partners, we can take advantage of the opportunities in agriculture to reach more households.

A

number of interventions are constantly being implemented under the agriculture programme to promote food security and support livelihoods. Planned and ongoing priorities include Kiriko Parish Agriculture Support Programme (KIPAS), Livelihoods Enhancement in Thigio, Training and Skills development at Limuru Demonstration Farm and Munyu Food Security support.

Additionally, the programme seeks to promote sustainable agriculture practices in areas in need particularly Kilimambogo, Ituru and Gatitu.

By the end of 2014, 432 households had been reached by Caritas Nairobi interventions.

Interventions for food security Model based on Capacity building, Small holder agrifinancing, Market linkages

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I had tried to search for improved mango seedlings in vain. Then Caritas Nairobi visited our parish to start an agricultural project. I joined hoping that I would finally get the seedlings to start mango farming. And I did. The office gave us improved mango and passion fruit seedlings which have been of benefit to my family.

I am glad because today, I not only know how to take

care of these fruit trees but also make fruit jam.

The real benefit though was that I was also able to get chicks for the family chicken business after a vigorous training. I started with 200 chicks and I hope to increase the number in future.

I have been buying eggs for my family in the past but now I will be selling them to the local market. I have sold chicken worth Ksh.6, 000 so far and my family enjoys a meal of chicken meat once in a while.

My hope is that the project reaches many more individuals in my community and the whole of the Archdiocese to enable them to be self reliant�.

Many small-scale farmers in the Archdiocese of Nairobi live in poverty due to lack of modern skills and farming inputs. Caritas Nairobi Agriculture Programme was established to impart skills for sustainable agricultural practices and small scale agribusiness projects. Additionally, farmers learn how to access markets in order to realise profit from their ventures.

This programme is currently engaged in four communities of the Archdiocese of Nairobi; Thigio, Mataara, Munyu and Mutunguru. Caritas Nairobi has also established a 10 acre demofarm in Limuru which facilitates technical skills development to farmers in the Archdiocese. Over 400 households have benefited through this programme from capacity building offered by the Caritas Nairobi staff via Community Trainer of Trainers (CTOT). After 20 training hours, different forms of microfinance services including micro-loans are availed to beneficiaries to start small scale farming activities.

Caritas Nairobi | Archdiocese of Nairobi Cardinal Otunga Plaza, kaunda Street, Nairobi | P.O. BOX 41353, NAIROBI - 00100 Tel: 020-4950000 caritas@caritasnairobi.org | www.caritasnairobi.org