14 February marked the ending of our local, 3 year long development project in collaboration with the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) and I&M Bank Foundation.
We thank them greatly, as without their support we would not have been able to start all our community initiatives. They have already proven their positive impact and contribution to a more resilient future.
In the beginning, the main focus was on the environment and improving nature in and around the village. The creation of our tree nursery laid the foundation for frequent tree planting collaborations with surrounding schools and the community, that will continue and expand after the development project has ended. With every new tree planted, the reward for the micro climate increases ever so more, besides the benefits of combatting wind and water induced soil erosion.
Where in the past, women had to walk up to 5km daily to fetch firewood for cooking, we have been able to design and implement an energy saving stove at both the homestead level and in larger buildings, like the schools. Using the stove has reduced the amount of firewood needed to do the same level of cooking as before, meaning that now every once in 3 days, wood needs to be collected.
In an attempt to mitigate the climate- & environmental related risks in the dry season, we have experimented with establishing a water pan for the collection of rain water. This water pan serves as a reserve to help water the plants, trees and kitchen gardens within the homestead when the unpredictable dry season arrives.
Though this is the end of one project, it clearly shows the potential of such collaborations, and we hope to continue such live-changing initiatives.
