Partnerships increase income for farmers and make a difference to the entire community. In November 2019, trustees from the UK visited the Mukinyai Primary School Community to meet with some of the parents of children at the school. Many parents and other community members have been involved in the farm training and were encouraged that their hard work in starting to use conservation agriculture was recognised. As the soil is healed through the use of rotation, mulching, organic fertiliser and composting, they will see year by year the benefits of crop yield increases.
Traditional methods of farming are common in rural Kenyan communities. The need to increase food production from healthy fertile soil as the population increases and climate changes, requires behaviour changes to implement proven methods of small scale farming. In any society, a major change in habits takes time. Feeding Futures provides school meals in the short term whilst giving training opportunities to parents and other members of the community to enable them to live sustainably in the longer term. Partnerships increase farmers income. We call this Sustainability through Partnership.
Each partner has responsibilities and these are demonstrated in the Timeline that has been agreed by the community and is displayed for all to see on the kitchen block at Mukinyai. From January 2020 parents are taking responsibility for the provision of breakfasts.
- Climate change in Kenya is a reality – the rain can no longer be guaranteed to arrive ‘on time’.
- There are no instant solutions to poverty – Time and effort are required.
- Crop rotation, minimal tillage, mulching and composting + hard work are needed to sustain food supply.
- Partnership is the way to achieve Sustainability for Mukinyai.
In any partnership, building working relationships are essential. Mukinyai Community have repeatedly expressed their gratitude when visited by trustees from the UK with comments like “you come all this way to help us – thank you”
Every moment counts
Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.
A hungry child needs food NOW! When Feeding Futures started in 2010 it eventually provided cooked school meals to over 700 children each day. This kindness was good in that the children ate during the day. Then the community were asked ‘how could they provide the food for their children?’. They wanted to learn how to increase crop yields so they could sell some and pay for the food or use the extra yield to give to the school kitchen. Conservation farm training was started.
Some took up the opportunities and some didn’t. Before working with the next school we wanted to learn from previous experiences. The things that worked were reviewed. The challenges faced were examined to find solutions.
Partnership is the key and how this looks in our 10th anniversary year is very different to 2010.
Will you partner with us to celebrate TEN YEARS of learning and change in order for us together to lift more families into sustainable living?
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