NECOFA Kenya country reportsss

Overview

Network for Ecofarming in Africa (NECOFA) the Kenyan chapter underwent significant transformation in the period under review just like the country Kenya. The political landscape has changed positively in the country since the national elections in December 2002. There is improvement in the democratization, human rights and more importantly the freedom of speech and association.

The new government is more accommodative of the civil society and seems to recognize the complimentary role they play. The National Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP) recognizes the need for collaborative approach in providing agricultural extension service. It advocates for “demand driven extension service that is flexible and that responds to demand diversity (agro-ecology, types of commodities/enterprises and social-economic characteristics of the farmers) and supply diversity (including private sector participation in providing extension service)”. It has created a conductive environment for civil society operations and even newly registered NGO’s like NECOFA are finding their footing in this dispensation.

After operating as a professional club since 1999, NECOFA applied for registration as an NGO late in 2001 and it is not until July 2003 that it was formally registered and mandated to: “seek to attain sustainable land use practices in order to enhance social, economic and environmental integrity and progress of agricultural communities in Kenya”

The weather in most parts of the country (including the over two thirds arid and semi-arid) in 2003 was very favorable – the rains were heavy and evenly distributed. Food production was high and even the normally hunger stricken areas registered surplus produce. Poor food storage and preservation policies and technologies resulted in high harvest and post harvest losses and poor prices/marketing.

Almost predictably, the favorable weather was followed by a very poor one in 2004 (with low rainfall overall and the worst hit being arid and semi-arid lands) that has resulted in food shortage, and even famine in some parts of the country.

The government has declared the famine a national calamity and is therefore seeking food aid from all and sundry.

NECOFA Kenya Organization and Management

Organization chart

NECOFA Kenya membership includes

2 NGO’s - Community Food and Environmental Group (COFEG) and Interdioceasan Christian Community Service (IDCCS)
67 individual members
26 community groups i.e. 11 women groups; 8 youth groups and 6 mixed groups, that have a total membership between them of 702

The membership is currently drawn from the following regions and districts (with a few especially the individuals) from other areas:

The highland and humid districts of Nakuru district in Rift Valley province
The semi-arid district of Makueni in Eastern province
The semi-arid coastal district of Kilifi in Coast province
The semi-arid lakeside district (on shores of Lake Victoria) of Homa Bay in Nyanza province.

The chapter has an eleven member Board of Directors, six of whom are women and five men headed by the Country Representative. The officials have a four-year term.

The secretariat is housed in Maziwa House, Office Number 27 in Molo Town of Nakuru District and has a full time office assistant.

NECOFA – Kenya SWOT analysis

In a workshop held in March 2003, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for NECOFA in Kenya were identified as below:

Strengths

Having a multidisciplinary membership capable of designing and executing a wide range of ecofarming project/activities
Having access to experts and consultants from outside NECOFA
Enjoying local and international linkages and networking
Having legal recognition – was in process of formal registration
Ecofarming is NOT in conflict with government policy

Weaknesses

NOT having resource/demonstration centre for ecofarming technologies/information development and dissemination
Still not very well known
Management of secretariat intermittent
Small membership
Leadership not well equipped in project planning and management skills
Impact not yet felt in many parts of Kenya
Secretariat lacks modern information/communication facilities.

Opportunities

Sensitization of policy and community leadership
Untapped potential in ecofarming practices in Kenya
Utilization of available knowledge and skills in ecofarming
Making inventory of existing ecofarming technologies in Kenya
Membership and leadership capacity building
Can offer support /consultancy to other organizations
Kenyan societies/communities are receptive of new, efficient and sustainable technologies
Government policy on poverty eradication is in favour of agriculture and specifically low external inputs agriculture

Threats

Uncertainty of maintaining members high morale and spirit
Unpredictable funding source
Pressure from proponents of inorganic farming who have more resources, manpower and political connections
One and a half years down the line, a self-evaluation of NECOFA Kenya based on the SWOT analysis as the datum reveals

Additional Strength

The network is now a registered NGO in Kenya giving it even better legal registration
NECOFA is now well known, has a growing membership and the impact is being felt in several parts of the country
Leadership has acquired some training skills in project cycle management
NECOFA is working closely with the government departments of Agriculture; Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services and utilizes all forums to articulate ecofarming issues
NECOFA and the Ministry of Culture are involved in traditional foods production, utilization and marketing for food and nutrition security programme.
Membership and leadership capacity building has been enhanced

Persistent Weaknesses

NOT having resource/demonstration centre
Though the secretariat has a full time office assistant, technical management is still intermittent
Lack of modern information/communications facilities

Untapped opportunities

Making inventory of existing ecofarming technologies
Ecofarming potential and traditional technical knowledge
Potential to offer consultancy on ecofarming

Persistent Threats

Unpredictable funding sources
Pressure from proponents of inorganic agriculture and more recently the entry of GMO technology in the country.

Activities

The National Ecofarming workshop held 9 – 12 March 2003

Theme: “Man and the environment co-exist”

Number of participants: 28

Workshop activities

Presentation on “National Agroforestry Extension strategies” by Jacob Odera
Presentation on “Gender integration in ecofarming” by Samuel Muhunyu
Presentation on “Soil Fertility Management, EM-Technology and use of Natural HyperPhosphate” by Samuel Muhunyu
Discussion on NECOFA Kenya constitution led by Priscilla Nzamalu
NECOFA SWOT Analysis led by Mr. Macharia
Identification and prioritization of activities/projects led by Priscilla Nzamalu
Development of Plan of Action led by Samuel Muhunyu
Workshop evaluation led by Priscilla Mnene

Training

Capacity building for NECOFA membership:

24/4-20/5/2003, Mrs. Priscilla Nzamalu participated in training workshop on “Land Use Planning for Rural Development” organized by InWent in Germany
18/5-25/5/2003, 10 NECOFA Kenya board members participated in a Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop on farming as Business (Faab) at Egerton University organized by Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany
17/6-18/7/2003, Mrs. Priscilla Mishi Mnene participated in a training workshop on “organization of formal and informal seed programs” organized by InWent in Germany
14/7-17/7/2003, Samuel Muhunyu participated in the workshop on “Use of Media n Rural Development” organized by InWent in Germany
25/8-6/9/2003, 5 board members participated in a training workshop on “Project Cycle Management” organized by Sustainable Entrepreneurship Participatory Program – Kenya (SEPP) in Nakuru
6/10-10/10/2003, Ms Caroline Imbwaga participated in a training workshop on “Gender and Governance” organized by Action Aid in Nairobi
27-31/1/2004, Anne Munyigi participated in a workshop on “Mainstream HIV/AIDS”
2-6/2/2004, Peter Karimi participated in a training workshop on “Small scale irrigation systems” organized by Appropriate Technology for Enterprise Creation at Jommo Kenyatta University.
14-19-5, Joyce Njuguna participated in a workshop on “Local and Export Vegetables Growing” organized by Ministry of Agriculture and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at Hygrotech in Naivasha
Samuel Muhunyu has been participating in e-Learning courses organized by InWent in the Global Campus 21; has completed two modules – “support and tutoring of Virtual Learning Communities (VLC) and e-Learning Content Development (CD)” and is currently in “e-Learning Management”.
Mrs. Priscilla Nzamalu proceeds to the Netherlands for a Masters Degree in Training in Rural Extension and Teaching (TREAT).

Training targeting the community

Between December 28^th 2003 and January 2^nd 2004, NECOFA Kenya and Uganda conducted an Ecofarming study tour for 17 schoolteachers and administrators. The aim of the tour was to “sensitize school administrators, teachers and community leaders on the potential for Ecofarming in school feeding programs”

The tour was partly financed by InWent and its itinerary included visiting:

Molo and Rongai schools in Nakuru district where the schools are involved in supplemental food production. The focus has mainly on Rongai school in which ecofarming practices are employed in food production; students manage the production units; the fees is relatively lower than in other schools and the menu is better than in most schools including colleges and universities. Extension service providers use the school as a training center for the community; bulking and multiplication of planting materials for the community is done there.

University of Nairobi Dry Land - farming demonstration farm and community irrigation projects and tree nurseries in Makueni district of Eastern Province. Solar drying of vegetables in adding value and their recipes were also demonstrated.

Processing of Neem products by women groups in Kilifi districts that include Neem Soap, Neem Seed Powder, Neem Oil and Neem Seed Cake. Use of Neem in grain storage in schools was exhaustively discussed in reducing handling and storage losses of grains

Internet Cyber Café in which the NECOFA website and the Global Campus 21 facilities were demonstrated. The participants were also recruited into NECOFA membership

Farming as a business. In the reporting period NECOFA has conducted 5 training on farming as a business for 102 farmers. The main foci of these trainings are employing low external inputs; cooperative or group approach in economics of scale; adding value to produce and marketing as group(s).

Traditional Foods Exhibition. In the reporting period 4 traditional foods exhibition were conducted as below:

Food exhibitions by the different regions of Kenya

District/Province	No. of Exhibitions	Participants