Benedict’s Mother, Income Generating Projects

Organisation Background

The Nasio Trust is a UK registered charity and Kenyan NGO which supports orphaned and vulnerable children, as well as the communities around them. We empower communities to break the cycle of poverty by adopting a holistic approach, which provides our beneficiaries with access to education, healthcare, food security, psychosocial support and income generating activities. Our strapline of ‘changing lives for good’ reflects the way we help transform the prospects of individuals and communities in Kenya.

The objectives of The Nasio Trust, established, maintained and developed over 20 years, are based on empowering communities for social change. Through this social change we aim to deliver sustainable and scalable ways of tackling problems faced by those in poverty. We achieve this by working with communities, individuals, governments, partners and other NGOs to directly impact beneficiaries and to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Introduction

This report covers the partnership work between Plewa Family Foundation and The Nasio Trust to support a widow (Caroline Atieno, Benedict’s mother) for her subsistence farming in Masinjira village, Bukaya sub- location, Mumias west sub-county, Kakamega county of Western Kenya. The program has three sections: maize farming, beekeeping and goat-rearing.

The maize farming section uses a Tupande (One Acre Fund) market-based model, with The Nasio Trust’s support, in providing high quality farm inputs and agricultural training to help improve the quality of crops, improve yields and therefore increase food security – with surplus sales used to generate income for her and her family’s sustainability.

The beekeeping aspect saw the donation of a beehive to Caroline, along with expert training. Caroline received support in harvesting the hive and used the sales of honey for extra income.

Finally, Caroline was donated a female goat for milk production. She was given training on how to keep the goat and maximize milk production. The purpose of this project was to ensure access to highly nutritious goat’s milk whilst also generating income from surplus sales.

Recently, Caroline has found access to employment and income. This has led to her no longer needing, or having the time, to manage the upkeep on these projects. This report summarises the activities and impact of the project, whilst also outlining her new-found self-sustainability.

Project rationale aims and objectives

Education is an investment essential to empowering individuals to reach their full potential and to make their own positive impact on the world.Poverty is the greatest barrier to accessing education in our communities. Without alleviating children and their families from the tightening grip of poverty, the plight of those seeking education can only worsen. The Nasio Trust believes it is imperative to provide a holistic service of care that sees children access education free from the burden of food insecurity or living beneath the poverty line (income of below $1 a day).

We strongly believe in supporting poor and vulnerable families in sustainable income generating activities. We can not only break the cycle of poverty and improve their health, but help families educate their children. Furthermore, through these projects we aim to provide improved financial means through improved farming practices and higher crop yields.

Project Aims:

• Improve health, education and nutrition for the family.
• Improve food security to help break the cycle of poverty.
• Improve farming methodologies to increase yields.
• Encourage proper use of land to ensure efficiency.
• Training and help in establishment of a kitchen garden, using goat droppings and food waste as organic, low-cost fertilisers.
• Promoting self-sustainability through creation of sustainable projects.

Project Objectives:

• Provision of agricultural training for Caroline to enable her to acquire improved yields. The trainings include crop farming, bee keeping and goat rearing.
• Preparation of organic manure which improves soil fertility which leads to increased yields.
• Creation of a bee keeping project in order to generate income through sell of honey and also promote crop farming since the bee’s aid in pollination.
• Provision of a female goat to provide milk with high nutrition content, thus improving health and also provide organic manure from its droppings to be used in the agriculture activities.

Project Achievements

1. One Acre Fund (OAF)

OAF provides farmers with quality farm supplies and trainings, thus enhancing an increase in production, quality and quantity of crops. These supplies are provided in the form of a loan, after farmers have harvested their crops, they are then expected to return the loan. Caroline was enrolled in OAF in March 2021 as she was experiencing low yields from her land (one acre), these low yields were making it difficult to provide food security for her family. OAF focusses on maximizing the potential of plots of land via improved seed quality and modern agricultural techniques.

By joining OAF, Caroline was able to partake in trainings on new farming techniques. Caroline was also able to receive farm inputs on time, thus enabling her to plant at the onset of rain and avoid any potential delays. The OAF and The Nasio Trust field officers did frequent visits to Caroline’s farm to monitor the progress, whilst advising where necessary (on fertilisers, pest control and reactions to adverse weather conditions) to make sure that Caroline got the most out of her land.

The farm inputs that Caroline benefitted from include: certified maize seeds, top dressing fertilizer, vegetable seeds, PICS (pest resistant) storage bags and a solar lamp.

Project Impact

Improved maize yields

Caroline was able to harvest improved yields compared to previous years where she used to harvest around 4 bags (each bag holds 90kg) of maize. Since joining OAF, the lowest yield she has harvested is 5 bags, with the highest yield being a fantastic 8 bags of maize!

• The trainings she received from OAF enabled her to prepare her land early for the effective control of pests, diseases and weeds which could have negatively impacted her yields.
• She was also able to implement the new farming techniques she learned, such as proper spacing, fertilizer application, timely weeding etc. which enabled her to get good yields from her farm.
• Caroline was able to prevent the effect of soil erosion through the implementation of new farming techniques such as inter-cropping (the practice of planting a leguminous vegetable with maize on the same plot), this enhanced soil fertility due to the nutrients present in the soil being retained – leading to higher yields in the farm.

Improved post-harvest management

The post-harvest management training enabled Caroline to plan properly on the use of harvested yields.

• Caroline was able to store her harvests for future consumption, therefore enabling sustained food security for her family.
• She was also able to sell the surplus maize to generate income and also donated half a bag of maize in 2021 to The Nasio Trust as an appreciation for the efforts made in ensuring food security in her family. She further donated a full bag of maize in 2022; all of the donate maize was distributed to vulnerable families or used in our schools to feed the pupils.
• The increased income from the sale of surplus maize enabled Caroline to cater for other family needs, such as house expenses. In 2021, she sold 3 bags of maize, at 6,000ksh per bag. In 2022, she sold 2 at the same price. Caroline was advised to store her maize and wait until the market price grew after harvesting, this maximized her income from the crops. Through this income, Caroline has been able to pay school clearance fees for Mitchell and also pay for Benedict’s transport to and from school.
• The hermetically (airtight) sealed PICS storage bags from The Nasio Trust enabled Caroline to avoid post-harvest losses from occurrences such as pest attacks by rats, mice or weevils. The PICS storage bags could store grain for many months until it was required for consumption or sale. These storage bags have ensured that food security is sustained between harvesting seasons

Impact of solar lamp

The solar lamp that was donated to Caroline has enabled her to save money on the cost of kerosene, whilst also providing a far safer alternative to kerosene lamps. The solar lamp has also enabled Benedict and Mitchel to complete their remedial studies at night during school holidays.

2. Bee-keeping Project

Bees are essential for the health of people and the planet. Honey and other products have medicinal properties, and the role of bees as pollinators makes them vital for food supplies as well as improving livelihoods in rural Kenya.

People in Kenya have access to some of the world’s most diverse and productive rural landscapes and have easy access to hive making material. However, they often lack either the opportunities or the knowledge to get started in bee keeping.  Due to Caroline’s vulnerability as a widow with two children in education we provided her with a bee hive to help her reap the benefits that keeping bees can bring.

Caroline was provided with training and was equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to keep bees, and to process and sell honey and beeswax. From the sale of honey she can generate further income to support her family. This project was aimed at equipping Caroline’s family with a source of income as well as protecting biodiversity of the environment.

Project Impact

In October 2022, Caroline was able to harvest 600 grams of honey from the beehive which she used for home consumption. This impacted positively in the family’s health due to its nutrition and medicinal value associated with honey. Honey boosts metabolism, improves memory, helps in combating seasonal flu, allergies, fever and also prevents several types of cancer.

The bees have aided in pollination which has led to increased production of crops i.e. maize, beans and groundnuts. The increased production has enabled food security in Caroline’s family.

Upon discussing the future of the bee project, Caroline told us of her ambition to scale the project using her own new-found income. Her daughter, Mitchel, attends agricultural college and has received expert training and advice on beekeeping. The mother and daughter are now going to invest in further beehives and take the project on, beyond The Nasio Trust’s support.

To aid Caroline and Mitchel in this endeavour, we will donate a beekeeping suit to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the project for years to come. Through the initial training and beehive provided by the Plewa Family Foundation, this family have been empowered to continue and grow the bee project on their own, reinvesting their own income – showing clear evidence of self-sustainability.

Mitchel will now volunteer with The Nasio Trust in our own apiary to develop and practice her skills, as well as keeping her occupied in school holidays. This will also provide us with opportunities to monitor the family and ensure they are still financially stable.

3. Dairy Goat Project

A goat is a multi-functional animal which can play a significant role in the economy and nutrition of families. Goat rearing is an enterprise that has been adopted by a large section of the population in rural areas of Kakamega County. Goats are among the main meat-producing animals in Mumias West and there is a strong  demand for goat meat, which has a higher market value than beef. We introduced the goat project as part of the support program for Caroline and her family in March 2021. We donated one dairy goat (named Maragoli) to Caroline, with the primary aim of producing milk to serve and produce nutrition for her family with any surplus sold to generate income.
As part of the project set-up, we constructed a pen for the goat to shield it from rain and the sun during the day. Caroline was trained on dairy goat rearing skills by an experienced veterinary officer. A dairy goat requires good, consistent management. For this reason, the veterinary officer and The Nasio trust field officer undertook weekly visits to check on the feeding and general care of the goat.

Project Impact

Through the goat project, Caroline was able to realise improved health compared to when the goat was donated to her.

• Milk: She was able to get 200ml of milk daily from her goat. The milk was used for home consumption, which bolstered the family’s immunity and reduced the frequency of hospital visits compared to when the family wasn’t consuming goat’s milk.
• Manure: Aside from milk production, the goat provided manure which was used in Caroline’s farming to increase soil fertility organically. Caroline was able to prepare a compost manure from the goat’s droppings, food remains and wood ash. This ensured that Caroline had enough manure during the planting season and subsequently reduced the cost of purchasing artificial fertilizer – leading towards a form of self-sustainability.
• Established a kitchen garden: The compost manure from the goat’s droppings also enabled Caroline to establish a kitchen garden, where she planted a variety of vegetables used for home consumption and also a small amount of income generation through sale of surplus when she needed cash for an emergency (300ksh). The vegetables planted improved the family’s access to a balanced diet and ensured Caroline had sufficient food to feed her family.

Observation

Since the goat was donated to Caroline, it has never become pregnant as anticipated. The guidance from the veterinary officer was that the goat had some health complications which were resulting in the lack of pregnancy. Further assessments were done to establish the solution, but no positive results were realised.

Regrettably, on 5th January 2023 the goat died suddenly due to heart water disease – a condition that is spread by ticks. The veterinary officer, as well as a Nasio Trust field officer, visited Caroline and the goat on 1st January and saw no signs of poor health.
Despite the unfortunate passing of the goat, Caroline was struggling with the upkeep associated with goat rearing due to her new employment and would not have been able to continue the project anyway.

Project Status Update

Upon starting the project, Caroline was unemployed and without a means of consistent food security and income.  Through the Plewa Family Foundation and The Nasio Trust’s support, she and her family have

• Been able to provide food security and a small income for herself and her children. She has learned valuable skills that will see her agricultural endeavours prosper in years to come, whilst still maintaining the knowledge and equipment to continue the bee project without further support.
• Through this support, she has been able to survive as a single-parent for 2 years and been empowered to find her own income. She has recently become a CHV (Community Health Volunteer) which pays her a regular wage. Due to the extra income and employment requirements she was, understandably, no longer able to treat the projects (OAF, beekeeping and the goat) as a priority, nor did she rely on the support of these projects to provide for herself or her family anymore.
• Further to her new employment, Caroline was recruited as a member of the Uwezo Fund Committee, a small grant system for women, and gets a monthly allowance of Ksh.3, 000. She has also retained her position as a board member of Nyapeta primary and Ikhonje primary where she receives ksh.500 for every board meeting for each school. This coupled with her income from being a CHV has resulted in her no longer requiring the support of The Nasio Trust and The Plewa Family Foundation and without the time to remain committed to the projects.

With all of these extra sources of income, coupled with the skills and knowledge she has acquired from the projects, Caroline has managed to reach a level of self-sustainability whereby she can grow her own crops, harvest her own honey (whilst growing and scaling the project with the help of her daughter) and have an income to sustain the family.

Benedict is now in his final year of school in form 4 at Kakamega High school, his education is fully funded by the Equity Bank, and therefore Caroline has no financial burden in Benedict’s education. Mitchel is studying at Bukura Agricultural College, her college fees are now being paid by her uncle who is a medical practitioner with diverse sources of income.

Recommendations and Conclusion

After the last two years of support, we believe Caroline is now self-sufficient and not in need of the supported projects. She was initially enrolled in the projects due to her children’s school fees being provided in return for her providing food security and income for the family. Since the education costs for Mitchel and Benedict are now catered for and she has found other means of income, she can sustain her family without support. We believe this to be a positive situation; the support from the Plewa Family Foundation and The Nasio Trust acted as a bridge from vulnerability to employment. Without the support she received, Caroline would not have been able to access employment and be in the position she is currently in.

The Nasio Trust would recommend this funding, in future, goes towards another vulnerable family, with a passion for agriculture and in desperate need of income and food security.

We will work with our social work team to identify this family and undertake a vetting process, involving interviews and check-ups, to ensure that they are befitting of this support. Once identified, we will consult The Plewa Family Foundation for their valued input.

On behalf of Caroline, Benedict and Mitchel – as well as The Nasio Trust – we would like to take this opportunity to say thank you so much for your support. Without supporters such as the Plewa Family Foundation, projects like these would be impossible and women such as Caroline would be forced to struggle on their own. Thanks to your support, Caroline is now a self-reliant, independent mother with two children achieving high-levels of education.

Asante Sana!