Empower 500 women in economic development in Kenya

In the last three months Uzima Kenya registered another 22 women into the project. To date 492 women have been reached. The new group is in Bungoma County, Western Kenya. These women practise table banking in which women can borrow money to start orimprove on their small-scale businesses. At least each woman has akitchen garden doing very well. They also started a poultry project with 70 local breed chicken. The group invited the Chief Community / Social Development Officer Bungoma County Government. She educated the women on community development.

Outreach continues as more women and their families see the impact of improved nutrition through better farming methods. Women continue to receive training support from Government Extension Agricultural officers. This is the long rains season and farm harvest in most parts is high. Women have been taught various ways of harvesting rainy water such as using water tanks and building dams to store rainwater. The level of nutrition in most families has improved and more children are attending school uninterrupted.

Challenges

Limited funding is still a major problem although the board and women leaders are trying to reach out to elected leaders in Government to try and access project funds from the Government. Some places are experiencing floods which may ruin crops, but women are trying to tap the water in dams as much as they can. The issue of graft is a challenge, but the Government is fighting it and it is reducing. Since any donations from Canada and elsewhere go directly to the women groups the impact of graft has not yet adversely affected the project.

March 2019 Report 

In the last three months Uzima Kenya registered another 20 women into the project. To date 470 women have been reached. The outreach continues as more women and their families see the impact of improved nutrition through better farming methods. Extension Agricultural officers have helped train a total of 50 women who help in training others. Farming will improve as the long rains season is soon approaching. Some of the trained women own model homes where hands-on training takes place formally during scheduled training sessions and informally as women socialize through home visits. Casual home visits are part of the African culture for networking and support.

Board members and some community leaders have made contact with elected officials mostly Women Representatives at the county level while the Chair lady has made contact with the Department of Gender, Youth and sports to seek financial assistance from the Government. There were no school drop outs by the end of 2019 and all students have reported back to school. Those who have completed high school are looking forward to joining institutions of higher education.

Challenges

The same challenges as before still exist although the Board and community leaders are trying to reach to elected leaders in Government to try and access project funds from the Government. Lack of funds is still a major challenge as local and international fund raising continues with minimal success. Other challenges include previous issues e.g reduced crop harvest due to soil erosion from floods in some areas where short rains have been devastating. The long dry season affected most of the farming. There is low political will as the country fights graft with many political leaders facing corruption cases and other cases including murdering young women. The rampant poverty is still a major cause of concern and a barrier to women’s progress.

• Kitchen garden in Western Kenya (DOCX)

December Report

A total of 30 women were reached in the last 3months making a total of 450. Individual and groups continue to register with Uzima as a result of the benefits of gaining new methods of farming and improving kitchen garden farming. More families can have nutritious meals grown within the homesteads as well as surrounding areas. Those who can afford are also improving their cash crop farming to improve their economic status. Uzima board and members are vigilant in ensuring that training of new members is successful as the number of model homes increases. There are more than 20 model homes since the project started.

The students in primary and secondary schools as well as those in colleges and universities had a successful end of year without any of them dropping out. New school drop outs are being monitored so that they rejoin school in 2019.

Lack of funds is still a major challenge as local and international fund raising continues with minimal success. Other challenges include previous issues e.g reduced crop harvest due to soil erosion from floods in some areas where short rains have been devastating. There is low political will as the country fights graft with many political leaders facing corruption cases and other cases including murder. The rampant poverty is still a major cause of concern and a barrier to women’s progress.

A total of 40 women were reached in the last 3months making a total of 420. This was a result of new member registration where groups of both men and women registered with Uzima. Groups included families carrying out different projects including farming to improve family and community health.

The number of new/drop out children going to school increased by 15. 10 children joined primary school while 5 joined institutions of higher learning. More members have appreciated the concept of “The kitchen garden” which is proving to improve household nutrition as well as generating some income from sales of surplus farm produce. More model homes have been identified and both formal and informal training of community members is carried out by volunteers supervised by board and other members of Uzima.

The challenges faced include reduced crop harvest due to soil erosion from recent floods in the country following too much rain in most parts. The rains caused havoc including lose of many lives in some areas and has thus affected farmers in project areas. Limited funds continue to be a major challenge to the progress of projects. Additionally, low political will as the country fights graft, and generally, rampant poverty.

 Progress

Approximately 30 women have been reached in the last 3 months making a total of 380. “Uzima Relief Group International Kenya” is under registration with the NGO Board, Government of Kenya. The process has seen the formation of a Board of Governors made up of 5 members; 4 women and one man. The board held their first meeting on May 5, 2018. The board will manage the affairs of Uzima in Kenya under formalized governance that will ensure accountability, monitoring and evaluation of projects. Priorities of the group are to follow up with implementation of projects like the Tree seedlings project and the support of orphans under the care of one of the board members.

Challenges

The challenges faced include the current floods in the country following too much rain in most parts of the country since March. The rains have caused havoc including lose of many lives in some areas and has thus affected farmers in project areas. Limited funds continue to be a major challenge to the progress of projects.