Climate Action Awareness Through a Shelter-Kenya

For the last one month and 2 weeks, we have had a lot of heavy rains in Kenya leading to floods. 

Floods were devastating, causing property damage, displacing communities and many deaths experienced, and disrupting ecosystems.

Through our permaculture practice; the established food forest and earthworks such as swales, ditches and other dryland and wetland farming techniques, helped us manage to safely work with nature, not against it and we managed flood risks. Permaculture design has offered a unique approach that prioritizes harmony with the environment and resourcefulness in our farm.

We managed to slow the rush through swales and ditches and we also stored the bounty through Rainwater Harvesting and Wetland Creation where the swales low-lying areas provided natural floodwater storage. We were able to save all the foods and plants in our farm unlike many farms that were carried away by the rains in our neughbouhood. We also harvested a lot of water, both through roof top and surface run off. We will use this rainwater as a valuable resource during dry periods, supporting our use at the shelter and our gardens and  even when rainfall is scarce.

The benefit of the food forest that was done goes beyond when it was established.

The project continues to progress and to yield day by day. Both the phase 1 and II of the project are doing well. For the last 4 months, we have been receiving a lot of rains and thus our vegetables and trees that we initially planted are blossoming well. Our farm officer together with the women hosted at Agatha Amani House have been taking care of the food forest; maintaining it, adding more plants and also in charge of harvesting the yields. The food forest has been a great source of improved nutrition; vegetables and herbs for the hosted women and their children. It has also been acted as a learning hub, as we have been using it for field visits. People visit to see the food forest and also to learn about permaculture and climate action initiatives.

For preservation of our surplus, we invented a solar drier. Preservation of our food forest produce is one of the central problems we have been facing and we end up having a lot of wastes sometimes. Drying these products will help solve these problems, while also making an important contribution to improving the population's income and supply situation.