FARMERS OPEN DAY AT KARI-KATUMANI ON 13TH JULY 2012.

FARMERS OPEN DAY AT KARI-KATUMANI ON 13^TH JULY 2012.

Kari-katumani had for a long time been leading in generating technologies on dry land farming. However, after monitoring and evaluation of their activities by an external team, recommended was the idea of organizing a farmer’s open day to demonstrate this technologies to the farmers. This idea concurred with our thought of how to link the farmer groups to the technologies at the station by making of visits to the center and appreciating all these. Our dream came true this time round.

Kari-katumani had this mentioned date therefore organized a successful farmer’s open day at the station together with their partners. The opportunity of mobilizing farmers was given to the infonet/katoloni team which though was in short notice of 5 days; We managed to bring along 497 farmers for the event. The technologies demonstrated during the event included;

-Grain Amaranth (kisii white/Brown) and Amaranths variety (Bean intercrop and vegetable amaranth (KAT1/Bean intercrop)

-Black night shade variety

-Jute mallow (murenda)-katumani collection.

-cowpea variety (k80, m66, kvu27-1)

-soya bean variety-Nyala and EAL 36000)

-safflower variety: BJ 2027 AND BJ 1300

-Sunflower variety: Issanka

-Maize varieties-KDV1, KDV2, KDV3, KDV5, KDV 6, KH125-02.

- Beans varieties-KAT B1, KATB9, KAT, KAT X 56, KAT X69 and GLP 1004

-Sorghum/Beans intercrop.

-Sorghum varieties-Gadam, Serena and seredo

-Millet varieties, chick pea varieties Grams.

-Dolichos lap lap and pigeon peas

-Livestock-Dairy goats and cattle  among others technologies.

On the main addressing ground, several partners demonstrated their activities to farmers. This included Infonet-Biovision farmer communication stand, ATDC-Agricultural technology Development centre, Value addition department-katumani, sisal board, and Banks among others.

The katoloni/Infonet Team captured video clips during the event and will be edited and shared soon.

The occasion was crowned by the Machakos District commissioner, District officer-Machakos,Kari HQ representative,Infonet-Biovision farmer c. programme representative,D.A.Os-Machakos,Makueni and Athi-River,Kari-Katumani centre director,Deputy Center Director,scientists,katoloni farmers led by the coordinator –Regina  and other invited Guests.

NB;The KARI HQ representative Dr. Jack Ouda  requested that the scientist use local names linked to prominent persons or things behind the naming of various crop varieties so that farmers can differentiate  them easily.

-The District commissioner requested that Katumani continue planning for such events and he will be ready to attend and motivate farmers.

-The guests also visited our katumani-Infonet-katoloni office later after the event;Here are a few pictures captured during the event.

KARI-KATUMANI CENTRE DIRECTOR ADDRESSING FARMERS

MACHAKOS D.A.O ADDRESSING FARMERS
 

MACHAKOS DISTRICT COMMISSIONER SIGNING A VISITORS BOOK AT INFONET OFFICE KATUMANI-BESIDE ANNE BRUNTSE-INFONET-BIO-VISION COORDINATOR

CENTRE DIRECTOR-DR.KARIUKI,DR.OUDA FROM KARI HQ AND REGINA-

AT THE RESOURCE CENTRE.

FARMERS LEARNING IN THE DEMO.PLOTS.

 

Conclusion.

-farmers reactions were positive .Those interviewed said that they did not know whether there existed such useful technologies as demonstrated at katumani and vowed to implement. The deputy Center Director requested the katoloni/infonet team in collaboration with katumani outreach experts to make a follow up later then report the progress.

Posted 9 hours ago by John mutisya

KATOLONI COMMON INTREST GROUPS

-Katoloni Mission C.B.O has already assisted groups to form sub C.B.OS  normally called common interest groups in their locational/village level for the purposes of the following;

-Easy linkage of the common intrest groups to sound dryland technologies  Agricultural technologies suitable to their villages (with assistance  from our partners). 

-             Easy management, allocation of resources and provision of services from various players/partners.

-          Handling the needs of each location according to its uniqueness and set up.

-            Awareness and community empowerment on ecologically sound technologies on the different sites.

  -        Capacity building of community sub -CBOs (community based organizations) in conservation and ecosystem management.

-       Ensuring development of a more effective mechanism of monitoring and evaluation for impact assessment

  -The above was intiatilly planned to be achieved between January-June 2012.
The organization with efforts from  its main partners,Biovision farmer commnication programme,KARI-Katumani and led by the Ministry of Gender, culture and social services  had assisted formulate the idea which gave birth to  the following village community Based - organisations;
1.Muumbuni C.B.O
2.Kathekakai Joint C.B.O
3.kiimakimwe C.B.O
4.Ngelani C.B.O 
5.Mutituni C.B.O
6.Kola C.B.O
7.Muumandu C.B.O
8.kalama Kadeq C.B.O
9.Kyangala C.B.O
NB;Details of each C.B.O background to be posted soon.

CDTF LAUNCH ON 31ST JANUARY 2012 AT KATOLONI C.B.O-MACHAKOS DISTRICT KENYA

-Katoloni Mission Community Based Organization from Machakos county went through all the stages of proposal development i.e concept note, field appraisal and full proposal development, and succeeded to be among the 97 best organizations projects approved to be funded by the CDTF kit. The applicants for the same funding were more than 5000.

-The Community Based Organization project is entitled-kiima kimwe hills and associated Riparian ecosystem conservation..

-CDTF –Community Development Trust Fund-is a funding given to community based organizations/groups with an objective of promoting environmental conservation alongside improving the livelihoods of the area community. 

-This is an Initiative of the Embassy of Denmark in collaboration with the government of Kenya.

  Regina muthama the PIC chairperson signing the grant contract

                                

Part of the congregation attending the CDTF launch.

                                 

CDTF Officials launching the project

                                                      

Kyeni Dancers also a group of Katoloni C.B.O entertaining the congregation.

DTF will contribute 23 million towards the project while the community will contribute 4 million, making a total of 27 million, for the project to succeed. These has already been agreed.

-Some of the outputs expected out of implementation of the project will include;

1. -Increased participation and adoption of efficient technologies in ecosystem conservation and management by the target communities.

2. Enhanced livelihood sources, increased income and employment creation from nature based and green enterprises Increased ecosystem productivity through improved vegetation cover, access to water and reduction in soil erosion

-The named project will benefit  52 groups directly,which live within the ecosystem to be conserved.final beneficiaries will include; Number of Women-1585; Number of Men-165; Number of Youth- 310; Number of the Elderly-260; Number of people with disabilities-30; Others-16,500 area community members. Thus a total number of 18,850 beneficiaries.


The major environmental problems facing the community include the following:-

1. Lack of vegetation cover due to unsustainable cutting of trees for housing, fire wood, charcoal burning, brick burning and farming activities leading to high degradation and excessive soil erosion.

2. Inadequate water caused by lack of conservation of the water catchment areas, unregulated removal of sand and excessive pollution of the few existing rivers by Municipal council garbage. The rivers which include the Mwania, Ikiwe, Muwongoni, Manza and Mwanyani Rivers are the main source of water for area communities

3. Many Gullies and poor soil fertility caused by excessive soil erosion and poor farming methods

4. Inadequate knowledge and skills among the area communities on environmental conservation and management

5. Food insecurity as a result of climatic change, poor farming methods and inadequate knowledge of improved farming technologies.

-Other problems include the insufficient rainfall for a long time leading to severe famine and drought; high illiteracy, high poverty levels and unemployment rates; retrogressive culture which inhibit women from owning property and hence making decision on investment in the same; poor involvement of men and youth in environmental conservation activities; and small land holding as compared to the high human population. Majority of the land in the ecosystem where formally native areas during the colonial era and where and are still highly degraded as a result of excessive human activities.

Vegetable Growing - Muuo Self Help Group (in Kikamba)

The video making project

Majority of the farming class live in rural areas and for many, maintaining even a subsistence-level lifestyle is a daily concern. This may have contributed significantly to the discouragement of many from this sector.

Currently, many international organizations are attempting to help these rural families increase their agricultural output and one way to bolster their agricultural production is to develop strong agricultural education systems. These women in Machakos, Kenya, seem to have realized just that. In their small groups under the umbrella of the Katoloni CBO, they are using cheap digital cameras to make videos for extension purposes. They make videos of relevant farming practices they intent to disseminate and interviews of successful farmers using the local farmers. When farmers watch such videos with people they identify with, the information being communicated is highly adopted than when foreign videos are used. This particular way of doing things has brought about a paradigm shift in agricultural extension in the area.

The government is working to develop agricultural and extension education programs and institutions but in some cases, the importance of agricultural and extension education has been given low priority.  In other cases, the importance of human resource development is recognized, but it lacks agricultural educators and extension personnel who can plan and implement these programs at all levels. Where are the youths then? Why can’t they be used to provide these services?

This case in Machakos, I’d say is one of its kind in the country and can be replicated elsewhere. Extensionists, and in this context the youths, can tailor videos to meet the requirement of the farming class in their regions for use in disseminating specific information. This kind of human resource investment can yield important results in the form of increased agricultural productivity and decreasing unemployment levels among the youths.

The process of developing, transferring, and using agricultural technology requires this kind of innovation and therefore the country must encourage and support it if success in both developing agricultural potential in the rural areas and in meeting national food requirements is to be attained.