More livelihood options, Less climate risk, More income!

Mr. Bedan Njeru, a member of Mwanzo group, a self-help group of 35 members, can attest to the statement that with more livelihood options one reduces climate risk and increase income. Mr. Njeru is a married man and a father of two children.   Mr. Njeru is also a community leader in his location and knows the importance of being a member of a community groups and he is enjoying the fruits.

Before ICE engaged Mwanzo group in 2016, Mr. Njeru confessed he did not utilize well his piece of land. Attributing this to climatic shocks experienced by majority of farmers especially from semi-arid areas like Mbeere in Embu County demotivated most farmers, resulting in them undertaking agriculture as cultural norm not as a livelihood option. This was even worse for most of his group members and community members in general who do not have other sources of income and have to rely solely on agriculture.

Mr. Njeru has gained farming skills and changed his attitude towards farming. He started practicing skills learnt from the training provided by project dubbed Ecosystem Management for improving Community Climate Change Resilience . One important thing he is happy about is diversification of his livelihood options by integrating crop farming with small livestock like poultry. He is a beneficiary of chicken breed given out in 2016 as part of the project with support of Biovision Foundation. This motivated him to undertake poultry keeping as a farm enterprise. He has earned more income and he is also happy about the initiative as he gets manure which he says is rich in nutrients for his farm crops.

One of recommendation he made, is for the sixteen (16) group members who have taken up poultry rearing as a farm enterprise to be trained on how supported on how they can establish and manage a marketing group to help them market collectively. This would help increase their income more and expand the initiative.

Story by: Hannah Kigamba