January 2009 - Expanding on CSTI’s work in Makueni
The Centre for Science and Technology Innovation has, during the past three years, implemented the project “Increasing Community Resilience to Drought in Sakai, Makueni District” under the major project “Integrating Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change into Sustainable Development Policy Planning and Implementation in Eastern Africa (ACCESA). The project is lead by the United Nations Programme and funded by the Global Environment Facility, the Netherlands and Norway as well as in kind contribution from Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi.
Sakai Division is part of Mbooni East District in Kenya. It has a population of 800 households with an average size of household being 6-7. In the past two decades it has experienced intermittent drought disasters that debilitated the population ability to cope and sustain its livelihood. The project “Increasing Community Resilience to Drought” has involved 140 households whose ability to use weather information, apply quality seeds, conserve water and establish micro-credit schemes has transformed their ability to cope with recurrent drought.
For additional details see:
http://www.iisd.org/climate/vulnerability/adaptation.asp
http://www.freewebs.com/greenkenya/researchanddevelopment.htm
http://ceciliawandiga.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/empowering-small-holder-farmers-in-rural-kenya/
The experience gained needs to be permanently anchored on ability of the community to sustain it. Therefore, using web 2.0 platform and social networking strategies (e.g. text messages, chat, online data sharing via collaborative web interface, mobile telephony applications, video, teleconferencing, spatial data mapping, participatory data gathering and analysis) seek to develop a social-science and technology network that enables the community exchange information on:
§ downscaled weather forecast for the community
§ use the developed Farmers Handbook to translate the weather information into agronomic tools/information
§ acquire farm inputs like quality seeds, farmyard manure or fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural information.
§ provide information on markets needs for farm produce, micro-credit projects and unavailable small scale technologies applicable at farm level. Other information suitable for socio-economic development of the community will be disseminated.