Enhancing Water Access to Ensure Feed and Nutrition Security for Pastoralists in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL)

Thousands of pastoralists in Northern Kenya are set to benefit from PlantVillage’s initiative to establish a Community Center of Innovations (CCI) at Attan village in Isiolo County.

With the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL), PlantVillage has partnered with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) through the Department of Horticulture and Food Security to create a sustainable and diversified agricultural landscape in the region. The initiative will be bolstered by collaboration with NAWIRI, another USAID-funded program that seeks to enhance food security by increasing access to high-quality, affordable, and nutritious foods in the area.

This research project focuses on adaptation to climate change and addressing nutritional deficiencies in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL). The Community Center for Innovations (CCI) integrates water management and resilient agriculture to bridge the nutritional gap. Following success in Ririma, Marsabit County, the CCI expands to Isiolo, catalyzing a positive shift toward sustainable crop farming and revitalizing communal lands in ASAL.

Across-sectional photo showing the capillary wick and drip irrigation systems in Attan, Isiolo County. Photo credit: Dennis Avokoywa, PlantVillage media officer.

The CCI center incorporates various irrigation systems, such as capillary wick, moist bed garden, and drip irrigation systems, enabling the cultivation of a variety of crops to enhance nutritional diversity as well as creating opportunities for alternative income generation. In collaboration with various stakeholders, the innovation center will be enhanced with additional technologies. These improvements aim to empower communities to participate in crop production, ensuring food security, and providing a source of income.

John Wesonga, an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Food Security at JKUAT, emphasizes the significance of engaging local youths and University students in the project: “We are engaging local youths and our students in this project to acquaint them with these technologies and empower them to install them independently.”

Prof. John Wesonga (white t-shirt), supervises the youths as they install the drip irrigation system. Photo credit: Dennis Avokoywa.

Prof. Wesonga emphasized that this approach empowers participants with valuable skills, enabling them to independently implement similar projects and generate income through installation services. “Our goal is to provide them with a toolkit that facilitates the upscaling of similar projects. We actively involve them in every step, from clearing shrubs and digging trenches to connecting pipes and utilizing tools, fostering their ability to install and manage these components effectively.”

Gideon Eloto, one of the casuals, showcasing his newly acquired skills in using the Earth Auger to dig holes. Photo credit: Dennis Avokoywa, PlantVillage field officer.

Project Progress and Community Impact

The project, currently at 90 percent completion, has positively impacted the community by creating employment opportunities. Eleven local youths have been employed as casuals, actively contributing to establishing the center of innovations.

“It is very difficult to find a job that pays here. With this initiative, we are benefiting; I can now get extra money,” said Gideon Eloto, a local youth who works there as a casual.

The project’s success has not only created employment opportunities but also addressed challenges faced by the youth in the area.

Community youths actively engaged in digging trenches to install the capillary wick irrigation system Photo credit: Dennis Avokoywa, PlantVillage media officer.

“Most of us have gone to school and qualified for different positions, but we don’t get them. With this initiative, it helps to keep us occupied, and if it continues, it will help to reduce the rampant insecurity in this area, especially livestock theft,” added Eloto.

The youths engaged in establishing the CCI receive a daily payment, greatly aiding them in diversifying their income streams.

“Through such projects, I’ve applied the knowledge acquired in school, gained practical experience, and, importantly, shared this expertise by training other youths. This has empowered them to recognize opportunities in agriculture. Through the training, they have expressed their commitment to pursuing it independently and teaching others, thereby creating a positive cycle.” Nixon Bett, a student from JKUAT, Department of Horticulture and Food Security, believes that this approach can address the issue of unemployment in the region.

Joseph Eregae and Joseph Aorot scouting the farm to assess the seedling growth. Photo caption: Dennis Avokoywa, PlantVillage field officer.

Inclusive Approach: Women’s Involvement

The initiative also plans to extend its positive impact by involving women. This inclusive approach will ensure that its benefits reach a broader segment of the community.

“We also plan to involve women in this project at a later stage by training them on establishing kitchen gardens and engaging in other agricultural activities,” added Prof. Wesonga.

The irrigation systems demonstration plot not only directly employs casuals but also envisions the establishment of kiosks in the area, selling produce cultivated within the demo plots at the CCI. “I am thinking of starting a vegetable kiosk here, courtesy of this demo plot,” Mary Epua, a resident mother of five, shared her plans.

Cowpeas sprouted to life just one week after being subjected to a drip irrigation system. When mature, this indigenous vegetable variety will provide nutritional diversity among the pastoralists. Photo credit: Dennis Avokoywa.

Epua highlighted her past experience selling locally produced vegetables and sees the demonstration plot initiative as an opportunity to revive and expand her entrepreneurial ventures.

“I used to obtain vegetables from local farmers in this area and later sell them. I had a well-established grocery store by the main road. However, this business did not last because most of the plants couldn’t withstand the harsh climatic conditions of this place. Farmers lacked sufficient knowledge in dryland farming as well as managing pests and diseases, leading to occasional losses. Eventually, they closed down their production, forcing me to close my business as well.”

Optimism for Future Development

Residents are optimistic about the project’s potential to drive overall development in the area, as such initiatives act as catalysts for positive change, not only economically but also in terms of overall community well-being.

“We urge the government and other organizations to start such projects in our area to boost development,” said John Luboon, a local youth, working as a casual.

Professor John Wesonga practically demonstrates to the youths how to install the drip irrigation system. Photo credit: Dennis Avokoywa, PlantVillage media officer.

Musa Juma, a technician and expert in dryland farming at the Ruben Centre, commended the project as highly effective, having been tried in the drylands of Somalia and Turkana. Juma pioneered this work in Somalia, growing food even in areas where the temperatures were above 40 degrees celsius.

The initiative is aiding the community in food cultivation by utilizing water from a borehole established by the Cooperation for Peace and Development (COPAD) and the county government of Isiolo.

“We urge more organizations to emulate and implement such initiatives. This will help mitigate immoral activities among the youths, such as banditry and drug abuse,” stated Joseph Eregae, PlantVillage’s Moran, overseeing the project in Attan, Isiolo County.

Wick capillary irrigation system is a sub-surface irrigation method based on soil capillary action to gradually supply water from the water source directly to the root zone. Photo credit: Dennis Avokoywa, PlantVillage media officer.

Fast-growing crops, including cowpeas and those adapted to this region, such as watermelon, papaya, and okra, have been chosen as pilot crops for planting in this system. In the future, additional crops will be introduced.

AUTHORS
Dennis Avokoywa
SOURCE
Originally published on plantvillage.psu.edu
PHOTO
© Dennis Avokoywa