Sustainable and Inclusive Food-Systems Agents (SIFA) Nyabola Farmers Consultative Meeting
The Africa Centre for Sustainable and Inclusive Development (Africa CSID) is dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, enhancing their skills, and influencing institutional frameworks to consider their specific needs and interests. Our efforts are concentrated in three key areas: promoting peace and conflict transformation, fostering economic empowerment, and addressing climate change. As part of our climate change initiatives, we are currently executing the Sustainable and Inclusive Food-Systems Agents (SIFA) project. In collaboration with the Lake Region Economic Network (LREN) at https://lrenkenya.org/, we y visited farmers in Nyabola Village, Kasipul Constituency, Homabay County on July 6th, 2023. Homabay County is one of Kenya’s 29 Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) counties.
During our visit, we engaged with a group called Jaramo Group, comprising 36 members, including 16 women and 13 youth. The group primarily focuses on fish farming, utilizing fish ponds located in a swampy area that naturally replenishes water from the ground. They supplement the fish feed with locally available resources such as kales, potato leaves, and yam leaves, along with conventional feeds, which are often costly and inaccessible to the farmers. Additionally, the group cultivates various crops, including vegetables, bananas, and millet.
The farmers expressed several concerns, including land disputes involving widows hence limiting their food production, limited access to soil testing services, the high cost of acquiring livestock crossbreeds, and the absence of technology and capacity for value addition. To ensure a gender transformative approach, our consultative meeting included diverse representation from the community, including middle-aged and elderly men, despite SIFA’s primary focus on women and youth. We believe that engaging all community members is crucial for achieving the transformative change. In the coming months, we plan to organize more consultative fora to identify more issues and facilitate their implementation.
