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FROM THE FIELD

Changing the World: One Life at a Time
20 Jan 2009 10:54:00 GMT
 Source: Dorcas Aid International - Netherlands
DJ Otte

Website: Website: http://www.dorcas.net

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In June 2008, Mrs Kitele was awarded Best Farmer of the Eastern Province.
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In June 2008, Mrs Kitele was awarded Best Farmer of the Eastern Province.
It is a huge difference: only a few years ago, Mrs Josephine Kitele who lives in Machakos in East Kenya, was dependent on food relief. Today, Josephine has two sub surface dams that she has constructed along the nearby river as well as a water pan in her farm. The water pan not only provides enough water for production of vegetables and fruits - such as lemons, oranges, paws paws and grafted mangoes - but the distance to the nearest water point has been reduced to 100 metres - having been 7 kilometres before the construction of the water pan!

Josephine attributes most of her food-security efforts to the knowledge she has gained from trainings and exchange visits organised by the Machakos Rural Development Programme (MRDP), a Dorcas Aid International supported project.

-"This project has made a huge difference in our community. We now have renewed hope since we do not depend of relief food anymore. It IS possible for us to have sufficient food production from this area as long as there is water and as long as the community here is given training on dry land farming"

Josephine is now a role model within the Eastern province. Initially, her land lay idle because of lack of knowledge on how to utilize it. Now, through the Machakos Rural Development Programme, Josephine has gained knowledge and skills she learned through the project and has increased her yields. She has sold the surplus and managed to construct a personal shallow well whereby water is pumped by a windmill. Her land is no more rugged and unproductive. Instead, she has even created employment to one community member, Mr Metuma, who now distributed tomatoes and onions from her farm. The proceeds from the sale of vegetables have helped Josephine buy four dairy cows and pay school fees for her two children in college and university. She is thinking about uniting and mobilizing farmers within her community to start dairy co-operative society within her village to assist them sell their milk collectively. This will help them have a bargaining power and consequently good prices and market for their milk and vegetables.

Last summer, she was awarded the 2008 Best Farmer of the Eastern Province.

-" I am the perfect example of how a community can change" Josephine tells us. She now is an example to other Machakos Rural Development Programme farmers. Today, Josephine has changed and is changing the minds of many local people who have seen and see her hard work.




[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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