Books and Knowledge for Change

Media Reporting on Climate Change

Distinguishing ‘climate variability’ and ‘climate change’ has remained a very thin line to most communities and even to the knowledge managers. 

In an eight days workshop in Nairobi-Kenya, Wren Media a UK based organization, converged a team of 12 radio journalists from East Africa to have a simple and clear understanding of what climatic change is and how the people in Africa are adapting towards its effects.

 This workshop was to enable journalists from all over the East African continent to have an informed reporting on the subject matter. It came out clearly that most journalist have avoided reporting on this subject with a notion of it being either too scientific, a new concept or most media houses having  not built the capacity of the reporters on the subject plus much and more list of reasons.

But for many years in Africa now, we have had ‘climate variability’ in various instances and the people were able to cope up with it since they could predict on when it’s most likely to occur and for how long. These were caused by climate variability; but ‘climate change’ is when such disasters like drought, floods e.t.c  become more frequent , too prolonged and worst of it, extreme.

You have to note that climate change is not local to a given area where you reside, but it’s a global issue that is crosscutting and it impacts both on your social and development life. In areas next to mountains, hills or large water bodies like Lake Victoria; the area is most likely to have a certain micro-climate that may vary from time to time; this should never be mistaken for the global climate change effect.

It also came out clear that 60% - 65% of Kenya’s energy is hydropower based, a danger that is worth checking due to the residing water levels in most of our dams, rivers and other water sources. The Kenyan government having noticed this in advance, there is exploration of the geothermal power in Naivasha town alongside other clean energies likes wind and biogas to supplement it and also reduce the percentage of CO₂ released into the atmosphere by the fossil fuels.

In our next issues we shall be exploring how farmers in different regions are adapting to the effects of climate change and what one we need to understand about carbon market in Kenya. 

Best Basic ICT Trainees Get Rewarded

Every single effort recognized and appreciated in a person, rekindles the brain to deliver and perform at its best all times when called upon. 

On 17th April 2012, we recognized the efforts of the best performing trainee from each of the four classes in the second lot. The team comprised of youths, farmers, teachers, administrative officers and community leaders from all walks.

The four were identified by their trainers in terms of performance, respect and punctuality during the seven weeks training. We never had much to present them, but talks of encouragement, appreciation and guidance dominated the one hour meeting before wrapping up with the organization’s most beautiful T-shirts. This does not mean that the rest never delivered; and we too appreciate their efforts and marvelous work during the entiretraining. May their efforts fruit in all their endeavors.

How Banana Farming can Change Lives

ESTABLISHING A DEMO PLOT IN EAST KOBWAYE SUB-LOCATION

On the 18^th April 2012, in the company of the DAO, Kobama division, Mr. John Omotto, we established a demo plot at a farmer’s plot, Mr. John Nyabuto, in Kachuth village, East Kobwaye Sub-location, Kobama Division. In attendance we had 12 members (9 M & 4 F) from different groups in the area. The seeds and the fertilizer were provided by Kobama Division Ministry of Agriculture with ALIN giving the necessary information on the procedures to be followed.

On the first demo plots (17 meters x 5 meters) the crops were planted with DAP 18:46:0 fertilizers for the best result.

Plot Number/ Name	Species / Crop grown
1.	Simlaw Curl J (Tomato)
2.	SC Punda Mlia 53 (Maize(200g)
3.	SC Duma 43 (Maize(200g)
4.	SC Simba 61 (Maize(200g)
5.	KN 500 43 A (Maize(200g)
6.	DK 8031 (Maize(200g)
7.	Gadam Sorghum (KARI)
8.	Gopari Sorghum (Indigenous breed)

We are to finish the planting of various breeds of beans and groundnuts on 25^th April 2012 on the remaining plots using different techniques like pure stand, mixed cropping and the rest.

Immediate Feedbacks

·         The farmers who were present during the activity said that the idea of planting using lines/strings, certified seed and fertilizer was such a nice idea and they too are going to wait for the outcome of this and implement it on their farm but one of their greatest fears was the price of the fertilizer. They say it’s too expensive for a common man to afford and if they can get it at subsidized rates, then at least each farmer can achieve the best.

Mr. Okoth Nyabuto whose farm we are using for the demo has 2500 stems of the Simlaw Curl J tomato but he is saying that he cannot still get Kshs. 40,000 from it at the end. When we asked him for reason he said “tomato production is all about medicine, you have to spray it all the time until harvesting and that one I can’t afford”, we informed him that a good farmer needs to plan in advance before going to the ground, because if he actually did, then he would be expecting thrice what he is current dreaming of. The DAO gave him Mil-rush pest control for him to spray on the tomatoes. This idea has made us take his tomato farm too into our demo plan to make the rest learn from it and we are looking forward to assist him get some of those required chemicals in time.

Contact person: John Nyabuto 0713 355 421.

NORTH KOBWAYE LOCATION COMMUNITY ANNUAL REVIEW MEETING FORUM

On the 5^th April 2012, we attended a chief’s Baraza in North Kobwaye location during their community annual review of the location’s activities and progress. We were yet again here on a different mission and with a different agenda. We had approx 225 members (100 F and 125 M).

The guest speaker of this event was Mr. John Omotto, the DAO Kobama Division and in his accompany was our Field Officer (ALIN), Gerald Yongo.

The two main agendas here were on:

·         Climate change adaptation practices

·         Crop damage policy

·         ICT and agriculture

Climate change adaptation

Mr. Omoto expressed his disappointment on some farmers who had been given drought resistant crops like the Gadam millet, Cassava and the rest but had left them to be spoilt by the grazing animals and today they are the same people complaining of hunger during this drought season when they were supposed to be enjoying from their yields.

He also criticized some farmers who had been given the millet seeds to plant in the previous season for free and still kept them in their home in fear of chasing the birds when the millets flower. He firmly stressed that if we the people of this region don’t change our attitudes towards development, then we might face a lot of difficulties with the changing climate. It sounded so bad that those people who were complaining of the weight in chasing birds wasn’t that they were busy doing a better thing but busy gambling in the market from morning to evening.   

Crop damage policy

From the above agenda, Mr. Omotto, the DAO, stressed on the issue of crop damage by animals.  He said that farmers should control and manage their animals in a manner that they do not go astray to spoil other farmers’ crops. This is an issue that has been causing unending conflict in this division especially now that sugarcane production has taken over most fields used to lie fallow in relation to the construction of the Riat Sugar Factory.

The officer further explained that the Ministry of Agriculture has been given a mandate by law to assess any crop damage and write a complainant assess report within 24 hours and the case will be solved in a court of law with that report as the evidence. The procedure that is to be followed when you find a person’s animal damaging your crop, you are suppose to call a second person to witness before removing the animal totally from the scene, then tie the animal somewhere to avoid further damage as you seek for the owner of the animal to witness the damage too and also confirm that the animal is his or hers. From here now you can comfortably report the case to the chief and the Ministry of agriculture. The assessment will be based on three categories: cost of production, horticultural stage and the ready stage with different expected compensations from the owners of the animal. This was something that was highly welcomed by most people in the forum, some saying that it will reduce the carelessness that had been previously bred in the division by some animal farmers.

It came out very clearly that if our farmers are not careful, we might not even enjoy the benefits of the developments in this region because even sugarcane that is the only cash crop here will all be damage by our animals and the newly installed company will begin importing sugarcane cuttings from other neighboring constituencies.

ICT and Agriculture

After such a lengthy discussion, our field officer Mr. Gerald Yongo took over from Mr. Omotto summarizing on all the mentioned agendas and their impact on the war against extreme poverty in the country’s vision 2030 goal. The government and other stakeholders are doing their part to stimulate the growth and development of our people but a few people are not positive towards change. That’s that.

Talking about ICT and agriculture; we realize that technology of each every production is changing on an everyday scheme, not just for the sake of it but, for the most economically and efficient way that can be replicated by every farmer with the most minimal technical skills.

This strongly brought in the idea of ICT training and other services offered at Ndhiwa Maarifa centre (ALIN). Mr. Omotto intercepted and informed the farmers of how technology has come to be in that with the ICT skills, one is able to even research on issues affecting their productions through the internet or even the internet enabled phones from their farmers. We had to respond to a number of questions concerning the services and how we choose groups to work with. The area chief took over after me and challenged the people on how many good things had come their way and they didn’t explore the opportunities, and now this one is here again and he is watching.

Impact

·         4 farmers from Wachara have reported crop damage following the right procedure.

·         The chief has confirmed that there is a reduction in the number of cases reported on crop damage to 2 in a week as compared to last month when he could receive 5 cases or more in a week.

·         The area chief has referred 5 people to be trained on ICT skills plus her assistant. Considering the distance (50 KM), we felt the need to give chance to all of them despite the long queue of demand.

Contact Person: Asst. Chief Judy: 0710-55 96 81.