The Nakuru Event: Your Waste is My Treasure
 

The event was held on 29 October 2003 at Hotel Waterbuck within Nakuru Municipality and was intended for stakeholders in the larger Rift Valley Province and surrounding regions. It was organized by Gitundu Gataro Organic Group (GGOG) supported by Samburu Ecological Farming Group. GGOG is a self-help group based in Nakuru that undertakes training of farmers in organic agriculture, marketing of organic products and promotion of urban waste management and environmental conservation. Although communication between the FORMAT secretariat and the local organizers proved tedious in the days leading up to the event, it proved to be relatively successful with 45 invited participants and approximately the same number of visitors in attendance. Among the visitors were the Mayor of Nakuru Municipality, representatives from the Provincial administration, several youth and women groups, farmers, entrepreneurs and NGOs.

This particular event succeeded largely due to the participation of core exhibitors and local NGOs because some of the invited exhibitors failed to attend. Unfortunately, the hotel had too limited a space for exhibition resulting in overcrowding, nonetheless, the event was judged an overall success with informative presentations made using PowerPoint and a large amount of literature distributed. Given the participation of many self-help groups, reprints of the chapter on the “Formation and Operations of Self-Help Groups” from the FORMAT book “Organic Resource Management in Kenya” was in great demand. A key feature of the event was a comedy by YOSEHE 2000 Youth Group entitled “Your Waste My Resource”, which dramatized the various ways in which urban and domestic waste can be recycled into useful products. Distribution of exhibits and presentations was as follows: value-added processing (13), waste management (9), information dissemination and extension (5), soil fertility management (4), resource conservation (4), traditional foods and plants (2). The event was largely dominated by value-added processing of organic resources and waste management, which are largely the main activities undertaken by the groups associated with the local organizers.  This resulted in an event focused upon urban issues.  

A key outcome of the event was the launching of discussions on waste recycling training between Youth United Against Environmental Pollution and the Nakuru Municipal Council. Three organizations supporting innovations through grants and credit made presentations on their work. This included KARI’s ATILI programme, Faulu Kenya and Millenium Savings Cooperative Society. Participants recommended holding of similar events in the future at divisional level venues. Some participants advised against the use of English for presentations. An exhibit on “Honey Processing” by Geoffrey Muigai of Muoroto Youth Group won the first place, “Wall Hangings from Urban Waste” by Joseph Kimani of Lake View USAFI Group took second prize and Joshua Gichiri’s “Organic Waste for Integrated Resource Management” was awarded third place. FORMAT appreciates the efforts made by Moses Nderitu and David Lekaru to organize this event.

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