The Kiambu Event: Managing Resources in Small Farms

The local organizer of the Kiambu Countrywide Event held on 1 October 2004 was the Kenyan Smallholders Advancement Group (KENSAG), together with the local departments of the ministries of agriculture, environment and culture. KENSAG is a community-based organization that has over the years collaborated with FORMAT to promote and advance the activities of small-scale farmers in Kiambu district. The event was hosted jointly by the St. Philip’s ACK Church, Kihara, as part of the church’s community development activities.

The Millennium Fuel Project demonstrated production of fuel briquettes

There were 54 invited participants drawn mainly from Kiambu and Nairobi, and backed by the team of 13 core participants. A total of 49 exhibits were presented on value-added processing, soil fertility management, traditional foods and plants, livestock management, information dissemination, waste management and resource conservation.  Two major attractions at this event were a demonstration on production of fuel briquettes from organic wastes by Nick Wood of The Millennium Fuel Project and on how to prepare stew from banana male bud by Jennifer W. Munyi of St. Phillips A.C.K Church-Kiambu.

An exhibit by Peter Njoroge on “Organic Farming of High Value Vegetables: Lettuce, Spinach, Tomatoes and Cabbages” won the first place. The second place was awarded to Kibera Youth Self Help Group who exhibited “Manure and fertilizer from solid waste” and third place went to Fred Njogu’s exhibit “Types of fodder crops”.

The Thika Event: Harnessing and Utilization of Locally Available Resources Towards Sustainable Production

This event was held on 21 October 2004 at The SACDEP Centre within Thika town in Central Province. It was organized and hosted by the Sustainable Agriculture Community Development Programme (SACDEP), a Kenyan NGO that is involved in the training of sustainable agriculture and community development in central and eastern Kenya. A total of 127 invited participants brought exhibits and made presentations in the seven topics covering value-added processing (65), traditional foods and plants (17), soil fertility management (22), information and extension (6), waste management (3), livestock management (1) and natural resource conservation (12).  Members of the public (221) collected information materials and products, and also made new contacts.