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The Embu Event: Sustainable Organic Resource Management for Wealth Creation
The Embu event was organized by Organic Africa on 29 October 2004. Organic Africa is a CBO involved in the promotion of organic farming through compost production and the use of bio-catalysts. This event represented a unique synergy between the government ministries of social services and agriculture, and Organic Africa. The government officers mobilized community groups to exhibit technologies and products at the event, in a stronger manner than shown in other events. The local news agencies also gave the event prominence in their coverage of the news from the area. Issues of herbal medicine, traditional foods and plants, water harvesting and conservation, integrated soil fertility management, and value-added processing of traditional foods and plants were prominent. The role of women in innovation and wealth creation was exemplified by their participation in presenting exhibits, conducting demonstrations and as visitors.
The event reached more than 500 persons. Presentations and exhibits were conducted simultaneously as neither the hall nor the exhibition arena alone could accommodate all the people who turned up. Students from schools and colleges, youth and women groups, farmers associations and entrepreneurs from Embu district and its surroundings attended the event. There were 79 exhibits and 21 talks covering products and value-added processing (32), soil fertility management (24), traditional foods and plants (10), resource conservation (10), information dissemination and extension (4) and waste management (1). The first prize was awarded to Mary Samuel from Ena Kwiyendera Women Group with an exhibit on “Multi-storey Kitchen Garden”, followed by Jack Rware with an exhibit on “Jack II Avocado” and Naomi Gakuthi of Kiringa Women Group (third place) with an exhibit on “Dried Green Vegetables”. |
