Long-Term Food Security for 4000 Samburus in Kenya

We are thrilled to report that Sadhana Forest Kenya has massively increased its water transporting capabilities.  Our new water truck carries 5400 litres – that’s 9 times what we were previously able to haul!  Until now, it was an ongoing challenge getting water to trees and gardens beyond the Community Agro-Forestry Learning Center (CALC) where we pump ground water using solar and wind power.  We can now greatly expand our activities, rain or shine.  Not only are the growing food-forests sure to be watered but we are also able to provide some water for households, which is especially crucial during harsh droughts when women and children walk many kilometres to carry water home.

We are very fortunate that cases of covid-19 have remained low in Samburu County.  So, proceeding with caution, we have continued to provide follow-up care and expansion to the food-forest style kitchen gardens previously planted at homes around Samburu; as well as adding many new ones!  We have also kept very busy caring for our tree nurseries to always have plenty of seedlings ready for planting – for Samburu households as well as for foresting our demonstration plot here at CALC.

After 10 months of children being out of classrooms due to the covid-19 shut-downs, local schools have recently re-opened.  We are looking forward to the coming months when we’ll safely get back to collaborating with them on planting projects and training events.  Also, when possible, we will pursue outreach such as tree-planting training and permaculture design implementation in new villages that are now more accessible due to our upgraded transport.

FYI: Earth Day 2021 is on April 22^nd and this year’s theme is “Restore Our Earth”.  So get out there and plant a tree!

We are so grateful to everyone who supports the work of Sadhana Forest Kenya, such as donors, volunteers, and the people at GlobalGiving.  If you are interested in providing us feedback concerning our project, finding out more about our activities or areas of operation, or would like to volunteer with us, please email us at kenya@sadhanaforest.org.  We also strongly encourage you to provide feedback at the end of this report.

Ashe Oleng! (“Thank you very much!” in Kisamburu)

Thank you to everyone who donated on “Giving Tuesday”. Together, you helped us raise over $4500 for the Samburu people! Those funds will go directly towards the goal of long term food security in Samburu County. Now here’s a bit about what we’ve been up to recently at Sadhana Forest Kenya.

Although we have fewer volunteers at this time, we have not slowed down on our important work but we have shifted our tactics in order to make the best use of this unusual dynamic. Not being able to travel too far from home has presented the opportunity to further develop infrastructure at the Community Agro-Forestry Learning Center. That includes increasing the output of our tree nurseries to ensure a variety of species are always ready to plant. Excitingly, we have begun to harvest seeds from some of our earliest planted trees.

We really miss collaborating with schools since the covid-19 closures, but we’re so grateful to be able to provide similar learning opportunities and practical experience to children safely at their homes. They are keen to get involved with planting trees and gardens as well as the subsequent care. It is encouraging to see this enthusiasm and to know that they will always have this knowledge – for their futures and to pass on to those who come after them.

With more rain recently, has come a burst of growth in the area and we are continuing to see great success with the intensive Permaculture plots that we have implemented. We will keep checking in on those as well as creating new ones. Depending on factors such as the size of the family’s land, these projects range from small kitchen gardens with a few food-producing trees to extensive Permaculture designs with over a hundred trees. When it comes to providing water for these gardens, we can only hope that the rain continues and we know to prepare for the inevitable drought. We are currently organizing the means to deliver substantial water to the surrounding community, free of cost.

FYI: To help grow our monthly support base, GlobalGiving is offering a 200% match on all new monthly donations set up between now and Friday (Terms and Conditions). This is a great way to make your donation go further!

As always, we would like to thank all of you for supporting the vital work of Sadhana Forest Kenya and we are grateful to GlobalGiving for this wonderful platform with which to reach you. If you are interested in providing us feedback concerning our project, finding out more about our activities or area of operation, or would like to volunteer with us, please email us at kenya@sadhanaforest.org. We also strongly encourage you to provide feedback at the end of this report.

Ashe Oleng! (“Thank you very much!” in Kisamburu)