Long-Term Food Security for 4000 Samburus in Kenya

Over the last few months we here at Sadhana Forest Kenya have been focusing on a new Food-Security and Permaculture Design project at nearby Lpetpet Primary School.  Trees we planted there a year ago have been well taken care of and thriving, so we chose the location to implement a larger, more intensive design similar to projects we've built at other schools.  A group of local high school students participating in a Sadhana Forest Work-Experience Program and a group of 30 international volunteers worked together to get the initial infrastructure and planting underway.

A major reason we choose schools for these projects is to help provide children with nutrient-rich lunches.  Many students rely on their school lunch for the bulk of their nutrition, but that typically consists only of maize and beans.  Adding a variety of vegetables and fruits straight from the forest garden is an impactful way of nourishing a large number of school children suffering from malnutrition.  Many of the schools where we have installed these projects are already harvesting from their own school gardens.

We have found the most success on these school ground projects by fencing off a manageable area with chain link, around 1/4 to 1/2 an acre.  We fashion a couple of stiles that allow human access but prevent any curious animals from disturbing the delicate plants.  The outer fence line will look similar from project to project planted with the dense and thorny Kei Apple (Dovyalis caffra) fruit tree that will act as a living, food-producing fence and wind barrier.  However, no two projects will be exactly alike in design as we must work with the natural contours of the land to create optimal water catchment without erosion.  As always, we plant native food-bearing trees such as Moringa stenopetala that are extremely hardy and drought-resistant.  For the more sensitive plants such as tomato, papaya, avocado, and mango, a shade net is installed. Under this we also mix in plenty of other food sources like kale, spinach, beans, and squash.  Once the trees are strong enough for full sun and big enough to provide shade for their vegetable neighbours, the net can be relocated for another similar planting area within the forest garden.  This shading is a simple way to create a gentler climate for the more fragile species to get established in an otherwise scorching landscape.

Work on this current project at Lpetpet Primary School will continue over the coming months.  Thank you to all the students and staff at Lpetpet, the participants of our Work-Experience Program, and the 30 volunteers from abroad for collaborating and working so hard on such an important project.  We're excited to watch it grow and nourish the local community!

Thank you to the GlobalGiving community and supporters around the world.  If you would like to provide feedback, learn more about our projects, or if you are interested in volunteering with us, please email us at kenya@sadhanaforest.org.  There is also an opportunity to leave a note at the end of this report.

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