The Advocacy Project is seeking $2,000 to help Shield of Faith, a dynamic woman's association, use vermiculture as a way to improve nutrition and reduce pollution in Kibera. Led by their inspiring coordinator Stella, seen in the photo, the group has set ambitious goals for this year: compost 500 kilos of food waste; grow a third of their vegetables in kitchen gardens; and sell 50 liters of leachate (fertilizer) produced by their worms. They feel this will inspire others to change their behavior.
Kibera, often called the largest slum in Africa, is known for malnutrition and pollution. These problems are connected. The settlement produces 230 tons of garbage a day, much of which ends up in open dump sites. Many market gardens in Kibera are irrigated by sewage, which means that fruit and vegetables sold locally are often unsafe. The families of Kibera are hard-working and resilient, but overcrowding and low income make it very difficult for them to overcome these daunting challenges.
Over the past year, ten members of Shield of Faith have developed a model of urban cultivation that is tailored to poor families living in squalid, overcrowded conditions. Your donations will help them fine-tune this model by using vermiculture to compost food waste, grow nutritious vegetables, and sell the leachate produced by their worms under the brand name of Lishe-Grow ("Grow Nutrition"). This will provide the ten families with safe, organic food and also bring in badly-needed income.
If Shield of Faith can demonstrate the benefits from sound environmental stewardship, others will follow suit. They will start promoting their model at a prestigious agricultural fair in Nairobi. They will also strengthen their organization by electing officers, doubling membership and securing government certification for Lishe-Grow to boost sales. Their ultimate goal: offer a sustainable solution to malnutrition and pollution that empowers women in all of Nairobi's informal settlements.
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