In an effort aimed at empowering women hard hit by drought in West Pokot County, the International Tree Foundation, in partnership with the Perur Rays of Hope organisation, has distributed vertical kitchen garden materials to 100 to enable women to grow vegetables for subsistence purposes and income generation.
The move is aimed at fighting food insecurity and malnutrition, hence improving the general human health within the region that has been labelled with the challenges for long.
Speaking after the distribution of the materials at Kapkanyar in Pokot South Constituency, the ITF Western Region Project Officer Joshua Mutambuki said the organisation has partnered with Perur Rays of Hope to implement the FR100 project in West Pokot County as part of the initiative to support women in establishing kitchen gardens.
He disclosed that vertical gardens are an important livelihood activity, adding that they have supported the women groups with beehives, fruit trees and tree nursery training for income generation.
Mutambuki said with vertical gardens, households can grow up to 120 different types of vegetables within a limited space.
‘We are pleased to see that the women have embraced this initiative. They acknowledge that the vertical garden saves space and requires minimal water, which is quite important during the dry season.
With just a small amount of water, households can produce enough vegetables for their household needs,” he noted.
The project officer said over 100 households have already benefitted from the vertical garden materials, reiterating that the project has significantly enhanced food security.
He said following the launch, they plan to conduct follow-up training sessions to ensure each beneficiary correctly installs their gardens.
He said when they plant vegetables, within approximately three months they will have harvested, thus putting food on their tables and the surplus sold in the neighbourhoods for some income.
He ascertained that the materials entail locally available resources such as sacks to support household kitchen gardens.
“We are committed to employing various approaches to ensure that even more households benefit from the kitchen initiative,” stated the Project Officer.
Caroline Menach, the Director of Perur Rays of Hope and Principal of St.Elizabeth Girls’ Secondary School Morpus, said her organisation was blessed to be supported by the International Tree Foundation in their efforts to improve livelihoods, especially among women within Kapkanyar, especially in Kaprech village.
“Thanks to this partnership, 100 women representing 100 households have benefitted from the distribution of vertical gardens,” she said.
She singled out that West Pokot County is a dry region, and supporting women is crucial because they play a central role in ensuring food security at the household level.
She said the vertical garden initiative, supported by ITF, provides innovative ways for the community to grow food with minimal water, especially during the dry season.
She said women are often responsible for fetching water and sourcing vegetables for their families, which is physically demanding and sometimes dangerous, noting that women have fallen from trees while collecting vegetables.
She said with the introduction of vertical gardens, women can irrigate crops using less water right at their homes, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring their children have access to nutritious food.
“Vertical gardens will not only improve household food security but also enable children to attend school and focus on their education,” Menach said.
She said ITF support goes beyond vertical gardens to include beehives and Eco-stoves which are all aimed at empowering women and strengthening livelihoods.
‘‘When women are empowered, communities thrive,’’ she said
She said they look forward to expanding the vertical garden initiative to reach more women, fostering community development, better education opportunities for children, and overall household well-being.
She mentioned that a happy, food-secure household means a happier community, with surplus produce that can be sold to improve economic stability.
Eliza Apollo, the chairlady of the Sindenden Women’s group, said, “I thank ITF for visiting our village; your support has enabled us to establish a tree nursery project, which has provided us with tree seedlings. Some of these seedlings have been planted in the forest to help restore areas affected by deforestation due to charcoal burning. We are grateful for ITF’S support in this effort to plant trees and conserve our forest cover.’’
Additionally, she noted that ITF has supplied water tanks to support the nursery and nearby schools around Kaprech, Sinenden, and Kaptaboswa have received water tanks as well.
She said ITF has also donated to them 100 eco-stoves, which have greatly improved their cooking and helped save the environment.
“These eco-stoves use only three pieces of firewood, saving energy, reducing deforestation, and promoting environmental conservation,” Mrs. Apollo said.
She acknowledged that the donated 100 beehives will enable them to harvest honey and generate income.
“We appreciate ITF and its donors for their ongoing support, which has positively impacted our lives. the Vertical garden materials they have received will help them grow vegetables during the dry season, ensuring food for their families,’’ she said.
by Anthony Melly and Richard Muhambe
