 What is sustainable development?
Rieko Kenya defines sustainable development as a participatory enabling process that meets the fundamental human needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future generations’. Read more……….
Asset Based Community Driven Development (ABCD)
Our response to socio-economic and livelihood challenges in Kenya is to facilitate a social change where citizens mobilize and organize their own assets to break the cycle of poverty and live sustainably. The approach is premised on the people’s assets and capacities as the primary building blocks of sustainable community development. We empower communities to use what they have to secure what they have not. We focus on asset building and enhancing local capacities. Rieko Kenya supports economically deprived communities in carrying out holistic analysis of their forms of production, sources of income and expenses, and how they can mobilize their assets, natural resource base, physical assets, individual knowledge / skills and organizational capacity to improve their wellbeing.
Rieko Kenya enhances the capacity of communities and local associations/ institutions to map out their own assets and strengths for sustainable livelihood initiatives. This process of building agents of change is also underscored by the Department for International Development (DFID) www.removingunfreedoms.org/DFID_livelihoods.htm. Rieko Kenya acknowledges that relief has a place here in Kenya but it can not release the potentialities in people to realize just, holistic and sustainable development. Sustainable development cannot be done for the people but must be done by the people themselves. The role of external development agencies must change in order to realize complete endogenous development where citizens take charge of their own development process. Rieko Kenya helps communities to document their own development most significant changes and share their best practices for further replication and scaling up For more information on the approach and tools used for conducting ABCD, read Coady International Institute, St. Francis Xavier University- Canada library at www.stfx.ca/coady-library/certabcdmobilize.html.
The role of Rieko Kenya is to help communities build, strengthen and drive sustainable livelihood initiatives. We help communities to use their social networks and power of collectivism to synergistically boost their strengths for a meaningful and sustainable development.
Food Security
Rieko Kenya strengthens small farmers’ producer coalitions to access and control the production, processing and marketing with a special emphasis to increasing the voice of women and youths.
Rieko Kenya helps small holder farmers to increase value chain for their products in order to scale up their income and help reduce exploitation from the big traders/middlemen. Rieko has a passion for women and believe that focus on food security must invest equitably on women’s assets and strengthen their capacity to produce.
Food shortages experienced in most rural and peri-urban parts of kenya continue to deny people their rights . It increases vicious cycle of poverty and disempowers the people as they remain dominated by and dependent on the power of the rich.
Rieko kenya will not stop not unless enough and the right food is available on the table for all. We pursue a holistic and integrated approach to ensure food security and socio- economic liberation for all using people centred interventions .Read more……..
Urban and Peri-urban agriculture
Rieko Kenya is promoting urban and peri-urban agriculture to improve the livelihoods and nutrition of poor families. Over 50% of the populations in small urban set- ups in Kenya are living below poverty line. The youth forms the bulk of the unemployed lot as they continue to look for the Juakali(artisan) jobs. Unless they are involved in small prolific gardening, they will continue posing threat to the security of the small towns. Rieko is showing how, in an intensively managed backyard/kitchen garden, a peri-urban family can produce high- value nutritious fruits, grains and vegetables.
Rieko Kenya volunteers and staff show the people how to build and maintain micro gardens and, demonstrate urban farming techniques.
Peri-urban dwellers will need affordable food. Yet poverty rates in Kenyan towns often exceed 50 percent with chronic joblessness and malnutrition. Peri-urban gardening - organized with due regard for food quality and safety and economic and environmental sustainability - will provide not only on-the-spot fresh produce, but also jobs for the poor and better nutrition for their families.
Food security and climate change forums
The district based forums brings together farmers, NGOs, as well as Governmental institutions concerned with food security and climate change issues to disseminate and discuss the issue with the aim to increase farmers’ deeper understanding and priorities on the issue as well as to initially explore adaptive measures especially regarding food production, harvesting, storage and marketing
Farmer Field Schools
Farmer Field Schools empowers small holder farmers’ groups to identify the opportunities and constraints they face as they design unique and feasible tailor made interventions. Typically, 15-20 neighboring farmers gather in a field, for a full crop cycle. Many Farmers Field Schools focus on specialized subjects each term. For example:-
- Improved dairy livestock production and marketing.
- Fruit production and transformation; and
- Farm business management, enterprise development and marketing.
- Grain drying and storage
Farmers Field Schools often go beyond agriculture to include literacy, health (including HIV/AIDS) and nutrition education, to become Farmers' Life Schools.
In addition to agricultural education, Rieko Kenya support communities with quality seeds and grain storage/food banks to reduce food insecurity.
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