Monday, May 3, 2010

The Ups and Downs of April for Ribbon of Hope

It's nice to get to the end of another month and find that, despite all the problems and minor disasters, there are also things that are going well. Ribbon of Hope Self Help Group has quite a number of projects that are steady, and should produce good results soon. And there are other projects that are going just as we would like them to go. One project that didn't go so well was our acre of watermelons. Due to a combination of problems, we didn't sell a single one. Torrential rains and humid weather meant that they rotted and split just when we should have been harvesting them.

But on to the good projects. Some of the people we work with recently started a rabbit project and the rabbits have been doing what they are well known for. These same people have a chicken project which was a slow burner for some time but now is producing very good results. Near the watermelon field, on the Equator near Mogotio, we have an acre and a half of maize and beans and they are doing well, despite continuing heavy rains. And all is not lost in the watermelon field. We're only a third of the way into the one year lease, we'll grow more things there. And this is only a few of the projects that Ribbon of Hope is involved in. You can read the monthly report on their Facebook page.

I have been working with several community based organisations for some time now and I always worried about how they would keep managing to implement income generation activities that would really generate income. Sooner or later, if you keep starting chicken, goat and cow projects, there will be too many eggs and hens and new projects will undermine existing ones. Yet, chicken projects and growing maize and the like are good projects for several reasons. They are relatively cheap to start, the products sell well and they can be used by the producer or sold locally.

I started to look for other income generation activities and, although I compiled quite a list, I realized that there was another way to help achieve poverty reduction. There are various ways of cutting down on day to day household expenses and I have discussed them many times on this blog. The best examples are solar cookers and cooking baskets. These and other intermediate technologies can help people to reduce the amount of money they spend on cooking fuel considerably and use the money for something else.

These techniques have many advantages, including the fact that they cost little or nothing but can save quite a lot of money over a year, especially in a big family. Ribbon of Hope doesn't have a huge amount of funding and they would like to use what they have for projects that generate money. So projects that don't generate money, that save people money, are all the more welcome if they don't cost much. And income generation activities are well complemented by techniques for cutting everyday expenditure.

I have mentioned that two support groups we work with benefit greatly from having a very active and dedicated leader. But another support group had the opposite kind of leader, one who really undermined members of the group and, as a result, all their projects flatlined or failed. Recently, the members gave him the boot and elected a new and somewhat reluctant leader. But since then, the group has gone from strength to strength. I was ready to dismiss this group at one time. But luckily my colleague persevered and helped to turn everything around.

As for some groups, we never really had to worry about their leadership. In Mogotio, we have very fine group leaders who are constantly busy with community affairs. They are trained health volunteers and they spend so much time doing voluntary work, I still haven't figured out how they ever find time to make enough money to care for their own families. Yet they do care for their families and they each care for a local orphan as well. I'd really like to know how they do it.

It's a bit of a struggle for people sometimes because, even when things go well, they can end up with other problems. If you get a good maize crop, it's probably because the whole area is producing a surplus. But if conditions are bad, you are as likely to fail as everyone else. I'd like to see people diversify away from producing maize to the exclusion of almost everything else. Also, I'd like to see people concentrating on food crops until they have enough food and spare land to start growing cash crops. Too many lose everything because a cash crop gave good yields but had to be dumped because or a lack of market or something like that.

For me, the ideal crops are food, food that is eaten locally, food the grower can use themselves, food that can be stored, food that has a good, local market, and crops that are indigenous and therefore resilient when it comes to drought, flooding and all the other common adverse conditions you get here. Crops that require expensive inputs should be left to those who can afford them. Growing a crop that is secured against hazards is far better, to my mind, than one that could make you a very good profit, if it works. Sadly, watermelons fall into the latter category.

allvoices

19 comments:

Joyful said...

This is interesting work. It caused me to wonder exactly what you do. Your bio says student but you seem to be working as a grassroots organizer or consultant. Do you work for an NGO, on your own or ?? Also what got you into your work? I want to help some villagers near Kericho with getting them jiko ceramic stoves (and built up area for the fire), alternatively some fireless cookers. I read your blog post about your experience with trying 2 teach people to make some.

Simon said...

Hi Joyful
Thanks for the reminder, my bio is out of date. I finished studying in September 2008!

I work for a community based organisation called Ribbon of Hope. We operate around the Nakuru area.

I have been interested in income generation activities since I became involved in a small NGO in Mumias in 2002. I began to research activities that would supplement the ones people already employ and identify ones that were easy to learn and therefore easy to teach.

Solar cookers and cooking baskets are two of the simplest, in principle. They are easy to make, hard to persuade people to use!

There is a man in Ekero, just before St Mary's Hospital in Mumias, who makes and sell all kinds of majiko, ceramic, metal, etc. But I'm sure there are people closer to Kisumu.

The fireless cookers are easy enough to make, you can just develop your own design with the materials that are most easily available in Kericho. There are instructions in various places on the web but it's just a structure that holds insulating material that you put a hot pot of food into.

I have instructions on how to build more elaborate majiko very cheaply, I'll look them up and make them available once I've asked the author first.

Are you based in Kericho. I passed through at the weekend on my way to Kisumu. I've been through many times but I've never stayed there.
Regards
Simon

Simon said...

Hi Joyful
Here's a page that links to a manual for building a mold to make a rammed earth stove and another for making the stove (and even one for a solar cooker).

http://www.eastafricatrust.org.uk/page3.html

If the people in Kericho have access to a good carpenter you could get the mold and get people to make the stoves themselves. Ceramic stoves are great but you'll pay a fair bit for them, especially if you want something that cooks more than one pot at a time.

I hope this information is useful.
Regards
Simon

Joyful said...

Hi there, thank you for doing some research for me. I will check it out later. I don't live in Africa. I live in Canada. I got involved in outreach with some of the Kenyans in different places and now focus on Kericho area. I love it there. The scenery and the people are beautiful. I am hoping to travel again soon and hope to make more progress on getting the ceramic jikos and fireless cookers into the village homes. The women who do use them now are finding them a help but I will be able to see first hand how they are faring when I travel again. You are right about them costing a lot though, even for me as I'm trying to get many so your ideas are a great help. The big advantage is it creates work for a local woman who we call Mama Jiko and the women in the village get a stove with more than one hold for cooking. I know for sure there are good carpenters in Kericho so I'll look into your alternative which makes things more cost effective. Thanks for updating me on your bio. Best wishes in your work there. I see you are trying to change mindsets as well as bring cost efficient means of help to the people...all of this is much needed in a country where most people don't have means though some are uber rich.

Simon said...

It's no problem, I've done the research, or some of it. The more people I can get it to the better. How much is Mama Jiko charging? If you can reduce the cost, you can help more people.

You're right about some people here being very rich, it's amazing how much they have and how little others have. But people here seem to think foreigners are as rich as the richest Kenyans!

Thank you again for your comments. If there is anything I can answer for you, do let me know.
Regards
Simon

Joyful said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joyful said...

Mama Jiko's cost is not terribly high but added to all the other costs, it becomes expensive. Here is a project breakdown:
Jiko (pot) Ksh.600
Cement 850
Bricks (20) = 300
Transport= 1000
Labor = 1000
Total: 3750 Kenyan Shillings

Even with the better exchange rates these days than when I started this is still just over $50. That is fully more than half the monthly income of most of these villages and too much for me as well to do more than put a few in here and there in between trying to help on other projects.

Simon said...

Yes, that is indeed high. A lot of agricultural labourers would only earn 2500 to 3000 shillings a month so this would be beyond their reach. And a basic jiko (not the improved kind) is only around 150 shillings. The labour and transport costs are particularly burdensome.

The jiko plans that are on the link I sent you would be far cheaper. But I think the main thing is to make these into projects where people contribute their labour and things like that. Otherwise the cost is too high for a donor.

The rammed earth stove uses mud, so only the mold is costly, but it might still only cost the same as a couple of the jikos you are currently paying for.

I hope the project goes well, it's hard work!
Regards
Simon

Joyful said...

I was thinking of the making the mold idea. But it occured to me that I would still need to find a way to get the mold from hut to hut across a large area. I'm not sure if it is really workable as the terrain is hilly and muddy and of course most of the villagers have no transport. Also the mold look somewhat heavy. But it is an idea I will pursue more in conversations with my friends.

Joyful said...

By the way, after our exchange about rich and poor Kenyans, I read this on line. Very eye opening.

http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/1701.cfm
and
http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/who-are-the-richest-kenyans

These articles are not that current but give some insight. The first article is somewhat heart breaking.

Simon said...

Ok, Joyful, it will be far easier once you're here. But people transport things over all sorts of terrain on donkeys, bicycles and motorbikes and it shouldn't cost too much. A bicycle can cost as little as 4000 shillings and the mould could easily be transported by bike.

I'm just worried that people are not doing anything in return, like providing some of the labour, materials or costs, making the bricks, whatever.

It's incredible what the top earners get and they don't have to pay for much either, it's quite sickening.

Good luck with your project.
Regards
Simon

Joyful said...

Hi Simon, I'm thrilled to let you know that my contacts in Kericho found a man who would make the mold based on the instructions in the link you provided me. It was a bit of a challenge as some carpenters wouldn't even look at the plans and consider making them. But the one who did, make a wonderful mold after a bit of learning. We employed two village women to make the stoves after getting the mold. Apparently you use clay soil in the mold so that has been a bit of a challenge which is now overcome. It means we don't have to buy bricks and cement. The women are very happy and we hope to complete another 17 stoves in the coming week. I hope when I travel in the Fall to be able to purchase through bulk discount, the jiko pots. I can't thank you enough for giving me the link.

Simon said...

That's excellent news, Joyful, I'm very happy to hear that you have found someone to make the mold. I'm sure that will be extremely useful. The method and the plans were all put together by a man called Tristan Cooper, who has just returned from Malawi, where he was doing various work with rammed earth. I have let him know about your use of the technique. But thank you for letting us know, that's great. I hope your work continues to go well. I'll be leaving Kenya for Tanzania so unless you're there, it's unlikely we'll be able to meet up. But it sounds like you've got a lot of contacts here so all the best with everything.
Regards
Simon

Joyful said...

Hey Simon, I've heard from Tristan so I've written him back. Am happy to help where I can as the plans really helped me! We will have made 46 jiko stoves by the the week (11 I purchased from outside builders and 35 we will make ourselves). We employed two ladies from the village to use the molds and make the stoves and they are so passionate about it. They are also very creative and making beautiful stoves that the ladies of the village will be proud to have. I can't wait to get there and see them first hand and hear how they are benefitting.
I have a friend in Tanzania. I'm sort of thinking of visiting her if it all works out as I will be spending a lot of time in Nairobi and I have already seen a lot of Nairobi, Masai Mara and over to Mombasa. Are you moving to Tanzania for good? Where will you be based? Please feel free to drop me an email (as per the contact on my blog).

Simon said...

That's great news, also great news for Tristan. I'm curious about the rammed earth stoves. I use the old jikos, but I wanted to use them so I could see how long they take, how much fuel they use, just so no one could tell me I don't know anything about them! But I would prefer something more comprehensive.

I'll be working in a place called Usa River, between Arusha and Moshi, so not very far from Kenya, really. But the work I will be dong will be quite different, more desk based, unfortunately. But I can't support myself for ever.

All the best with the stoves!
Simon

Joyful said...

Good luck on the new job Simon. I do remember now that you were volunteering in Kenya. I hope your work in Tanzania is interesting and fruitful. I guess this will mean the end of this blog (at least as we know it?).

Simon said...

Hi Joyful, thank you. I'm not sure how things will pan out. I don't intend giving up blogging, but the tone of the posts does tend to change from time to time.
Simon

Joyful said...

Glad to hear you are not giving up blogging. Let me know if you begin a new blog in relation to your new work. p.s. I've posted a few more installments on the jiko project in case you are interested. :-) When do you leave for Tanzania?

Simon said...

Hi Joyful, I'll certainly inform everyone but I would like to keep going with the same blog for the moment. I've tried moving before and it's not so easy. Glad to hear you're achieving a lot with the jikos, I'll take a look at your blog. I hope to move to Tz next week, still haven't had confirmation yet, it'll be nice to be settled, I've been in between for a while now. All the best. S