FOOD SECURITY
BGF helps to provide food-security. Grace Ngute Mwinzi, of Waita Location and SubLocation (Kitui County), harvested larger than usual amounts of maize, cowpeas and pigeon peas, after training by BGF on soil & water conservation. She practiced “fanya chini” which are water retention trenches dug alongside the contour lines of her farm, and planted melia trees aside the same. As a result, when it rained there was no run-off anymore, but water properly infiltrated the soil, providing crucial moisture to the root systems of her crops with higher yields as a result
LIVELIHOODS
The micro-credit provided by the Village Bank in Kasten (Eastern Kitui County) allowed this lady to buy a sewing machine, that now is skillfully used to deliver income for her family. This is well received, as her’s is not an easy neighbourhood to live in. Small solar-powered devices like the light on the photo, provided by the Village Bank, help to have a more meaningful life.
BUSINESSES
BGF organizes its partner-farmers in Self-Help Groups, which is easier to reach people, train them and so on, sometimes with unexpected outcomes. Such a group is Musovo BGF Farmers Self-Help Group, in Ukasi, Eastern Kitui County, formed in the beginning of our farmers programme in 2015. Its members started financial management with so-called table banking "kasango", where everybody contributes a small amount every time they assemble. This money is then loaned to individual members on a rotational basis for a month and at low interest rate. Once firmly reputable as a group they started taking loans from the Village Bank in Kasten and established a thriving business selling water tanks to their whole neighbourhood. The group also engages in harvesting & trade in gum Arabic from their gum gardens, and from the wild, earning additional income.