Bob Aston
Makutano B Women Group has grown from strength to strength in the past seven years. The group formed to uplift economic status of women in Makutano area of Sipili division in Laikipia County now has 17 members.
Makutano B Women Group has grown from strength to strength in the past seven years. The group formed to uplift economic status of women in Makutano area of Sipili division in Laikipia County now has 17 members.
The group members have benefited a
lot through agriculture as the economic livelihood of members has greatly
improved since it was formed.
Tabitha Mwita, Treasurer of Makutano
B Women Group said that individual members have been able to undertake
different economic activities through various projects initiated for the group
by their development partners.
Group members being trained on post harvest grain handling |
Tabitha said that they have been
attending various capacity building training organized by the Ministry of
Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture Community Development Programme (SACDEP).
“Capacity building trainings that we
have been attending has really helped us. We are more informed now than we were
before,” said Tabitha.
SACDEP has trained the group members
on; Formation of networks and its importance, introduction to water cycle, water
use and different water harvesting methods, diverse low cost water storage
methods construction, skills on water treatment, sanitation, hygiene, metering
and tariffs, catchment areas protection and formation, advantages of Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAS), resource
mobilization and rural savings.
Tabitha said that one of the major
problems that the group used to face was scarcity of water. The issue is now
being addressed as most of the members have been able to build water tanks
through funding from SACDEP.
SACDEP has also assisted group members
to get dairy goats, water tanks and water harvesting pump. Lariak Conservation
Area Project has been instrumental in assisting the group members to get energy
saving jikos. The jikos have brooders thus members are able to keep chicken.
The group has also been able to get stores for storing food.
Group members posing for a photo |
“We expect the group to continue
benefiting members. Our economic status has drastically improved compared to
before. We expect that all the members will be financially empowered,” said
Tabitha.
Most of the members have been taught
about kitchen garden. This has enabled them to start kitchen garden and thus
saving money to buy food as they are able to feed their families from what they
have grown on their kitchen gardens.
The group has also benefited from
seeds as and insecticides from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Tabitha said that members have
diversified their activities and are now cooking during field days so that they
can get an additional income.
The group has also planted trees and transplant
from the nurseries when the long rains start so that they can sell to the
public.
“We have just been equipped with post harvest
grain handling technique. This will really help us as we will be able to reduce
post harvest grain losses,” said Ann Wangari, a member of the group.
Ann said that they won an Award for
being the best farming group in Organic farming during a farming congress organized
by SACDEP in Thika last year.
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