‘Portable’ solar energy improves farmer’s livelihood

By Rhoda Musili

Mutomo District is an arid and semi arid area that oftenly experiences recurrent droughts with high sun intensity levels.As such one would expect that the population here would exploit this natural resource as a source of energy.But this is rarely the case.Majority of households  here still rely on kerosene as a source of energy to provide lighting.

However, one farmer has tapped into this natural resource and is reaping the fruits.Meet Kisilu Musya, a 43 year old father of eight who has realized the potential of solar energy and is enjoying an improved livelihood out of it.

Mr.Musya keeps a knapsack with him all the time.Inside, he carries a portable solar panel which has a USB port.He uses this solar panel to charge his camera and phone on the go.In addition to this,Kisilu has a solar lantern and torch which provides lighting for his family at night.This has had a great impact in reducing his spending costs in buying kerosene and paying for camera and mobile charging services.

“I used to spend a minimum Kshs. 200 every month on kerosene,” says Kisilu who adds he also used to spend another Kshs.300 on mobile phone charging charges every month.

“Whenever my camera or phone has no charge, I just look for a sunny spot and charge both of them and am ready to go,” says a bubbly Kisilu.

Above; (Left), Mr.Musya charges his digital camera with the portable solar panels,(Right),his children do their homework with the aid of the solar lantern lighting.

Mr.Musya benefitted from a solar charger - a "bag" with 4 solar panels of 3,5 watts each during a recent visit to Norway (see story here;http://mutomomaarifa.blogspot.com/2013/01/mutomo-farmers-norway-visit-changes-his.html). The bag has a USB which is able to charge a computer, a digital camera and a phone.He also benefitted with a solar lantern and a torch which has saved him kerosene costs.

Improved livelihood

He also benefitted with a laptop, a video camera and a digital camera.Armed with this digital camera, Mr.Musya has embarked on community photography initiative which fetches him a monthly income of around Kshs.2,000 thus boosting his income,” says Mr.Musya who adds that he also offers phone charging services to some community members .

Kisilu’s situation is a clear example on how people can use the available natural resources to improve their livelihoods.”Whereas people see the high sun intensity levels as a curse, I see it as a blessing;it has changed my life for the best,” concludes Mr.Musya.

Mutomo Community perspectives on cassava production

Mutomo District is one of the driest areas in Eastern province. It is marginal and semi-arid and falls within the millet livestock zone. The area receives a bimodal type of rainfall between the months of October -November and March - April. The rest of the period is usually dry. The rainfall received in the area is usually unreliable, erratic and poorly distributed. The district experiences crop failure and water shortage in most years with a reasonable harvest being realized once in six years.

As such, residents usually experience food shortages and mostly rely on relief food for sustenance. Crops that do well here are those that need little amounts of rainfall like millet, sorghum, cowpeas etc. However, the community is still stuck on the belief that maize is the crop to grow. Extensive sensitization is needed to remove the community from this maize syndrome era.

However, a small number of farmers have seen the light and have resorted to growing traditional crops like cassava, sorghum, millet, cowpeas, green grams and cassava.

Wikwatyo wa Kandae Self-Help group is among the farmer groups that have embraced growing of cassava as a way of adapting to climate change and achieving food security. With cassava cuttings from Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), the group embraced cassava production in the year 2010.

On November 13th 2012, the group members were privileged to have a community exchange forum hosted by ALIN at Mutomo Mission Hospital hall. During this forum community members viewed a locally produced cassava value chain photo-audio story showing cassava farming as one of the climate adaptation strategies in Mutomo.

Farmers also had an opportunity to interact with Dr. Cyrus Githunguri (PhD), an Agronomist and Crop Physiologist with KARI for a Q and A session where farmers sought knowledge on disease management and cassava market options.

In the pictures from Left-Right; community members watch a photo-audio story on cassava value chain,Faith Musembi is happy to see her picture on the screen,community members during group discussions,Benson Nyamai presents his group discussion notes.

The farmers also had group discussions where they applauded photo-audio storytelling as one of the best mediums of communicating research uptake information by farmers and suggested that extensive extension was needed to sensitize the community on cassava value chain.

Speaking to the farmers during the occasion, Mutomo District Agricultural Officer Mr.Toma Ngovu promised that his department will increase community trainings on cassava utilization.

“The District Agricultural Office also promotes Traditional High Value Crops (THVC) as the type of crops that do well in the harsh climatic conditions. Cassava is named among one of the THVCs.” He pointed out

A Youth Group's way of adapting to climate change!

Umoja Youth Development is a Self-Help group that has come together with a goat keeping project with an aim of income generation and poverty reduction....http://umojayouthdevelopmentorgaorganization.blogspot.com

Water….a necessity for us all

This man has walked for six (6 )KM to Kaseva rock water catchment in search of water.He carries eight (8 ),  twenty (20 ) jerry cans of water every day.Due to the heavy cargo,he cannot ride the bicycle.

A community in search of water

With the continuing poor rainfall patterns in Mutomo District of Kitui County,water is becoming a rare commodity for most households in this arid and semi-arid area.Most of the water points have dried up and thus residents have to walk for long distances in search of water.One such community is Mwala sub-location.The nearest water point is Malilu water catchment. But this catchment has been dry since March this year.

Strategies

Even in this state,Malilu self help group has come up with a strategy to look for water.They have dug a well inside the rock catchment.The well is deep such that one has to pull the filled jerry cans with a rope to get them on the ground.

“One of the strategies we have come up with is that every household draws water only once in a week” Says Ednah Kathini,a community member

She adds that they have come up with a schedule for drawing water from the catchment.They have both day and night shifts.

And since the well accumulates water at a low speed some of the community members spend as most as two days at the catchment in search of this rare commodity.“I came here yesterday and I am yet to fill my four(4 ) twenty Litre’ Jerri cans,” says a community member.

The other nearest water point is in Mutomo town which is six ( 6 ) KM away.

Appeal for support

The community members are of the opinion that water at the rock catchment dries early due to accumulated mud at the bottom of the catchment.They are appealing for support in de-silting the rock catchment so that the water lasts for a longer period.

“Whenever it rains,water oftenly overflows.But it dries up quickly due to the soil at the floor of the catchment,” concludes Kathini

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A women group's bid to make a difference in the society

It is dawn in Mwala village of Mutomo district. As the sun’s first rays materialize, Diana Kavuli is on the way to the river on a quest for water for raising a tree nursery. For this 70 year old woman it is yet another day to make a difference to her community. Diana is a member of Jaribu Kuzuia Ukimwi Women Group which has various projects to support orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC s) in Mwala sub-location of Mutomo District.

The group was established in 1997 as a merry go round whereby members would pool resources and boost each other financially as well as assist each other in doing farming activities. Initially it was called Jaribu women Group. But in 2001 the group started doing HIV/AIDS awareness campaign and changed its name to Jaribu Kuzuia Ukimwi Women Group.

The group’s name is loosely translated to ‘try preventing HIV/AIDS’ and is comprised of 11 members, 73% of whom are above 60 years old of age. The all-women’s group is undertaking various income generating activities......Read more