European Commission support

The European Commission, in partnership with World Vision Ireland is funding the Mutonguni Poverty Reduction project in Eastern Kenya.

This five year project which began 2007 aims to equip 1,300 people and 20 schools with sufficient and sustainable incomes.

The project is integrated into the Mutonguni Area Development Programme and enjoys significant support from the local government and community.

Vocational Training

To date, the project has enrolled 300 orphans and vulnerable children in vocational training institutions where they are learning skills such as carpentry, tailoring, shoemaking, mechanics, metal work and beauty therapy.

On completion of their training, the young adults will be provided with starter kits, such as tools or sewing machines, and linked with micro-finance institutions in order to kick start their businesses.

Beekeeping

Mutonguni has excellent prospects for beekeeping and honey production, which have yet to be fully exploited.

This project is working with 300 widows, elderly and people caring for orphans and vulnerable children to establish successful apiaries.

Local artisans have been trained to manufacture improved beehives and these are being distributed to the beekeepers. Processing units will be established in Mutonguni to ensure beekeepers can process their honey locally.

The beekeepers have been linked together to form groups, to maximise their chances of accessing markets outside of the area.

Organic Farming

Subsistence farmers are also benefiting from this project – some 400 farmers have been trained in organic farming methods and water harvesting technology and they have established demonstration plots to teach these methods to other community members.

These low-cost, highly effective methods have been immensely successful in other drought prone areas across the country and are expected to significantly increase farmers’ access to food.

Goat Keeping

A further 300 widows, elderly people and caregivers of orphans and people living with HIV and AIDS have been linked into groups and trained on goat keeping.

The groups are constructing goat houses and are being provided with high-yield goats.

Members of each group have been trained to provide basic veterinary care to the goats to ensure maximum survival rates.

School Nurseries/Fruit trees

The project is supplying 20 primary schools in Mutonguni with fruit trees and water tanks. The water tanks ensure there is sufficient water available for the plants to grow.

Teachers have been trained on how to grow the banana, mango or avocado trees and have passed on the skills to the pupils, who are carefully managing the nurseries.

The seedlings and fruit from these nurseries will over the years provide the schools with a valuable source of income, enabling them to purchase essential school supplies.