Spring Cultivate is Here
April 16, 2012 by Micah
Our spring Cultivate Magazine is here! Check out all the great stories here.
Category: Community Investment
ELI at the Eldoret National Agricultural Show
March 21, 2012 by LoriEaton
Last week, Empowering Lives Kenya attended the 2012 Eldoret National Agriculture Show. This is the premiere agricultural exhibition in the Eldoret area. ELI seized the opportunity to show the community what our organization has to offer. All the staff worked very hard to prepare for the show. We set up and decorated the tent, built eye-catching displays, painted posters, created a drip irrigation demonstration plot, brought in tree seedlings for sale, put together an informative brochure, and produced drip irrigation kits to sell. The star of the show was drip irrigation. Many farmers are thirsty for drip irrigation materials that can water their plants year-round easily and effectively. The Kenya anti-alcohol staff also brought a poster which read “alcohol can destroy your crops” that created a lot of discussion! (more…)
Church Empowerment
March 19, 2012 by Cathy
Members of Tebesonik AIC Church learn about double dug beds
On Saturday, March 17th a one day seminar was held at the KK Training Center for 19 farmers from Tebesonik AIC Church. This was a church had previously received some on-site training by SACDP teachers at their village in November and January. Today the farmers came to see and do practically what they had been taught earlier.
The visitors were divided into two groups. The men went to the shamba (farm) to learn how to make vertical gardens, apply double digging techniques, and how to plant kale, cowpeas, spider plants, and tomatoes. The men also learned how to feed and care for dairy cows and how to construct a chicken house for local chickens and layers.
40,000 tree seedlings have been planted by this church member!
On previous visits Isaac Mwebei, SACDP Coordinator, visited farmers to teach them about starting tree nurseries. One of the farmers was so inspired that he began with energy; he now has 40,000 tree seedlings! At this training Isaac explained how to maintain the seedlings. The farmers learned horticulture of crops that are grown in the training center such as passion fruit, sweet pepper, and citrus.
As the men were going round, the women learned how to bake. Dorcas and the assistant teacher, Esther, taught the women how to make cakes, doughnuts and bread. This was successful and the women were very happy for they are able to do this by themselves now.
As an expression of the deepening relationship between ELI and the Tebesonik AIC church the visitors extended their love to the ELI Kipkaren Children’s Home by donating a bag of maize. To be empowered seems to always create a desire to empower others. We are thankful for the blessing of such visitors!
By Dorcas Rutto, ELI Kipkaren Training Center
Reaching Out to Communities
March 16, 2012 by CathyEvery Friday the SACDP students leave the Kipkaren Training Center and go out into various villages to put their lessons into practice. As they near the completion of their second term of study, the students are eager to share the innovative agricultural practices they’ve learned with local farmers.
On March 16th, six teams from the training center ventured out with different tasks ahead of them. Read on for an idea of all the ways these students are impacting communities with practical skills and encouragement:
Mama Edna's students boil banana shoots before planting to prevent disease
Arusei’s Farm
Madam Edna and five students arrived to complete the banana planting they’d begun on a previous visit. Arusei appreciated the help they’ve given. “I’ve never seen banana suckers inserted in hot water before.” Placing banana suckers in hot water before planting destroys the nematodes that hinder banana production. This team also helped to plant a vegetable garden containing kale and cowpeas which will bring a nice income for Arusei in a few months.
The bee hive is almost ready to be hung among the forest trees
Mama Naomi Gets Bee Hives!
SACDP instructor Nashon and six students assisted Mama Naomi to construct three beehives. These were hung in a forested area where bees like to congregate. Mama Naomi was very thankful for this gift. In the past she has been unable to make changes on her farm because of expensive labor costs. Because the students came as volunteers the bee hives are such a great gift. “This project is going to fetch me more income to cover my house expenses. I look forward to selling lots of honey!”
This chicken house will provide protection and health
Joseph’s Chicken Coop
Five SACDP students, along with their teacher Mr. Dan, arrived at Joseph’s home one final time to complete a local chicken house. This will increase egg production because chickens that are fed in a contained area are healthier than those that range for their food. Joseph is delighted that his hens will also be protected from dogs and cats; in the past he lost many chickens to predators but now his chickens have a good home.
"God's Blanket" is doing a good job of providing seedling with moisture
Vertical Gardens for Joan
Six students arrived at Joan’s small farm to inspect the kale they had planted earlier. The vertical gardens are doing well and look like a healthy crop will be harvested in a few weeks. The maize planted using the “Farming God’s Way” technique has begun to germinate. The terraces prepared for napia grass are ready for planting. Joan said, “Now I can plant maize all year long using Farming God’s Way. As long as I have things to use for mulching to create ‘God’s Blanket’ I can create a cool environment to help the growth of my maize!”
Isaac Rutto's students look over the raised beds
Small Space Farming for Stephen
Mr Isaac Rutto brought his five students to Stephen’s farm to demonstrate the power of vertical gardens. Learning about farming in a small space will help him grow kale with an anticipated BIG harvest. The two vegetable beds that the students had planted in a previous visit are almost ready for harvest. Soon Stephen will be eating cowpeas!
A vertical garden constructed by Madam Teresa's students
Jonah Bett Congratulates Students
Madam Teresa and her five students received lots of congratulations from Jonah Bett for all they’ve done on the farm. Construction of a local chicken house, vertical gardens, establishing a nursery for kale seedlings, and banana pruning have helped greatly. All projects were completed well. This farmer was pleased to learn so many new things that he can apply easily, especially in the dry season.
Celebrate International Womans Day
March 8, 2012 by MicahRural women constitute one-fourth of the world’s population. They are leaders, decision-makers, producers, workers, entrepreneurs and service providers. Their contributions are vital to the well-being of families and communities, and of local and national economies.
Yet rural women’s rights, contributions and priorities have been largely overlooked. Rural women have also been hard hit by the economic and financial crisis, volatile food prices and export-driven agriculture. They need to be fully engaged in efforts to shape a response to these inter-connected crises and in decision-making at all levels.
Now Is the Time to Act
Rural women are key agents of change. Their leadership and participation are needed to shape responses to development challenges and recent crises.
Women are central to the development of rural areas: they account for a great proportion of the agricultural labour force, produce the majority of food grown, especially in subsistence farming, and perform most of the unpaid care work in rural areas. It is critical that their contributions be recognized and that their voices be heard in decision-making processes at all levels of governments, and within rural organizations.
Consider this story and learn how you can get involved today.
Here are a few photos from our Communications Director, Micah Albert, from over the last 5 years.
Kenya
South Sudan
DRC
Tanzania
South Sudan
Kenya
Bukavu, DRC
South Sudan
DRC
South Sudan
Global Data
70 percent of the developing world’s 1.4 billion extremely poor live in rural areas. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly one-third of these, while South Asia is now home to about half.
In 2010, 925 million people were chronically hungry, of whom 60 percent were women.
Agriculture provides a livelihood for 86 percent of rural women and men, and employment for about 1.3 billion smallholder farmers and landless workers, 43 percent of whom are women.
An estimated two-thirds of the 400 million poor livestock keepers worldwide are women.
The burden of unpaid care work is substantial. Globally there are 884 million people without safe drinking water, 1.6 billion people without reliable sources of energy, 1 billion people who lack access to roads, 2.6 billion people without satisfactory sanitation facilities, and 2.7 billion people who rely on open fires and traditional cooking stoves. Rural women carry most of the unpaid work burden due to lack of infrastructure and services.
In rural areas of the developing world, excluding China, 45 percent of women aged 20–24 were married or in union before the age of 18, compared to 22 percent of urban women.
Past Success, Future Hope
February 7, 2012 by Don
Has this ever happened to you? That moment when you pass someone or someplace and a flood of memories surfaces like a submarine bursting through the ocean ceiling. That happened to me recently as I was driving near Mwanza, Tanzania and felt compelled to pass by a village where I lived 16 years ago. During those days the plague of poverty and lack of ideas and opportunity brought over a dozen Tanzanians and myself to our knees to pray and then to our knees to work as we filled small plastic bags with soil and seeds. Together we prayed that the thousands of seeds we had planted would germinate to become small trees that would strengthen the environment and generate income for people who were suffering because of poverty.
Not only did those seeds germinate but so did many other ideas as like minded people came together to begin a new ministry called Empowering Lives International. Over 15 years have passed since that first project was initiated. As I drove by that same village recently I felt compelled to pass by the same compound that was once filled with trees and hopeful lives to see, if by chance or providence, I might meet someone I might remember.
Just pulling off the road at that point brought back many memories but I was not prepared for what I was about to see. First of all – the tree nursery that we began over fifteen years ago was still there - BUT - it was ten times larger than before! As I walked in among the neatly arranged rows of small trees, flowers, and colors, I approached a small group of women who were busily filling tubes with soil and chatting as they worked. I greeted each person one by one and felt that I recognized the last woman. I stared until I remembered who she was. A moment that took place 15 years ago came forward in my mind and I asked if she was the one. And she was.
SACDP Goes into the Community
February 3, 2012 by Cathy
SACDP students assist Mr Jonah in setting up vertical gardens
The thirty two students enrolled in the Sustainable Agriculture and Community Development Programme are making an impact in the local area every Friday. Over the years, each class has focused upon a different part of the greater Kipkaren area. Initially Chebaiywa/Kipkaren was the area of greatest need. Two years ago, Kenya Two was the area of outreach, followed by Murgusi. This year the students are crossing the Kipkaren River each week to assist impoverished families in the village of Ng’enyilel.
A recent Friday found the teams of students working vigorously on six different farms. “I have received angels on my farm, who have brought huge blessings to me that I’ve never had before,” exclaimed Mr. Jonah. Being on crutches has made it challenging for him to navigate his shamba (farm). The team of students visiting him helped to establish vertical gardens so he can access his sukuma crop more readily.
Love with Creativity
February 2, 2012 by dianahomWe love it when people catch God’s heart for caring for orphans and vulnerable children. It’s even more exciting when they incorporate that love in something as sacred as a wedding. In October 2011, Steve and Jenni were married and instead of purchasing wedding favors for each guest, they donated the money they would have spent to ELI’s Kipkaren Children’s Home. They incorporated some of the children in our home into the labeling of their table seating. It was such a creative idea and a huge gift to the orphans in our Home!
Ronny's profile is displayed on the table
From Learning to Life Saving!
January 20, 2012 by Cathy
Brenda and Jenn look on as students use their wood stretcher during the seminar.
In January this year, several people from the greater Kipkaren area were trained in CPR and First Aid by Jenn and Brenda, members of the Salem Team. Among those receiving training were the 32 Sustainable Agriculture and Community Development Programme students.
One week after the Salem team left , there was an emergency at the training center. One of the students collapsed and fainted. The SACDP students quickly made a wood stretcher, using the techniques they were taught in the First Aid seminar. Due to their calmness and quick thinking they were able to carry the student to clinic where she received good treatment. Thank you Salem Team for sharing such practical knowledge with our community!
Ukweli Chapel Baptism
November 22, 2011 by Micah
As a pastor and one of the fathers at the children’s home, it was a proud moment for me as we came together early Saturday morning for the baptism of 13 children. It was day long awaited by the children after many months of baptismal classes, study and prayer. The day had come and with it, many dark clouds and a cold wind. All of us felt the damp chill in the air as we walked 3 kilometers to the place where the baptism was to take place, the Marura River. I knew the water would be very cold, but I also knew the heart of the children. It wouldn’t matter to them. We finally got to the river and the children and I removed our socks and shoes and I rolled up my pant legs. This was the moment we all had been waiting for, especially for a boy named Derick. This young man has been through many trials, but his heart now belongs to the Lord and his focus is on his walk with the Lord. I took Derick’s hand as we entered into the icy waters of the river. In front of his peers, I asked him if he believed in Jesus as his Saviour. He looked up at me and smiled, eyes full of happiness, and confidently said, “Yes”. My heart was overjoyed to hear that simple word. Hearing it, I knew what it meant for Derick – it meant eternal life. A smile quickly appeared on my face and I said, “Then I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in accordance to the Holy Scriptures.” He held my hands tightly and I immersed him slowly into the river. He arose, his face beaming and as I suspected, unaffected by anything other than warm delight he felt in heart. Tears filled my eyes as I congratulated Derick and applauded this milestone in his young life. I was proud of all our kids; it was a day that will not be forgotten.
- by Jonah Chepsat (Father & Pastor at the Ilula Children’s Home)
