In just a few days, people across the globe will celebrate International Women’s Day, recognizing the many achievements of millions of women, despite sometimes seemingly insurmountable challenges.
For millions of women, the challenges they face are increasingly more difficult. Climate change, unstable economies, the lasting impacts of COVID and the war in Ukraine, and recent changes to international aid.
From our first days, a key part of SANGO-Kenya’s mission has been to empower women to tackle these challenges head on. Our focus has always been on providing the farmers knowledge that will stay with them for a long time. As several of our farmers have said “If you give us things, we will soon forget; but the knowledge you give us will stay with us for a long time.”
The core training program focuses on teaching the farmers sustainable agriculture: land preparation, making and using compost, proper planting techniques (as above) — all meant to increase the quantity and quality of their crop yields. With increased harvests, farmers are able to sell the surplus and use the cash for other household needs.
They work tirelessly. This farmer told us how happy she is to know how to grow cassava. Cassava is a very important crop in the developing world, especially in drought-prone areas. It does well in dry climates, and it is very versatile. When fresh, farmers boil it and serve as snacks to their children or with meals. It can also be dried and ground into flour, which can be saved and made into a very wide variety of foods including porridge and mandazis, a very popular fried snack similar to a beignet. The leaves can also be eaten.
The women attend 27 trainings plus reviews — in addition to their myriad of responsibilities. Just recently, I asked Winnie, our Program Officer, if the new farmers felt there were too many trainings. Her response: “No! They would like more trainings!”
“I’m learning what I would have learned had I been able to stay in school.”
One farmer, a grandmother, told me that she is now learning some of the things she would have learned had she been able to continue studying in school. She, like most of our farmers, didn’t finish high school.
And they are there for each other, working together on critical activities such as making compost. They are also forming groups for savings and loaning, for example. They work together to save money so they can pay for much needed items, such as agriculture equipment.
| Between savings and loaning and selling surplus, the farmers have more funds for their families they can use for their families — for school fees, children, doctors visits, other foods and household items — and to invest in their farms and even small businesses. |
| Truly something to celebrate. |
Please consider a gift to SANGO-Kenya in honor of International Women’s Day and the 750 Inspiring Women of SANGO-Kenya
.
With much gratitude,
The SANGO-Kenya farmers, lead farmers, Winnie, Evance, Peter, Franck, Connie, and Kit
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Photos: Etan Rozin
www.rozinphotos.com
Write me! I love hearing from you! kit@SANGO-Kenya.org