Food Sustainability

UBUNTU – Compassion and Solidarity. Our partners on Rusinga are committed to this concept. Women’s groups have joined together and are building a self-determined life. To get started, usually only a small amount of support is needed.

Securing a sustainable ecological development of Rusinga Island is one side. The situation of the socially weak families, who have no income and only very small areas of land for self-sufficiency, is the other side. Both belong directly together.

Thus, with our support, the UBUNTU initiative, a chicken farm project could start in 2020 and the Upanzi Wa Maisha (Plant for Life) cooperative of farmers for vegetable and fruit cultivation in 2021. Both projects for self-sufficiency and generation of own income are linked to:

• providing their own labor, such as building chicken coops,
• building fences,
• passing on the experience gained and the initial investment (revolving fund),
• collaboration of the participating families in community projects (e.g. nurseries).

The families to be involved are proposed according to need by the local social workers and confirmed by the chiefs. The families manage, organize themselves and the repayment or passing on of the investment independently. The goal is that all families organize themselves in a cooperative.

The fishing villages on Rusinga Island are affected by the dramatic decline in fish yields in Lake Victoria. Kenya therefore has to import large quantities of fish. The expansion of a fish farm that has already been started on the country’s own initiative is therefore also being supported.