KENYAN PROJECT UPDATE AND REQUEST FOR FUNDING ASSISTANCE
Osiligi Training Farm Support Project Rotary Club of Waimate District 9980
The collaborative journey began in 2009 when Robin and Margaret Aims visited the Waimate District and spoke of their challenges and experiences in Kenya over a period of some 25 years. Their ongoing work with street boys from the Kibera slums in Nairobi has shown astounding results and had reached the point where there was a need to expand the farms sustainability to grow agricultural products for income as well as educate and train these young men in a multitude of farming based skill sets.
The Waimate Rotary Club took up the challenge in 2009 and raised $60,000 to drill a water well for irrigation and develop the irrigation infrastructure to irrigate the growing passion fruit and tomatoes. Two Volunteer Rotarian's and wives from the Waimate Club travelled to Kenya and spent a month working to further develop the property. They built 2 metre high wind breaks over about 4 kms of perimeter and the shelter from this new infrastructure ensured the constant prevailing Easterly wind was minimised to ensure much more productive crops year on year. Pigs were also purchased along with the purchase of a much needed tractor with cultivation gear donated on the spot by a Waimate Rotarian. That investment has been nurtured and maintained by the team on the ground at Osiligi (Hope) Farm and the skills training results has grown positively and sustainably from there as well as providing a skills based training platform for the student farmers.
The second investment from Rotary District 9980 came when the decision was made to move to a farm closer to Nairobi for a better marketing position for sales of farm products. The existing farm was sold as a going concern and the monies from the sale were put to good use and the water project was transferred to the new farm. This move has allowed Robin and Margaret Aims to better manage sales and also grow more productively and sustainably the vital community based educational work they do with the boys. It cannot be emphasised enough how the farm water well also best serves the immediate community with fresh water. There is a huge success rate for training and finding employment. 100 % employment for those trainees who graduate from the 2 years course. Compare this to a current unemployment rate of 50 % among young people in Kenya. Some young lives have been dramatically and permanently changed there now over the past 35 years.
We as a part of the Rotary family have now built 3 large green houses, another $25,000 investment, to increase tomato production (3 crops per year) and the pig rearing operation has continued to grow. Bee keeping has been added and we helped finance a young Kiwi bee keeper to travel there for several weeks to help train the staff in continuously improving apiculture management.
In 2014, a group of local people through the Waimate AfriLift Charitable Trust, administered by 2 Waimate Rotarians raised the necessary funding for building a 4-room classroom facility to enable the tutoring of the boys in a fit and proper classroom environment. This has in turn become a huge catalyst for educational growth. The Rotarians of Waimate and Wellington regions outfitted the rooms with desks, chairs and training equipment. The total spend was $140,000 and the facility was opened in 2014 debt free.
The capability to better service the needs of the boys has been enhanced since the addition of accommodation for some of the training staff. The NZ Government heard of the work being done by Kiwis in Kenya and the NZ High Commissioner in Pretoria, H.E. Richard Mann, travelled up to open the facility in July 2015 (See link https://shar.es/1stz1J). Nice of them to recognise our supporting role but more importantly, the “difference” that Rotary can make with some dedicated effort. And when the school was officially declared open in 2015, he presented the farm with a brand new and slightly larger tractor and cultivation gear. What a statement of faith in the good work being done.
In no small way due to the stunning efforts of Rotary NZ. Robin and Margaret have served this group of the worlds’ poorest and most disadvantaged on the African continent for over 35 years and Waimate Rotary club awarded them both with Paul Harris Fellowships and medals at a function in our Club in March 2019. So well deserved and at that point in our Clubs journey a decision was made to provide more sustainability to finish the job that Rotary helped start. Robin and Margaret shared at our Club meeting the news that the Kenyan Government were so amazed at the success rate achieved at Osiligi that the Prison leadership from Nairobi requested and Robin agreed, that they would accept prison lads for training on completion of their sentence to better equip them for returning to the outside world. Like the outside world, the lads earn their place in the Osiligi Training programme. And I need to state that the training is not just in farming, but life skills and some leadership and spiritual input for these boys, most of whom have had horrific upbringings and a life and death fight to survive in the most dangerous environments. Drugs and violence are an everyday occurrence even in the Prison system. This new training initiative supporting the rehabilitation programme of the Nairobi Juvenile Prison Service, although a risk for the farm and training team, is a calculated one to also break that cycle of violence that many of these young men are locked into. Let’s demonstrate there is a better way than violence and confrontation. By passing several personal achievement tests they earn the right to be accepted into the Osiligi training programme. Their commitment to change for the better has already been validated.
In August, our Club member undertook a Community Assessment survey in Kenya to determine how the Community benefits for such an investment would be realised and best serve the Training Farm as well as the immediate local community, not to mention justification for Rotary money being well spent. One significant addition the farm has made is the installation of a biogas digester to provide fuel for cooking from animal waste.
SO, what are we proposing?? The overall plan is to ensure and assist with the ongoing sustainability of the farm training and production operation through the following Project scope of works: 1. Install six new greenhouses. Total area 2,000m² of covered tomatoes to add to those already erected through previous Projects. 2. Extend the height and replace the existing greenhouse skirt with a new film covering and double door nets on the existing six tunnel houses to improve access and growing conditions for tomatoes. 3. Install irrigation in all the tunnel houses including new, larger fresh water storage tanks. 4. Construct an in-ground 100,000 litre bladder water tank for rainwater collection with a solar pump. 5. Provide guttering and reticulation on all buildings for rainwater collection. 6. Erect a Piggery extension with roof to accommodate the growing pig rearing and fattening operation. 7. Install a 3-phase solar power generation system to ensure self-sufficiency in energy for irrigation, lighting, security, etc. This has a potential electricity saving of at least US$12,000 per annum. 8. Leverage the entire farming operation into a position of self-sufficiency and sustainability by growing and selling tomatoes into the local community, selling milk and the sale of pork from the feeding of farm waste produce, growing feed, etc. The total money we need to raise for the above Project is US$120,000. Together, we can make the Difference. There has always been a conundrum with much of the Aid the 1st World gives to the 3rd World in that there is very little consultation on targeted need, sustainability and the ongoing demand for top up funding. The increased capability and sustainable productivity of Osiligi Farm, Nairobi, Kenya will ensure that the wages are paid, some profit is generated and the farm is self-sustainable while increased numbers of young men are farm trained and find gainful employment year on year. That will in turn help grow the Agricultural economy of Kenya and it goes without saying, feeding the world is a major global goal, starting in Africa.
Members of the Waimate Rotary Club are available to visit Clubs and answer any questions you may have. Our hope is that some of you will partner with us and contribute a minimum of $1,000 US (1 x PHF) to the Project target. Our Club will also donate 6 x PHF’s to the Host Club so they can also reward their faithful for a job well done. This starts the Project growth path with The Rotary Foundation etc and we are almost there! Thank you for your support. Kind regards Ian Moore Chairman International Committee 2019-20 Rotary Club of Waimate
FELLOWSHIP TRIP TO OTEMATATA
As advised by Colin at Rotary we are planning a fellowship weekend at Otematata 29th Nov/1st Dec
All Rotarians are invited whether your preference is for fishing or other recreational pastimes
Accommodation is of course the key and we have included below some current accommodation options at the Lodge, Camp ground and Hotel.
This is a first in first served basis.
For those happy to stay in the lodge basic rooms let Allan Laurie know and we will make a block booking. Anyone wanting to book other rooms needs to contact Kirsty direct at the contact info below.
We are very conscious the accommodation rooms in the lodge are not at all salubrious, great if you don’t mind “roughing it”
We would suggest the options below or rent a house in Otematata
Other accommodation options are available at Kurow and Omarama.
We are continuing to look at all options if you have some suggestions let Allan Laurie know
Available at present -
At the Hotel
1 x Queen Hotel Room with own bathroom, fridge, tea/coffee making, tv. $99
1 x 1 Bedroom Apartment with Queen bed – has a basic kitchenette, living area and bathroom $150
At the Holiday Park
2 x Cabins with Bathroom – Double bed and uses a communal kitchenette $95
1 x Cabin with Bathroom – Double bed in one room, bunks in the other $95 first 2 people, $30 each extra adult $15 Under 15
Basic Lodge Rooms in the Lodge based on 2 people per room $35 per person, $50 one in room alone.
Holiday Park sites $20 per Adult and $10 per child per night.
Contact -
Kirsty
021 663 940
stay@otematata.kiwi.nz
On Monday, the Rotakids and a few wee helpers got together at the Parenting Hub to paint rocks to celebrate 100 years of St John in Waimate. These will be hidden around the town for the celebrations this weekend. We took the opportunity to talk about what St John does for us, and the kids were shocked to hear that "they make no money!" as one little girl said, when we talked about the volunteers. Interesting that all the kids thought that it was not fair and they should get paid for the good work they do. Too right kids!
