The JPIC-FA LAUDATO SI COMMUNITY CENTER: Agroecology training program
As a way of building community resilience and adaptation from the impacts of climate change Our JPIC-Franciscans Africa since 2022 has been working with communities in Isinya Sub location -Kajiado County. In a journey to empower and build community resilience and sustainability the office has been working with the Maasai community and has established a community center that runs programs such as the Agro ecology training, Women focused programs including the tailoring and beadwork that all aim to empower the women and youths economically.
The Agroecology program that trains the community on the importance of establishing a kitchen garden, water utilization, environmental conservation and restoration. The program has already benefited more than 200 women in the last two years and with the continued involvement ,the training aim to train women and youths from three villages (Reto, Olomunyak and Olepolos).
In order to make the training and farming entirely organic and environment friendly our office has partnered with Haki Nawiri Africa an organization that trains communities and Schools and they have helped in setting up the open field demo farm and the green house. With the help of 350 Africa we managed to install a greenhouse (8M x45M ) that has been used to grow some of the crops and establish a seedbed for raising seedlings, in the open field demo farm which is more than half an acre and a zero grazing unit that supply organic manure to the farm,
With the help of Mr. Peter Nzioka from Haki Nawiri Africa we managed to plant a wide variety of crops ranging from different varieties of Maize and Beans, Millet, Soya, Pumpkins, Kunde, Kales, Spinach, Onions, Eggplant, Groundnuts. The training that was offered to the community members has been of great help since some of the community members have started setting up their own agro ecology kitchen gardens.
We intend to continue training the community and also sustaining the JPIC-FA laudato Si community center so as to continue impacting the communities by empowering and building sustainable economic avenues for resilience and food security.