By Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News
A Ridgetown resident seeks local support to assist in a humanitarian project in her native Kenya.
Beatrice Wausi Gedion, a Ridgetown resident and University of Guelph Agricultural graduate said a proposed large-scale farm project is critical in the never-ending struggle to fight famine and drought in her home village of Mbusyani in Kitui South.
“I voluntarily and passionately advocate for food security and social-humanitarian development projects,” said Gedion, who is employed at Corteva Seed. “We have a community-based school but with limited learning tools.”
She is looking for learning tools for children that would make a positive difference in their schooling, such as books, drawing tools, charts, or new desktops.
Furthermore, she is also looking for monetary gifts for an agriculture project to help alleviate the area’s lack of water.
“Water is very scarce in this area, and people really travel long distances to get it,” she said.Kitui, like many other areas in Kenya, is prone to drought and famine, particularly during periods of prolonged dry spells.
The area relies heavily on rain-fed agriculture, and a lack of rainfall can result in crop failure, livestock deaths and water scarcity.
Agriculture is the backbone of the local economy, and despite the semi-arid climate, residents engage in various agricultural practices to sustain their livelihoods.
“In recent years, Kitui has experienced several droughts that have had a severe impact on the lives of the residents,” Gedion said.
The area experienced a prolonged drought in 2017, leaving thousands without access to food and water. The death of livestock in large numbers also affected the livelihood of many residents.
Kenya typically has two rainy seasons a year, and the short rains start earlier in October to December and longer rains from March to May.
Gedion visited her home village of Mbusyani this past June, hoping to find a bountiful harvest as expected during the long and heavy rains.
“It was not a surprise to see all the corn, sorghum, cowpeas, and beans completely dry as this has been happening subsequently,” she said. “Everyone seems hopeless, for lack of food and water in most areas, and many of the residents are surviving on one meal in a day.”
She said the current state of hunger is out of control for most of the residents in this region.
“The most affected are children, women and the sick and aged,” Gedion said. “The current situation is bad, and if there is no human intervention, it is going to worsen.”
Gedion has tried to do small community agricultural projects, but more is needed. A short-term solution is providing food aid, which has been done over many years. However, unfortunately, this is not sustainable either, as families go home having only a kilogram or two kilograms of maize, the staple food for villagers. A proposed long-term solution to reduce hunger in the Kitui region is by establishing a large-scale farm aimed at maximizing crop production in this area.
Several farming techniques would be utilized to attain the goal, which would include data-powered coupled with precision farming, regenerative and micro-farming. Supply of water is a major determinant factor for this project, but it is possible to harness and maximize both surface and underground water for irrigation.
“It is possible, and that is why I am requesting a partnership to set up at least five modern greenhouses and water wells for irrigation purposes,” Gedion said. “I am willing to provide half of my salary and land, and the community will provide labour and other locally available resources to support the project.”
“This would guarantee its residents enough food for consumption, and the surplus would be stored for later use,” she said.
Gedion said she is looking for partners in the area who would be interested in helping in any way they can to make this proposed project become a reality.
She would welcome the opportunity to present to a local community organization, church group or interested business.
Anyone interested in hosting a presentation by Gedion or anyone who would like to donate school supplies or make a monetary donation can call her at 548-996-7143 or contact her by email at beatricewausi@gmail.com
“Whatever people are willing to give, I’d be very grateful,” said Gedion, who plans to return to Kenya in early January.
