Agriculture, Housing, Land, and Water Support: Kosovo Urban Agriculture Project

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Funds from this project were used to support various Federation activities including the Mibuyu Saba Land and Housing Project, the Kondele Network Water Project, and the Kosovo Urban Agriculture Project. The Federation was able to increase their capacity by engaging with various government officials and strengthen their savings and memberships. 

Under the Kosovo Urban Agriculture Project land was obtained from the Ministry of Public Health (a free lease was given for 5 years), sixty-five (65) water pipes were purchased, and training was facilitated by the Ministry of AgricultureSite specific challenges for example the high cost of farming implements and pesticides for the Kosovo Agriculture project, have hindered the progress of parts of this project.

The Federation met with newly elected government officials in Athi River (Machakos County) to discuss alternatives to evictions, which has lead to greater inclusion of the Federation in the country’s eviction policy discussions. Focus was put on increasing inclusion in Federation activity, not just to saving scheme members. 

Location: Kosovo , Nairobi, Kenya

Deliverables:

The main aim of this project was to help slum dwellers in Kosovo secure ieght acres of land upon which they could create a food garden and begin to address issues of food insecuirty in their community. The land identified and allocated to the Kosovo savings scheme by the Ministry of Public Health and the Mathari Mental Hospital is providing produce, some of which is sold to the hospital and the settlement.

The Federation has supported the Kosovo savings scheme in the purchase of sixty-five (65) water pipes for irrigation of the farm land. This has been made possible through past initiatives by Muungano to engage a water service provider with respect to the provision of water services in the settlement.

The project also has a working partnership with IIED on the topic of food security. Through a study conducted by the Federation with support from Muungano Support Trust, key elements of food insecurity have been identified and with the already formed partnership, the study hopes to deliver findings and recommendations for the situation.

The project also saw three community forums being held in Mathare Valley held to address the subject of land, urban agriculture and food security. An exchange programme also manifested between the Kenyan and Ghanaian Federations on urban agriculture and food security. Four Ghanaian Federation members attended the exchange. This project has been a profound tool of mobilisation for the Federation as far as mobilisation of new members is concerned.

Community capacity:

There has been increased participation by community members at all tiers of community development and implementation. Both new and existing savings schemes have received training from the Federation, which is supported by Muungano Support Trust (MuST). This training has strengthened and mobilised savings schemes to drive the savings agenda, by engaging communities in purpose based savings. 

Scale:

The Kenyan alliance continues to scale up projects across Kenya's urban centres. The Alliance remains committed to achieving scale and doing so requires extending their interventions in several directions. Firstly, through scaling up the intensity of inclusion. That is, by extending options to all of those living within a designated area (not just savings scheme members). This has been partially secured through the upgrading approaches developed to date. Second, achieving scale in terms of spreading the proven options to new areas (neighbourhoods) throughout the country. This is currently happening.  Lastly, scale in terms of increasing the diversity of options that are available for (re)development thereby increasing the Federation's ability to reach out to groups with different needs and priorities.

Impact:

Through this project, the Kenyan Federation has been able to continue to build its capacity to engage with Government officials around prospective projects and policies. More savings schemes have been mobilised across Kenya and with even more members being trained for loan teams. In addition to this, projects such as the Mibuyu Saba Land & Housing Project, the Kondele Network Water Project and the Kosovo Urban Agriculture project (all of which received support from MuST through this project) have successfully been initiated, with three hundred and eighty (380) households allocated land under the Mibuyu Saba project. The Federation won a contract from the Kisumu Water & Sewerage Company (KIWASCO) as Master Operator for the newly constructed water line.

Finance:

SDI Contributions:

SDI contributed US$40,000.

Resources Leveraged:

• The Federation was able to secure land tenure on one hundred (100) acres of land for communities in Kilifi (Mibuyu Saba) and Kiandutu settlements.

• The saving scheme has leveraged the land resource from the Ministry of Public Health for free to engage in urban agriculture as a way of addressing sanitation in the settlement.

Through its own initiative and adequate availability of water in Kosovo, the Federation has invested in an irrigation system to enhance yield productivity.

• The Federation has received training and advice from the Ministry of Agriculture's Field Extension Services department to facilitate adequate use of the land for better quality productivity

Market Generated Returns:

None to date.

Costs recovered from community:

None to date.

Irene Karanja ikaranja@mustkenya.or.ke (+254) 20 267 770 View Website
Project social media channels:


Project information updated: 11 November 2015

Project in depth

Detailed Information

Funds were given to the Kenyan Alliance of Muungano Support Trust, Muungano wa Wanavijiji and Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT) in 2013 as a continuation of a grant of US$20,000 in 2012, to support the Federation’s work. The Kosovo Urban Agriculture project responded to the challenge of food insecurity while project activity in Kosovo had been ongoing with Federation trying to get secure tenure. In 2008, the community was denied access to land due to it being a police reserve. This project’s activity has helped remobilize work in this and other settlements. 

Deliverables:

To secure land for the urban agriculture project so that the issue of food insecuirty within the Kosovo community can be addressed.

Community capacity:

There has been an increase in savings in this area. Saving schemes, accumulated deposits (daily savings) and community participation in all tiers of community development and project implementation have increased. This has enabled a revitalised and assertive federation at a national level. A total of two hundred and eight (208) savings schemes have been profiled and documented. The Federation across the country with support from Muungano Support Trust programme staff, through the counties have trained and reconstituted savings and loaning teams to assist in strengthening and mobilising new and existing savings schemes to drive the savings agenda, by engaging the communities in purpose based savings

Scale:

To secure access to land for an urban agriculture project that will benefit the residents of Kosovo settlement. 

Impact:

Savings schemes continue to be mobilised across the country. In Machakos County, thirty (30) new savings schemes have started, with a membership of seven hundred and fifty (750) people. In the Nakuru area, the number of members doubled to a total of three hundred and sixteen (316). Many savings groups have become revitalized through their involvement in the urban agriculture project. Funds were given as a grant and thus are not to be recovered.  The use of these funds for support activity and the concomitant increased Federation membership and saving bodes well for future sustainability of the respective projects. 


Finance:

SDI Contributions:

SDI contributed US$40,000 for technical assistance.

Resources Leveraged:

Eight (8) acres of land, which was given to the Federation by the Ministry of Public Health.

State Subsidy:

The State subsidy was in the form of land. 

Market Generated Returns:

None to date.

Mbaka, S. (2013). How Affordable is "Affordable Housing"? [Online]. Available: http://www.urbanafrica.net/urban-voices/how-affordable-affordable-housing.
 
Taylor, D. (2011). Innovative Kenyan City Farmers 'an Example to the World', Voice of America. [Online]. Available: http://www.voanews.com/content/innovative-kenyan-city-farmers-an-example-to-the-world-123230993/160315.html.
 
UC Berkeley, University of Nairobi & Pamoja Trust. (2009). Mathare Valley, Nairobi Kenya: 2009 Collaborative Slum Planning and Upgrading. [Online]. Available: http://healthycities.berkeley.edu/uploads/1/2/6/1/12619988/kosovo_finalreport-jan11.pdf
 
Vives, L. (2015). Kenyans Attack Food Insecurity with Urban Farms and Sack Gardens, Inter Press Service. [Online]. Available: http://www.ipsnews.net/2015/05/kenyans-attack-food-insecurity-with-urban-farms-and-sack-gardens

Funding Information

Raised:

$40,000.00

Funding type:

Grant funding

Fully funded

Implementing Partners

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation


Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency)


Akiba Mashinani Trust


Muungano Support Trust (MuST)


Muungano wa Wanavijiji


Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs


The Rockefeller Foundation