Enhancing Community Based Enterprise development for Economic Empowerment for Youth and Women in the rural set up through Football and Production of Indigenous Chicken and Horticultural Farming
About the Implementing organization
Name: SOCIETY EMPOWERMENT PROJECT (SEP) YOUTH PROJECT
Year of establishment: 2002
Type of organization: Community-based association or organization
The problem being addressed is poverty. This is attributed to low farm produce and low income. The project intervention would be a positive realization on food security and poverty reduction developments. If this is not achieved, the undesired results would be continuously worsening food insecurity and poverty situation which would result into increase in crime, illiteracy, poor health, insecurity and endemic HIV/AIDS, which is already ravaging the project area sites at alarming rate. Football is thus used as the means to an end, or a platform to address the vise.
Essentially, there is high opportunity in rearing indigenous chicken as a commercial enterprise. Indigenous Chicken normally requires less space compared to other farm enterprises. At the same time there is ready market for indigenous chicken which makes chicken a sustainable source of income at any time of the year.
Mature growers start selling only after 120 days under semi-intensive management. Also there is the benefit of improving the productivity of garden by using chicken manure. Above all, commercial production of indigenous chicken will always create employment, and in this case to the youth and women.
Pastured chicken meat is nutritious and rich in omega 3 and omega 6, essential fatty acids which are good for human bodies. Indigenous Chicken Production will earn Kshs. 1600 - 3100 per hen per month, enhancing the youth and women to be part of the global market economy instead of subsistence economy.
Type of Action
Sustainable use / Access and benefit sharing / Awareness and education
Sustainable Development Element
Jobs and livelihoods / Food security / Health
SEP horticulture focuses on mixed farming with such crops like ground nuts, spinach, bananas and kales among other. These crops are very rich in nutrients conservation especially for ground nuts. this up keeps soil fertility in the long run, especially of crop rotation is also observed as we usually do at SEP. Bananas plantations strategically put next to the river banks reduce soil erosion, keeping the top soil intact. In general, the general crop husbandry helps in air protection - reduces air pollution as well as soil pollution, this improves on environmental conservation principles.
Chicken wastes after being prepare and referred to as Farm Yard Manure, is very rich in nutrients required by soil. Hence Agricultural activity is a way of environmental conservation, especially when undertaken professionally.
Sustainable Development Impacts
SEP staff will improve their skills in production, marketing and sales of their produce so as to be able to plough back the generated profits into the project programme for financial sustainability. It is envisaged that the SEP target staff will have attained the knowledge and skills to enable them to raise their own resources for the continuity of the project. In African Rural Socio-Economic Development, without women, it is bound to fail due to their enormous contribution in development. They are wives and expected to bear children, take care of the sick, produce food, and get water from the rivers (springs) and fetch firewood for fuel, while many times husbands loiter in urban centres or go looking for ever evasive employment opportunities.
This project has potential to bring about widespread dissemination and utilization of the technology through participatory extension services, participation of farmers, football players, strong networking and collaboration with relevant agencies. Diversification into production of eggs from exotic Chicken and introduction of small enterprises entrepreneurship/ development within the project would be a major boost. The enterprise project will have horticulture sections, indigenous chicken out of which some will be laying eggs for sale, while other will be bred for meat, hence sold for food. This gives it higher chance for its replication and transfer to similar environment. The approach would instil in them a special confidence, hence able to try on their own and possibly pass it over to friends and relatives elsewhere / or use in other locations not presently covered. The promotion of onsite training is key added advantages.
The project will have two components of trainings – Agrictural/indigenous chicken and horticulture farming which will include both class or workshop sessions and field sessions, and Football sessions which will be delivered both on and off the pitch. It is envisaged that these trainings will last for Nine months. On the week days during school sessions, the program will only last for three hours, i.e. from 3.30-5.30pm, with change over among the participants; (a training session plan will be developed to that effect for more clarity on time spread on each training component) while over the weekends it will last for seven hours. This model is easily replicable across other regions, through exiting SEP zones and other new areas to be identified
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