Wable, Kenya

This project holistically addresses the water-related challenges faced by the Oyugis community, whilst aiming to make agricultural improvements additionally. It combines decentralized drinking water services put into place by our partner Wable with regenerative agroforestry. The latter will be used to restore the water cycle, improve soil health and provide additional income sources for farmers. The project aims to reach about 10.000 community members through cleaner accessible drinking water as well as increased food security, economic resilience for farmers and additional ecosystem services.

Number of expected beneficiaries

Up to 10,000 community members.

Development Challenge

Oyugis and its 80,000 inhabitants are facing challenges such as lack of access to clean drinking water and climate change impacts are increasingly threatening livelihoods and food supplies. More than 50% of its members are farmers producing cash crops in monoculture systems to sell and feed the community. Increased prevalence of droughts and flooding harms agricultural productivity and water availability. Our partner Wable is installing systems supplying clean drinking water to the community. Those will increase the demand for groundwater in the area. Thus, sufficient water availability needs to be ensured to maintain agricultural productivity.

Intervention

Regenerative Agroforestry can stabilize agricultural productivity, enhance water cycles, and improve farmer livelihoods. reNature will utilize those attributes by helping Oyugis’ farmers to transform their farms into agroforestry systems. We will implement a Model Farm to fine-tune and showcase the most suitable systems in the local context. Building upon this ‘stepping stone’, a Model School will be implemented focusing on participatory capacity-building and inspiration among farmers. 

Objective

Developing and implementing a farming system that enhances water availability, soil health, yield size, and diversity, whilst withstanding a changing climate.

Inspirational Impact

The Model Farm will serve as an example for best practices for local agriculture. Farmers can see, learn from it and participate, whilst implementing the system on their own farm. Wable will engage community members in capacity-building, providing training materials and information. Their local stewards will stimulate the regenerative agricultural practices.

Environmental Impact

By ensuring water availability, the project will support plant and animal life. Improving soil health will increase its ability to hold water and foster biodiversity. Regenerative Agroforestry will increase climate resilience of local ecosystems as well as carbon sequestration capacities on and beyond the farmland. Thus, it contributes to counteracting climate change. 

Social Impact

The community of Oyugis will benefit through increased availability of clean drinking water. Further, Regenerative Agroforestry will boost the diversity and abundance of healthy, locally sourced food, whilst increasing food security. Other social advantages will include reduced time spent for fetching firewood – mainly benefitting women -, microclimate regulation and more attractive recreational spaces.  

Economic Impact

Introducing Regenerative Agroforestry in Oyugis will stabilize yields against the impacts of climate change and can increase agricultural productivity. Thus, farmers’ economic resilience will be raised. The community will ultimately be affected through ‘trickle-down’ effects. Further, greater availability of commodities locally may reduce the need for food imports.

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