- Esther Tinina grows spinach, traditional vegetables like amaranthus (Terere), African Nightshade (Managu) and cowpea leaves (Kunde) and onions in her spiral garden.
- The spiral gardens using readily available raw materials, and they do not require a lot of water to grow the vegetables.
Image: AGATHA NGOTHO
Image: AGATHA NGOTHO
About 40km drive from Ngong town we meet Esther Tinina, a widow from Ewaso Kendong in Kajiado county.
She lost her husband over 10 years ago and since then, she has been the breadwinner for her four children.
Tinina is a member of a women's group who are widows, and thanks to the trainings she has acquired from the Rural Women Network, she has been able to afford food for her children during this dry period.
“I was trained on how to grow vegetables in a kitchen garden using very minimal water. The area has been dry and we have not had rains for a long time. During this drought period, getting water has been a challenge and I walk for a long distance to get water. But I use the little I get to water the vegetables and the rest for my household use. This has ensured that my children do not sleep hungry,” she said.
She grows spinach, traditional vegetables like amaranthus (terere), African Nightshade (managu) and cowpea leaves (kunde) and onions in her garden.
Kajiado is among counties that have been most affected by drought, with more than 300,000 livestock deaths reported.
But despite the drought, a group of women in the remote area of Ewaso Kendong have been growing vegetables to make ends meet and also to supplement their family diet.
The women have been taught how to make spiral gardens using readily available raw materials, and they do not require a lot of water to grow the vegetables.
Tinina said sometimes she even sells some vegetables to her neighbours for a small fee to make money for buying other food items like maize flour.
“From what I get, I am able to buy maize flour. I do not need to buy onions or vegetables because they are readily available,” she said.
Rural Women Network executive director Pauline Kariuki said malnutrition has been a problem in Kajiado.
Data shows that in 2019, the rate of malnutrition in Kajiado West was at 25.3 per cent and women and children were most affected.
She said the network, which is a platform for grassroots women, seeks to engage in activities aimed at mitigating climate change and ensuring food, nutrition and economic security.
Kariuki said they identified African leafy vegetables as ideal for growing in Kajiado because they can withstand heat and do not require a lot of water.
“We started a ‘green hub’ centre where we trained women on growing vegetables in spiral gardens. Since this area is dry and there is water scarcity, this technology reduces the burden of fetching water as they use as little as possible. In a week one can use about five litres of water per spiral garden and you have sufficient vegetables,” Kariuki said.
“They have been able to get vegetables even as there is drought. The spiral gardens have been a source of food and nutrients for many families,” she said.
One spiral garden has 120 plants and can feed a family of six because one is not picking the vegetables daily.
Kariuki said they are planning to put up water pans to harvest rain water and also establish other green hubs in each of the wards.
The Rural Women Network has also supported the groups to plant fruit trees, and continue to encourage women to do the fruit trees since they serve the same purpose as wood trees.
“We have noted that when you grow wood trees, the women are not able to access any money and usually men own them. With the fruit trees, they get food for nutritional purposes and can also make an income,” she said.
Huairou Commission executive director Sandra Schilen said rural community has been the most affected by drought, hence the need to invest in women groups for sustainability.
She said the commission supports women groups to access resources and funding in order to live the kind of development that is critical and important in their communities.
The global network connects 100 women in grassroots organisation in 42 countries, 14 being from Africa.
“We have brought donors who are investing in our work in 10 countries and Oxfam Novib being key in the initiative is engaging rural women in promoting families’ nutrition, facilitate access to safe water and also create livelihood initiatives such as bee keeping and selling nutritious food,” she said during an exchange visit in Kajiado.
-Edited by SKanyara