Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Vision's Kahawa Area Development Programme. Non-participants developed
an interest in interventions: they fenced off their plots and planted crops.
C
ONCLUSION AND
R
ECOMMENDATIONS
The findings of the study are very significant because NGOs and other interested
individuals in Kamae saw it as a worthy cause and assisted community members
in other innovations, especially in the provision of clean and safe water. Also,
gardens were introduced into this community. Moreover, adjacent communities
asked to be similarly trained and as a result of this, World Vision (Kahawa Area
Development Programme) sponsored a six-day training programme in Soweto
and also in Ngomongo, in Kasarani, Nairobi. Through the Ministry of
Agriculture and Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development,
the
government should implement more training to all willing urban dwellers.
Fifty per cent of the households that participated in the interventions
produced surplus produce they could sell. Thus, they became both farmers
and business people. Thirty-six per cent in this same group were involved in
farming as well as being engaged as casual labourers in the neighbouring
coffee plantations. Only 13.4 per cent continued to be involved in farming
without any other economic activity. Diversification of economic activities
broadened the households' financial base or capacity and, as a result, access to
household food security was enhanced. However, there is a need to sensitize
urban dwellers on the importance of diversifying their economic activities for
their overall development, which would include farming.
Agricultural knowledge increased significantly, as evidenced in the
improved farming practices and diversity of crops which became accessible to
households. Organic farming was the preferred system of crop production
because it does not require expensive inputs; hence, it is affordable to people
of all socio-economic classes. Those households participating in the
intervention phase experienced an improvement in their food security and this
also indicated an increase in dietary diversity due to improved caloric, protein,
vitamin A and iron intakes. Nutrition education was essential so participants
could make informed choices in the selection of food for their household's
members and also so as to properly utilize available food.
Therefore, the research showed that when agricultural programmes are
combined with well-designed nutrition education, significant changes in the
participants' consumption behaviour can occur. Also, when there is an increase
in nutrition knowledge there is a related increase in intakes of important
nutrients, particularly vitamins and minerals. Increase in consumption of
micronutrient-rich food is notable when production systems are diversified to
include intercropping and rearing of small livestock.
The nutrition status of children during the baseline survey showed very
high levels of stunting, which meant that they had experienced long-term
deprivation of su
cient food and probably disease. However, the results of
the intervention showed mixed responses, proving that nutrition education
