Design and Implementation of an Adaptive, Integrated Approach to Health and Sustainability in a Smallholder-Dominated Agroecosystem - Integrated Assessment of Health and Sustainability of Agroecosystems - page 38

2.3.3 s y s t e m i C D e s C r i p t i of n
Gitau (1997) provided a detailed description of the information gathered during the
initial village workshops. This includes descriptions of natural resources, historical
background, social structure, typology of farms, trends, human health, seasonal cal-
endars, felt needs, and coping strategies by communities living in the six ISSs.

2.3.3.1 demographic features

Table 2.2 gives a summary of key demographic features of the six ISSs based on a
census of land-use units. The Githima study site had the highest number of land-
use units (229), followed by Gitangu. Kiawamagira and Mahindi had the fewest
(41 and 40, respectively). The mean acreage per land-use unit was highest in Thiririka
(3.5 acres), followed by Mahindi (2.7 acres) and Githima (2.3 acres). Kiawamagira
and Gikabu had the least (1.8 and 1.9, respectively). In terms of total size, Thiririka
is the largest in land size, covering approximately 3 km 2 and having several publicly
owned parcels of land. Mahindi and Kiawamagira are the smallest in size, covering
approximately 0.5 km 2 each. There were areas in Kiawamagira left as public land
due to swamping.
In all villages, there were land-use units that consisted of more than one house-
hold (Table 2.2). These were more common in Githima (23) and Gitangu (19) and
least common in Mahindi and Kiawamagira (1 and 6, respectively). Nearly half
(43.9%) of the households in Kiawamagira were female headed. The majority of the
households in Gikabu (63.9%) and Kiawamagira (53.7%) were managed by females.
The majority of households in Mahindi (67.5%) and Gikabu (57.8%) had off-farm
income. The average number of people per household was highest in Thiririka
(8 persons), followed by Mahindi, and the fewest people were in Githima households
(5.6 persons). Mahindi had the highest number (2.5) of people with off-farm employ-
ment per household, followed by Gikabu (1.5) and Kiawamagira (1.4), while Githima
had the fewest (0.3).

2.3.3.2 Geoclimatic features

According to the agroecological classification by Jaetzold and Schmidt (1983),
Thiririka village lies in the forest reserve zone (Upper Highlands; UH0 in Figure
2.5) as shown in Figure 2.5. Githima village lies in the coffee-tea zone (upper mid-
lands; UM1). Mahindi and Kiawamagira villages lie in the marginal coffee zone
(upper midlands; UM3). The other two villages are on the lower highlands (LH)
zones: Gitangu in the wheat-maize-pyrethrum zone (LH2) and Gikabu in the tea-
dairy zone (LH1).

2.3.3.3 Resource use and distribution

Off-farm employment, small ruminants, and income from various farming enter-
prises were the most unevenly distributed. Gini coefficients were 0.72 for off-farm
employment, 0.28 for population, 0.41 for farm land, 0.43 for cattle, 0.69 for sheep
and goats, 0.64 for income from cash crops, 0.53 for income from food crops, and