In Kenya, a collaboration between government and nonprofits has revitalized farmland and created new prosperity.
On a scorching afternoon in Narok County, a county in southwestern Kenya with an estimated population of 1.1 million, members of the Oloiboroing’oni farmers group pick ripe tomatoes from their lush fields. They work to fill as many crates as possible before the sun dips below the horizon — a thriving market awaits them the following day.
Once predominantly reliant on livestock for their livelihoods (and losing them to frequent droughts), these farmers have transitioned from herding to growing tomatoes, cabbages, and maize. The shift to tomato farming has proven highly profitable, with the income from selling just two crates of tomatoes matching or even exceeding the earnings from selling three or more cows. (During drought seasons, when cattle go hungry, farmers are forced to sell their emaciated cows at substantially reduced prices to prevent them from succumbing to starvation.) Farmers generally fill and sell up to three crates of tomatoes daily, earning a considerable Ksh.15,000 (US$101.39) per crate.
This money has enabled the farmers to provide for their families, invest in education, and meet various needs within their community, such as improving local infrastructure, supporting healthcare initiatives, and contributing to social programs. Shifting to irrigation farming has also created employment opportunities for others in the community, ranging from tilling and planting to cultivating and harvesting.
The Oloiboroing’oni group is committed to sustainable practices, including biological pest control methods such as the strategic use of maize plants. The maize plants serve as windbreakers, protecting the tomatoes from strong winds, and attracting insects away from the more vulnerable tomato plants, minimizing damage and reducing the need for chemical pesticides.
Getting here wasn’t easy. The community — deeply rooted in a pastoralist tradition — cherished livestock. And shifting to growing vegetables wouldn’t have been possible if the group hadn’t also had access to reliable irrigation. Today, they draw water from the revitalized Enkong’u Enkare springs, a critical resource previously marred by siltation caused by seasonal rivers (rivers that are not constant and depend on various factors such as rainfall and snowmelt to sustain their flow), human activities such as deforestation and urbanization, and encroachment by wildlife.
The Enkong’u Enkare springs — now providing a consistent water supply — owe their current health to a collaboration between government agencies and nonprofits, including the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Kenya), and Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS).
To address the impact of wild animals such as elephants and zebras, which consume and trample crops, the National Environment Management Authority and WWF-Kenya built barriers that keep animals away. They also planted trees to help protect the wetlands during prolonged droughts.
The success story of the Narok County farmers isn’t the only benefit stemming from the rehabilitation of the Enkong’u Enkare springs. Wetlands, characterized by water-saturated soil or surface water presence, play a vital role in mitigating climate change risks, purifying water, and sustaining ecosystems. They also serve as crucial carbon sinks, actively contributing to carbon sequestration and the fight against climate change.
More than ten acres of land around Enkong’u Enkareto has been fenced by The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry to help secure these vital water catchments for the wider community. Similar measures are underway to protect wetlands in other regions — a recognition of their vital role in protecting communities from the effects of climate change.
