Opportunity in disaster

By: Joyce Okuta

Nabara Self Help Group is based in Salabani location approximately 13 Kms from Marigat town. The area is accessible through a dusty and perilous road especially during rainy season. It consists of 52 youth among these 32 are male while 20 are Female.

Some of the houses that were submerged by bursting of Lake Baringo

It was formed in 2012 after the communities living around Lake Baringo were displaced due to floods; this led to loss of lives and properties. The group came together with a common interest to see how they would use the floods for development.

How they began 
Since the group members are youth, they decided to pull labor by creatively digging trenches to harvest the lake water and a reservoir for irrigating their crops. They pump water using generators in their 10 acre piece of land owned by the group, they practice furrow irrigation.

Water reservoir where the group pumps water for irrigation

The group planted water melon on 6 acres and had bumper harvest, they got over KSh 800,000. This gave them confidence to venture into other crops like vegetables, tomatoes, beans and grass.

Nabara S.H.G used the money to extend their farm, bought sahiwal bull for upgrading programme within the group. Members who were displaced were able to buy land and built houses, paid school fees for their children, bought 4 motorbikes and saved the rest of the money in their bank account.

   

Redirected water from Lake Baringo to the main reservoir

The groups' innovation has recently attracted well wishers and NGOs who support them like Network for Ecofarming in Africa (NECOFA), they offer seeds, training and exposure tour. 

The ministry of Agriculture has also been very instrumental in training the group and linking them with partners for support.

Activities 
Apart from farming Nabara S.H.G have merry-go-round and they visit their group members in case of problem. They empower their members by improving their living standards through assisting the less fortunate in the society.

bumper harvest

Challenges 
Lack of Market for produce is a major constraint among the group since they rely on middlemen who exploit them. 

The trenches they dug are not wide enough to contain large volume of water thus sometimes the water is not sufficient to irrigate the farm.

The pipes they use are small hence one takes more than 8 hours to irrigate 1 acre piece of land.

Experience 
The group realized that the soil in their farm was fertile and reduced the use of fertilizer, a factor they attribute to abundant harvest. 

They also realized that water from the lake is salty hence the reduction in using chemicals.

Positive impacts of floods to Nabara Group in promoting food security.

 The group feels that they have achieved a lot as youth since they have converted disaster into development.