INTRODUCTION
Self Help Africa’s Market Led Natural Resource Management Programme seeks to assist individual households, schools and farmers associations in Gilgil Division, Kenya, to market nature based enterprises, develop commercial and multi-purpose tree nurseries, and promote the use of energy saving devices, as a means of rehabilitating and sustainably managing the natural environment of the region.
LOCATION
The project is taking place in districts around Gilgil and Elementaita in Kenya’s Rift Valley Province. The area is north-west of the capital Nairobi, close to Lake Elementaita, and on both sides of main Nairobi to Nakuru highway.
ECONOMY
The main industry in Gilgil district is agriculture, and flower growing (floriculture) is also a source of significant employment. Naivasha Lake and its surrounding game reserves make it a popular tourist destination.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
The project objective is to facilitate the development of commercial multipurpose tree nurseries, scale up farm tree planting, support farmers groups to commercially market agro-forestry products, and encourage the sustainable management of the natural environment.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
The project has facilitated the establishment of four commercial multi-purpose and eight school-based tree nurseries in Elementaita and Gilgil, and to scale up farm tree planting for 4,000 households in both districts.
2,000 households in Elementaita and Gilgil are being assisted with fuel efficient energy saving devices, and four farmers associations are being assisted with the promotion, management and marketing of nature base enterprises.
Work to date has included reforestation, rehabilitation and implementation of water and soil conservation practices, development of agro-forestry products, strengthening of the existing Eburru Community Forest Association, utilsation of appropriate dry land techniques for tree planting, support for vegetation cover development, and tree crop farming.
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