Project Commenced: 1 October 2006
Project completed: 30 September 2010
The Ndamamo Economic Empowerment Group committee is now successfully running financial and marketing activities that are helping to improve the livelihoods of its 152 members and 11 affiliate groups.
With World Vision’s support, the Ndamamo Committee developed a three-year plan to create a self-financed, community-owned and managed organisation that could lead economic development in their district.
This plan led to the Ndabibi Business Empowerment project and its goals of expanding, diversifying and stabilising income opportunities for communities in the Ndabibi region. Historically the main source of income in the area was open range livestock farming. But a lack of alternative income sources left people vulnerable during droughts and floods, which have both occurred in the last four years.
To address this vulnerability, the project exposed Ndamamo and its affiliate groups to new technologies for agricultural development, trained them in how to access credit and other financial resources, and taught them strategies for accessing new and existing markets.
Project achievements include:
Access to markets - By applying market access strategies, the group successfully negotiated a contract to supply watermelons to a local supermarket chain.
- Sericulture (silk farming) and beekeeping are being pursued for income generation, with six demonstration sites established.
- Group members are now able to negotiate better prices for their produce.
Technology
- Five greenhouses have now been built for commercial crop production and as demonstration sites where community members can learn how to apply this technology on their own land.
- Ndamamo affiliate, the Chemi Chemi women’s group, has purchased two plots of land, constructed dams and introduced drip irrigation and greenhouses for commercial horticulture. They have also formed a seed bank to increase productivity.
Resource mobilisation
- Financial management training including basic book-keeping has enabled group members to obtain funds from microfinance institutions and other partners including the World Wide Fund For Nature to assist with sericulture, water management and reforestation.
- The committee negotiated use of a three-acre plot of land from the local council to establish an office and store, saving rental costs.
- Community members can now access financial services from various institutions to start up and expand farm enterprises and small businesses such as cafes, shops and hairdressing salons to supplement their farming income.
The Ndamamo group now plans to use income generated through greenhouse, silk worm and beekeeping projects to expand its activities. Once income generating projects are viable, funds they generate will be used to provide community members with low interest loans, thus expanding and sustaining economic empowerment in the community.
To hear first hand from some of the people who have benefited from this project, watch our latest videos.