The 50 by 100m farm is run by Live in Slum, a group of 100 residents.
The ground on which rows of vegetables grow used to be a dumping site, which the members reclaimed and rehabilitated.
Henry Ochieng’, the group’s assistant project coordinator, narrates that the parcel was initially an unsightly place.
“It was wet and full of garbage. We took months to remove the garbage, place stones on the ground, fence the place and then poured red loam soil, laying a nice garden for their traditional vegetables to grow.” Ochieng’ says they work on the farm on a rotational basis, earning each member the right to harvest the vegetables for free.
“We have a timetable and an individual works on the farm at least for two hours a day, participating in weeding and other chores under the supervision of a team leader,” says Ochieng, noting they grow sukuma wiki (collard greens), cowpeas (kunde), amaranthus (terere) and Bacella Alba (nderema), among others.
Patricia Warigia, a single mother of five, who relies on Sh200 she gets daily from a cleaning job, says the farm has reduced her expenses.
“It may look very little, but not having to pay Sh20 every day for vegetables is a great relief for me. That little money takes care of other expenses.”
The group is taught other skills including how to achieve proper nutrition by Fondazione L’Albero Della Vita (FADV), the organisation that helped them start the project in 2015.
By VERAH OKEYO For: http://www.nation.co.ke
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