The climate change realities faced by rural communities, demand new and innovative ways to communicate to rural small scale farmers. Emerging communication technologies such as the internet provide huge opportunities for smallholder farmers in accessing critical information on better farming methods for increased food production.
Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN), a Kenyan NGO, is innovatively using community-based ICT facilities known as Maarifa Centres (Swahili word for knowledge) to facilitate exchange of ideas and knowledge among farmers on sustainable agriculture, climate change adaptation as well as market access for improved livelihoods. In these Centres, farmers are exposed to ALIN’s innovations known as Soko+ which involves the use of Short Messaging Service (Sms), blogs, iPods, videos and internet to get information on weather changes, market access and better farming methods.
One such Centres is Ngarua Maarifa Centre in Ol-Moran Ward, Laikipia County. Act! in partnership with ALIN through the Changieni Rasili Mali Facility, established the Centre to help farmers make informed decisions on their farming. Since the establishment of the Centre, many milestones have been achieved with over 2,000 community members benefiting from the Facility.
Peter Gicheru, a beneficiary of Ngarua Maarifa Centre and the Secretary of Matwiku Self Help Group which has more than 20 members, attests to the benefits of the Centre. “I am happy that Maarifa Centre has enabled me understand what type of crop to grow and the season best suited”, said Gicheru. Through the Centre, farmers like Gicheru, are able to access information on tomatoes, cabbages, beans and capsicum which they have planted in their piece of land.
The Changieni Rasili Mali Facility is jointly funded by the Embassy of Sweden and UKaid. The Facility seeks to increase community participation in the management of the country’s natural resources for improved livelihoods.
