First Week on the Ground: WOPLAH Updates

Kitchen Farm Project

During our first week on the ground with WOPLAH, we have had the opportunity to visit many beneficiaries of their kitchen garden program. These kitchen gardens support communities through food and income generation when the crops are sold.

We were able to visit WOPLAH’s main grounds, which houses a large kitchen garden that is currently growing arrowroot, carrots, peppers, strawberries, and bananas along with many other fruits and vegetables.

WOPLAH also has a mushroom farm at this location, and the funds

generated from the most recent mushroom crop paid the school fees for 14 children, 4 of whom are orphans and 10 of whom are living with HIV.

We also visited kitchen gardens at other locations, some of which were growing sweet potatoes, peas, and beans. WOPLAH provides these communities with seeds and agricultural education to learn how to plant, grow, and harvest these crops. Through these methods, WOPLAH intends to provide a sustainable way for these communities to support themselves over a long period of time.

Village Banking

Many of the 30 community groups that WOPLAH supports have active village banking programs. We visited several groups who held bank accounts for members to take out microloans to establish business, and agricultural projects. They also help families pay school fees and medical expenses. 

On our third day in Western Kenya, we visited a community support group in the countryside. The group was established to provide socioeconomic and community support to its members, many of whom have HIV/AIDS or are caregivers for people living positively. Since their success, they have established a secondary mission- to look after vulnerable children who have been orphaned in the community.

Like many of the groups we visited, this group has a robust Village Banking program. The chairman of the group informed us that, through village banking, microloan and merry go round programs, the support group has been able to take care of 11 children, affording them care, homes and  the opportunity to go to school. As a community, this group is able to invest in vulnerable future generations, fundamentally changing their lives. 

WOPLAH developed initiatives that allow people to maintain steady streams of income, to become empowered in their status and supported by the community. In turn, those people continue to reach a hand to the vulnerable. WOPLAH inspires a tradition of charity in the community.

The Chairman passed a plate around the living room, there are 14 members here, scrounging in their pockets for spare change. When the dish returns, the amount raised looks minuscule, maybe 7 USD, but this is only the beginning. 

Edwin explains that this amount can be dispursed and invested in any number of ways. It can be granted to one group memeber through Merry-go-round, a banking initiative where each group member contributes a small sum of money that one member can put towards a project. If they decided to invest in WOPLAH's poultry project, the 7 USD could empower them with several chicks. These chicks would grow into chickens, some laying eggs for nutrition, and others reproducing. The chicks can be raised, or sold, and eventually eaten for meat. 

In Kenyan culture, chicken is considered a specialty. Edwine explained that when an individual who is living positively discloses their status over chicken and Chapati, they are more likly to garner a positive reaction. 

Further, the income generated from the chickens can be invested back into the village banking program. Another member may request a loan to start a business, or the group may collectively establish a fish pond. The group generates enough income to support both their families and orphaned children in the community.

Animal Rearing Projects

One of WOPLAH’s largest initiatives helps bring animals to the community in order to support better nutrition and the ability for income generation.

This past week we saw the impacts of this project in a few areas:

- At the main WOPLAH Kitchen garden and grounds

- For support groups and individuals

At the main WOPLAH farm site, there are cows, chickens, goats and soon to be arrival of rabbits. In addition this facility has two fish ponds. These animals help WOPLAH generate income and support the community. These animals provide nutritious food for community members and can be sold to support school fees and other projects. In a sustainable fashion the animal waste can also be used as a natural fertilizer in organic farming techniques. 

In the community the impacts are just as widespread. At one support group that we visited, WEMA, they proudly showed off their successful goats that they had received from WOPLAH. They also had multiple cows and a fish pond. They informed us about how they feed and harvest the fish. Multiple members of this group said that the incorporation and access to animals on their land has opened up many opportunities for themselves and their families. 

Many other support groups shared similar anecdotes. At one particular support group they also had a pig on their land. Overall the goat and poultry rearing programs have had an undeniably important role in helping people in the community.

Support Groups

During our first week with WOPLAH, we visited several of the support groups that WOPLAH works with including Tuliza, Jikaze Faulu, Katoto, 5Talents, Rome, and WEMA. Each group greeted us with open arms, a cold drink or food, and lots of laughter and smiles! All of the groups have built tangible social support networks that assist in funding for living expenses, children’s schooling, or new business startups, food networks through the Kitchen Gardens and

poultry/goat rearing, as well as education programs and medical support for those living with HIV/AIDS. The groups also support cavegivers for and families of people living positively. Through our visits with the various support groups, it was made clear that WOPLAH is truly supporting all aspects of wellbeing from physical and mental health, to building social support networks, to cultivating intrapersonal understanding. We look forward to visiting more groups and spending more time with those we’ve already met, Tutaonana baadaye!