A new farming technique is transforming feeding programmes in Bungoma schools and food security in the region.
Agroecology promotes farming practices that mitigate climate change impacts and put farmers and communities in the driving seat of food production.
Speaking to the press on Thursday at St Dennis Libolina Primary School in Bumula during the agriculture field day, Josphat Barasa, a farmer and agroecology expert, lauded Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme (SCOPE) organisation for choosing to run projects in Bungoma schools that have positively impacted feeding programmes.
He said farmers in the neighboring Busia county have also adopted the agroecology.
“I run my own agroecological farm in Butula, Busia, that is paying me well. I have spread the skills to the community where farmers have adopted it,” Barasa said.
SCOPE has picked four schools in Bungoma (two in Bumula and two in Kimilili constituencies) where the project is being implemented, and they have performed excellently.
“As we speak today, those four schools do not purchase food from outside suppliers for the teachers and learners because the project is producing surpluses,” Barasa said.
“When we buy food to create a feeding programme, then it will not be sustainable yet schools have huge tracts of land that can be utilised to produce food to serve the school.”
Barasa cited St Dennis Libolina in Bumula where a piece of land had been left idle but this February the piece of land was put to use.
“The idea came after we realised that many schools have huge tracts of land idling but struggle to feed learners,” he said.
Barasa said they chose to work in schools because they wanted to establish sustainable feeding programmes for teachers and learners, create a training centre for the learners, teachers and the community, and a conducive environment for learning.
“The communities around schools we are running in the agroecology projects are now able to pick skills from schools and transfer them to their homes,” he said.
Farmers from the schools have been able to set up kitchen gardens in their homes.
The projects help to equip teachers and learners with farming knowledge and skills under the Competency Based Curriculum through practicals.
He said the advantage of agroecology is that a farmer is expected to get few organic materials and a small piece of land as the technique doesn’t require the use of artificial fertiliser purchased from agrovets.
“Agroecology is the simplest method of farming as a farmer will only need a piece of land and organic materials to start producing foodstuffs,” Barasa said.
SCOPE national coordinator John Macharia called upon farmers in western region to shift from conventional farming to agroecology, arguing that it’s simple and requires few materials.
Macharia added that agroecology deals with indigenous food crops that withstand harsh climate conditions.
Gladys Olande, the head teacher of St Dennis Libolina, said when she took over the school in 2018 the institution could not sustain learners in terms of food security.
“The compound was full of flowers and the land was left for construction,” she said.
After realising that the school did not have enough funds to purchase food for the learners and teachers, Olande partnered with SCOPE Kenya to start agroecology farming to make the school self- sustainable in food.
“SCOPE came and designed the school land that is now producing surplus. We are now able to feed our learners and teachers,” she said.
The main challenge facing the school is inadequate supply of water for irrigation. They mainly depend on rainfall but with climate change and long dry spells harvesting water is a great challenge.
Olande said learners participate actively in the farming exercises as it offers sites for CBC practicals. Every class has designed their farm in front of the class with a diverse range of foods that is very productive.
“Currently, the school only purchase maize grain. Vegetables, potatoes and fruits are harvested from the school farm,” she said.