DEVELOPMENT OFFICE The Diocesan 4 mandate districts namely Kitui, Mwingi, Kyuso and Mutomo are situated on the Eastern part of Kenya where rainfalls are relatively low and unreliable, temperatures are high, soils are highly weathered, and land is highly degraded. These characteristics define a semi arid land where droughts are frequent and sometimes prolonged causing severe human suffering. The very nature of this environment is partly the cause of high poverty level (more than 74% of the population live below poverty level (i.e. Kshs. 70.00 a day ($1)); high food/ water deficiencies, HIV/AIDS, high gender disparities.   Though the area is classified as Arid and Semi Arid land (ASAL), our land is endowed with a lot of resources, that, when tapped, would greatly improve living standards of each and every one. It is on this solid base that this office was developed; to respond to growing need of development and social services of the people of the diocese and beyond.   In order to live the Diocesan Mission; that is; evangelization  to all and service to people in need, bringing about the Kingdom of God; several development and social programmes were developed, including Food security Programme; Water programme; women programme and Justice and Peace programme   These Programmes are Trans – religious, that is, they are formulated to serve all persons, not necessarily limited to church precincts.

FOOD SECURITY PROGRAMME

Kitui, Kyuso, Mwingi and Mutomo being A.S.A.L Areas, frequently face famine as a result of low rainfall; poor soil fertility; high temperatures.  This leads to very low farm productivity, hence food insecurity.   Also, due to lack of food and water, it became necessary to develop a quick response programmes that target vulnerable cases in order to protect their health (i.e. therapeutic feeding).   As a result, our Food security programme has three main sub-programmes, from which, several projects have been developed. These Sub- programmes are: Agricultural Projects; Goats and Sheep Project (GASP) and Relief Intervention/Recovery Programme.   a)       AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS These include projects geared towards Sustainable agricultural productivity; and they include Livelihood Protection and Agriculture project – Improved Grain Storage (Metal Silos Project); Grain Marketing project and Integrated Food Security and Improved Water Management project all developed and implemented in partnership with Catholic Relief Services.

LIVELIHOODS AND AGRICULTURE (SO3 PROGRAMME)   This is CRS funded project on Livelihoods and Agriculture project (implemented between June 2006 and march 2007), based in the two divisions of Mutomo and Mutha in the southern parts of the Diocese, covering nine sub – locations of  Miivuni, Kivyuni, Isaa and Kasasi for Mutha division and Mwala, Yongela, Kathungu, Ilusya and Ithumula in Mutomo division. It is a recovery programme from drought, thus Livelihoods, through Agriculture.   It was started in April 2006 under a First Specific Objective (hence SO1) as a Rapid Assistance Project, in order to save lives of many vulnerable persons who had been adversely affected by famine in Kitui south.   This is one of the areas most affected by the drought. Rains have consistently failed for years in this region. Basic assets like livestock have been disposed of at a throw away price, in the pursuit of provision of basic needs like food, shelter and clothing. Animals, the other livelihood alternative have perished due to drought. This has only contributed to increased vulnerability for the community.    After the initial response, it became necessary to come up with a recovery programme that will enable most of the affected persons to regain their livelihoods and increase resilience in these drought affected communities through natural resource management and subsidy.   The two project’s activities, which were identified by the locals themselves, are: ¨        Terracing of family farms ¨        Desilting and expansion of two earth dams   The individuals from households were selected and grouped together to work at identified family farms (which belonged to the group members) or specified locations of dam-desilting.   As a result, currently, two dams have been repaired and expanded, and over 297km of terraces dug at then individuals’ (beneficiaries’) family farms. This has resulted in conservation of an area measuring approximately 742.5 acres, with the number of beneficiary households ranging between 2250 and 2500.   As a result of this undertaking, there was increased food production, farms were conserved, while the desilted dams were able to hold water for local consumption a longer time than there before.    ii)  GRAIN MARKETING PROJECT This is a project aimed at undertaking farming as a business; specifically to commercialize legumes farming in Kitui.   Normally; small scale Farmers in Kitui, produce substantial amount of legumes every season which mostly go to waste due to poor storage and poor pricing; thus leaving them status quo poor. Therefore, this project has been developed to empower farmers to get back more from their input in agricultural production.   This programme is also operational in ten other Districts in Kenya.   The strategies involved include; Grouping farmers; a pooling effect to enable them gain bargaining power in agricultural production and pricing; Linking the grouped farmers to the markets; develop a system for micro – financing; do input supply to the farmers such as provision of seeds; fertilizers and chemicals for pest control.   Through grouping the farmers and linking these groups to the markets; farmers are not only acquiring bargaining power in pricing of their produce, but also is a way of getting rid of the middlemen who for a long time have forced the farmers to give away their hard-earned farm produce at a throw away price. iii) Improved Grain Storage (Metal silo storage technology) One of the reasons that force farmers to sell their farm produce immediately after harvest in Kitui is...(Read More)

GOATS AND SHEEP PROJECT (GASP) It was started in 1976 with initial aim of improving small stocks of Kitui and Mwingi Livestock farmers by providing them with Billies and rams, in order to improve their breeds for better milk/ meat/ animal products production.   This project was aimed at improving livestock in the whole diocese of Kitui, through breeding (for high genetically modified potential Goats and Sheep, then sell them the local farmers who will counter breed them for more milk and meat production) and training (capacity building programme for the livestock farmers).   In  order to improve breeding; 3 new Billies and 3 Doppers (a cross between goat and a sheep)  have been purchased, a move that of late has increased conception rate in Goats and sheep rise from previous 50% to 95%.  356 goats and 130 sheep have conceived.   Under the new management; the sales of the livestock from GASP is improving, with new markets opening up in as far as central and south Eastern Kenya.   And more Business opportunities are opening up. Kenya Goats Breeders Association is on the process of inspecting the GASP Project for assessment to enable it be advertised through the association.   Of late, new projects have been brought overboard; these include the steers and honey projects while plans for Aloe Vera, Horticultural and drought resistant crop farming; Legumes growing; Tree planting projects are still in pipeline. Other plans include need to expand capacity building for local farmers through developing a responsive livestock marketing system.   Also breeding percentage in goats and Sheep has been improved from 25% to 50%, a factor that has improved the pricing of a sheep or goat from GASP to Kenya Shillings: 5,000.00 ($80), from previous Kenya Shillings. 2500.00($40).   In steers Project, some 259 Steers were purchased, fattened and sold, while in honey project, 93 modern beehives are being sited at the GASP project.

RELIEF PROGRAMMES

c) RELIEF PROGRAMMES   i) Emergency Operations Programme (EMOP) This was an initiative by the World Food programme and Government of Kenya to enable access to food for the most vulnerable groups in famine hit areas. In Kitui, as an ASAL region constantly hit by long Dry-spells, EMOP has been operational since 2001.   In 2005 Catholic Diocese of Kitui was appointed to be the lead agent in the programme covering Mwitika, Mutha, Mutomo and Ikutha Divisions in Kitui District, while working in partnership with Kitui development centre, Anglican Church of Kenya, Kauwi women group, among other agencies working on the ground, in Kitui and Mwingi Districts.   The programme works in 12 cycles (Cycle = a month) and 6 cycles form a phase. The first phase, from August 2005 to February 2006, 126, 074 were targeted, a number that was increased to 186,188 in the second phase that ended in August, 2006. After yet another assessment by WFP and The Kitui District Steering Committee, the number of beneficiaries was reduced to 149, 491 in the third phase. After the third phase, another assessment was done in February, 2007, when it was satisfactorily decided that the Emergency Operations needed to be halted, following improved harvests in the region after the 2006 December rains.   To each beneficiary; a full basket from EMOP would constitute: Cereals (Corn, sometimes rice); Pulses (Split or un-split peas or green peas); Vegetable oil. (It may not mean that each time the beneficiary would receive a full basket. Thus, most of the time, most important necessity would be the cereal.)   The Ratio for a full basket has been: ·          Cereal: 6.9kg per beneficiary per cycle (Month) ·          Pulses: 1.2 kg per beneficiary per cycle ·          Oil: 0.4 kg per beneficiary per cycle

a) Food for Assets (FFA)  This is a food security strategy to meet immediate food needs for the vulnerable people while ensuring building of assets for the future food security.   The long lasting effect of FFA is not only for the creation of assets but also building of adequate skills to help people plan and manage micro-initiatives, and continue to invest in their futures.   Supported by the World Food Programme, FFA Project started in June 2007 just after the protracted General Feeding programme that started back in 2004 and it is going on till February 2008.   The programme aims at empowering the communities take more control of their lives via building assets within the community, as a means to reduce community’s dependency on food aid. At the same time, there is a short term goal to provide un-met food needs for the insecure households, thus improving nutritional status quality of life for the most vulnerable persons.   The project targeted 3395 households (approximately 20,370 persons) in Matinyani, Mutonguni and Chuluni divisions in Kitui District divisions. These are households that are affected by HIV/AIDS, with widows/widowers or orphans, no food stocks/ livestock (or less than defined number), or displaced persons among other characteristics.   These beneficiaries, who were identified by the community itself, would perform specified amount of work and in return, they are given food. This work is either in their farms (Terracing), or at specified roads or water catchment sites.                                                                                                         The programme has recorded impressive success so far.   Out of expected out put to construct water pans of capacity 2700 m³,  beneficiaries have done 2750 m³, whilst 875.9 km or terracing has been done, compared to the expected 775.44 km.  Also the 3 km road renovation has been achieved.   Apart from the project achieving the measured objective within given time frame, it has created valuable community assets (terraces, water reservoirs and roads) which are essential for food security. This has ensured that migration from family farms to look for casual/ manual jobs has been minimized as the beneficiary households have been empowered economically within their farms.   In addition, this has helped to maintain some nutritional and dietary standards for the targeted population.   This is despite some challenges that included lack of enough tools and equipment to successfully implement the project.   b)  Water relief Following unreliable rainfall since El Nino (1997); water still remains a very precious, but scarce commodity in Kitui, Mwingi and Mutomo districts. The only available water points in many areas (including our seasonal rivers) dry up few days to few weeks after downpour, leaving human beings and animals with no water even for drinking.   This stagnates so many activities, and in some instances, resulting to deaths, first on animals, then to humans.   Such was a scenario in 2005/ 2006, before the diocese took the initiatives through water programme, to physically take drinking water to people and animals in the hard hit areas in southern, Eastern and northern parts of the diocese.   With support from our partners, including the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and GOAL, tanks were erected at designated points, which were then replenished with clean drinking water using water bowzers, a process known as “Tankering”.   It has ended up being a timely lives-saving programme.   ii) Drought recovery programme:   A)      Post Harvesting Project: After improved yield in 2007, it became necessary for the diocese to assist the farmers in Kitui with means to preserve their grains in order to prolong food security for many house holds. Generally the fear has been that after every good harvest, the farm produce is disposed in order to avoid damage by pests or dreaded afflatoxin due to poor storage methods and facilities.   The result has been selling the produce immediately after harvesting at a throw-away price, leaving the households prone to food insecurity.   Supported by Trocaire, this project was thus started in September, ending in October, this year (2007) to educate and empower the farmers on safe means of Post harvesting handling of farm produce. This include training on proper grain drying methods and dusting with chemicals, in order to protect the grains for at least 6 months, ensuring food security in the household for some time.   The project targeted 3000 households in 9 sub locations in Kanyangi, Ikutha, Mutomo, Endau, Nguni, Kyuso and Kimangau Parishes,. These households were identified by the community through public gathering (“Baraza”), supervised by the Project staff.   The beneficiaries were trained on proper storage structures (especially on use of Metal silos); Treatment of grains prior to storing; and proper handling of chemicals. After the training, they were distributed with one kilogram of Acetelic Super, a dusting chemical for weevils.   The targeted beneficiaries have so far recorded success with the project, they have been able to store their grains, ensuring lengthened food security, as well as getting better prices once they decide to sell.

B)      Restocking Programme It was undertaken with support from European Union in the same 9 sub locations in Kanyangi, Ikutha, Mutomo, Endau, Nguni, Kyuso and Kimangau Parishes, starting in September, 2007, and it is still on-going.   It was aimed at restocking livestock that had been de-stocked due to famine in2006/2007. Many animals died during this time.   50 affected households per parish (therefore 350 households in the nine sub locations) were targeted, on condition that: They had grazing land capable of keeping at least 10 goats; previously, had goats which they lost to drought; had dependants; they were willing to cost share, Kshs. 60.00 (Just less than $1) per every goat given; they were willing to work in groups.   After identifying the beneficiaries, each house hold was to be given 5 She-goats, and one He-goat.  So far, the goats have been distributed in three parishes, and the exercise is still going on. Before the goats are distributed, they are normally vaccinated and drenched.