NASARU NTOYIE SAVING THE GIRL CHILD ONE BEAD AT A TIME

The Maasai are an asocial people where traditionally the woman is discriminated in social cultural, economic, religious and political aspects of life. The most gruesome of traditional practices in this community is female genital mutilation (FGM). This is a practice that has over the years has been attributed to bringing a lot of misery to the girl child as well as denying her a chance to an education since most of these girls are forcefully married off at a tender age. It is for this reason that in 1992 a group of bold women founded a group called Nasaru Ntoyie which is Maasai for let us save the girl child.

I had had a chance to talk to one of its founders Peninah Nasieku Tompo, adorned in the Maasai traditional wear she could easily pass for any Maasai woman. However there is nothing ordinary about Peninah also commonly known as mama Odu or mama Symo, is an extra ordinary woman. In Isinya and Kajiado at large she is a champion, a champion of the girl child’s rights.

Meet Peninah

At first glance she has a bubbly personality which hides her lifelong tale and burden she bears for her community. As I talk to her, this time not as casually as other days it strikes me that she is full of contagious passion.

Her story began nearly 40 years ago when a mzungu literally snatched from the hands of an ugly FGM and early marriage and this paved the way for an education. This experience opened many doors of opportunity for her something women in her community at the time could only dream of, it also enabled her to view the world around her from different lenses.

  Peninah now a  retired nurse and trained advocate is ironically a mother of 5 boys and one would then ask themselves then why the hustle to rescue other people’s children. She tells me that being a rescue case herself, it’s enough that she rescues other young girls as away to give back to society for changing her life for the better. She is also glad that the new constitution dispensation recognizes that FGM is a heinous crime.

Each member of the group is at task to make do some bead work which is later sold and a percentage of the money goes to educating girls who have been rescued by the group.

The road has not been without any bumps, Peninah has been threatened, criticized and even sometimes ostracized by her fellow women folk for the work she does, despite all this, vivacious Peninah cannot help but smile at the successes the group has had over the years, she tells me that a good number of girls that the group has rescued have now completed their university or college others working. The girls have also followed in her footsteps by rescuing girls in the villages they come from.

Peninah attends to a customer during an open day in Kitengela

Anyone who has seen a Maasai woman doing her bead work knows that it takes a lot of time effort and commitment, each bead goes in alone, but all beads together form an intricate design to be held at awe by all those who see it. In this same spirit Nassaru Ntoyie’s efforts will continue until each child is safe from FGM and forced early marriage and one bead at a time the group shall finally get there.    

Article written by Njeri Kenyaggia

Ardent farmer putting drip irrigation knowledge to good use

Noah Ng'otiek at extreme left attending to this farm

 

Drip Irrigation is a method of watering plants through plastic pipes called tapes. Single drops of water come out at a time to wet soil around the plants roots hence the name drip irrigation. This type of irrigation is common in this area because of its climatic conditions. The climatic conditions of Isinya and its environments are in arid and semi- arid regions thus making it more convenience to use it.

Mr. Noah Ng’otiek who is a farmer at Natala farm in Isinya, He explained that lately, there have been a lot of changes due to climate change; the rains have become erratic and the droughts more server. These changes have therefore drastically reducing pasture for his livestock, which for along time has provided a source of livelihood for him and his ancestors. It is for this reason that he decided to venture into farming something unique to the Maasais. He stated by harvesting water which he later on started using for drip irrigation as soon as he got information and training from Isinya Maarifa centre.

He cultivates onions, sukuma wiki (kales), cowpeas, capsicum (hoho) tomatoes, passion fruit and bananas, on large scale mostly for tender. Since water is applied straight to the root zone, there is a chance to apply nutrients along with the water.

Mr. Noah said that Isinya Maarifa center assists in provision of  knowledge for pastoralists to engage on other farming practices e.g. information on  agricultural farming through baobab and joto Africa publications ; through help of field exchange visits to other regions that practice latest systems in drip irrigation and dairy farming.

By Lydia Biri

FREE ICDL TRAINING

Beginning January /16 /2012 Isinya Maarifa Center one of ALIN's community knowledge centers embarked on a training program aimed at capacity building community members with skills in ICT for free.
by beginning of March 57 students had successfully completed the training.

We are currently training 54 more students at the moment and have already registered over 20 students for the May intake.

Isinya's District Education officer (DEO) Mr Ndungu Commended the center for  work well done.

FREE ICDL TRAINING TESTIMONIES

ALIN scoops Access to Learning Award ( ATLA) 2011

Arid lands information network is this year’s winner of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation access to learning award (ATLA).
The award recognizes the innovative efforts of public libraries or similar organizations outside the United States to connect people to information through free access to computers and the Internet.
Over the years ALIN has established 12 Maarifa / Knowledge centers across East Africa a noble initiative which enables communities in arid lands to access to computers, free internet service, free library services etc tools which enable them to access the information they need on agriculture, climate change, health and other livelihood issues

BOOKS FOR US

They say that Reading a book is like opening a little world that’s almost like a second life. An alliance between Arid lands Information Network (ALIN) and Book Aid International has opened many little worlds for the residents of Isinya, giving second lives to our library users through a donation of books. The arrival of a consignment of 8 cartons of books is a dream come true, a dream to ensure that information continues to flow to those who need it the most, those that will transform today for a better tomorrow.
Book aid international is an NGO that aims at supporting literacy by increasing community access to books by distributing them to those who need them the most. ALIN on the other hand, connects communities with information by facilitating its free access through its maarifa centers. If this isn’t a match made in heaven then you tell me what is.
The books range from children’s book, novels, books on agriculture, human rights, gender, community development, climate change, health... you name it, have added more variety to our already existing free library service. The 8 boxes couldn’t have come at a better time, just when schools have closed… now , more anxious readers continuously stream into the center ,excited children asking for story books and workbooks, secondary school goers for novels and text books, teachers and university students for reference books, nurses flocking the health section cannot get enough of our collection. I must say for a community knowledge center like ours, there is nothing as amazing as seeing such a noble effort by ALIN and Book Aid go to good use as eager readers take short notes , small bits of knowledge that could be the beginning of their transformation, after all, Life transforming ideas are said to come through books.

BIOGAS: FREE COOKING ENERGY FOR ISINYA FARMERS

The month of April 2011 has seen new developments in Isinya key among them being the installation of three tubular biogas units by three farmers. The three farmers were trained on biogas technology and energy conservation at a one week community exchange and training program that was held in Ngurumani, Entasopia, Magadi division during the period 16th – 20th March 2011. The workshop and exchange visit involved other participants from Nguruman, Marigat and Ngarua Maarifa centres. Supported by ALIN, this biogas technology initiative is the only one of its kind in Isinya and many farmers are amazed at how cow dung can produce gas for cooking food.

Biogas is a low cost source of alternative energy especially among the rural farmers. Not only is it easy to make but the materials are either readily available or affordable.
Seeing as Isinya is predominantly a pastoralist region, cow dung,the key ingredient in the digestion process is available in many of the homesteads and this venture brings with it an opportunity to put it to good use.
The process of tubular biogas installation is a simple one which requires the following materials: Silage polythene tube, old tyre rubber straps, 2 pieces of pvc pipes, pvc T-elbows, pvc glue, a burner, an old plastic bottle, a pipe and digging tools.

THE INSTALLATION PROCESS
A Select a safe site near the kitchen and dig a trench measuring 1 foot wide, 2 feet deep and 30 feet long.. The trench is dug in such a way that it slopes slightly to allow the sludge to slowly flow through the digester allowing complete digestion of the waste and to facilitate the eventual outflow of the slurry which is the mixture of water and cow dung. , Lay the silage polythene tube in the trench ensuring there are no sharp objects. It’s recommended you use sand or an old polythene prior to laying the silage tubing.The polythene tube is measured to find to find its radius where a pvc tube of about 10 cm in diameter is inserted At the center. The sides of the polythene are then folded carefully from end to center. The edges of the folded polythene tube are the wrapped around the pvc tube and tied tightly in place with a tyre rubber strap, this is done to both ends of the tube providing an inlet and an outlet for the slurry. This process makes the tube airtight providing an anaerobic environment. 1 inch from the inlet a small ,firm pvc pipe is inserted and firmly tied to the tube with a tyre strap.This pipe connects the digester to a longer pipe that feeds into a water bottle bleeds off excess pressure to avoid ruptures and explosions. A T-joint connects another tube which feeds into the burner. The effluent waste is excellent for manure as it has already been broken down. The slurry is filled three quarter way leaving the remaining quarter to act as a reservoir for the gas.

MEET THE BIO GAS USERS
Two weeks after their installation and all the digesters were working. Margaret Ng’otiek also known as Mama Perez was very excited about her digester. “…it has no soot and it does not smell and it is very fast. The chapatis my children are eating, I have cooked using biogas, I also cook tea, ugali and stew, I use it on a daily basis…”

When we visited her home, Rebecca Lemooke (Mama Liz) was away however her daughter Leah was happy to demonstrate how they have been using the biogas and highlight the benefits it has brought to their home. She quickly prepared tea for us …”We mostly boil tea milk, rice… we also cook ugali, vegetables. When I asked her what she likes most about biogas she giggled mischievously telling me how she likes the clean kitchen”…I have noticed that biogas burns clean and our house no longer fills with smoke and ash and this means less cleaning up for me.

Mrs. Ateti on the other hand could not hide her joy. “At first I only cooked soft foods or those that took short to cook….then I decided to give this biogas a bit of a challenge, so the other day I decided to boil beans ...at first I was abit skeptical I thought it would get finished before my beans got ready surprisingly it dint and I was not disappointed and now I cook with it every day, It has also reduced my workload, saving me a lot of time I would have otherwise used to look for firewood.
On seeing such benefits as those experienced by Mama Perez, Mama Leah and Mrs. Ateti, over 5 community members have already made orders to the focal group for installation of digesters in their homes. At the moment the three women are only aware of the short term benefits of biogas that they have experienced so far, without knowing it these woman are slowly by slowly saving the earth seeing as biogas has some major long term benefits like Protection of forests, soil, water and air. Unlike fossil fuel combustion, biogas production from biomass is considered CO2 neutral and therefore does not emit additional Greenhouse Gases (GHG) into the atmosphere; it also reduces the risk of bronchial problems caused by smoke. Just to name but a few.

This technology comes in handy for Isinya community which is in an arid area as the few trees will no longer be violated, women will no longer break their backs in the name of fetching firewood and the cow sheds will remain forever clean, farms will have ready to use high quality fertilizer which is easily assimilated by plants and everyone will be happy.