Spirit in Action

“Environmental protection has become a priority in this country and there is a lot of technical input the government is employing.” This statement could easily have come from any U.S.-based environmentalist. But, it comes from one based in Kenya.

Dennis Kiprop, a Spirit in Action partner in Eldoret, Kenya wrote recently to share with me about environmental movements in his country and explain how people are employing bio-intensive agriculture to replenish the nutrients in the soil. Dennis, SIA-supported small business leaders, and many others are planting trees to create a “greener Kenya”.

Kenya emits significantly less CO₂ than the United States and still Kenyans are seeing the effects of global climate change. Currently, only 3% of Kenya’s original forests remain, a result of trees being cut down for timber and firewood. To help reforest their environment, four new tree nursery businesses were started with $150 Spirit in Action Small Business Fund (SIA SFB) grants in early 2010.

The SIA business groups grew indigenous seedlings for two reasons. First, they are businesses, so they harvest the trees in a sustainable manner and sell the wood to neighbors. The businesses have so far been very successful and all have reported high demand for their product.

Secondly, they are working with other groups from three surrounding villages and Samuel Teimuge, a long-time SIA partner, to raise and plant the seedlings to protect their local water source. This part of their work receives additional support from Trees for the Future, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that has been supporting reforestation efforts for over 30 years. Since 2008, Trees for the Future has distributed just under half a million seeds to partnering organizations in Kenya, including Samuel Teimuge’s Ukweli Training and Development Center.

After a meeting with the groups to discuss their goals, Dennis reported, “They will protect six streams whose waters drain to Lake Victoria by planting around the catchments to maintain the reservoirs. They also want to eradicate predicted dryness. I like the way they are giving their time and energy more in long-term investments.”

As with all Spirit in Action projects, these groups are also thinking about how they can pass on the gift they have received. Dennis is enthusiastic as he tells me, “I think reforestation is one of the largest dreams for Kenya and we are all participating in Sharing the Gift and “paying it forward” to the three villages and their surroundings that benefits the entire region for a long time.”

“Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy.” –Psalm 96:12

Dennis Kiprop tends to the tree seedlings.

I was pleased to read the following tribute from ERase Poverty to Dennis Kiprop, who is a SIA Small Business Fund coordinator in Kenya. ERase Poverty, a Washington state based nonprofit, recently coordinated the Second Annual Watoto 10K Road Race in Ilula, Kenya. The race raised funds from sponsors in Kenya and the US to build a water pump at the Illula Children’s Home, which Samuel and Rhoda Teimuge run. Congratulations to Dennis!

“We are honored to welcome several other participants from the community who are passionate about athletics and the work being done at the Ilula Children’s Home, including:

[...]

Dennis Kiprop

Dennis is currently enrolled in business classes in Eldoret, the nearest town to Ilula. He dreams to be an entrepreneur and athletic coach, and would like to help communities develop business skills so they improve the future for themselves and their children.”

Alex Kiptanui from Ilula Children's Home was the fastest runner. Notice he's wearing an Obama t-shirt!

Dennis Kiprop trains the new business owners to provide basic entrepreneurial skills.

Our new, enthusiastic SIA Small Business Fund coordinator in Kenya, Dennis Kiprop, recently shared his excitement with me about the new businesses he is guiding and training. The first 2 businesses he has coordinated in Eldoret, Kenya have now been in operation for one year – and they continue to flourish – providing the groups with hope for the future and school uniforms for their children.

Now, instead of repaying SIA for the small business grant, the groups are “paying it forward” by giving potato seeds and sharing the knowledge they have gained to a new group, so that they can start another business! The love of SIA continues to spread!

“I am sure by now all the seven groups in Kenya must have learned how to run a small business, utilize the available resources, and serving other people in the community! I know the two groups appreciate the impact and would want others to experience the same.

I realized that environment for learning is multiplied every time a group experiences the process of spending ,producing ,marketing, accounting and reinvesting back their resources, enables them to have a common ground of growing and even sharing the gift becomes a blessing. I am glad that all the groups are continuing and the team spirit “to work hard together to succeed” is still in them and love to share with the community at large.“

A new business owner in Kenya tends her chickens.

Dennis continues: “I must honestly say SIA has taught me and everyday I find a new meaning growing, learning oneself, and letting God have his way in me. And before sending any report or updates to SIA, I take time to pray and seek God’s help. It becomes easier, brings joy and feeling his Holy Spirit within me.”

While last week we barely got above freezing in Minneapolis, this is the “solar cooking season” in Kenya! Camily Wedende, a SIA grant recipient, trains people people who have been internally displaced and are living in refugee camps near Eldoret to use the power of the sun to cook their food and pateurize water.

Here, in his own words, Camily reports on the utility and popularity of solar cookers in his community:

“Right now its too hot nearly the whole country, we cook most food in solar cookers in less than three hours. Most food that we eat at lunch time is cooked by the sunshine. The solar cookers are outside everyday people seeing, taste food and news spreading as people come for trainings.

Many can now boil water in the solar cookers before drinking most rivers are dried up and if you happen to get little is contaminated and needs to be pasteurized . Solar cooker is the best to pasteurize the water.”

Thank you Camily! How exciting to be able to use the sun, a resource that God has provided, to cook food. Now if you could only send some warmth my way….

Here is the latest update from Samuel Teimuge (Eldoret, Kenya) about his recent Spirit in Action grants:

ANIMAL FEED MACHINE

Filling bags full of grain for the animals.

(Click picture for larger version)
“The Machine was very useful last year but not as expected. It had some difficulty in producing. We used to get up to 30 bags per day and so it proved to be slow. With the savings of last year I have renovated the machine and is faster and would produce up to 80 to 100 back if the corn is very dry. So I have to start from Zero again. Together with some few farmers we were able to feed our cows and so we did not lack animal feed. Because of this my cow is now giving us 24 litres of milk per day. I hope to help many farmers this year and even take more pictures this time. Our son Obadiah is great help in assisting conduct the dairy farmers around the UTDC (Ukweli Training and Development Centre) and he is really encouraging them.”

IDPS (INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS) – Immediately Relief Aid

Internally displaced people wait for blankets.

(Click picture for larger version)
“We had 17 families who were affected who lived close to UTDC. We bought 100 blankets and we gave to 25 families whose houses were burnt and also we gave each family 30kg of rice. We could not even mention this loudly because the need was too huge. But the families who received them were very grateful. Not all of them have return though the Government has encouraged these people to return. Empowering Lives Int’. helped with the maize seed. You will find attached pictures during blankets distribution. I did this with another group called Rebuilding from Ashes. The whole exercise went on well. And the families are happy.”

Photos from the latest round of Spirit in Action Small Business Fund groups are beginning to roll in! This month I have been receiving the Business Plans for small businesses started in May.

Here are just a few of the business groups in training and at work:
(Click on the photo to see a larger version.)

Woman in Rwanda selling Minnows.

Women in Democratic Republic of Congo making mats.

Small Business Fund training in Uganda.

Community Garden in Kenya

Last November the Spirit in Action Board of Directors approved a grant for Samuel Teimuge (Kenya) to purchase an Animal Feed Machine, which grinds up grasses for animal feed. This is part of the “zero-grazing” technique of animal husbandry which confines the animal in a shaded pen, reducing the risk of disease for the animal and the amount of erosion caused by the animal eating hillside grasses. “Zero-grazing” also increases the amount of milk produced by the cow or goat.

The Teimuges were able to purchase the machine right before the harvesting season and share the machine with neighbors also interested in using remaining hay to feed their animals. Here is an update from Samuel:

“We made 700 bags of animal feed and we managed to get $1,000 despite the violence in our country. We assisted over ten families to sustain their cows. I assisted Dennis Kiprop to purchase a water pump machine for irrigation at their farm. The rest of the money will go for machine adjustment to go faster and to start as early as September this
year. Thank you so much”

Spirit in Action is excited to support this technology, which provides the community with more milk and training in healthy, ecological animal husbandry techniques.

Click on picture to see larger version:
Obediah Teimuge manages the Animal Feed Machine

Obadiah puts plant remains into grinding machine.

Spirit in Action has a page in the Solar Cookers International Wiki.

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Spirit_in_Action

Check it out!

The wiki has tons of information about building solar cookers, recipes, networks of solar enthusiasts and more!