Achieving Sustainability through Integration of Diverse Initiatives
August 3, 2024New strategies gained after mobilising support training
August 3, 2024The training on mobilising support was an eye opener for the Genlink CEO. “It was a new concept and I soon realised that it would build our capacity and enable us to engage stakeholders and office bearers better. We have been able to engage the county government of Homa bay and are able to articulate very well on matters policies.
Documented Dec,2022
There is something mystical about Suba South. The different villages are subdued, peaceful and rustic. In dry seasons, the roads are dusty and surrounded by vast expanses of barren landscapes. To a stranger, it can easily pass for the euphemistic “middle of nowhere”.
But, as you approach Mr Raphael Odwaro’s home who is the Chairperson of Genlink, a community based organisation (CBO) you are greeted by the sound of birds chirping and the occasional mooing of cows in the distance, a gentle breeze blowing through the trees.
It is an oasis in this semi-arid county.
Set on a 3-acre piece of land, Genlink carries out many activities such as tree nursery, training on environmental conservation, water harvesting and supply, botanical museum, fish farming, kitchen gardening, soil and water conservation, solid waste management, livestock production and advocacy.
Going through photos that run from more than five years ago, Mr Odwaro shows us photos of a farm that was barren and nestled within old and weathered buildings. Yet, he was passionate about nature and after attending series of training on farming, he decided to have his farm as a model farm to the community of Nyabera village and beyond. He notes that his family, including his seven children, fully supported him and bring innovative ideas including starting and running a YouTube channel.
“With time, people started visiting to learn from me and this fuelled my desire for environmental conservation. Through this, I have built many partnerships,” he says.
The farm has many partitions. There is a graduation square (where meetings take place), tree nurseries, cattle sheds and aquaculture.
Pastor Kenneth Odiwour, the secretary general and CEO of the organisation explains that it was formed in 2013 to champion issues of environmental conservation—whether through actual conversation, training, or advocacy.
“We saw that there was a big gap in the area of conservation and our nature had lost its glory. Yet farming was our lifeline. With the support of five volunteers, drawn from different fields, we have benefited more than 15 households and we have more embracing what we are doing. We are also reaching out to schools like Nyabera and Ongoro primary schools where we have established an orchard, kitchen garden and trained the children to plant trees and take care of them. We have embraced working and partnering with other organisations for growth,” he offers.
Through one of their partners, Pastor Odiwour explains that they got an opportunity to be considered as one of the organisations to undergo local fundraising and mobilising support by Change the Game Academy through Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF).
“Even though the country and to be specific, this area was feeling the weight of climate change, there were no policies in place that rightfully addressed the issues of renewable energy, climate change policy and climate finance bill. When I learned of an opportunity to get training on this, I jumped on the offer,” says.
The training on mobilising support was an eye-opener for the Genlink CEO. “It was a new concept and I soon realised that it would build our capacity and enable us to engage stakeholders and office bearers better. We have been able to engage the county government of Homa bay and can articulate very well on matters policies. We were able to achieve Homa Bay County energy policy. Through normal engagements, we saw the gap in lack of climate change policy and through skills from the Change the Game Academy, we managed to launch the Homa Bay County climate change policy. We also introduced a community members forum. In the climate change policy, we introduced a strategy whereby conversations on matters climate change could start at the ward level. On the energy crisis, we found out that many quarters didn’t know much about green energy or renewable sources of energy. At Genlink, we encourage members to use clean cooking stoves, and solar energy and kick out nyangile (traditional lamp).
The farm has many partitions. There is a graduation square (where meetings take place), tree nurseries, cattle sheds and aquaculture.
Pastor Kenneth Odiwour, the secretary general and CEO of the organisation explains that it was formed in 2013 to champion issues of environmental conservation—whether through actual conversation, training, or advocacy.
“We saw that there was a big gap in the area of conservation and our nature had lost its glory. Yet farming was our lifeline. With the support of five volunteers, drawn from different fields, we have benefited more than 15 households and we have more embracing what we are doing. We are also reaching out to schools like Nyabera and Ongoro primary schools where we have established an orchard, kitchen garden and trained the children to plant trees and take care of them. We have embraced working and partnering with other organisations for growth,” he offers.
Through one of their partners, Pastor Odiwour explains that they got an opportunity to be considered as one of the organisations to undergo local fundraising and mobilising support by Change the Game Academy through Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF).
“Even though the country and to be specific, this area was feeling the weight of climate change, there were no policies in place that rightfully addressed the issues of renewable energy, climate change policy and climate finance bill. When I learned of an opportunity to get training on this, I jumped on the offer,” says.
The training on mobilising support was an eye-opener for the Genlink CEO. “It was a new concept and I soon realised that it would build our capacity and enable us to engage stakeholders and office bearers better. We have been able to engage the county government of Homa bay and can articulate very well on matters policies. We were able to achieve Homa Bay County energy policy. Through normal engagements, we saw the gap in lack of climate change policy and through skills from the Change the Game Academy, we managed to launch the Homa Bay County climate change policy. We also introduced a community members forum. In the climate change policy, we introduced a strategy whereby conversations on matters climate change could start at the ward level. On the energy crisis, we found out that many quarters didn’t know much about green energy or renewable sources of energy. At Genlink, we encourage members to use clean cooking stoves, and solar energy and kick out nyangile (traditional lamp).
“Even though the country and to be specific, this area was feeling the weight of climate change, there were no policies in place that rightfully addressed the issues of renewable energy, climate change policy and climate finance bill. When I learned of an opportunity to get training on this, I jumped on the offer,” says.
Daniel Asheer, a programs officer at Consumer Unity and Trust Society -Centre for International Trade, Economics and Environment (CUTS-CITEE), an international organisation championing for rights of consumers is one of the key partners of Genlink.
“We have been focused on implementing a project that ties climate change, agriculture, and trade. In 2016, I heard about Genlink and they were our initial partners in the implementation of green energy uptake. We were keen on working with an organisation that would be pivotal in driving this agenda. Genlink has made robust contribution in coming up with the county’s policy on renewable energy. Also, they have been very supportive in other projects that we have been doing in the voices for just climate action.
After the mobilising support training, Pastor Odiwour enrolled for the local fundraising course, which he says, enabled the organisation to approach community members as potential sources of funds. “This County has a high prevalence of HIV& Aids and one of the contributors is the lack of sanitary pads that expose girls to sexual predators.
With knowledge acquired from the training, we have been able to map out stakeholders such as shop owners, and hotels. We got an organisation that has enabled us to reach us more than 20 schools and donate sanitary pads. Besides this, we have also been planning for activities such as tournaments,” he offers.
At the model farm, learners drawn from different parts of the country go there to learn how to nurture trees, tree planting and making organic manure. “We also train on climate smart agriculture and learn water conservation,” he says.
Nyambera primary school, located just a few kilometres from Mr Okelo’s home is one of the beneficiaries of the skills and knowledge acquired by Genlink. The once barren land now has trees sprouting and flowering across the compound. There is also a fruit farm and kitchen garden behind the classes.
Fruit trees at Nyabera Primary School established by the help of Genlink
“When I joined this school, the trees were few and the land was bare and dry. Now, there is some greenery in the school and it has helped build a sense of responsibility for the children as they are the ones who take care of the trees. In a way, it has also helped us reduce our expenses because we don’t buy fruits or vegetables when the school has an abundance of them. The school has a population of 300 pupils; most of whom have planted trees in their homes,” says Mr Tobias Odhiambo who teaches Math and Science in the school.
Pastor Odiwuor says that the organisation envisions to continue being the champion of change in Homa Bay as they continue to embrace working with community members, forge partnerships with other organisations and duty bearers. “I would encourage all civil organisations to apply for the training on mobilising support and local fundraising because they have revolutionised our work as Genlink,”he offers.
