{"id":2136,"date":"2023-11-21T12:53:30","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T12:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/?p=2136"},"modified":"2025-06-23T09:46:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T09:46:11","slug":"stawisha-x-teog-advancing-sustainable-development-in-ngiya-through-collaborative-agroforestry-education-and-water-initiatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/?p=2136","title":{"rendered":"Stawisha x TeoG"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This report details the outcomes of a multi-faceted project in Ngiya, Kenya, conducted between October 20 and October 28, 2023, by Technology without Borders, Germany (TeoG) in partnership with Stawisha Africa Initiative. The project, led by Franziska Enzmann, focused on agroforestry, sustainable development, water solutions, and plastic waste management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key highlights of the project include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Agroforestry Project Review (2022 projects KEN_05_AF and KEN_08_AF):<\/strong> A review of 15 school gardens planted in 2022 revealed that while many gardens were impacted by a long dry season and school holidays, all 15 schools had harvested multiple times. Banana and Pawpaw trees (especially Sweet Pawpaw) showed good survival and growth. The &#8220;complex&#8221; agroforestry system was not widely adopted, with many schools replanting maize or beans under existing trees. The report suggests more scientific knowledge sharing for teachers and establishing a seed bank for future replanting.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Agoro Oyombe Primary School:<\/strong> Several mango and pawpaw trees, as well as all banana plants, survived. The school harvested multiple times and replanted maize, maintaining the general garden use. Tools provided in 2022 are still in use, and a rainwater tank is functional, though a closer well is primarily used for watering. The environmental club is active, and the school system change is expected to have a positive impact.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nyasidhi Mixed Secondary School:<\/strong> This school was a successful example of project handover, with well-grown trees (Pawpaw, Mango, Avocado, Banana). Harvests were used in the school kitchen and distributed to students and teachers. Replanting of beans and maize maintained the initial circular structure. The school also has an experimental garden for the active environmental club to try new plants and methods. A key issue is the small 1000-liter water tank, which is a consideration for future projects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bar Kodhiambo Primary School:<\/strong> Pawpaw, Mango, and Orange trees were growing, though orange trees showed slow growth. Banana plants are doing well. The school harvested three times and sustainably replanted maize and other vegetables from saved seeds. An open pond water reservoir is used for irrigation. The responsible teacher is reliable, and the environmental club is active.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tree Nursery:<\/strong> The Stawisha tree nursery, started in 2022, has sold 5,000 trees and distributed another 9,000 to schools and farmers (16,000 in total). They are currently avoiding Eucalyptus due to its high water consumption and are growing 1,000 new Grevillea seedlings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Garden Irrigation System at Nyasidhi Mixed Secondary School:<\/strong> An automated drip irrigation system was tested to address dry season watering needs.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Implementation:<\/strong> A time-controlled magnetic valve and drip irrigation system were installed using locally sourced pipes and an automatic valve. Initial tests confirmed the system&#8217;s functionality and ease of programming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Challenges:<\/strong> Poor quality connectors led to leaks, and worn-out steel fittings at the tank caused sealing issues. Crucially, the tank&#8217;s low position and insufficient volume resulted in inadequate pressure for stable water flow throughout the entire circle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Follow-up Proposal:<\/strong> A follow-up project is proposed to install a larger 10,000-liter tank, increase the foundation, replace connectors, add a protective housing for the valve, and cover labor costs, estimated at \u20ac1,000, to improve hydraulic pressure and system functionality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SDG Workshops:<\/strong> Workshops based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were conducted at three schools, involving approximately 30-70 children per school.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Concept:<\/strong> The workshops included an introduction to all 17 SDGs (translated into Luo), detailed explanation of environmental SDGs (13, 14, 15) with organizational examples, a &#8220;chicken run&#8221; waste collection activity, and group work on air, land, and water pollution, culminating in presentations by the students.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Outcome:<\/strong> The workshops were successful, with high student involvement and good ideas, especially from primary school children. Key findings include the need for more presentation skills training for children and keeping the initial SDG explanation concise. Each workshop, including tree planting, lasted 1.5 to 2 hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tree Planting Activities 2023:<\/strong> 50 Grevillea trees from the Stawisha tree nursery were planted across the three schools (10 at Agoro Oyombe, 20 at Nyasidhi, 20 at Bar Kodhiambo). An additional 250 trees (200 Grevillea and 50 Orange) are ordered for future distribution.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stockosorb Trial:<\/strong> The superabsorbent polymer Stockosorb was tested on half of the planted trees at each school to improve drought resistance. The results will be monitored in the coming year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Treemapper App Trial:<\/strong> The Treemapper app by &#8220;plant for the planet&#8221; was tested at Nyasidhi but proved impractical due to time-consuming GPS tracking, picture requirements for each tree, and issues with species identification and offline use. Its use was discontinued.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pre-exploration for Water Projects at Medical Dispensaries:<\/strong> An initial idea to provide water filtration for drinking at medical dispensaries evolved into a focus on water availability due to dry seasons. Three dispensaries were visited, and water analyses were conducted.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ulafu Dispensary:<\/strong> The dispensary has a 10,000-liter rainwater tank but struggles with a non-functional well (solar panels stolen\/lost), which historically served 3,000 people. Additional gutters could significantly increase rainwater capture. No immediate project is suggested, but future consideration involves adding tanks for rainwater capture (for the community as well) and restoring the borehole if more information becomes available.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Got Koyembe Dispensary:<\/strong> This dispensary has a 10,000-liter rainwater tank (with a broken valve) and a 4,000-liter tank connected to a local water grid, but it&#8217;s not functional due to a missing water meter (\u20ac100) and a broken pipe (\u20ac300). A small project of around \u20ac500 is proposed to fix these issues, repair the gutter, and replace the rainwater tank valve, enabling water supply to the dispensary and the local community via a water kiosk. A water committee is crucial for maintenance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nyathengo Dispensary:<\/strong> This dispensary has several rainwater tanks with a combined capacity of around 21,000 liters, but one 10,000-liter tank is incorrectly installed. An old borehole is non-functional. The dispensary generally has good hygiene standards and a new maternity station. A regular project is suggested to restore the borehole (estimated \u20ac5,000, including travel and labor), and potentially install handwashing facilities near toilets, fix the 10,000-liter tank, and equip the newest building with gutters and a tank. A holistic water project for around \u20ac10,000 is envisioned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improved Partnership with Stawisha Africa:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Project Review KEN_07_WT:<\/strong> A 2022 project to repair a UNICEF-installed water supply system (borehole, solar pump, tank, water kiosk) was successful, costing only \u20ac500. The system is now fully functional, supplying water to several homes and a school, with ongoing fees collected for maintenance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Plastic Recycling Ideas:<\/strong> Stawisha has started collecting plastic waste, with an idea to fill plastic bottles with waste to construct chairs for workshops. This will be integrated into their holiday program.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Camping Ground Support:<\/strong> A secondhand tent and two sleeping bags were donated to support Stawisha&#8217;s new camping ground, which will host holiday camps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Library Project (KEN_06_ED) Review:<\/strong> The library is still operational, with new books added and a digital library established via WhatsApp.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Future Collaboration:<\/strong> Planning for the TCB project (KEN_09_ED) is ongoing, indicating continued partnership with Stawisha for 2024 projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This report details the outcomes of a multi-faceted project in Ngiya, Kenya, conducted between October 20 and October 28, 2023, by Technology without Borders, Germany (TeoG) in partnership with Stawisha Africa Initiative. The project, led by Franziska Enzmann, focused on agroforestry, sustainable development, water solutions, and plastic waste management. Key highlights of the project include:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,13,5,23,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agricnenviro","category-digiliteracy","category-edunskills","category-foodsecurity","category-sai"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2136"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2289,"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2136\/revisions\/2289"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stawishaafrica.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}