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Urban Gardening in Nairobi

The problem

The population of the Dagoretti district of Nairobi has risen dramatically in recent years, growing to more than twenty times the size from 1969-2009. Overcrowding has strained resources, and many are vulnerable to malnutrition and other poverty-related illnesses due to food insecurity, a lack of access to health facilities and a scarcity of jobs. Young people are particularly affected, as 37% of the population are under 17 years old and many live on the street.

What we were doing to help

Urban Gardening was a multi-sector, comprehensive, integrated intervention in the Dagoretti district. Aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals and Kenya Vision 2030, the project aimed to ensure that those in the Dagoretti district had guaranteed access to food, their fundamental human right.

Working with farmer groups and schools, we helped young people and families to grow their own food and eat a reliable and nutritious diet. By developing high-quality produce and improving access to markets, we helped vulnerable groups, such as unemployed youth, to increase their income and improve food security in the long term. Farm Africa was supporting community members to include environmental conservation techniques and good agricultural practice in their urban agricultural systems while sharing nutritional knowledge to improve community understanding of the links between nutrition and health.

Who did we working for?

This project set up urban gardens for community groups and schools - school gardens are managed by parents, teachers and class councils. The gardens include rainwater harvesting systems, greenhouses and surficial wells and drip irrigation systems.

Groups also received livestock, training in organic farming practices, and access to new markets and micro-enterprises to boost incomes and food security. We’re also worked with local government authorities on land planning for urban agriculture and the design, implementation and evaluation of interventions on food security.

Who did we work with?

Farm Africa was working in a consortium with Amref Health Africa and Kenyan government partners to reduce malnutrition, increase incomes, and promote sustainable farming and soil conservation. Amref Health Africa funded the project and expanded it to support a further 3,900 people.

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