SUCCESSFUL AGRICULTURAL
ECONOMIC INITIATIVES OF THE
RURAL YOUTH: LESSONS LEARNED
FROM CARYM KENYA
16/06/2010
Anthony Kipkoech Saina
BRUSSELS DEVELOPMENT BRIEFINGS
BRIEFING SESSION N°19
Youth and Rural Development in ACP countries
CONTENT
I. INTRODUCTION
II. CAPACITY BUILDING
III. DAIRY FARM PROJECT
INTRODUCTION - CARYM KENYA
CARYM
The Catholic Agricultural Rural Youth Movement(CARYM), Kenya is an
affiliate member of MIJARC
MAIN OBJECTIVE
To transform spiritually and socio-economically, in the spirit
of Christ and of the church, the Agricultural and Rural
Youth of Kenya.
VISION
To promote health formation and self-reliance of the
Youth challenging and enabling them by the gospel of
Christ and the social teachings of the church to live a more
spiritual life and be economically self-reliant, working
together and participating in the construction of a just rural
world and becoming responsible Christian citizens.
INTRODUCTION CARYM KENYA
MISSION
CARYM / MIJARC is an actor in rural areas that helps
young people to get organized and to become critical
actors that transform their village, region and country. By
means of “training through action” and the methodology “to
See-Judge-Act”, young people are able to improve their
living conditions and to generate incomes. Therefore, they
see how rural areas can become attractive and viable for
young people.
Capacity building
Skill training seminars:
• such as in sustainable agriculture,
• project management
International campaigns of MIJARC
• access to water (2006)
• access to land (2007)
• Access to seeds (2008)
• Agrofuels and climate change (2009)
• Landgrabbing (2010)
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
Income generating projects within CARYM
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•
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•
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Dairy farming
Beekeeping
Goat rearing
Poultry keeping
Horticulture
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
• seminar was organized on the way
forward of the project,
• 50 members from all the parishes
participated.
• analyzing several other projects suggested
by the participants, it was agreed that a
dairy project was to be started
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
Objectives
• Learn sustainable agricultural techniques
• To start a demonstration farm for CARYM members
• Earn income from dairy products
Beneficiaries
• This is a project by and for the rural youth of Eldoret
Diocese. They are the direct beneficiaries
• The community around also benefits from the project.
They buy dairy products, and they also visit the farm to
learn.
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
Project Implementation
• Bishop donated 1 acre piece of land for the
implementation of the project.
• BSI Austria responded positively
• Purchase of 3 dairy cows
• Capacity building/training workshops for members
• Most of the work from the initial stages of implementation
was done by the members of the movement:
– Fencing around the farm
– Tilling of the land and planting of Napier grass
– Construction of a cow shed
– Purchase and transportation of cows to the farm
– Construction of a caretakers house
– Construction of Toilets
– Digging of a bore-hole
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
Achievements
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Project was successful
Income was generated from the sale of milk
Demonstration farm for CARYM members
meeting point for the work camp between MIJARC
partners; CARYM and KLJB (Germany).
• Calves from the cows were donated to some parish
groups as a way of empowering them at grassroots
• The local community also visit the farm to learn more
about the dairy farming
DAIRY FARM PROJECT
Challenges
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Diseases; some cows died due to diseases
Scarcity of water in the farm
There is no electricity in the farm
Poor prices of the farm produce
Insufficient animal feeds (Napier grass) due to
long dry seasons.
Financers of the project
• Local Contributions from the members
• Funds from the Austrian donor (BSI)
• The Bishop donated land for the project