Kenya ChangeMakers Prepare for Ubuntu International Perma-Cultural Visit
Updates from Anne Okelo, Omito Abraham Owuor, Jenipher Nyangah, Moses Makachia and David Otieno. Also, an Update on the RainMaker Fund.
This past week I was able to reach several of the Kenyan ChangeMakers featured on this Substack to find out how they are preparing for this week’s “Perma-Cultural” visit by
International’s Antoinette , Pato Banton, Van Reenen (article here) and Esther Njeri (aka “DJ Essy” (Syntropic Agroforestry experts and Kwetu Regenerative Hub pioneer-homesteaders).This is a long-anticipated visit for all. Ubuntu is in the process of launching their Empowerment Fund, raising funds to support the 10 organizations featured in their documentary “The Spirit of Ubuntu.” Their 8-day trip to Kenya serves as a site tour to visit 13 additional individuals and organizations that are under consideration for the Empowerment Fund.
ChangeMakers visited this week by Ubuntu include:
Anne Okelo of
(article here)- of K5Village (article here)
David Otieno of Kotengu Village Farming Project (article here)
- of Kakamega Days for Girls (article here) and of Shisaba Water Resource Initiative (article here)
- of PermoAfrica Centre (article here)
MCDawn of Agape Hope for Kibera School (article here)
Many of the individuals and organizations started preparing for the Ubuntu site visit weeks ago. So I asked them what they were looking forward to sharing and showing. What follows are some of the updates I received.
Anne Okelo of (article here)
Anne will be joining the Nyanzah region portion of the Ubuntu Perma-Cultural tour (Nyanzah is in Western Kenya). But, first, Ubuntu representatives will visit her farm which is the pilot farm for all of the activities she trains on.
I look forward to sharing with them my commercial poultry farm with over 900 birds, energy oven using charcoal for cooking and baking, horticultural gardening, permaculture and bakery.
They will then visit energy cook stoves production center for women’s group in Kisumu, another production center where we focus on girl child project using energy cook stoves and then finally meet the widows group.
Our visit will cut across two counties, Homa Bay and Kisumu where my groups are. In Kisumu I produce chicken meat and I work with women and train them. On entrepreneurship.
Check out Anne’s “broilers” in the video below including indigenous chicken varieties.
Omito Abraham Owuor of K5Village (article here)
The K5Village permaculture demonstration site is aflurry with activity. Chicks and chickens to care for, planting new crops, and taking care of the children who are home from school for holiday. When school is out, many of the local children come to K5 to try their hand at growing vegetables and learning permaculture design principles and techniques.
When Omito first heard about the Ubuntu visit he purchased tree saplings, prepared a bed full of organic matter, and planted them temporarily. Charles, Omito’s younger brother, waters the saplings.
They now await Antoinette and Pato’s visit to replant the saplings together in specially prepared holes on the K5 Village. Omito’s long-term dream is to launch a tree nursery so he can help his community mitigate climate change as well as address food security and poverty.
David Otieno of Kotengu Farming Village Project (article here)
David reports that the last two months (June & July) have not been favorable in terms of weather for his crops. There was not enough rain to support his farming.
During the end of June, as l know that early preparation is good and only a little water is needed to maintain the seed bed, l decided to make seed bed of tomatoes which l knew would take one month (July) to germinate and transplant. I was targeting August which is our month of rainfall. By good luck, l managed to transplant tomatoes in the month of August.
For the visit of Pato Banton and Antoinette, I am happy to give them a warm welcome, tour the farm project, explain to them what I have been doing, why I am doing it, and my vision for the project.
Jenipher Nyangah (article here) of Days for Girls Kakamega and Moses Makachia of SHWARI (article here)
This husband and wife duo anxiously awaits Ubuntu’s arrival to share their progress in addressing girls’ menstrual health and sharing their progress in promoting permaculture amongst local schools.
Jenipher is a Days for Girls partner, addressing period poverty and generating income through the production and distribution/sale of reusable menstrual pads in rural Kenya. She is also a supported partner of Permaculture Education Institute’s Ethos Foundation.
Realizing the challenges that girl children face, I have developed programming around the following 3 issues: menstrual education, reusable washable sanitary towels production, and social economic empowerment.
We address these issues through schools, community forums and youth groups and women groups. It looks unique because in the community we’ve few people addressing it. It’s really clean and intensive as a new venture and a new technology that needs a lot of engagement, capacity building and production.
I am glad Ubuntu is coming in as a partner. I look forward to welcome Antoinette and Pato’s trip in Kenya and share the experience. I shall take them to visit some of women permaculture project farms and also show them what I am doing to support girls in schools. - Jenipher Nyangah
Moses of Shisaba Water Resource Initiative (SHWARI), looks forward to sharing the permaculture projects he has helped start and maintain at local schools. His efforts address primarily climate change, food production, water conservation and indigenous tree conservation.
The world is really affected by environmental issues caused by high deforestation, drainage, pollution and interference of ozone layers. The issue needs a lot of attention with immediate action using whole affected communities including youth, women, men and all other ages. The problems should be addressed with the 3 ethics and principles of permaculture that is care for the earth, care for the people and fair share. We’ve got to change the community mindset, behavior and attitude. The world is facing food shortages and the developed world is heavily affected by industrialization.
I wish to share the experiences with other communities for attitude and behavior change. I am looking forward to welcoming our Ubuntu friends Antoinette and Pato to Kenya. - Moses Makachia
RainMaker Fund Update
The RainMaker Fund was launched earlier this month. The goal is to raise through paid subscriptions and one-time donations the equivalent of 70 monthly paid subscribers or $350 per month. That would give us the ability to distribute $10 per month to each of the 35 organizations highlighted here. Subscribing to RainMakers & ChangeMakers is like joining a Donor’s Club or Giving Circle, but Substack Style.
The short story is: these folks are doing amazing work with little to no support. And, while they could attempt to publish and monetize their own Substack publication, there are too many obstacles to make that feasible. To learn more about why I’m doing this, check out my GiveBackStack Origin Story post.
Welcome to our First Founding Member!
Recently we received our first founding member contribution! Thank you to
of Creative Mystic for becoming a RainMaker Fund contributor! Lenaleah was kind enough to share these words of support:
Upgrade to a Paid Subscription
100% of your Substack subscription (I pay Stripe and Substack fees) will be pooled with other subscribers to build a fund!
Or Make A One-Time Donation to the RainMaker Fund
One-time donations will be pooled together with paid subscriptions.
Want to know how far $10 goes for our ChangeMakers? Check out this post (more entries will be added as they come in).
The Ten Dollar Question
What’s Next on RainMakers & ChangeMakers? New Content Coming in September!
I’ll be back here in earnest in September with more content, updates, and new interviews with experts and ChangeMakers impacting their communities in Africa.
Until then, be well! Make it rain, create some change!
