Livelihood Projects & Climate Change Adaptation

Kitchen gardening is a method of cultivating plants, like vegetables and herbs, in the backyard of one’s home with the primary goal of ensuring a consistent and convenient supply of healthy produce for the family. Bag or sack gardens, also known as vertical farms, involve growing plants in tall sacks filled with soil. These vertical gardens are efficient in their water usage and space utilization. What’s great about kitchen gardening is that it doesn’t require a large plot of land, making it accessible for people regardless of where they live, and it allows for the production of fresh, chemical-free food.

This form of gardening offers numerous benefits, especially for individuals working from home and their families. Firstly, it promotes healthy eating by providing a steady supply of fresh, chemical-free vegetables. Secondly, it keeps individuals occupied, particularly during times like the COVID-19 pandemic when social activities are limited. Kitchen gardening can be a therapeutic and productive way to spend free time. Moreover, it offers round-the-clock access to fresh ingredients, saving you from last-minute grocery trips when unexpected guests arrive. Lastly, it contributes to cost and time savings, helping reduce grocery expenses and eliminating the need for frequent market visits.

Initially, 25 kitchen gardens were established, spread across various clusters affiliated with Homenet Kenya. After one year, in February 2023, the Nandi Cluster alone expanded from 4 to 11 kitchen gardens, reflecting the success and scalability of this initiative.

Beekeeping is a process involving the maintenance of bee colonies, often kept in man-made beehives, and it serves as an essential alternative source of livelihood and economic activity. Beekeeping products have a wide range of applications in food, pharmaceuticals, and economic benefits for beekeepers. Beekeepers raise and manage bees primarily to produce honey, but they also harvest other hive products like beeswax, propolis, bee pollen, and royal jelly. Additionally, beekeepers can generate income through activities such as crop pollination, queen bee breeding, and the production of package bees for sale.

The various products obtained through beekeeping have significant value:

1. Honey is not only a sweet and edible product but also a nutrient-rich food containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and pollen. It provides energy and acts as an antioxidant.
2. Beeswax is derived from worker bees’ wax glands and has a high melting point. It finds use in cosmetics and ointments such as cold creams, lipsticks, and polishes.
3. Propolis and balms are substances used in repairing the beehive’s comb structure. Propolis, often called “bee glue,” is produced from a mixture of saliva and beeswax with tree bud exudate. It serves to seal gaps in the hive.
4. Royal jelly, a milky secretion produced by worker bees, contains various nutrients and is used to nourish queen bees. It also has medicinal properties and is employed in the production of homeopathic and Ayurvedic medicines.
5. Bee venom, while making bee stings painful, has medicinal properties and can be used in the treatment of conditions like rheumatism, arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Beekeeping offers numerous benefits, including its role as an effective pollination agent, the production of nutritious honey, the supply of beeswax for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and the potential use of bee venom in medical treatments. Modern beekeeping methods, such as the Kenya Top Bar Hive, have been adopted by Homenet Kenya and implemented in various clusters, including Nandi, Laikipia, and Elgeyo Marakwet, showcasing the potential for sustainable beekeeping practices.