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| Wednesday, 08 September 2010 |
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aloe vera industry in taru |
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By Phyllis Muema
DEVELOPING COMMUNITY SOCIAL ENTERPRISES: ALOE VERA PROCESSING AND MARKETING PROJECT
DISTRICT; KINANGO DISTRICT: LOCATIONS: TARU, MTAA \
Reporting period: November 2007 - March, 2008
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT TARU AND MTAA LOCATTIONS
Taru and Mtaa Locations are located in Kinango district one of the recently curved districts from Kwale district in the Coast province of Kenya. According to the 1999 Kenya Population Census, the two locations have a population of approximately 38,756 with family sizes ranging from 6 – 10. The main economic mainstay for the population is livestock farming and charcoal burning (with a major market in Mombasa. Ujamaa Carried out a baseline survey in Kinango district with a focus to Mtaa and Taru locations and found out that the two locations experience very poor erratic rains which leads to total crop failure and long spells of droughts every year reducing the population into a permanent relief food dependent district. Currently, malnutrition rates are at 3.2% (MUAC at risk) CHANIS data (source (MoH) from the overall district records indicate 6.2% underweight children. Poverty levels are estimated at 70% with majority of the population living on less than a dollar a day. Major causes of poverty are [poor infrastructure development due to tenure problems (land is owned by ‘outsiders’ and the local people are squatters), poor and underdeveloped agriculture, wildlife menace, poor agro-industry base, environmental degradation. Other challenges facing Mtaa and Taru communities are inadequate educational facilities. For example there is only one secondary school in Taru location. The Traditions and cultural practices in the two districts also hinder development of the girl child, who is a discriminated against the boy-child. Girls are often treated as inferior and are socialised to put themselves last, thus undermining their self-esteem. Girl orphans and destitute are often seen as source of income as they are married off by caregivers for dowry to be used to educate boys. This leads to practises like polygamous marriages and divorce/remarriages which largely expose women and men to diseases like HIV/AIDS. Owing to water scarcity in the locations, Women spend long hours searching for water which compromises their participation and involvement in other productive activities. Health facilities are few and scattered and lead to high incidences of diseases to mothers and children. Environmentally, the two locations are highly degraded due to uncontrolled felling of trees for Charcoal burning and construction, the toilet and sanitation coverage is low leading to environmental related diseases like cholera and dysentery which post serious health hazards to the people of Taru and Mtaa locations. Over the last few years, there has been major relocation of young people from Mtaa and Taru locations to Mombasa and Kwale towns owing to the harsh conditions livelihood conditions affecting them in their ‘home’. INTERVENTION BY ALLAVIDA AND UJAMAA CENTER
In order to mitigate the challenges, Allavida and Ujamaa Center with support from the Big Lottery implemented a capacity building programme aimed at establishing coastal peoples’ rights and control over, and efficient, sustainable use of local livelihood resources. The project was implemented in 2003 – 2006. The project’s core purpose was to build individual (knowledge/ skills), organisational (planning/ project management), and institutional (process and policy) capacity to enable poor people in rural communities of Kwale, and Kilifi Districts, to more effectively utilise and sustain local natural resources. Overall the process aimed to build trust (between Ujamaa and local communities who in most cases do not trust the government and politicians); give/take responsibility (so local community is in real control); use local knowledge (the local community has its own way of doing things, this is the knowledge that must be put to use); build and enhance skills (training on relevant aspects of natural resource management). The project was implemented in 13 villages in Taru and 10 villages in Mtaa. In 2005, Allavida (an international NGO) and the Ujamaa Center (a local, Mombasa-based NGO) started an initiative to build a grant making foundation called Rasilimali Foundation. The major drive leading to formation of this foundation was the recognition that community led initiatives faced difficulties in accessing funding from mainstream donors for lack of capacity to meet the application criteria and capacity to manage donor funding. The other reason was the inability of local initiatives to convince banks to offer loans to support their projects for lack of collateral. Rasilimali foundation was therefore formed to play the intermediary between communities and funders with the aim of seeking grants to re-grant local level community organizations for community-based natural resource and environmental management advocacy initiatives in a manner that leads to the development of long-lasting and sustainable solutions to community concerns. The initial focus for Rasilimali has been the Coast of Kenya where Ujamaa Center has had extensive knowledge and experience. Ujamaa Center has worked with peoples and communities in the coastal districts of Kwale and Kilifi to enhance popular participation in socio-economic and social justice processes; community based decision-making and governance; and efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. The Ujamaa Philosophy of the founding president of Tanzania substantially inspires Ujamaa’s work and essentially the philosophy is primarily about building social capital as opposed to capital accumulation. Rasilimali Foundation offers grants to community initiatives where community groups using a simple application form apply for a minimum of US250 and maximum of US2,500 for establishment of community led social enterprises and social justice advocacy initiatives. So far, 23 women groups from Taru and Mtaa location have benefited from the support to produce Aloe Vera soaps and establishment of one nursery Aloe Vera Nursery and a demonstration farm for farmers. THE ALOE VERA PROJECT
The Aloe Vera Processing and Marketing project, funded by Headlay Foundation is an attempt to transform livelihoods in some of the poorest communities in Kenya, through social investment and strengthening community enterprise and organisations. Over two years, the project is expected to strengthen communities and raise awareness of rights to own, control and utilize available natural resources. It will help establish producer and marketing cooperatives involving at least 40 villages. The project will up to 8 community based aloe vera processing units, and train 80 women in core processing skills. Development of Business plans to enable the local enterprises to gradually increase production and marketing of basic aloe products such as soaps, and provide working capital (on a loan basis) to enable the enterprises to grow. As the community enterprises develop, plans will be drawn up to create a central processing and marketing facility owned and governed by the community cooperatives, but managed by professional staff. Some of the women trained earlier in the project will receive advanced training to enable the centre to produce a larger range of higher quality products. In the final phase of the project, the emphasis is on marketing, enabling the centre to access national and perhaps international markets. If the project is successful, a minimum of 400 farming families will benefit with substantially increased incomes, greatly enhanced skills, and new roles in managing community institutions, controlling resources, and participating powerfully in local and national markets. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN (NOVEMBER, 2007 – MARCH, 2008)
1. Project Set-up: -
a. The project implementation team comprising of Project Manager (Phyllis Muema) and two community mobilizers (Grace Oloo and Beatrice Kauchi) was set up. b. Baseline Data collection and analysis- The project staff undertook a baseline data collection on the target locations on wealth, health and community life. The information will be used in preparation of the business plans. c. Identification of villages to participate in the project - Three Project introduction meetings were held in Mtaa Location, Taru and Samburu location where issues concerning transforming land into aloe vera farming was shared. In all these meetings, communities especially women groups and youth groups were encouraged to establish aloe vera nurseries, replanting of aloe vera in farms, and capacity building on aloe products development were agreed. 2. Launch of Capacity Building program
a. The Project staff in consultation with community leaders in Mtaa and Taru Locations organized a monthly training program aimed at building social and community cohesion. The training took the form of two day seminars held at the locations with a focus to issues of social and community development, natural resources management in Kenya and legislative frameworks governing natural resources utilisation as well as community development (group formation, local governance, group/community dynamics and establishment of local level organizations for advocacy on rights-based development and possibilities of forming aloe vera farmers cooperative. b. Training in small-scale processing of Aloe Vera
The project facilitated training by specialist trainers from the Kwetu Training Institute (located near Mombasa) in basic aloe vera processing techniques to twelve community trainers. The idea is for them to further train group members in their locations to enable them tap the existing local market for basic aloe products like soap, shampoo, lotion etc. The community trainers have a target of further training 50 women and youth in each location in the next six months (February – July, 2008). Currently the groups are making between 500-1000 pieces of soap per week which costs Kshs.25.00 per piece in the local market leading to improved incomes for the producers. 3. Expanding production of Aloe Vera
Taru Development group allowed groups from Mtaa and Samburu to collect seeds from their demonstration farm for establishment of nurseries in each village to enhance expansion of replanting. Currently a total of 10 acres have been put under aloe farming with 37741 aloe plants. One nursery with 2000 plants ready for replanting is available at Nuru Center and 10 other nurseries will be set up in the next two months. The number of villages participating in the project is currently 30 it is expected that 10 more will join by July, 2008. 4. Developing community organisations
In order to address issues of marketing, quality control, branding, packaging and branding, the project together with the beneficiaries have initiated dialogue on the formation of Aloe Farmers Cooperative Society. The District Cooperative Office (which is responsible for training members on cooperative movement and registration of cooperatives) has been approached to provide training in local cooperative development and management. Ujamaa and Allavida will then support the registration of the cooperative. 5. Certification by Kenya Bureau of Standards
In order to ensure that the groups are making soap which meets the government minimum requirements, the project approached Kenya Bureau of Standards in Mombasa who visited Taru and supervised soap making process. Several samples of soap have already been taken to the government laboratories for testing for quality and chemical composition. The results are expected by May, 2008. If the soap meets the government requirements, Kenya Bureau of Standards will provide certification which should enable the community products to be sold in the market and supermarkets. CHALLENGES
- Distance from Taru and Mtaa to Mombasa for purchase of chemicals used in the production process are only available in Mombasa and this makes it costly since they are doing it in small quantities.
- Currently Products are being developed manually hence hindering mass production.
- Human wild life conflicts e.g. elephants uprooting plants.
In order to address issues of marketing, quality control, branding, packaging and branding, the project together with the beneficiaries have initiated dialogue on the formation of Aloe Farmers Cooperative Society. The District Cooperative Office (which is responsible for training members on cooperative movement and registration of cooperatives) has been approached to provide training in local cooperative development and management. Ujamaa and Allavida will then support the registration of the cooperative. The project facilitated training by specialist trainers from the Kwetu Training Institute (located near Mombasa) in basic aloe vera processing techniques to twelve community trainers. The idea is for them to further train group members in their locations to enable them tap the existing local market for basic aloe products like soap, shampoo, lotion etc. The community trainers have a target of further training 50 women and youth in each location in the next six months (February – July, 2008). Currently the groups are making between 500-1000 pieces of soap per week which costs Kshs.25.00 per piece in the local market leading to improved incomes for the producers. Taru and Mtaa Locations are located in Kinango district one of the recently curved districts from Kwale district in the Coast province of Kenya. According to the 1999 Kenya Population Census, the two locations have a population of approximately 38,756 with family sizes ranging from 6 – 10. The main economic mainstay for the population is livestock farming and charcoal burning (with a major market in Mombasa. Taru and Mtaa Locations are located in Kinango district one of the recently curved districts from Kwale district in the Coast province of Kenya. According to the 1999 Kenya Population Census, the two locations have a population of approximately 38,756 with family sizes ranging from 6 – 10. The main economic mainstay for the population is livestock farming and charcoal burning (with a major market in Mombasa. Taru and Mtaa Locations are located in Kinango district one of the recently curved districts from Kwale district in the Coast province of Kenya. According to the 1999 Kenya Population Census, the two locations have a population of approximately 38,756 with family sizes ranging from 6 – 10. The main economic mainstay for the population is livestock farming and charcoal burning (with a major market in Mombasa. Taru and Mtaa Locations are located in Kinango district one of the recently curved districts from Kwale district in the Coast province of Kenya. According to the 1999 Kenya Population Census, the two locations have a population of approximately 38,756 with family sizes ranging from 6 – 10. The main economic mainstay for the population is livestock farming and charcoal burning (with a major market in Mombasa. Taru and Mtaa Locations are located in Kinango district one of the recently curved districts from Kwale district in the Coast province of Kenya. According to the 1999 Kenya Population Census, the two locations have a population of approximately 38,756 with family sizes ranging from 6 – 10. The main economic mainstay for the population is livestock farming and charcoal burning (with a major market in Mombasa.
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