ECOSYSTEM BASED RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION.

The specific issue/ problems our solution is addressing is poverty and environmental degradation, where the community farmers have caused or depleted the environment through forest deforestation, agricultural activities and human activities that accelerate and promote the negative activities that interfere with the environment and cause climate change.

The problems or challenges related to the issue are:-

   a). Poverty  b). Deforestation   c). Floods  d). High population growth rate

e). Extensive soil erosion  f). Land, water degradation and ecosystem degradation.These are the problems for which support is being sought and why is important to address. Because poverty and environmental degradation is still a major problem affecting the people of Namanjalala community.

CURRENT STATE / SITUATION; - The community area experiences high poverty levels of 61%, which has contributed immensely to deforestation, since 81% of rural wood requirement depends on trees. (KENYA BUREAU OF STATISTICS 2021). High percentage of bare land at 25% on average and high cost of farm implements. The soils are poor; soil erosion is evident to more than 50% of the farmers’ fields. The community is prone to floods during the months of July and August, this leaves the farmers without crops for food security and this causes prolonged period of food insecurity and poor agricultural activities. Land and ecosystems degradation continues to spread with great intensity in Namanjalala and is currently estimated to affect about 40% of the community. in Namanjalala 12% is covered with vegetation which is being depleted at a rate of 20% annually through illegal timber harvesting, charcoal burning over grazing and fuel wood. Increased poverty and food insecurity due to declining incomes and employment in the community. This state has resulted in 20% annual depletion of forest causing heavy deforestation in Trans-Nzoia County.Rural poverty from a combination of population pressure. There is degradation of natural resources in the community environment soil, water, air, and others worsens overtime kicking in negative impacts threatening livelihood. Another problem affecting crop production in Namanjalala community is the lack of effective links between research extension, education and farmers research technologies and their uses largely remain out of the reach of extension workers and small scale holder farmers.  Soil degradation is a key environmental concern in Namanjalala, Bidii and Kapstwet with over 44% of soil experiencing some level of degradation, in wet zones some farm lands has high iron toxicity while certain villages are at high to extremely high risk of soil erosion for up to 50%. Declining maize yield is a major problem in to maize value chain production. The decline is attributed to declining soil fertility.

IMARA solution is an agricultural and environmental conservation in mission and character, whose main goal is:- to contribute to conservation of Mount Elgon ecosystem, mainly SABWANI RIVER through empowering local communities to adopt sustainable livelihoods and enhancing forest ecosystem. Broad objective is :- to raise awareness of the local community population about land degradation and desertification through various agricultural strategies that leads to higher adaptation rates by the community members and improve community livelihoods and food security. IMARA CBO has worked in 26 villages to provide innovative research, technical solutions, training and capacity building to leverage the tole of trees and forests to enhance small scale holder livelihoods, drive sustainable value chains, safeguard biodiversity, improve food security and nutrition, restore landscapes, fight climate change and help adapt to it. Our mission is to:- alleviate poverty and improve the health of vulnerable people living in Nananjalala and other locations, empowering communities with opportunities for income generation to drive Kenya's economic development, promote sustainable community driven projects through  partnerships, food security, skills transfer and employment creation. Project purpose:- is to assist the community in the development of new and emerging technologies through small scale farming for the development of agroforestry and nature-based solutions to promote resource conservation, protection and restoration of environment and improvement of livelihood to address present and future environmental challenges. IMARA CBO uses the SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL LAND USE MANAGEMENT and PARTICIPATORY LAND USE PLANNING methodology under agroforestry technology, using FARMER TO FARMER strategy. Through restoration, awareness campaigns, tree planting and community forest- based management strategy. IMARA CBO works to enhance ecosystem resilience in the community through agroforestry technologies and encourages community members to participate and improve their livelihoods by developing skills in natural resources, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation by building the women's capacity to increase their income from crops and land resources. IMARA CBO works to empower civil society to change the systems of agriculture, so it prioritizes people and the planet earth and to support transformative practices using the agroforestry technology and advocate for green and fair policies and support the attainment of SDGs number 1, 2, 3, 5,13 and 17.  
 Proposed activities are;

• Promotion of sustainable agricultural land management and participatory land use planning and agroforestry activities, hold field-days, agroforestry demonstrations and discussions to communicate and discuss the ideas that leads to community awareness of the environmental issues.
• Monitor, facilitate and advice on integration of trees in the agri-landscape, maize growing, to maintain and increase production to match with the increasing population and to reduce erosion or loss of fertility.
• Tree planting through afforestation and reforestation programmes, restoration of degraded environments, tree planting for rehabilitation. Building of contour trenches, contour bunds, planting indigenous trees for land cover, medicinal purposes and also to combat desertification and cooling the climate.
• Tree nursery management and tree seedlings production, tree seeds harvesting for sale.
• Kitchen gardens for fruits, vegetables and for nutritional purposes and income generation.
• Conduct education, training and outreach awareness campaigns and provide technical assistance.

IMARA CBO solution serves the small scale holder farmers with special focus on women, youth, children and farmers organizations, public and private sector and research organizations. It targets farmers living in extreme poverty and environmental degradation areas. This solution is needed because it will improve the farm production of the small scale holders and is needed because poverty and environmental degradation is still a major problem affecting the community farmers of Namanjalala, Bidii and Kapsitwet and will impact their lives in the following ways:-

a). Improve food security, nutrition due to cultivation of agroforestry crops, maize, fruit trees to 80% of the households in the community.

b). Reduce deforestation and fuel wood consumption by 50% due to the use of fast growing agroforestry trees like- sesbania sesban, calliandra and leucaena.

c). Increase the capacity to deal with uncertainty, increase their resilience and decrease social vulnerability.

d). Job creation and job opportunity to women, youth and farmers in the community.

e). Improve soil fertility, due to the promotion of agroforestry nitrogen fixing  trees and organic farming to 50% of the community farmers.

f). Increase carbon dioxide sequestration, storage and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to the planting and growing of trees by the community farmers.

g). Increase crop yields by 30% in the community, reduce poverty by 50% to community farmers.

h). Increase and improve vegetation (biodiversity) in the community and 75,500 tree seedlings planted by community small holder farmers.

i). Increase cash income earnings and better living  standards to 50% of the community farmers.

j). Improve women's' daily living conditions due to the availability of water and fuel wood to 90% of the community women and girls.

k). Community farmers mobilized, sensitized and trained in agroforestry, nature-based solutions, and 2,000 farmers trained on various agricultural practices.

l). Air quality, water quality, oxygen production, pollution reduction and erosion reduction, temperature regulation and energy production and use, wind control, shade and active evaporation. 

m). Availability of rain fall and replenishment of wildlife habitat.

n). Community ownership, reduced soil erosion, water erosion and wind erosion due to the application of sustainable agricultural land management practices, participatory land use planning activities using the agroforestry technologies and nature-based solutions techniques, and through afforestation and reforestation and rehabilitation efforts, the degraded mount Elgon forest land restored, through appropriate forest rehabilitation techniques like- group planting, close spaced tree planting with a few species and dense planting using many species.     

The IMARA CBO team and partners are much placed to undertake the project, because it consists of an efficient and highly trained qualified mix of women and men managers trained in natural resources management, sustainable agriculture, forestry, livestock, agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, nature-based solutions and climate change issues.With gender equality at the helm of our project, women and men take equal part in representation in the management board, this makes it easy to work with the community of Namanjalala in Kwanza Sub-county. Other actors lack knowledge of improved technological, scientific and agroforestry and nature-based solutions know-how. IMARA CBO use technology and apply techniques in our activities/ trainings and learning and training of of our farmers and target groups, that is why we are different and capable of delivering this solution to the community. IMARA CBO has received a lot of technical training from their partners,  Vi. Agroforestry NGO, Ministry of Agriculture, Forest Department, ICIPE NGO and the Lake Basin Development Authority,  this enables us to manage various projects successfully. Because of our goals and objectives are different from those of other actors, our SDGs are not same to the other actors.     

IMARA CBO selected the above stage because climate change is real and a world wide problem which is jeopardizing all sectors of life and human livelihoods and needs a collective way of synergies in solving and implementing adaptation  and mitigation  measures, and activities to reduce  and reverse the catastrophic impacts which pose serious threat to human livelihood and well being. We selected the above stage because IMARA CBO has got a full arsenal mix of women and men managers equipped with full information on issues pertaining to climate change, agroforestry, regenerative agriculture and nature-based solutions and etc.

We are applying to solve because of the problems mentioned above, encountered in our community which attracts us to seek for support from Solve to help us confront and counteract these challenges of poverty, ecosystem degradation, land, water degradation, extensive soil erosion and flooding. WE ARE APPLYING TO SOLVE BECAUSE POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IS STILL A MAJOR PROBLEM AFFECTING NEARLY 44% ( 35,000 people of our community farmers in Namanjalala, Bidii and Kapsitwet communities and this leads to food insecurity in our community and poor agricultural productivity. IMARA CBO needs partners in business modelling, product marketing, certification, public relations, branding and funds to help us accomplish our community dream of fighting poverty and environment depletion and degradation.

Project Innovativeness: - Our project idea is innovative approach in terms of pursuing agroforestry technologies and in using modern engineering technologies in fighting environmental degradation and climate change, pursuing effective conflict resolution and redress for human rights and land rights violations and providing rehabilitation measures to restore, conserve the environment with guaranteed representation of indigenous people and other first peoples and forest dependent communities using agroforestry systems. Is innovative in the form of information and technologies dissemination through various agricultural channels that include- field-days, open learning days, exhibitions, demonstrations at farmers' agricultural farms and through media- Radio Talk. IMARA solution is innovative in the form of facilitation, training, teaching farmers in sustainable use of natural resources and strengthening their capacity in natural resources management, in particular in managing soil and tree genetic resources, training in land use management, farm planning and land rehabilitation using nature-based solutions and agroforestry and exchange of experiences and in applying improved scientific knowledge and demonstrating preparedness for a changing climate future in Namanjalala. By using our approach of farmer to farmer strategy and agroforestry activities for improved soil fertility and farm yields and reduced pressure on surrounding Mount Elgon forest.  

Since it is an agroforestry project it will improve the farm production of the small scale farmers in Namanjalala, Bidii and Kapsitwet repectively. Women, youth, girls and local farmers will be empowered economically, they will be resilient after having been trained in nature conservation, agricultural activities and environment protection and conservation. Through the application of SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL LAND MANAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATORY LAND USE PLANNING methods and techniques, the farmers farms will have good health and improved soil pH. And as you know doing new things using technologies brings in much success. This project will improve and increase the farm productivity of the local communities the small scale holders and thus will create job opportunities to poor rural women, youths, and farmers in the community. Through various agricultural trainings such as soil nutrient management, soil and water conservation, and the use of improved scientific technologies under agroforestry technology as our core/ central technology. Through participatory demonstrations at farmers farms and field days and farmers exchange tours to gain experiences. They will have been trained to change their systems of agriculture from mono culture to diversified cropping and use of modern engineering systems like- mulching, no-till planting, crop rotation, pest management, and weed control, applying the sustainable agricultural land management, participatory land use planning methodology for increased crop yields and soil health conservation. They will be able to provide for their families, it will reduce the direct pressures imposed to the communities forests and reduce deforestation by 50% in the community. It will improve the conditions of women, girls in the community and help reduce the long distances of walking in search of fuel wood. Food, fruits, nuts will be available to community farmers, they will have surplus crops for sale and income generation, and for nutritional purposes and good health, pay for school fees to children. It will improve the status of biodiversity in the communities, farmers will be resilient and aware of environmental matters. It will reduce the negative incidents imposed to the communities environment, the laws governing the environment will be enforced and strengthened and help save trees from deforestation and plant and grow more trees to fight climate change. Community ownership of the problems and good cooperation, it will empower women and girls to participate in developmental agendas of the community and in political spheres and reduce the inequalities and strengthen the human rights laws in the communities. 

Our strategic goal is to improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity.

Goals

a). To strengthen community institutions in biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation while producing sustainable livelihoods through agriculture and land productivity.

  b). Improving food security, environmental stability through productivity and crop diversification and rehabilitation of the degraded environments.

 c). To  reduce the direct pressure on biodiversity and promote sustainable use of natural resources. 

Objectives

    a). Improve community livelihood and food security.

    b). Assist small scale holder farmers in particular rural women, improve crops in rural areas by giving advice in soil conservation measures through management of trees and establish agroforestry systems.

    c). To implement integrated environment conservation development technologies that boost security and social welfare.  

Expected Results.

1). The 23 villages mobilized, sensitized in agroforestry, climate resilient agriculture, nature-based solutions and modern agricultural systems and 2,000 community farmers trained, and15 terraces and one drainage passage dug. 200 hundred women trained on smokeless cooking cook stoves.

2). Increased farmers’ cash income earnings, improved food security to 50% of the community, improved quality of life, environment directly and indirectly and maintain biodiversity due to the application of SALM/PLUP activities.

3). Improved and increased vegetation (Biodiversity) through forest landscape restoration, and replenishment of wildlife habitat, and 47,150 tree seedlings planted by the community farmers.

 4). Improved women’s daily lives due to the availability of wood fuel to 90% of the households in the community.

 5). Reduced soil erosion, improved soil fertility, reduced water erosion, wind erosion by 50% due to the application of SALM and Agroforestry practices and nature-based solutions and through afforestation, reforestation and rehabilitation. Availability of rain fall, air, and water quality, increased carbon dioxide sequestration and storage.

  6). Reduced deforestation and wood fuel consumption by 50% due to the use of agroforestry fast growing nitrogen fixing trees.

  7). Reduced flooding in the community by 70% due to agroforestry and nature-based solutions application.     

Monitoring will be done in a participatory manner where all stake holders will be involved as participants in Namanjalala, it will be done on a monthly basis and project evaluation will be conducted on a quarterly basis and project reports, documentations prepared and send to the donor.

LESSONS and EXPERIENCES generated and learned will be shared through evidence-based results and human success stories and sharing of experiences, communications through monthly, quarterly project reports.       Project indicators.

• Number of farmers sensitized in agroforestry, nature based solutions, and on Imara vision, mission, and the number of trainings conducted, number of extensionists and farmers trained.
• Number of demonstrations conducted and farmers benefited.
• Increase in productivity of cereal crops in adopted villages.
• Number of technical information published and communicated.
• Number of agroforestry trees planted by the community farmers.
• Number of farmers reached by information on sustainable agricultural land management, participatory land use planning practices and activities.
• Number of community farmers trained on smokeless energy saving cook stoves construction and maintenance.

• Number of farmers trained on environment conservation  and restoration of biodiversity.

Our solution is powered by the agroforestry technology, which is a dynamic ecologically based, natural resource management system that through the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits. By definition, Agroforestry is a technology that increases the resilience of ecosystems by acting as a sustainable agricultural technique that increases biodiversity, decreases soil erosion, improves water absorption, and enhances soil fertility, increases and diversifies agricultural production and helps save natural forests, thus reducing the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  Agroforestry is profitable to farmers through the provision of fodder, fruits, medicines, oil from nuts, and other products as poles, posts, and provide good source of wood fuel to poor small scale holder farmers, it enriches the soil by adding organic matter or fixing nitrogen and it enhances the value of the crop produced. Farmers meet their domestic needs for food, construction materials, fuel, cash earnings and savings, raw materials for processing and emergency resources. 

Imara C.B.O has a human workforce of 14 people,that works to ensure the smooth running of the day to day implementation of Imara Solution. Seed collectors -2 youth boys,extensionist - 2 boys ,2 ladies; Tree nursery attendants - 4 women part-time workers; Treasurer - 1 part-time; Chairman, Secretary and Coordinator - Full-time workers.3 full-time workers and 11 part-time workers,which are mandated to oversee the day to day activities.

For eight (8) years IMARA CBO has been involved in counteracting this trend with its long experience of working with tree planting through agroforestry methods directly with poor small scale holder farmers, it reaches out to more than 1,200 farming households, training in land use management, farm planning using agroforestry and nature-based solutions, tree planting , grass growing and the digging out of terraces, trenches, contour bunds, canals and drainage passages for water flow control. 

Our solution team is a gender sensitive where both sexes take equal part in the governance and representation in the IMARA CBO governance and implementation of all project activities and programmes. The youth, women, Persons With Disabilities and men are represented in the management committee or board of directors. Over the past 8 years IMARA CBO has been linking natural resources management and women's participation and gender equality have always been a focus of our work. Gender equality and women empowerment has been integrated in to our project implementation achieving equal representation of both sexes. Gender equality is a fundamental component of social sustainability and gender considerations have been incorporated in to IMARA CBO's research objectives, methodology and implementation.

We are both service providers and product producers and our services are paid for. We produce tree seedlings for sale to community farmers, the public and any interested person in the community and in the Trans-Nzopa County. And we provide agricultural extension services to any interested community persons and farmers and offer environmental education, advice and consultancy to Namanjalala farmers. Given that IMARA CBO has got a very trained staff of extension officers. Our tree nursery is situated within the local community of the said locations of Bidii, Namanjalala and Kapsitwet. We organizes some field days and demonstrations at the farmers fields. We have got some demonstration learning sites within the communities for backstopping the community farmers.

• Direct funding from the sale of tree seedlings, tree seeds, firewood- will contribute the majority of our primary operating revenue about 60%. Members shares and contributions and grants from charitable investors and donors will constitute the remaining 40%. In order to implement this Imara CBO will increase its tree seedlings production from 150,000 to 250, 000, by working through partnerships with women’s groups, youth and the farmers’ organizations in Namanjalala and creation of agribusiness and value addition on our products and services.
• The project management committee shall make sure 30% is deducted from all proceeds of all sales of Imara CBO’s income generating activities and banked for the purpose of sustainability. Sales from tree seedlings, tree seeds, indigenous leafy vegetables and from the sale of firewood.
•  Linkages with other service providers in the Sub-County, and cooperating with the national and the County governments. By working through research partnerships with women’s group youth groups, researchers and farmers’ organizations in Namanjalala. We shall form community village committees which shall spearhead the project activities so we will still identify the locally available resources and mobilize the funds to keep us moving and create other projects to be run to help us continue. By forgiving new partnerships with investors, funders, this will contribute towards sustainability of our income generating activities through shared experiences knowledge exchange and accessibility to cheaper and more readily available resources and expertise and through networking with other business organizations will ensure the survival and sustainability of our projects and by signing new agreements (MOU) with county governments, national and other collaborators.Team leaders (extensionists) and committees to be formed at all villages and volunteers selected to oversee the continuation of our project activities in the communities of Namanjalala, Bidii and Kapsitwet. By working through partnerships, knowledge exchange and shared experience and networking with various groups we will pursue our ambitions in Namanjalala.