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Home > Activities
> Income Generation
Lives
and livelihoods have improved through the
multiple and diverse income generating
activities carried out on well managed
productive grass fields. Today,
communities, interest groups and individual
men and women are reaping profits from
drylands reclaimed by RAE that were once
considered wastelands. Making drylands
profitable through the diversification of
income generating opportunities has improved
people's lives, as well as land and
livestock management practices. Profits are
maximised through a quick turnover of
multiple activities, requiring careful
management and timing. RAE continues to work
with other partners to meet the challenge of
identifying profitable markets for field
products, as well as providing
training as and when necessary. Livestock
Rearing:
From RAE data, the fattening of livestock, particularly
cattle, is the most profitable use of
reclaimed fields. Although dependent on a
number of factors, prices for cattle can
double in three months, if malnourished
cattle are purchased when the prices are low
and sold after being treated and fattened
when prices are high. The rearing of
fewer quality livestock has environmental
benefits, by reducing pressure on already
overgrazed communal areas and improving
management practices. |
A gradual behavioral change is also becoming evident, amongst Baringo pastoralists who have started to keep and sell smaller numbers of quality livestock rather than keeping large poorly nourished herds. This is indicative of a broader change from a livestock based economy to a cash economy, with people
requiring more and more cash to meet modern needs such as school fees.
Grass Seed:
The harvesting and sale of different species of perennial indigenous grass seed is particularly profitable for women, who gain directly from this income generating activity. RAE grass seed is known for its good germination, durability and drought resistance. The seed, bought directly from reclaimed fields, is processed, packaged and stored by RAE. The demand for seed continues to grow with the further expansion of RAE activities.
Beekeeping:
Improved bee keeping practices are of direct benefit to the environment as well as a source of income generation for both men and women. Honey harvested from Langstroth hives installed on communal fields has so far been sold to Nairobi, but RAE plans to set up a local honey processing and marketing system in the near future. The demand for improved hives is continually growing, but further training of local people in more modern beekeeping methods is essential.
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Conscientious
livestock rearing has dramatic results
Cenchrus ciliaris
grass seed harvested from RAE reclaimed
fields
Harvesting honey
from a Langstroth beehive
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Women work together
to load a hay bailer
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Baling Hay and other Activities: The
baling of hay by hand from both communal and
private fields is generating increasing
income for local people. The storing of hay,
not previously practiced by pastoralists, is
also an important dry season and drought
management strategy. Other
successful income generating activities
already tried by Baringo pastoralists
include: the cutting and sale of thatching grass, posts and fuelwood
(all scarce commodities in the lowlands), renting out
reclaimed land for dry season grazing,
keeping improved livestock breeds for better
milk and meat yields, and initiating
eco-tourism projects on reclaimed areas. |
Marketable
Plants: Renewable semi-arid plants
and plant products could become important
sources of income for dryland communities,
especially if grown on a sustainable basis
in reclaimed areas.
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Aloes growing in the
RAE nursery
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Intellectual property
rights need careful consideration, but
certain plants and plant products such as
indigenous Aloes and the invasive Prosopis
juliflora have already been approved for
sale by the Kenyan Government. In addition RAE
will continue to explore other plants
already identified with potential market
value from its on-site herbarium containing
over 1,000 plant specimens indigenous to the
Baringo lowlands. |
Loans
and Banking Systems: Experience
has shown that many individuals, community
and women’s groups do not have the
necessary capital to start income generating
activities. RAE will continue granting
start-up loans to well-organised interest
groups of reclaimed fields with defined
by-laws and action plans. |
Small
loans are also considered for the poor
private field owners, such as widows and
unmarried women with children. Although more
and more shareholder groups have their own
accounts, RAE continues to play the role of
the local bank for some groups; giving
loans, keeping the ever-growing amount of
cash earned from field activities, as well
as training groups to keep proper records
and accounts. RAE is currently working to
identify an appropriate partner to fulfill
this role, such as a community-based bank
with credit and loan facilities in Baringo.
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Startup loans are
often given to women's groups
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