This community garden is found in Gilgil, about three km away from the town’s central district, in Nakuru county. The Gilgil Township Primary School donated the land and the garden has become an important learning center for both the community and the students. The group that manages the garden is made of 25 members (seven men and eighteen women) who participate in the local adult education program which helps improve reading and writing abilities. Several different products are cultivated in the garden, including cabbage, kale, nightshade, amaranth, yams, potatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and African cabbage (gynandropsis gynandra). The soil is fertilized with manure that the members bring from home. Furthermore, they have begun to prepare natural pesticides using marigolds, nettles, onions and pepper to fight off pests that are a huge problem to overcome for the gardening activities. The harvest is divided among the community members and a part is sold on the local market; the revenues are used to finance some of the group’s activities.
Area
Gilgil Township, Gilgil sub-county, Nakuru county
Coordinator
Peris Kamau