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  • About us
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Home » 10.000 Orti in Africa » Ngangaini Community Garden

Ngangaini Community Garden

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Kenya

Central

The garden is located at Ngangaini village, Gatanga sub-county, Murang’a county. It was started by a youth group of 15 people (10 males, 5 females) between the ages of 17 and 28 years old. They are involved in different activities such music, motivational talks to other young people, table banking and gardening. They have a ¼ acre lot where they have been practicing sustainable agriculture since mid 2015 after visiting the leader of Slow Food Gatunyu convivium garden. They were introduced to sustainable agriculture and the importance of biodiversity. They grow different crops including carrots, coriander, Irish potatoes, kale, cabbages, amaranth, Russian comfrey, bell peppers, cow peas, pigeons, spinaches, thorny melons, cassava, pumpkins, onions, peppers and sweet potatoes. They have fruits that include tree tomatoes, mountain paw paws, oranges, sugarcane and bananas. They also keep poultry and goats. Animal manure from these animals is used to nourish the soil. The group sent their representative to attend the Slow Food 10000 gardens in Africa training where he was trained on soil fertility management and pests and diseases management to ensure production of good, clean and fair food. Among the sustainable techniques to control pest learnt there are preparing plant extracts (with chili peppers, garlic, aloe vera, Mexican marigold and ashes), using sticky cards, doing crop rotation, intercropping crops together with pest-repelling plants. Crops grown are mainly rain fed without any supplemental irrigation during dry season due to inadequate availability of water. The group cooks together part of the harvest, a portion is handed out to the church as offering, some is stored as seeds, and surplus is sold to generate some income.

Area
Ngangaini Village, Kandara sub-county, Murang’a county

Coordinator
Martin Mwangi Mwaura

Slow Food in Kenya

Kenya, the richest and most dynamic East African country, whose capital Nairobi is home to a series of major international institutions (the UN, FAO, World Bank and others), has for years embodied great contradictions and is constantly grappling with difficult challenges. These include the internal movement of people due to climate change—the extended droughts experienced over the last 30 years are becoming increasingly frequent and intense—and political instability, as well as constant pressure from multinationals on the government, pushing Kenya to focus on production for export. This is resulting in the pollution and depletion of resources, arable land speculation and the privatization and financialization of public services. In 2016 the National Assembly Committee of Agriculture confirmed a ban on GMO cultivation, but experiments continue. The main investments in the national agriculture sector, which engages around 75% of the population, are focused on specific categories (maize and grains, intensive livestock farming) and revolve around increased productivity rather than differentiated production, better environmental sustainability or the improved distribution of community goods. Slow Food has been active in Kenya since 2004 and now has a strong network working to defend local biodiversity, promote sustainable food production and responsible consumption and create links between indigenous groups, herders and farmers and producers and cooks. The association is formally registered and recognized by the government and partners with local and international organizations, public authorities, institutions and the media. Young people are involved in the Gardens in Africa project and the fight against food waste, promoting sustainable agriculture, raising awareness about threats to food sovereignty, encouraging peaceful coexistence between communities through knowledge exchanges and fostering pride in Kenyan culinary traditions. The important task of mapping foods at risk of extinction has been going on over the last few years, leading to a book on Ark products in Kenya and the launch of several Presidia, thanks to the involvement of an extensive network and collaboration with the University of Gastronomic Students. Through the Slow Food scholarship program, so far more than 10 students from the country have been able to study at the university in Italy. The Chefs’ Alliance was launched in 2016 and the Slow Travel responsible tourism initiative has started to raise awareness among consumers and visitors on local foods and initiatives and sustainable development. Blog: slowfoodkenya.wordpress.com

Garden Informations

Type:Community Garden
Surface in m2:1000
People involved:18
Slow Food Convivium:Kahurura Convivium
Coordinator:Samson Kiiru Ngugi
Sibling with:Vienna Foodie Quest, Austria

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