Flicker of Hope, based in Nyamira County, Kenya has been working hard to bring smokeless bio-briquettes and cookstoves to the county through their project, Promoting Smokeless Fuel & Sustainable Incomes for Women. As a recent addition to the Rockflower family, Flicker of Hope has made great strides in just a few short months.
This project, although it has one clear goal, to bring bio-briquettes to the area, is complex in its systemic approach to accomplishing this goal. Ultimately the project will work to combat climate change, improve public health, provide sustainable livelihoods to women, fight resource scarcity, and air pollution. In a recent update from Flicker of Hope, it is clear that they are well on their way.
In this first phase of the project, they are working to rehabilitate degraded areas through agroforestry. Previously, deforestation has been a large issue, as wood is being burned for fires, and land is cleared for crops. It has caused damage to the soil, degraded animal habitats, and made the area even more vulnerable to climate change, which is causing a lack of viable crops. Flicker of Hope has identified 200 women farmers who could plant trees on their farms to improve their land and gain additional income. The brush and leaf litter from the trees will be used in bio-briquettes eventually.
The farmers in the program will learn how to grow indigeneous tree species that have largely been removed from the region. One of these trees is Moringa, a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree with antioxidant properties. They are encouraging them to grow these trees around the perimeter of their farms so that they can maintain most of their farmland and it will provide a windbreak. Some of what will be taught includes tree selection, tree care and planting site selection. What they are hoping to see as the trees grow is a decrease in erosion, groundwater being drawn upward, more fertile soil, regulation of temperature in the local micro-climate, and increased habitats for wildlife like birds.
Michael Nyamweya, Project Coordinator at Flicker of Hope writes, “Ensuring there are suitable habitats for animals means the entire ecosystem can work in harmony and continue to function in a healthy way. When ecosystems are degraded they are more vulnerable to extreme temperature fluctuations and less likely to bounce back and continue to provide services such as carbon sequestration and the storage of groundwater.”
The organization recognizes the inherent lag time in this project, as trees need years to grow. In the meantime, they will be teaching the farmers an improved method of raising chickens that will increase their yield. With this method, the chickens are ready to be sold within 35-40 days which will allow the farmers to earn more income, and feel less dependent on the trees before they are fully grown.
“Through increasing the farm’s resilience, agroforestry will help women farmers to secure their yields against climate change and degradation. It will, therefore, enhance food security. Further, women farmers will be able to source biomass from their own farms, reducing the time needed to fetch firewood which specifically benefits women…The goal is to inspire and facilitate women farmers in adapting agroforestry to increase their farm’s climate resilience, productivity, and fertility while regenerating degraded land.”
Flicker of Hope is creating sustainable changes to their environment and the livelihoods of their community, with the role and benefit of women in mind. Upon completion of this phase, they hope to build a model farm to showcase the efficacy of regenerative agroforestry and educate others about how different systems suit the local context.