Presentation on Rural Outreach Program's work in schools in western Kenya, implementing agricultural and food security programs.

1. ROP-4K: LINKING SCHOOLS TO AGRICULTURE
AND NUTRITION ACTIVITIES
Presented by Mary Njeri Karanu
Programs Officer, ROP
Teachers’ Training Workshop
St. Benedict’s Primary School
Nairobi Kenya
Jan 20 2018

2. www.ruraloutreachafrica.org

3. Presentation Outline
About Rural Outreach Program
 Founding
 Where we work
 Programs
ROP and 4H/4K
 Background
 Scope of work
 Projects
 Partnerships
Way Forward
 HKP and ROA
 Nutrition Gardens
 Sustainability

4. • Rural Outreach Program (ROP) started as an Action
Research Project in 1985- “Mumias Project”
• The project sought to determine the food and
nutrition situation in sugarcane growing areas
surrounding Mumias Sugar Company.
• Money from sugarcane farming transformed the
area, BUT, 10 years later… food insecurity and high
malnutrition.
• Intervention was needed, hence, Rural Outreach
Program

5. Registered in 1992 as
non- governmental
organization to
undertake actions
aimed at improving the
livelihoods of the rural
poor in Kenya, working
through women.
ROP works within
government policy and
collaborates with
government
departments
Founder: Professor Ruth Oniang’o
Africa Food Prize Laureate 2017

6. Mission
To build on local strengths, and mobilize resources to
empower rural communities, thus improving family
incomes, environmental protection and enhanced literacy
levels.
Vision
To create healthy rural communities able to live and enjoy
active dignified lives; access and utilize internal and external
resources; contribute fully to the development of families,
communities, nation, and uphold respect for others.

7. Programs
– Agriculture and Livestock
• Indigenous vegetables
• Soil health
• Dairy and small animals
• Value addition
– Health and Nutrition
– Water and Sanitation
– Gender
– Youth

8. A farmer receiving a cow from ROP Farmers’ group receiving goats
Children learning about vegetable farming
during a field day
Farmer-to-farmer support

9. Unprotected spring Protected spring
Water and Sanitation—WATER IS LIFE

10. Elukhambi Community Hospital
Community members receiving care during a medical camp

11. PICS bags ensure food quality and safety Farmers purchase PICS bags at a ROP field
day

13. 4-H
 USA concept
 Positive Youth Development Approach
 Learners and teachers work together as equal partners
I pledge my HEAD to clearer
thinking,
my HEART to greater loyalty,
my HANDS to larger service,
and my HEALTH to better living,
for my club, my community,
my country, and my world.

14. • 4K in Kenya
– Kuungana Kufanya Kusaidia Kenya
Started in 1962
A “customized” 4-H for ownership and
identity
The guiding principle:
– to empower the youth with agricultural and
life skills to contribute to better nutrition,
health and higher standards of living

15.  Map of Kenya with 4-leaf clover
laid up on it
 Each leaf has “K” and a boran
cow in the center; symbolizing
domestication.
 Green symbolizes nature,
youth, life, and growth
The 4-K Club Motto: “To Learn By Doing” which in
Kiswahili is Kujifunza Kwa Kufanya
4K

16. Learning by Doing or
Experiential Learning
– We learn best by DOING
a task rather than
reading, learning and
saying
– Learning by doing
produces a much higher
retention rate than “chalk
and talk”
It has been found out
that we remember:
 10% by reading
 20% by learning
 30% by seeing
 50% by seeing and
learning
 70% by saying it
ourselves
 90% by saying and
doing it ourselves

17. ROP and 4-H
Began in 2015 in partnership with Global Clover
Network
Replication of “Nyamninia” model in 50 schools
Kakamega and Siaya Counties
50 schools in program so far: 28 Kakamega, 22 Siaya
2146 primary school children reached through school’s
4K clubs
214 headteachers, 18 stakeholders (MoE, MoALF, TSC,
local administrators)
Community utilizes available resources to improve the
livelihoods of children and the school

18. Nyamninia Model: Impart life skills into young
primary school children through agricultural
enterprises in their school clubs.

19. Eshiandukusi Primary School 4K Club

20. Basic 4H/4K Concepts
Preparing future
hunger fighters
Modeling future
leaders
Creating change
agents in the
community
Good academic
performance
Sample of Club
Activities
 Crop farming (maize,
vegetables, legumes,
horticulture)
 Poultry keeping
 Animal husbandry (cows,
goats, sheep, pigs)
 Agroforestry

23. PLANTING DAY!

28. Buchinga Primary School-
Kakamega
Maize stored in hermetic bags in
Matioli Primary school

29. Forming the 4H/4K Club
 50 members… equal ratio of boys and girls
 Members from class 5-8
 Open enrollment, enthusiastic learners, also include bright
learners, needy and vulnerable learners
 Registration: a chick, planting materials, small monetary
contribution (sh.50)
 Election of leaders: chairman, secretary, and treasurer. Club
members appoint a parent representative
 Club bank account, separate from school’s bank account.
Alternatives? Treasurer to keep record of income/expenditure

30. The role of head
teachers in the
formation of 4K club
 Facilitate membership
drive to allow patrons to
conduct recruitment
 Delegate roles to elected
leaders of the club
 Sensitize teachers about
the 4k program
 Inform board of
management and parents
The role of teachers in 4K
club projects and
activities
 Mobilize resources for the
club
 Give guidance in
identification of projects and
activities
 Establish network and
linkages
 Attend club meetings
 Ensure transparency and
accountability in clubs
projects and activities
 Ensure sustainability of the
club

31. Involve the community:
 Drum-up support through
BoM meetings
 Open days! Learners can
talk about their garden
 Encourage parents and
teachers to buy from the
children
 Ownership! THE
GARDEN BELONGS TO
US!
 Allow children to take
some produce home
 Harvest day celebration-
involve parents
 Invite local chief and
administrators
Who is the Community?
 Parents and families
 The immediate neighborhood
 School staff- teaching and non-teaching
 Local food industry- caterer, hotels,
markets
 Public service- administration, health,
agriculture, water and environment
 NGOs, charities, churches
 Media

32. Benefits of 4K Clubs to Learners
 Hands-on learning, extension of classroom learning
 Exposure to careers in the food value chain
 Participation in school feeding programs (subsidized
contribution)
 Better food choices- based on a balanced diet
 Transfer of practice to learners’ home gardens
 Improved school attendance, concentration, and participation in
class
 Improved academic performance
 Change of attitudes towards farming and agriculture
 Gains in entrepreneurial, leadership and life skills at an early
age

33. 4K in the Community
 Learners become change agents in their communities
 Strengthening agronomy and horticultural skills in ag-
dependent economies
 Nutrition education, food preparation and conservation
 Learners practice leadership, responsibility and
accountability at an early age. Future leaders of Kenya
 Mentoring: learners are able to make better life choices,
have high self-esteem and become role models to their
peers
 Allow learners to be creative in using locally available
resources to improve the livelihoods of the community

34. MOST IMPORTANTLY
 Make sure that your school gardening
experience is fun, educational and worthwhile
 Anything that becomes a burden will
eventually disappear
 Continually incorporate new ideas and
people into your program
 Avoid “burn-out” by having learners rotate
jobs
 Stay excited!

35. THANK YOU ASANTE
RURAL OUTREACH PROGRAM (ROP)
AFRICA
9 Planets Apartments S#6
Kabarnet Gardens, Nairobi