By Anderson Ojwang
A group of women in a remote village in Bondo District are the envy of their neighbours because of high yields from their farms.
The Bar Chando women’s group produces cost-effective organic pesticides and manure to boost crop yields.
After years of dwindling harvests occasioned by soil erosion and rampant poverty, the women pulled their resources together to develop economically viable projects, says Ms Miriam Oginga, a member.
They Anglican Church’s Inter Diocesan Christian Community Services (IDCCS) trained them on how to make indigenous pesticides from the locally available materials.
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They make the pesticide from ochok (sodium apple), odagwa (Castor), anyach (African marigold), pilipili (hot pepper), aila (stinging knittle), soap and a pint of paraffin.
The materials are pounded using pestle on mortar into mixture absorbable in water then soap and a pint of paraffin is added for jellying.
Pests
Mrs Grace Ongaro, another member, says the pesticides control pests that previously destroyed their farms.
IDCCS provided start-up capital for the project.
The women most credit the manure for the increased yields.
The compost manure is produced from cow dung, maize husks and ash that were previously discarded.
The group uses human and livestock urine for top dressing of the soil. The urine is incubated for 10 days then diluted with water before its sprinkled on the roots of the vegetables. "We supply a lot of the vegetables consumed Bondo town and it’s environ, says Mr Elijah Ojudi, a member.
IDCCS team leader Sam Omondi says the organisation is concerned with poverty alleviation and food security in Nyanza province. "The pesticide has become popular. We tested it in the laboratory and did not find any side effects," he says.
The organisation has embarked on educating farmers across the province on how to make and use the pesticides and manure.
The program incorporates dairy farming to improve their income.
Oginga can now pay fees for her grand children in secondary schools and colleges. "We supply the schools with vegetables and tables and the payment is used to cater for the requirements of our children," she says.
"IDCCS continuously educates us on various issues on how to improve our lives," she says.
