Three informal settlements in the city of Kisumu (Kenya) are compared in terms of water provision and livelihood. In two of the areas (Wandiege and Katuoro), a major water intervention has taken... Show moreThree informal settlements in the city of Kisumu (Kenya) are compared in terms of water provision and livelihood. In two of the areas (Wandiege and Katuoro), a major water intervention has taken place, whereby in the one (Wandiege) the community has taken things completely in their own hands (culminating in their own, officially registered water company), while in the other (Katuoro) the community and KIWASCO (Kisumu's major water provider) have joined hands (the delegated management model). In the third area (Bandani) nothing of the sort has happened. Survey results show that, despite all kinds of challenges and problems, the interventions in Wandiege and Katuoro did have a substantial positive impact on several livelihood aspects of the households - measured as well as perceived by the respondents - leading to the conclusion that both types of interventions deserve to be replicated elsewhere. Show less
Most research on urban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa has concentrated on farming by individual urban households, while farming by urban institutions has been largely overlooked. Probably the... Show moreMost research on urban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa has concentrated on farming by individual urban households, while farming by urban institutions has been largely overlooked. Probably the most prevalent and important type of institutional urban agriculture is school farming, the focus of this paper. The authors examine school farming and school feeding in Nakuru town in Kenya on the basis of a survey among primary and secondary schools carried out in June 2006. A largely structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on school characteristics, school farming activities, and school feeding practices. Moreover, anthropometric data were gathered for all class 1 primary school pupils. The study shows that school farming is very common in Nakuru town. Almost all primary and secondary schools are engaged in flower gardening and tree growing, over half of the schools practise crop cultivation and a number of schools keep some livestock. The majority of crop-cultivating schools also have a school feeding programme. Two 'success stories' demonstrate that schools in Nakuru can reach a high degree of self-sufficiency for their feeding programmes. Factors contributing to this success are the availability of land and water, and external support for school farming. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
In Nakuru town (northwest of Nairobi, Kenya), two out of five households were living in conditions of absolute poverty in 1997. Farming in town is one of the ways people employ to cope with this... Show moreIn Nakuru town (northwest of Nairobi, Kenya), two out of five households were living in conditions of absolute poverty in 1997. Farming in town is one of the ways people employ to cope with this problem. Based on a survey held in 1999 among almost 600 households, it is estimated that about 30 percent of the Nakuru population is engaged in crop cultivation in town. Following a general discussion of crop cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa and more particularly Kenya, this paper answers the following questions: what crops are cultivated in Nakuru town and on what types of plots? Who cultivates? What types of inputs are used and on which plots? Do different people use different inputs? What yields are being realized? Do harvests vary with types of plots, with household characteristics and with types of inputs? Why do people cultivate crops? What problems do they face? Who benefits and in what ways? How can crop cultivation in town be improved? What role does the municipality play? [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
Multispatial livelihoods refer to households with a livelihood foothold in both urban and rural areas. Although it is well-known that multispatial households are common in sub-Saharan Africa, the... Show moreMultispatial livelihoods refer to households with a livelihood foothold in both urban and rural areas. Although it is well-known that multispatial households are common in sub-Saharan Africa, the phenomenon has seldom been looked at from the urban household perspective. A review of the literature indicates that rural food and/or income sources are important for urban dwellers. This chapter presents data from a survey on urban farming carried out in Nakuru town, Kenya, in 1999-2000. These data concern size and location of rural plots, ownership and use of rural plots, their importance in qualitative terms, and differences between urban households having access to rural land ('rural farmers') and those who do not ('non-farmers'). The survey shows that over 60 percent of Nakuru households can be considered as having a multispatial livelihood. Although one-adult households and low-income households are relatively underrepresented in the survey, multispatial livelihoods may be particularly important for the latter group's food security situation. However, the results also indicate that rural farming by urban dwellers should be seen mainly in terms of 'opportunity' and not, like urban farming, in terms of 'necessity'. Includes bibliographical references, notes, and summary. Show less
The present report contains the result of a general survey, carried out in June-July 1999, on farming practices performed by the inhabitants of Nakuru town, Kenya. The two major objectives of the... Show moreThe present report contains the result of a general survey, carried out in June-July 1999, on farming practices performed by the inhabitants of Nakuru town, Kenya. The two major objectives of the survey were: 1) to collect basic data on farming by the Nakuru townspeople and 2) to provide the municipal authorties of Nakuru with information on urban agriculture. The survey provided data on such topics as the extent of farming in Nakuru town in terms of both geographical distribution and numbers of households, the types of farming in town, the amounts of food produced, the types of inputs used, the constraints which farming in town faces, the characteristics of the urban farming households as opposed to the non-farming households, the reasons to farm in town and the importance attached to it, and the extent of rural farming by Nakuru town dwellers. Show less
