04/07/2024
SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION
The planning, the phone calls and weeks of straightening things finally panned out when we visited a number of kitchen gardens in the slum areas of Nairobi; namely Mathare and Korogocho.
Komb Green Farms have done an amazing job in rehabilitating part of the Nairobi River. The fact that they use pumice for their plants instead of soil or any other media is thoughtful. We hear a lot of talk on and on LinkedIn posts but it's all . The real deal make moves in silence, and they're mostly small farms making an overall impact to the environment.
Nairobi is in dire need of food to feed its population, especially with the biting problems of economic hardships and climate change. In their small yet significant way, komb green managges to reduce environmental waste by using it as fuel in their kitchens. This is part of the Nairobi River Regeneration Network initiative.
Additionally, they give back to the community by doing a lunch-feeding exercise for school-going children every Saturday. Touring with them and hearing of how they plan on multiplying employment for slum dwellers around the park is admirable, to say the least.
This is one of the many ways Kenya can reduce hunger for many homesteads. Building value chains of hiring cultural dancers, painters, basket-weavers, cleaners, gardeners and aquaculture handlers is critical for launching in Kenya. After all, who will do it if not for us? Who else will get creative and re-habilitate the otherwise dumpsite with potential?
The youth are an untapped force in this market, more than capable of bringing significant changes in the tourism sector. So long as they change their pessimism about farming and employment that comes from managing their businesses, will be old news.
