Geoff, HC CDO, explains some of his East Africa travels and needs we're hoping to address!
Kenya -
After summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with 14 locals, Geoff made his way to Kenya to begin scouting potential partners and opportunities.
Geoff visited with Mavin just west of Mount Kenya at a mission house to visit an existing aquaculture project. The project was no longer operational, but the community is still eager for an opportunity to generate food and income for themselves. There's an additional piece of land adjacent to this facility that is currently growing vegetables and has been offered to us to form a new project on.
Mavin, would be our in-country director in Kenya, he holds a degree in biochemistry and has vast experience in animal husbandry and agriculture.
Geoff also had an opportunity to meet with UNICEF's Chief of Education and discuss the major problems plaguing the youth and what solutions could be implemented to remedy these issues.
Some exemplary fish ponds that were visited to assess the viability of aquaculture here in these Kenyan communities.
The Need: Many community members are educated and capable of running a project, but lack the opportunity. Most youth end up joining gangs and militant groups as their only option for income and stability.
The Solution: A "Without Walls" community program to capitalize on this wealth of eager and educated youth, and an opportunity to offer a redeeming future by offering employment in the agriculture sector.
Rwanda -
TLAfrica is an organization located right on the border of Rwanda and Uganda, and their mission is to empower African leaders by equipping them with knowledge and skills to benefit them and their communities through socio-economically.
TLAfrica and Harvest Craft are cut from the same cloth. Our desires, mission, and goals align very well, and we have been approached by Faustin, TLAfrica's CEO and Founder, to develop sustainability projects on their main campus.
Geoff and Faustin had a chance to meet in Nairobi and share how we could collaborate on a project in the coming years. Funding is our greatest limiting resource at the moment. The personnel and land is currently available for us to enact upon.
Faustin is now in the process of developing a university and desires for an agricultural major program to be developed there. Harvest Craft projects can not only benefit the communities, but could go towards training up the next generation through higher educational training.
Meetings were held at the University of Nairobi to assess potential partnerships with some of their ag. students.
Geoff and Mavin, one of HC's community partners in Kenya.
Geoff with Faustin and another TLAfrica Representative.
Faustin pointing to his acres of productive land waiting for development!
His land has natural streams and rivers flowing through it making it a perfect location for agriculture and potential aquaculture projects.
The Need: For empowered local leaders to rise up and lead their communities to strengthened and sustainable futures.
The Solution: Developing programs, projects, and curriculum at both of the TLAfrica sites (training center and university) to empower the locals and equip them with the knowledge and skills to combat unemployment and food insecurity.
Uganda -
Craig, HC's COO, will be venturing down to Uganda in late February 2017 to assess 46 acres at Beyond Uganda's property. Beyond Uganda "is dedicated to see communities develop through empowering women, educating children, and restoring families," sounds like us too? Well, that's exactly why we are going to start partnering with them.
They have an immense amount of land currently with rice fields on it, along with 4 natural fish ponds. The opportunity for integrated rice-fish-duck systems here is huge! Along with additional agricultural projects with fruit trees and livestock. However, we'll know more once Craig returns from this scout trip! We are very excited to begin working with Beyond Uganda. These sustainability programs will help create self-sufficiency for the organization itself, while promoting empowerment for women and children in the area.
The Need: For women and children to know they are not marginalized and can play an active role in finding both opportunity and success in their futures, no matter what their past may have been or dictated.
The Solution: Helping educate ambitious women and youth about sustainable agriculture and agroecology. Furthermore, we'd like to tangibly aid them by creating opportunities for employment through agro-development programs and lead them to an empowered future.