The hanging gardens of Kibera

By Erick Wamanji

Having a kitchen garden in the city is a preserve of residents in leafy suburbs. But what previously could only be a fantasy for slum dwellers has become a reality for Ms Mariam Abdala, a Kibera resident.

Every morning, Abdala tends her lush vegetable garden.

One of Kibera’s artificial gardens.

But then one would wonder: Would a garden survive in shanties, where no river flows and piped water is a dream?

Abdala’a is not your typical garden characterised by neat rows of plants: it is a sack full of red soil with plants jutting out from the sides.

This is how it works: Seedlings are planted on the sides of earth-filled sacks that are placed besides doorsteps, on verandas or even rooftops. One bag can support up to 30 seedlings.

"This garden is our livelihood. It’s godsend," she declares.

"I’m happy I no longer buy vegetables but sell them instead. I save about Sh2,000 and my family is also on a healthy diet," she adds.

Green revolution

Many families in Kibera have adopted this mode of farming, perhaps setting precedent for a green revolution in Africa.

The ‘hanging gardens’ of Kibera account for several acres of land. Residents refer to them as gunia gardens.

And just like Israel’s agricultural magic, residents are zealously turning the slum green.

"I have seven garden sacks of sukumawiki," says Ms Jane Nekesa, a mother of four. "I want to add three. That way, my family will be comfortable," she says.

"It’s easier to manage crops grown this way," explains Mr Vincent Ondora of Solidarite, a French organisation spearheading the project.

At a time when food prices have soared, many residents in the largest slums in Africa can harvest vegetables at their doorsteps. Even schools have picked up the idea.

"It shows that with a little awareness, a society can be self-reliant," says Solidarites Country Director Emanuel Rinck.

Rinck adds: "The idea was conceived after the post-election violence. Then, we were distributing food to residents but reports from the field indicated an alarming food crisis. It’s then that we developed the idea to supplement rations."

When The Standard on Saturday visited Kibera, we found Ondora explaining to a group of women the hanging gardens concept.

demonstration sites

Mariam Abdala (left) and Collins Odhiambo in their ‘farms’.[PHOTOS: ERICK WAMANJI/STANDARD]

"To deal with pests, you only need pepper mixed with garlic. Pound and then sprinkle the mixture on the leaves. You can also mix salt and ash..." he explained.

Solidarites has developed demonstration sites where residents are trained on the concept. They are also given free seedlings. These sites are strategically located in Kichinjio, Soweto and Kisumu Ndogo villages.

"All these years, we have not done any farming. We were not even imagining that crops could thrive here. It’s something new, but we’re catching up," says Ms Amina Hassan of Makongeni village.

But some fear the project may collapse: "If they (Government) build high rise houses, where are we going to put our gardens?" poses Ms Fatuma Musa.

Ms Kyulu Ndulove is a new recruit. "I must do farming to feed my family," she says.

All one needs to get free seedlings is provide a voting card for proof of residency.

The project managers also encourage residents to practise organic farming.

"We discourage the use of artificial compounds to make it cheap and safe," says Solidarites Senior Food Security Supervisor Sam Warari.

And now some are thinking business. "I’ll dry the kale and take it to Sudan. I’m told there is scarcity of green vegetables there…" says Mr Omar Abdala.

The project is transforming Kibera’s outlook too. For instance, opposite the District Officer’s office is a long stretch of land that used to overflow with grime. Now, sacks of vegetable gardens have taken over.

Labour for Kibera, a community-based organisation, owns these gardens.

"For now, we don’t sell the vegetables; we share among ourselves for domestic use. We intend to sell and generate cash for the group," explains Mr Hamis Juma, the group’s chairman.

"But our biggest problem is water scarcity. Without rain, we rely on irrigation, which is costly because we buy the water. We hope to get piped water for the project one day," adds Juma.

The initial investment is about Sh20 for a sack and Sh50 for red soil.

Farming experience

"Another challenge is that many don’t have farming experience. Some even don’t know how to pick the leaves and end up damaging the plant. Still, others can’t really tell whether the crop is infested with pests or disease," says Ondora.

That is not all. Some have to contend with landlords who don’t like artificial gardens in their compounds.

But Rinck says Solidarites has been reaching out to the landlords to explain to them the gardens are harmless.

 

 

Read all about: garden vegetable Solidarites

 

 

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