Excellent! - excellentdevelopment.com

Josephine Kioo from Makuta-Mwea self-help group in Kenya, tells us about how life has changed on her farm since working with the support of Excellent Development.

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"When I got this land nothing would grow. I decided to restore the vegetation cover that was lacking on the farm so as to be able to prevent soil erosion.

With the terraces I wanted to be able to hold water and prevent soil erosion. I did not know how well to dig terraces and the terraces that I dug did not hold enough water. But after I received training on terrace digging through Excellent Development Kenya I have been able to dig terraces that are able to hold more water.

My crop yields have tremendously improved and with even little rains I’m able to harvest something from the farm.

For example, this season the rains did not rain well but some cotton that I have planted in the terraced farm has been able to withstand the drought and I am assured of at least harvesting around 10 kilograms of cotton which I will sell for income.

On the terraces embankment I have planted grass that I feed to my cattle. I rear my cattle using the zero-grazing method. Fodder for animals is scarce in the area but at the terraces I have planted enough grass to feed my cattle till the next rainy season.

On the farm I plant sweet potatoes, dolichos lab lab, cow peas and maize.

I have planted over 160 trees on my farm and they include Grevillia robusta, Melia volkensii, Eucalyptus and Mangoes. The trees provide me with shade, and also from the trees I hope to get timber for construction and to sell. Also the trees provide me with fruits for my family and the surplus I sell for income generation. Most of my farming is to generate income.

Since I joined the group my life has been positively transformed. I have been taught on the best farming practices that I can deploy on my farm and be able to get maximum benefits. I have also acquired knowledge and skills on how to conserve water and prevent soil erosion. Things that I took for granted such as the planting of trees now are the daily way of my life."