Work

 

Mr. Baya is both a farmer and an area coordinator for IPD. His major job responsibility is to mobilize farmers to form groups so that they have one strong voice throughout the region and they can share information. They are mostly small scale subsistence farmers, raising both livestock and crops, using traditional farming methods. Though the people in the Malindi community are friendly, hardworking and can adapt to severe rainy and drought seasons, there are many problems. Illiteracy, lack of knowledge and poor infrastructure contribute to the poverty. Lack of markets and inability to preserve food create the need for food donations each year. “I use my life as a farmer to set an example for my community to follow. After school, I left the farm thinking life would be better in the city. It was hard to support my family so I returned to my roots remembering my father said there is no higher paying job than farming.” Mr. Baya joined hands with his wife and family and started a farm that produced enough food to support their family for the whole year.

In his work Mr. Baya targets women, youth and the poor and marginalized people. “The most hard-working people are women; on the farm and in the community. Despite all of their involvement and hard work, they feel inferior and hence they don’t want to show themselves in leadership. The youth are strong, ambitious and have some education, but they are rushing to the cities to look for jobs which are very rare. I want the youth to know that farming is not a poor man’s occupation; that with their education and resourcefulness they can make farming and the community a success. Our poor feel neglected and live in fear. I want to give them hope and teach them how to work. Reaching these groups will help all the community. The problem with food and the dependence syndrome will be no more in my community.”

Sending Organization

 

The Institute of Participatory Development (IPD) is a non political, non religious and non government registered Human Development Organization which is situated in the Kilifi district of Kenya. Its areas of interest are Education, Health, Water hygiene and sanitation, Environment, Agriculture and Livestock. The method they take is based on the idea that human beings cannot “be developed” but can only develop themselves. Communities are encouraged to analyze their own situations and then initiate, plan and evaluate on their own projects.