CURRENT PROGRAMS AT SACRED AFRICA

Participatory Adaptive Research

Moi University Vice Chancellor Prof. David K. Some (left) visit the SACRED Africa maize variety trial site. Research involves work in Sustainable Soil Fertility Management using several candidate technologies. The technologies used include relay fallows, improved fallows, fortified compost, value added rock phosphate, MBILI MBILI and FURP. The latter two technologies utilize nitrogen fixation legumes and staggered intercropping to improve productivity and reduce pests and diseases. Market research is also undertaken to improve the marketing of maize and other staple food crops.

Interest for SACRED Africa to initiate similar research work has been received from Eastern Uganda, Rwanda and more recently from Malawi. Research has also been done in the area of Striga weed management with support from the African Technology Foundation (ATF). New seed varieties of maize, beans, soya and rice have been introduced to farmers on a trial basis through the Seed Variety Testing Project (SVTP).

Capacity Building through Training and Exposure

The approach to capacity building through training and exposure is mainly demand-driven. It is premised upon and informed by participatory assessment of farmers’ needs and capacities. It combines the farmers’ development forums, training seminars and learning workshops on a wide range of participatory community development aspects. Training is also undertaken on sustainable agriculture, home-based processing and marketing, group organization and management as well as supporting and encouraging farmer-to-farmer extension. Over the years SACRED Africa has trained over 10,000 farmers, development practitioners and researchers from East and Southern Africa on the following crucial areas.

• Participatory Community Development
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Organic Agriculture
• Home-based processing and marketing
• Group management organization

Community Improvement Projects

Farmers admire uplands rain-fed rice (NERICA rice) growing in western Kenya. The rice was introduced by SACRED Africa with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation and JICA.SACRED Africa works with groups of farmers in various community improvement projects. These mainly include, but are not limited to, women groups involved in market gardening and organic farming. Other participants in these projects are youth groups and other farmers who are interested in improving the marketing of their agricultural produce. In the last four years, Sacred Africa has produced over 45 publications on diverse areas and topical issues including the ones shown below.

• Rural Development
• Organic Agriculture
• Natural Pest and Disease Management
• Managing Beneficial Interactions for legume Intercrops
• Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Feeding the Poor with Biotechnology
• Teaming Up to Conserve Biodiversity

Documentation and Dissemination

SACRED Africa meticulously documents and effectively disseminates the field-based experiences through the publication of extension manuals, a quarterly newsletter, known as the Sacred News. The management and senior staff of the organization has been exemplary in contributing scientific papers to reputable journals for publication, especially the Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences and the Research and Extension Newsletter.

For more details contact the Director, SACRED Africa at sacred@africaonline.co.ke (c) 2009 SACRED Africa