Children of Bukati PHOTO GALLERY - 2009 Sustainability - Land for Food

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One of the Bukati-Project Goals is Sustainability: Develop school projects that will generate income to enable the community to support their children without outside assistance. The project started about February 2007. We expect the school to be fully sustainable by February 2013. Having land available to grow their own food is one of the most essential aspects of long-term sustainability. History of Land Use In 2008, money from the general Children of Bukati (COB) account was used to rent 5 acres of land for a 6 year time period. That land is being used to grow food for the children and fodder for the cattle. Click here for photos. It is because of that rented land that we were able to feed the kindergarten, grade 1 and 2 children 5 days a week this past year. That pilot program worked so well that 3 groups in Canada raised money to enable the School to buy some land, and not have to always rent it. 2009 Land Purchase Norval United Church raised $20,000. We used their money and some from two other people to purchase 11 acres of land this summer. The following are the steps to sustainability that the Children of Bukati project are following: We rented land before we could afford to buy it. As our purchased land is being developed, we still have the rented land to keep us going. The families of Norah and Laura raised the money for the first 2 acres of land. The congregation from Norval United Church raised the rest of the money to buy a total of 11 acres: 2.5 next to the school property and 8.5 acres 300 meters down the road from the school. We will hire Michael Nickels who is a world expert in permaculture and has many projects in Kenya and other African countries. He will travel to Kenya in November 2009 to work with the community of Butula and the school children to develop the land so that the land will provide food for the children, fodder for the animals and a source of income for the school for long term sustainability. Permaculture is a design system that focuses on food production, land use and community design creating sustainable human habitats by integrating ecology, landscape, organic gardening, architecture, agroforestry, green economics and social systems. The intent is to help COB become self-sufficient, by providing the land, so that they can grow their own food. The photos on this page show the recent (2009) land purchases.
Above: Dr. Cate Dewey receives a cheque for $20,000 from Rev. Paul Ivany of Norval United Church, in 2009..
Above: 2009 land purchase - 2.5 acres next to school. Notice the children behind the trees.
Above: 2.5 acres next to school, growing maize (corn). The school children planted maize and beans on the property in September.
Above: 8.5 acres bought in 2009 near the school near the school will be a permaculture educational opportunity.
Above: 8.5 acres near the school, currently growing sugar cane. This will be transformed through the permaculture work to provide a source of food, fodder and income for the school to sustain the project.
RECENT HISTORY: Above: In 2008, the school rented 5 acres of land for a 6 year period. The corn growing here was harvested in July 2008 to supplement the lunch program. Because of these 5 acres of maize being grown by the school, the children in kindergarten, grades 1 and 2 were able to be fed 5 days a week as of September 2008.

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