NJAA MARUFUKU INITIATIVES

NJAA MARUFUKU INITIATIVES

By John njue

The Njaa marufuku Kenya initiatives, which seeks to eradicate hunger, is one of the programmes the government of Kenya launched to help achieves the millennium development goal. World leader at the United nation millennium summit of the September 2000 adopted goals where they set clear target for reducing poverty, hunger and disease.

Each and every morning the ministry of Agriculture and ministry of Youth and sport Kyuso is usually flocked by community residents and organized registered groups to collect the Njaa marufuku application form. The groups with target to reduce hunger, poverty, and diseases have the better position to benefiting from the initiative. After filling the form is attached with other documents deemed necessary for example registration certificates. The form is then returned to the ministry for processing. The group that succeeds gets the money (Grants) in their bank account and they are free to implements their objective of requesting for it.

One of the succeeded group in Kyuso is Kyuso fruits growers, who had requested the money to buy a juice processing machine. The group aims at growing, processing and selling the fruits and juices locally.

The locally produced fruits and juice is expected to be cheaper in cost because there would be no transport cost incurred. The group qualified for the grant because their idea would help reduce hunger and food insecurity in the area.

The group is growing fruits such as Paw Paw, Passion fruits, Pineapple, Mango and Water melons

Speaking to the secretary of the group Mr. Ali Mulei, he said that the competition is expected to be very stiff but hoped to overcome these. He added that their juices will be chemical free and there fore should not have any human health negative implication, and hence on of the weapon to fight their competitors.

Chemicals used in preserving some of the food we use might have negative repercussions since some are Acids and amino acids.

The goals of Njaa Marufuku were also intended to reduce illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women.

Signatory of millennium declaration, Kenya being one, are supposed to set goals for 2015

The government through the ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with development partners launched Njaa marufuku programme in 2005.

Its major objectives is to reduce poverty and food insecurity. The programme has full-fledged national secretariat at Maendeleo House in Nairobi with a coordinator, Mrs. Philomen Chege at its helm.

Mrs.chege says the programme has branched out to several parts of the country .A help has been set up in every district, Kyuso district and other new gazetted districts inclusive. The scheme targets extremely poor and vulnerable people who live on less than a dollar a day.

“We have identified registered groups, which we give grants to develop their projects as the main idea is to improve the live hoods” Mrs.chege says. They also offer training to the groups after identifying their needs.

The groups are not only Agriculture-oriented .There are computers, bakery, and child-feeding –projects, but agriculture-oriented projects are still the majority since Kenya is 70% agricultural country.

Since the project started Mrs. Chege says they have released a total of Kshs 272.7 million to 254 groups .This country code equivalent groups were given grants according to their needs through Njaa marufuku initiatives but the Government of Kenya provides the money

Then registered groups are encouraged to come up and apply for the grants since the money can help uplift the group and living standards of the members. The grants are not restricted to specific location, region or groups but the activities of the group should be development oriented.

The success of the group will be determined by the efforts put by the members to improving their group.

Key

Njaa-Hunger

Marufuku-Eradication

Contacts

-Nation media reporter-