Rain water harvesting is a key strategy in alleviating water-stress and shortage in arid and semi-arid areas.

The rain water harvesting technology involves harvesting water from roofs and run-off along the roads. This water is directed to water pans made of U.V treated dam liners. From arid areas of Mbeere, Millicent Igoki is a Practising Skills Provider -PSP level 1 and a direct beneficiary of the project. She praises the technology because it has changed her life and of others as well. The water pan has changed as she can now get access to fresh vegetables produced from her farm throughout the year. “I am now sure of eating fresh vegetables, free from chemicals as I only use compost which make in my farm,” Igoki said. This has greatly improved the well-being of her household. “In the past, no one could risk planting horticultural crops due to water stress and drought as the art to harness water was still a dream,” she comments.

I now experience a green farm during the dry period, with varied healthy crops and fruit trees in Kanyweri village in Mbeere North, Embu County.

Her success is attributed to adoption of skills acquired from trainings received from SACDEP Kenya under the Water, Livestock and Garden marketing project (WLG 7) in the area. A seasoned farmer, Millicent is using water stored in a pan to irrigate her garden and orchard for her household needs and for sale. From the farm, Millicent makes an average of Kshs. 2,000 per week which she utilises in meeting her household social and economic needs. These needs are like educating her children and investing in other off-farm activities for an extra income. “Previously, saving was a major challenge as the little I earned from casual labour in other people’ farms were used for food provision, she pointed.” From the farm intensification, she is now able to enhance her saving through BWWs by raising her monthly saving from as low as Kshs.50 to Kshs. 200. This has earned her recognition as a champion for women empowerment. With higher saving in the BWW, Millicent was able to borrow Kshs. 50,000 and managed to start a grocery shop in nearby marketing centre. She now has an extra stream of income and earns Kshs. 8,000 per month as a profit. She is utilizing the money for paying school fee for one of her daughters in a boarding high school. She will be able to concentrate in a boarding school and perform better raising her future prospects.