Will you give a cluck this Christmas?
Donations to our Christmas Appeal will be DOUBLED by the Big Give!
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Give to Grow
In May you helped us to support 170 families! These families are now thriving and reaping the benefits of drought resistant crops! However, many more families still need your support and we are keeping this page open to collect further donations to help the community in Bwayi with sustainable planting. Can you help us to reach 250?
The Problem...
Facing the community in Bwayi
Climate change and drought have left the community in Bwayi with five failed rainy seasons. Families already living in poverty depend on large farms for an income, but they cannot get work until the rains arrive.
Without an income, these families can’t plant their own crops to eat or sell, trapping them in a cycle of food insecurity and poverty.
Not only can families not afford food, but they also can't afford other basic necessities like medicines and children are having to leave school, denying them their right to an education.
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The Solution...
Planting Drought Resistant Crops
The ancient proverb, 'give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will be fed for life', has never applied more strongly to COCO's approach of sustainably ending the cycle of poverty...
By continuing to work with the community in Bwayi and our partner Niaver CBO, we hope to provide 250 families with drought resistant crop seeds and the tools and skills to use them. This will provide families with a sustainable source of food and income that has the potential to last a lifetime.
Donate now or find out more...
What support does each family receive?
It only costs £22.50 to support a family
Each family will receive the tools and skills necessary to be able to grow their own crops to feed their family and sell excess crops for an income.
Drought resistant crop seeds include produce such as sweet potato and cassava. These have a high yield and high tolerance to pests, whilst requiring a low input of water and labour.
A spade and a hoe will be given to help work the land efficiently.
Recipients will receive training on how to cultivate crops using sustainable techniques. Families will learn skills like double digging beds to retain water in the soil and how to make their own organic fertiliser.
Sustainable planting = Lifelong feeding
Sustainability is at the heart of what we do! This is a long term sustainable solution that works with the whole community to alleviate food insecurity and increase the numbers of children attending school.
Once a family receives support, they will have the skills and resources needed to grow their first crops.
These can be harvested and eaten by the family providing a vital source of energy and nutrients. Crops can also be sold at local markets for an income, helping to pay for things like school uniforms.
Seeds are collected from the crops using skills and learning that families gain from the initial training.
The crops can be replanted and harvested 3 months later.
This has the potential to feed a family, forever!
Long Term Community Impact
This appeal is part of an ongoing partnership with the community in Bwayi through Niaver CBO.
Thanks to your support 548 individuals have already received Sustainable Agriculture Training in Kenya!
This appeal will not only continue to support the community in the current drought, it will also support them into the future.
It will reduce the dependence on exploitative farm contracts, as families will be able to sell some of the produce they grow themselves.
It will increase food security for families in the long term, with training on how to store seeds for the future.
It will increase enrolment in education for children as parents will have a sustainable source of income.
It will reduce the community's vulnerability to drought and climate change.
How do we know this works?
In response to the growing threat of starvation for the community in Bwayi, at the start of 2023 COCO provided 200 families with emergency food aid and community planting.
The average income before support was 82 KES per week (around 48p). Such a low income was not enough for one person to adequately live off, let alone a whole family.
Just three months after support, the average income is 1,996 KES per week (around £11.50)! Families now have a reliable source of food and income, and can pay for medical expenses and an education for their children.
Before this support, families had an average of 4.6 children not in school. Now, one harvest later, every single child is in school!
Don't forget to Gift Aid it
No matter how you donate, if you are a UK tax payer we can claim an extra 25% on your donation at no additional cost to you!
Many online giving platforms allow you to automatically add Gift Aid to your donation, so make sure you tick the box as you are filling in your details.
If you are donating via another method (such as cash, cheque, bank transfer or direct debit), please click here to fill in a Gift Aid Declaration so we can claim this 25% bonus on your behalf and make your donation go further.
Contact rosie@coco.org.uk if you have any further Gift Aid questions.
