Kibera's Green Revolution
Rarely do I read any thing about Kibera, as encouraging and elating as this article from The Standard. Here are some excerpts:
Photo: Hopebuilding
- Having a kitchen garden in the city is a preserve of residents in leafy suburbs. But what previously could only be a fantasy for slum dwellers has become a reality for Ms Mariam Abdala, a Kibera resident.
- This is how it works: Seedlings are planted on the sides of earth-filled sacks that are placed besides doorsteps, on verandas or even rooftops. One bag can support up to 30 seedlings.
- Many families in Kibera have adopted this mode of farming, perhaps setting precedent for a green revolution in Africa. The ‘hanging gardens’ of Kibera account for several acres of land. Residents refer to them as gunia gardens. And just like Israel’s agricultural magic, residents are zealously turning the slum green.
- At a time when food prices have soared, many residents in the largest slums in Africa can harvest vegetables at their doorsteps. Even schools have picked up the idea.
Photo: Hopebuilding