Our goal is to improve the well-being and livelihoods of 1,300 women who are members of 40 self-help groups in 60 remote rural villages. These women face significant challenges in accessing basic necessities such as clean water, adequate sanitation facilities, and fertile land for farming. By addressing these challenges, we hope to empower these women to build a more sustainable future for themselves and their families. In addition to the primary beneficiaries, the project benefits the local communities by generating valuable knowledge and expertise in sustainable development practices.

Mifuko Trust implements WASH and Grow! together with Mifuko Women Development CBO, a community-based organization founded by women's groups. The work is supported by a Fair Trade design company Mifuko Ltd. The project involves NGOs and companies from both Kenya and Finland, which brings different perspectives and experiences to the table. Through collaborations with experts, we aim to implement innovative solutions that can be scaled up to improve the livelihoods of the entire region. Read more about our partners and private-sector supporters!

Unfortunately, extreme hunger and malnutrition remain a huge barrier to development in many countries. There are 821 million people estimated to be chronically undernourished as of 2017, often as a direct consequence of environmental degradation, drought, and biodiversity loss. Over 90 million children under five years old are dangerously underweight. Undernourishment and severe food insecurity appear to be increasing in almost all regions of Africa.

To combat this challenge the project trains 40 agroforestry ambassadors who serve as exemplars of sustainable farming practices to support climate resilience efforts. These ambassadors participate in yearly study visits to existing agroforestry and regenerative farming projects in Makueni county. They commit to coaching their community members on agroforestry techniques and monitoring their progress.

As part of the project, all 1300 women grow and care for 5-15 trees or plants in their plots. This initiative intends to improve food crop production, and soil fertility, and provide shade. The agroforestry ambassadors support the activity with their coaching efforts.