Climatelinks Photo Gallery

Improving learning outcomes in early literacy Improving literacy levels requires early intervention and early grade reading in particular is a powerful tool to achieve later educational success. "These pupils are still new - about two month's old in primary school. In a class of 55, more than half have mastered spellings, sounds, reading and writing in such a short period. Tusome is good. The pictures incorporated in the books are a great idea to retain pupil attention and words/pictures recognition," said Mwanamisi Ngare, a standard 1 class teacher at Mvindeni Primary School in Kwale County.

The Sustainable Water Partnership (SWP) is USAID’s flagship water program along the Mara River, Kenya. SWP educates communities on water risk and conservation, while the communities provide invaluable local perspective. It’s not just the atmosphere of transboundary cooperation that sets SWP’s work apart. It’s also the sense of ownership Mumbo and his team are cultivating in the people of the Mara, from community members to government officials to private sector representatives. View of the Mara River Basin from above.

Women and children are most burdened by conflicts arising from scarcity of water resources. By protecting Alakara Shallow Well in Isiolo County, USAID ensured availability of water for communities and their livestock thereby reducing conflict and enhancing peaceful co-existence among communities living in Isiolo County.

Development of the new Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement near Kakuma Camp in Turkana County An aerial view of a section of Kakuma Refugee Camp. Kenya is home to 500,000 refugees, the majority fleeing conflict in Somalia and South Sudan. Kenya hosts the second largest refugee population in Africa, after Ethiopia. In Kenya, refugees live in two camps—Kakuma and Dadaab—with restricted movement and are not allowed to work outside the camps. Dadaab and Kakuma are located in the remote, arid regions of northern Kenya. USAID, through the Office of Food for Peace (FFP) provides in-kind food assistance to the World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for distribution in the camps. Refugees receive a general food ration, which consists of cereals, pulses, vegetable oil, salt and a nutrient-enriched flour. Rations are distributed by World Vision, WFP’s food distribution partner. Almost all refugees rely solely on WFP’s food for survival. In FY 16, FFP contributed $30.5 million to WFP and UNICEF ($1.5 million) for in-kind food and nutrition assistance to the refugee program. Due to the congestion of the Kakuma refugee camp, an additional camp known as the Kalobeyei Integrated Refugee Settlement, was being developed approximately 25km north of Kakuma. The plan for Kalobeyei was that it was not to be another refugee camp, but a settlement that was to encourage integration between the refugees and host communities for the mutual economic benefit of both groups.

Power Africa: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Technologies Peter Mutai, 42, in Lugari, Kakamega County was among the first members of Lugari Boda SACCO to apply for a loan to buy a 4A solar lantern. "The 4A has 4 bulbs and costs 8500 shillings (USD 84) and is enough for my three-roomed house. One bulb is placed outside to provide lighting at night and for security purposes," Mutai said. More than 95 percent of Lugari SACCO members are not connected to the electricity grid. Off-grid energy solutions empowers the members to improve their lives and conserve the environment. Boma Safi won $100,000 from USADF's Off-grid Energy Challenge to increase the distribution of its solar lanterns and efficient cook stove products to rural populations in Kenya. As part of Power Africa, the Off-Grid Challenge is helping ensure responsible, transparent and effective management of energy resources in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ibinda primary school pupils in Kakamega County draw clean water from a well. Clean water enhances hygiene among school children while also keeping them in school.

Virunga Power is building a hydro plant to power this valley of Kenyan farmers MUNTUNGRU COMMUNITY, MERU COUNTY, KENYA: May 31, 2015 - Virunga Power is expanding a micro-hydro power plant (26Kw) on the Mutonga River to a larger grid-tied hydro plant (7.8 Mw) for the Muntungru Community. The region sits at the edge of Mt. Kenya national forest. The population mostly consists of smallholder farmers growing tea, coffee, and vegetables. Most of the inhabitants have no connection to power. The initial structure was built by UNIDO after the community of 1,200 applied for and won a grant. Virunga Power will spend the next two years expanding the project and connecting the community of 3 - 5,000 people to the micro grid by mid 2017. The goal is to provide enough to energy to not only cover lights and the ability to power cell phones, but also to power businesses and farms.

Credit: USAID Kenya and East Africa

Credit East Africa Trade and Investment Hub Nairobi Business Commercial District, seen from Kenyatta International Conference Center.

Virunga Power is building a hydro plant to power this valley of Kenyan farmers MUNTUNGRU COMMUNITY, MERU COUNTY, KENYA: May 31, 2015 - Virunga Power is expanding a micro-hydro power plant (26Kw) on the Mutonga River to a larger grid-tied hydro plant (7.8 Mw) for the Muntungru Community. The region sits at the edge of Mt. Kenya national forest. The population mostly consists of smallholder farmers growing tea, coffee, and vegetables. Most of the inhabitants have no connection to power. The initial structure was built by UNIDO after the community of 1,200 applied for and won a grant. Virunga Power will spend the next two years expanding the project and connecting the community of 3 - 5,000 people to the micro grid by mid 2017. The goal is to provide enough to energy to not only cover lights and the ability to power cell phones, but also to power businesses and farms.

In the arid regions of northern Kenya, groundwater boreholes are providing increased climate resilience and water security. In this picture, farmers use drip irrigation to create agriculture in the desert.

In the arid regions of northern Kenya, groundwater boreholes are providing increased climate resilience and water security. In this picture, local communities access water from solar powered borehole systems funded by USAID.

Aerial tree seeding using biochar seedballs during anti-poaching patrols near the Maasai Mara Kenya. Sept. 2018

We have been working with Mara Elephant Program to piggy back tree seed distribution onto their existing work plans to help rehabilitate areas devastated by illegal logging and charcoal burning.

Working with USAID PREPARED Project Kenya.

Cookswell Jikos Ltd.

Aerial tree seeding proof of concept for forest restoration on scale in Mau Narok forest.

Loading the tree seeds into the Air Tractor.

Planting millions of trees as fast as possible and as in a most cost effective way is critical to protecting East Africa against climate change shocks.

KEFRI, County Council of Narok, KFS and Seedballs Kenya. Aircraft, fuel and pilots time kindly donated by Farmland Aviation

To assist the Kenya Water Tower Climate Change Resilience Program.

Nov. 2018

Kenya

Aerial tree seeding proof of concept for forest restoration on scale in Mau Narok forest. Loading the seeds into the hopper.

To assist the Kenya Water Tower Climate Change Resilience Program.

Planting millions of trees as fast as possible and as in a most cost effective way is critical to protecting East Africa against climate change shocks.

KEFRI, County Council of Narok, KFS and Seedballs Kenya. Aircraft, fuel and pilots time kindly donated by Farmland Aviation

Kajiado, Kenya Aug 2018

Many thanks to Mrs. Gai Cullen from The Permaculture Research Institute of Kenya for flying and providing the research area and many thanks as well to Ms. Natalie Topa for organizing the tree (acacia xanthopholea) and grass (enteropogon macrostachyus and cenchrus ciliaris) biochar seedballs for this test in Athi River.

To test a few various ways of dropping the seedballs we used a KitFox recreational aircraft - (0.5hours flight time at 70$ running cost per hour) to drop 30kgs of seedballs (appx. 15,000seeds) along a 200 meter or so stretch on the top ridge of a new dam that was recently built on the farm.

This method shows good potential for targeted restoration for areas in the drylands where intense charcoal making/bush clearing has occurred especially around hard to reach low altitude hills.

We will continue researching costs and best practices for this type of aerial seed application and we will follow up on this site in 6 months to a year depending on rains to see whats grown.