Project Income Generation
The income that can be generated by children is limited as they need to enjoy their rights as children to be free to have fun and enjoy their childhoods. They also have to dedicate a lot of time and energy into their studies as they are being (re)integrated into the local school system.
Children should, however, learn the tasks that would be required of them as children within the familial context of Kenya. Kenyan children, like children everywhere, are expected to learn special life skills, so that they will grow into healthy, responsible adults. Of course all children help with the chores around the centre, but they also contribute to the income of the centre by learning such life skills as rabbit rearing or organic farming. These activities can be fun and are the type of life skills that children might learn in a typical Kenyan family environment. Life skills build confidence in the children and give them a sense of contributing something to their peers and to the larger community.Rabbit rearing
Rabbits are a good source of protein and relatively easy to rear. By the periodic introduction of new males to the stock reproduction levels remain good and rabbit can be included on the project menu periodically.
Organic agriculture
Organic agriculture has been concentrated on the crops npyt has learned do well in the local soil at high altitude. A few experimental plots do remain. The garden produces ample sukuma wiki, suja, Irish potatoes and cooking bananas for the project needs and contributes some tomatoes, beans, carrots, spinach, cabbage and fruits to the centre. Like the other sections, income is not high, but the children feel productive and useful, as they learn invaluable life skills such as organic farming. Two plots have been fitted with drip irrigation, which some of the older kids helped to install, which produce sukuma wiki during the dry seasons when prices jump from around Ksh. 200/- to 800/- per bag.Future plans
Children and staff have been asked to come up with suggestions for future income generating activities. Their ideas include brick making, poultry rearing, sale of products from the vocational training units and cattle herding. All are possible sources of income though they also have implications for the environment, education and staffing levels; poultry rearing produces income at the familial level with no paid employees.
Income generation is important though difficult especially while the competition can rely on underpaid casual and child labour, and show little regard for the environment which are clearly against the ethos of npyt.
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