KENYA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FIELD PROGRAM
Inaugural Program of the David Brower Global CPR (Conservation,
Preservation, and Restoration) Corps
A Global Service Corps Short-Term or Long-Term Opportunity
Beginning July 5, 1999
This summer Global Service Corps (GSC), a project of Earth Island
Institute, is initiating a Sustainable Agriculture Field Program in Eastern
Kenya. This Program inaugurates the Global CPR (Conservation,
Preservation, and Restoration) Corps, which was initially conceived by
David R. Brower, preeminent international environmentalist. Mr. Brower,
who was recently awarded the Blue Planet Prize for his environmental
accomplishments, is currently the Chairman of Earth Island Institute. He
also was the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club, founder of
Friends of the Earth and Earth Island Institute, and three-time nominee for
the Nobel Peace Prize.
Global Service Corps first began offering Kenya village-based programs in
1994 by teaching biointensive agriculture (BIA) to community members in the
Mumias area of Kenya's Western Province. BIA is a specialized form of
organic agriculture involving the use of double-dug beds, locally-available
crops, organic compost materials, crop diversification, intensive planting,
and water harvesting. The 1994 Kenya program included the development of a
BIA training workshop attended by both GSC participants and local community
members. These newly trained GSC participants and Kenyans then worked
together to provide two-day seminars for other community members in the
surrounding area. Over the course of three years, this program assisted in
the initiation of over 2,000 community garden plots as well as a community
BIA demonstration plot and training center. GSC is now planning to
replicate this highly successful program in the Kibwezi area (in Kenya's
Eastern Province) and is looking for participants with an interest in
small-scale sustainable agriculture to assist with the development of this
program.
What preparation/background do participants need?
Participants in the Kenya Sustainable Agriculture Field Program should be
interested in small-scale sustainable agriculture and local community
development, and be both eager and excited to learn and spread the word
about the benefits of biointensive agriculture. Previous training or
experience with gardening is not required, but would be useful.
Participants should also be prepared to immerse themselves in the Kenyan
culture, as a significant purpose of GSC is to provide participants with
an unforgettable cross-cultural and learning experience. College juniors
and seniors (who are at least 20 years old), recent graduates, graduate
students, and interested adults are all encouraged to join us for the
Kenya Sustainable Agriculture Field Program.
What is the duration and itinerary for the project?
Students and others interested in the Sustainable Agriculture Field Program
may participate in either a short-term (four weeks) or long-term (at least
10 weeks) program option. All participants must take part in the
short-term program (July 5 - July 31, 1999), after which long-term
participants remain in Kenya for a minimum of two months. The program
begins with a two-day cultural and program orientation and a tour of
Nairobi. GSC participants then travel to Kibwezi and attend a three-day
biointensive agriculture training workshop. During the training,
participants learn alongside local villagers the theories and practices
associated with biointensive gardening, such as double digging, composting,
nursery bed preparation, water harvesting, and intensive planting. Other
topics discussed will include agricultural trends in Kenya, local community
development, zero-grazing dairy enterprises, and adapting biointensive
farming for arid areas. Participants will learn how to develop strategies
for communicating this knowledge to a variety of audiences. After the
training, volunteers will be placed in homestays in and around Kibwezi for
three weeks. Not only will participants work with Kenyan counterparts to
develop and deliver biointensive gardening demonstrations, they will also
experience day-to-day Kenyan village and family life. Participants will
also have the opportunity to visit local sustainable agriculture and
development projects, as well as numerous self-help and women's groups in
the Kibwezi area. The short-term program will conclude with either a final
celebration in Nairobi or a trip to one of Kenya's many celebrated game
reserves. Long-term participants will return to their homestays in Kibwezi
or nearby villages and continue to work more independently on their
sustainable agriculture projects.
Can students receive academic credit for this program?
GSC's programs are intensive and credit-worthy. Students are encouraged to
arrange for credit with their home institutions. GSC is in the process of
identifying academic partners who may offer transfer credit to students
from other universities. Please phone GSC for current information.
Who will be coordinating the program?
Jessica Goldberger, a doctoral student in rural sociology at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, will coordinate the short-term Kenya
Sustainable Agriculture Field Program. Jessica participated in the very
first GSC biointensive gardening project, which took place in western
Kenya in 1994. She also has experience with international agroforestry and
small-scale agriculture projects, which she gained while a Program
Coordinator for the New Forests Project (a non-profit organization located
in Washington, DC). Currently, Jessica is working on her Ph.D.
dissertation research on biointensive agriculture in rural Kenya. After
the completion of the short-term program, long-term participants will be
supervised by GSC in-country staff. Overall coordination of the GSC Kenya
programs will be provided by Kay Marten (M.A., Anthropology). Kay spent
four years as Director of the Friends World Program's undergraduate
program in Kenya, and has lived in Kenya with her husband since 1989.
To receive information about program fees, future sessions (October 1999
and beyond), and additional details, or about other GSC programs in Kenya,
Costa Rica, and Thailand, please contact:
GLOBAL SERVICE CORPS
300 Broadway, Suite 28
San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: 415-788-3666 ext. 128
Fax: 415-788-7324
Email: gsc@igc.apc.org
http://www.globalservicecorps.org
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