"I've never been to Uganda..."

By Jorge Chavez-Tafur

I am at a maarifa centre, or one of the many Community Information Centres set up by ALIN in the rural areas of Kenya. This one is in Nguruman, four hours south of Nairobi, close to the border with Tanzania. There is no electricity here, but there is internet and a small library - and a lot of interest in more information. Like all other maarifas, the objective of this one is to help farmers and villagers in general get information, and develop skills that can help them "enhance their livelihoods through information exchange". We were received and shown around by Stephen Mwangi Njogu, the ALIN field officer. He's the one in charge of running this maarifa, helping farmers get access to the internet, and also providing a few services (like live World Cup matches!). Stephen was very happy to show the results of his work.

Each centre also has many copies of BAOBAB, the East African sister edition of Farming Matters - and it's been great to see that these are read widely. Mr Saruni Duya, for example, was proud to show us some of the new ideas he is trying out in his farm, some of which he read in an article describing an Ugandan experience, published a few months ago. "I see that there is no need to use fertilizers during flowering, as we do here... most probably that's why they get higher yields there..." I have liked to see that the maarifa and tha magazine play a key role here in Nguruman, and one which is more and more appreciated. This role was clearly explained by Mr Duya, when he told us that "I've never been to Uganda, but, via the magazine, Uganda has come to my farm, and I'm benefiting from that".

Read much more about Nguruman and about the maarifa here, in their own blog: www.ngurumanmaarifa.blogspot.com

Comments

[Noah Bamulabire]

Ha ha ha, so interesting Jorge and Steve, its true you have never been to Uganda.

[nurs]

Interesting! you know i've never been to Uganda too, want to go there too. *sigh*

[Stephen Mwangi]

That is great Jorge!