When women get involved

The Ivuso women s group in Makindu in Kenya started out as a literacy and self-help group. As time went by, it developed into a pilot undertaking for promoting improved strains of sorghum and millet, with support from the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. The women tested the new varieties, and set themselves up to change their own methods of production. They have much to be proud of now: they have demonstrated that the cereals are perfectly well-suited to the dry climate in the region, more so than maize, which is the dominant crop but is too demanding in water. The women also developed simple and effective ways of grinding the grains. Finally they showed that, with appropriate recipes and cooking methods, sorghum and millet could profitably replace maize in local diets. Now that the group is growing and marketing the improved strains in the Makindu region, other local people are turning to these crops, which are better suited to the local climate. Source : AgriForum No 7, April 1999 Mrs Diana Nzomo Ivuso Ya Manyatta Women s Group PO Box 60, Makindu, KenyaThe Ivuso women s group in Makindu in Kenya started out as a literacy and self-help group. As time went by, it developed into a pilot undertaking for promoting improved strains of sorghum and millet, with support from the Kenya Agricultural..