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I attended a Vision Conference in 1999 not sure what it was all about but determined to make good the invitation from a friend at NIST.
The teaching process was revolutionary. I had never heard the Bible presented in such powerful words and illustrations making it relevant to me and my community today.
Most astounding was the assertion that the church and its pastor is heaven's embassy to demonstrate God's intention today and throughout history.
The brokenness of man in every area of his relationships explained the inequality and injustices evident around me. Seed projects had me completely undaunted. I pledged to be at a point of dispersion, an agent for the message and concept. I felt the Lord Jesus Christ plant something deep within me – affecting me and the choices I make, and growing from me to affect my whole society. The pastor is God's point of excellence and reference in all issues facing his community.
Cotton can be grown in 75% of Kenya. First grown in Kibos (Kisumu) in 1905; by the 1960's and 1970s most families in Kenya had benefited from cotton growing… 140,000 bales. This management has seen this whittle down to day to below 20,000 bales so that children of the 1980's and 1990's don't know what cotton looks like.
Cotton growing can ensure food security as it is easily intercropped with any food crops; it does not compete with finances or moisture but is nitrogen fixing -- adding value to whatever was already in the field.
So in December 1999 I set out to find seed to prepare for next planting season of March 2000. By February/ March 2000 I had not found any. In April 2000 I got in touch with KARI Fibre Research Station Kibos who gave me many ideas on how to get seed and revive cotton growing. I was then living in Nairobi working as Church Administrator of Nairobi Gospel Centre.
Through prayer, I was led to relocate to a rural cotton growing area and a rural church - Voice of Salvation International with 90 churches along the Lake Victoria region. My wife, Ruth, miraculously got admitted for a 3-year course at Maseno University. So, in September 2000 my family relocated to Kisumu (Ruth, Josephine, Kepha and myself). The church deployed me at their Ahero Assembly to reside in their Orphanage Home.
From September to December I embarked on mobilization of church and community members to grow cotton in the 2001 season. Eighty-seven widows and fifty church members joined our project which we named CREAM - Cotton Rehabilitation and Management. The local steering committee was put into place with me as Project Officer.
In October 2000 the Government of Kenya (GOK) promised free cotton seed to all who would plant cotton in 2001 season. With 133 members, CREAM was given 500 kg of seed free of charge. KARI Kibos donated 100 kg foundation seed for bulking by CREAM to ensure future supply of quality seed in subsequent years.
A local Ahero contractor leased two tractors for early land preparation by CREAM, to be paid by installments.
In March 2001 the GOK donated 48MT seed of food crops to Ahero/Nyando District. Rains fell on time in April/May, 10 acres "nucleus area" and 50 acres ‘outquarter’ was planted among the B3 CREAM members, and weeding, spraying and husbandry was supervised by GOK extension officers and CREAM training.
The cotton crop is currently at different stages of being picked. Many in the community are already asking to participate in 2002 season. Local ginneries are willing to "buy our whole crop".
We have had opportunity to demonstrate CREAM concept of poverty eradication and community empowerment growing cotton at Kisumu Agricultural Show in August 2001 and at Nairobi International Show in October. The response and request for collaborations and information is overwhelming. We recorded 250 responses in Kisumu and we are yet to record the requests in Nairobi.
This is only year one; we must go on to mobilise and prepare for year two. The potential to be explored further is great, with up to 5,000 potential cotton growers within and around the churches.
The pastor will be the centrepiece of further mobilisation and training as benefits of cotton growing percolate every community living on ‘black cotton soil’. |
