The Botanical Microenterprise Program is a collaboration between Dorcas Destiny International, Agricultural Extension Officers, and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute established within the following fields of common interests:
An additional off-shoot of the bamboo project is a separate program whereby 20 peasant farmers who have children at Motivated By Love King's Academy received microloans to plant and grow vegetables that can supplement food bought outside the village to provide school lunches for the 600+ children at the school. With the support of a local agricultural officer, soil samples from all of the farms were collected and analyzed to determine which food crops are appropriate to be grown within the area.
Eventually there will be enough crops for Dorcas Destiny International to buy raw materials from the farmers that can be cooked and fed to the school children. Ultimately with the farmers being able to sell the overstock, the school lunch program can be reduced or eliminated as families are able to provide for themselves. This will allow financial support to be expanded to additional initiatives and programs.
UPDATE -- As of July 2023, five Opoya Village farmers have received plants and seedlings for vegetable crops that are being cared for and preparing to harvest! We will provide more photos and video as they are available.
- Enhance tree and bamboo growing in Opoya village on-site at Motivated By Love King's Academy school
- Creating social enterprises from the planted trees and bamboo
- Planting and growing vegetables and fruit trees for consumption at the school and sale by the farmers/families who grow them
- Commercialization and marketing of products and services.
- Supporting women and children in Kenya through these enterprises
- Institutional capacity building
- Student and community training for Motivated By Love King's Academy school and nearby youth and young adults interested in agriculture and who need skills-development and employment
- Exchange and dissemination of information within and between programs.
An additional off-shoot of the bamboo project is a separate program whereby 20 peasant farmers who have children at Motivated By Love King's Academy received microloans to plant and grow vegetables that can supplement food bought outside the village to provide school lunches for the 600+ children at the school. With the support of a local agricultural officer, soil samples from all of the farms were collected and analyzed to determine which food crops are appropriate to be grown within the area.
Eventually there will be enough crops for Dorcas Destiny International to buy raw materials from the farmers that can be cooked and fed to the school children. Ultimately with the farmers being able to sell the overstock, the school lunch program can be reduced or eliminated as families are able to provide for themselves. This will allow financial support to be expanded to additional initiatives and programs.
UPDATE -- As of July 2023, five Opoya Village farmers have received plants and seedlings for vegetable crops that are being cared for and preparing to harvest! We will provide more photos and video as they are available.