Communities hosting refugees in the Northeastern region have started ripping the fruits of the government’s support through the Kenya Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (KDRDIP) funded projects.
Early this week, Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa launched the projects that included three boreholes, construction of patients’ wards and staff residency at Dertu Health Centre in Dadaab constituency and two boreholes in Fafi constituency.
According to Wamalwa, the boreholes will ensure sufficient supply of water for both human and livestock consumption especially during drought seasons.
“With these boreholes, you will have enough water for your use and for the livestock. We will also increase water trucking to areas which do not have boreholes because the water trucks which have been supplying water to you will supply to those areas,” Wamalwa said
Wamalwa also visited the Lamahuran farm in Fafi sub-county that was started by a help group after receiving a shs 500,000 grant from KDRDIP.
The farm’s Chair Abdullahi Abdi said that the group had been making huge profits from selling the farm produce.
“First time we made a net profit of Sh200,000 from tomato sales and currently targeting a profit of Sh300,000 from onions. We have also been selling mangoes from this farm, which on a good season we make Sh200, 000 profit,” Abdullahi said
Hawa Mathobe is the Chairperson of Nanigi Women Group who started small business after receiving its share of Sh 500,000. From shop at Nanigi centre, the group earns a net profit of Sh23,000 every month.
“We have also set up businesses for individual members who bring Sh3,000 every week. We save this money in our bank account and share it at the end of the year,” Mathobe said
The women group has also ventured into livestock keeping where they buy goats from locals and transport them for sale in other counties for sale.
During the 2020/2021 financial year, KDRDIP disbursed Sh60 million to 120 groups in Garissa County alone, which has seen improved livelihood for communities in the select sub counties.
The CS revealed that from the positive impact the project has had on the communities; the government will seek to have the World Bank project for another five more years.
He said that the government will release Sh1.4 billion this financial year for Garissa County and thanked the communities for continued support in hosting refugees.
“As a national government, we thank the communities who have hosted refugees in all these years. We know it has not been easy but as the international community grapples with the issue of refugees, now, and in the future we must thank particularly those of you who have hosted refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma,” Wamalwa said
“We know the impact that this has had on the communities and that is why we are here with the support of the World Bank to see how to improve the lives and the livelihood and deal with the impacts it has had on your lives as well as the environment,” he added.
By Erick Kyalo
