NYAHERA COMMUNITY PROJECT

The Nyahera Community Project, established by Bengi Investment Group (BIG) in collaboration with the CIVS Kenya, serves as a hub for business development, community banking, sustainable agriculture, and environmental conservation. The center's flagship project is a model farm designed to showcase innovative technologies and approaches for community development. This initiative emphasizes the cultivation and processing of Indigenous African Vegetables, herbs, fruits, fish, insects, and agroforestry. The model farm also promotes vertical gardening to maximize space usage and eco-friendly farming practices. The center offers hands-on training for farmers, entrepreneurs, and the broader community while providing opportunities for both international and local volunteers to engage in meaningful community work. Nyahera, like many rural communities in Kisumu County, faces several socio-economic and environmental challenges. Limited access to business skills, modern agricultural techniques, and financial services, coupled with declining biodiversity, negatively impacts local livelihoods. To address these challenges, the Nyahera Community Resource Center was established to provide solutions through education, technology transfer, and community- driven development. The model farm serves as a demonstration and training facility for local farmers, small business owners, and students, highlighting practices in sustainable agriculture, business development, and environmental stewardship. The model farm comprises the following sections: • Cassava Demonstration Farm: A field dedicated to showcasing improved cassava cultivation techniques, including propagation, pest management, and post-harvest processing. • Indigenous African Vegetables: Cultivation of a variety of traditional • African vegetables, demonstrating their nutritional value and potential for commercialization. • Herb Garden: A space dedicated to growing medicinal and culinary herbs, educating the community about their health benefits and uses in value-added products. • Fruit Orchard: An orchard showcasing sustainable fruit tree farming, with varieties such as mangoes, avocados, and citrus fruits. • Fish Farming: A small aquaculture system demonstrating sustainable fish farming techniques and offering training in fish breeding, pond management, and water conservation. • Agroforestry: An integrated agroforestry system combining trees, crops, and livestock for environmental sustainability and enhanced soil fertility. • Vertical Garden: A demonstration of urban and peri-urban agriculture techniques using vertical gardening to maximize limited space and improve food security in urban and peri-urban settings.