Five Talents Kenya (FTK) Board Chairman Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Muchai has asked the residents of Taita Taveta County to consider joining Cooperative Societies which he said will go a long way in uplifting their lives through affordable loans.
“While in Sacco, it’s very easy for you to get a loan unlike when you need it from a bank. In banks, you’ll need to produce logbooks, title deeds and many things as security but while in a Sacco, it is just your savings that will secure you a loan,” said Muchai.
FTK, a Non-Governmental Organization is a financial services intermediary that promotes micro enterprise activities while it economically empowers households and communities in eradicating extreme poverty. The NGO works with the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) especially in rural areas of Eastern Africa to help those who either have little or no access to financial services to start Savings Groups where they receive training and support to set-up and grow small businesses.
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This February FTK, United States Agency for International Development (USAID Kenya), county administration, ACK Diocese of Taita Taveta, partnered to launch an initiative which aims to foster awareness, unite conservation stakeholders in a collective journey towards preserving the Tsavo ecosystem.
The projects will also uplift the living standards of citizens in the region.
His sentiments were echoed by Taita Taveta ACK Diocese Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Liverson Mung’onda who asked residents and Anglican faithfuls in the county during the launch of the project to join the initiative to elevate their living standards.
On his part, Peter Mugendi, the Chief Executive for Five Talents, lauded the county administration for honouring the occasion and said that his organization will closely work with the county to uplift the living standards of its citizens through community educational programmes and mentorship.
According to Mugendi, the organisation promotes inclusive and thriving micro-economics through financial literacy, strengthening trust groups capacity systems and issuing of loans while encouraging the saving culture. It also conducts business training, enterprise development and market linkages to its members.
The NGO has already launched 11 programmes in 14 counties in the country and 35,000 households have benefited.
USAID Kenya, Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) Norin Walimohamed asked FTK to ensure that more people in the county are registered in order to benefit from the programme. “We are grateful to work with all these partners and I wish to ask the Five Talents to ensure that more people are registered and uplifted,” said Walimohamed.
County Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo acknowledging that there are challenges amongst the residents said; the county administration is working towards alleviating them.
She noted that most residents living adjacent to the national parks of Tsavo east and west have for a long time been affected by wild animals which have been destroying their properties.
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Therefore, she said, in order to avoid human-wildlife conflict that has been rampant in the area, there is need to educate the residents on matters of wildlife conservation. “Human-wildlife conflict has been on the rise in this county occasioned by increased drought forcing wild animals to get out in search of food and water. Partly, it is because people have become hostile to wild animals following what they are experiencing from them,” said Kilalo.
“We ask the National Government to listen to our plea and look into the possible solutions to end human-wildlife conflict. I know our able President has promised to work on the same and that’s what our people are waiting for.”
County ministers Shadrack Mutungi, Eric Kyongo and Getrude Shuwe echoed the deputy governor sentiments promising to work closely with the NGO in ensuring the success of the project.
According to testimonials from beneficiaries, initially, there were farmer groups who had been toiling in their lands but their crops were being destroyed by stray wild animals.
However, after joining the Community Development Trust Fund and Five Talents, they have been able to get educational programmes that enabled them to understand various ways to live harmoniously with wildlife.
Farmers also benefited from savings educational programmes from the NGO which enabled them to save and grow.
By Michael Oduor/ oduormichael2021@gmail.com
