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  • London to Paris Cycle Ride

    1st June 2011 - 5th June 2011
    Need motivation to get fit? Why not cycle from London to Paris. Read Mark Gidney's account of his experiences and find out why it's the trip for you.

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  • Skydiving

    Every weekend!
    Experience the exhilaration of jumping from 10,000 feet with an instructor or brave the 3,000 feet solo dive. Either way you get to jump at no cost to yourself and raise money for Africa Now. 

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  • Super Heroes 5K Run

    Sunday 26th September 2010
    Be a Super Hero for the day and help raise valuable funds for Africa Now by joining the 5 km Super Heroes run in Manchester.

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What's On listing

Smallholder Flower Farming

Background

Floriculture is often considered to be one of Kenya's most vibrant sectors. However, due to large domestic and foreign investors often dominating the market, it is very challenging for small scale flower farmers. The high start-up costs, inadequate access to finance and often limited technical knowledge does not make it any easier, however Africa Now is working to change this.

Aims and objectives

The projects aim is to increase income opportunities for smallholder flower farmers reducing their poverty levels and increasing their household income. In partnership with the Kenya Flower Council (KFC) Africa Now is supporting over 400 flower farmers bringing them into a fair partnership with established exporters with markets in the UK and Europe. Africa Now will be setting farmers up with village banks in order to help with the start-up costs and overcome the financial constraints.

 

Results

The results so far have proven to be incredibly successful. In the second year of this project, Africa Now linked 8 farmer groups directly to the exporters. This has led to as much as a tenfold improvement in household income from the sale of the summer flowers. To improve this result even more, Africa Now is training the farmer groups in leadership and management skills to enable them to negotiate a better deal for their farmers. As a direct result of this work in 2007-2008 233,755 stems of different flower types were sold to the export market earning Ksh 560,966 (£4,980) for the farmers and their families.

Case Study: Mr Kinuthia

Mr Kinuthia is a farmer with Kirenga Flower growers in Limuro. Since working with Africa Now's project he says that his future looks promising.
"We have been growing vegetables for the local market and this has not changed our lives. However the flower project looks promising as we grow flowers from a small piece of land (0.125acres) and anticipate an average income of ksh 3000 a week which we can hardly earn from vegetables on an acre of land."
Mr Kinuthia is now able to save for the future providing for himself and his family.

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