Alarge part of Makueni and Kajiado Counties where EDCA is present suffers constrained livelihood opportunities due to a number of reasons. Among these are limited employment opportunities and underemployment; the impacts of climate change; the location of the area in a water-scarce zone; and the presence of vulnerable populations, including Persons with Disability, the old and the women.
The challenge of limited livelihood opportunities is compounded by overreliance on traditional small-scale farming and livestock rearing, all of which are vulnerable to the shock of climate change and can only get worse with the deteriorating impacts of climate change that have been witnessed in the recent past. Finding sustainable livelihood strategies therefore lies at the heart of not only the county governments but also its development partners as well.
The organization, together with its partners, has implemented a number of projects that are geared to diversifying the livelihood strategies of its catchment population: It works with vulnerable households to enable them to become economically resilient towards perennial droughts. In this regard, it supports communities with drought resistant crop variety and modern day farming techniques that enable them to do irrigation farming as opposed to over relying on rainfed agriculture.
HIGH LEVEL GOALS
- Ensure sustainable and climate resilient livelihoods
- Increase the participation of women and youth in sustainable livelihoods
- Strengthen response and recovery capabilities toward extreme climatic events