PARTICIPATION IN THE AGROECOLOGY PROJECT LAUNCH – SENGWER COMMUNITY

Background Information

The Sengwer community has faced prolonged challenges arising from historical and ongoing evictions from their ancestral lands in Embobut Forest. These evictions have disproportionately affected women and youth, leading to high school dropout rates, unemployment among educated youth, increased poverty levels, and widespread food and nutrition insecurity. Many families now live on extremely small parcels of land, often only sufficient to build a house and a pit latrine, limiting their ability to engage in meaningful agricultural production. As a result, malnutrition remains prevalent, with many households surviving on one meal a day or none, and with limited access to a balanced diet.

Purpose of the Launch

The launch served as the official introduction of the project to the Sengwer community and key stakeholders. The event aimed to raise awareness on the project’s objectives, expected outcomes, and the importance of securing ancestral land rights as a foundation for food sovereignty and community resilience. The meeting brought together Sengwer Council of Elders, women groups, youth groups, persons with disabilities (PWDs), indigenous forest and local organizations, the Elgeyo Marakwet County Department of Agriculture and Irrigation, and the Office of the President represented by the Chief and village elders. Through participatory sessions, storytelling, and visual materials, the launch fostered community ownership, collective understanding, and consensus on project implementation.

Project Overview and Partnerships

The Agroecology Project is implemented by four partner organizations across Kenya and Uganda. In Kenya, the project is implemented by Sengwer Embobut Community Based Organization (SEECBO) and Kenya Peasant League (KPL). In Uganda, the partners are Uganda Youth at Risk Development Network (UYDNET), the lead organization, and the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA).

Together, these partners form a strong interdisciplinary coalition committed to promoting agroecology as a pathway to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). The project emphasizes agroecological policy advocacy, indigenous land rights and governance, sustainable natural resource management, and climate-resilient farming practices.

Community Relevance and Expected Impact

The project responds directly to the lived realities of the Sengwer community by promoting sustainable farming systems that can thrive even on small parcels of land. Funded by Global Green Grants, the initiative motivates women and youth to adopt agroecological practices that enhance food and nutrition security at household and community levels. The project encourages the use of organic farming inputs to improve soil health, balance soil pH, increase humus content, enhance soil aeration, and support beneficial organisms, thereby reducing disease outbreaks associated with chemical use. Additionally, the project promotes the use of indigenous seeds that are resilient to climate change, reinforcing traditional knowledge systems and long-term sustainability.

Participation and Stakeholder Engagement

The launch was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including the Sengwer Council of Elders (SCoE), indigenous forest and local community organizations such as Chepkitale Indigenous Peoples Development Project (CIPDP), HUGAFO-K, Ogiek Peoples Development Program (OPDP), HUG CEDAR CBO, Kapkok Seet Youth Group, representatives of PWDs, officials from the Elgeyo Marakwet County Department of Agriculture and Irrigation, and representatives from the Office of the President through the Chief and village elders. HUGAFO-K’s participation reinforced solidarity among hunter-gatherer communities and strengthened collaboration on land justice and agroecology advocacy.

Conclusion

The Agroecology Project launch was a significant step toward strengthening community-led responses to land dispossession, food insecurity, and climate change among the Sengwer people. The event enhanced awareness, built stakeholder consensus, and reaffirmed the central role of indigenous knowledge and land rights in achieving sustainable development. HUGAFO-K’s participation underscored its continued commitment to supporting member communities in advancing food sovereignty, resilience, and inclusive development through rights-based and culturally grounded approaches.