Photo Caption: The associated picture was taken by a missioner from Inua. Here in this picture it's a beautiful sunny day and four men are standing next to the Panua farm out in Naivasha, Kenya. Each of the four men are a major part of the Inua Partners in Hope. Starting from left to right is Ephantus Karuiki, Rev. Paul Matheri, Ivor Singor, and Dr. Michael Reid. At this point in time, all four of them are currently talking about planting strategies they will implement in Naivasha for the upcoming season. On the far left is Ephantus Karuiki. Like those who are being served in the project, Ephantus was raised in Naivasha. Ephantus is also a finance major for the project, and with his academic background and being a CPA he is very qualified to be in his position. Additionally, he loves being a part of the program because he has a couple of nephews and nieces who are in a similar program. To the right of Ephantus is Rev. Paul Matheri. Rev. Paul is one of the Co-Founders of Inua Partners in Hope and also acts as the programs director. He has a history of being a chairman of many different boards which gives him great firsthand experience of being in charge of something massive. Thirdly, to the right of Rev. Paul Matheri, the older gentleman wearing a light blue oxford shirt with black khakis is Ivor Singor. Ivor is one of the many board members from the United States. As well as being a United States board member for Inua, Ivor is also a businessman and an entrepreneur. Lastly on the far right wearing a tan bucket hat, dark colored oxford shirt with khakis is Dr. Michael Reid. Dr. Michael Reid is a volunteer consultant who is advising the three other gentleman on how they should proceed down the line regarding the farm
Home to over 25,000 youth who are either orphaned or vulnerable, Naivasha, a marketin toun in Nakuru county, Kenya lacks a stable food source. In addition to a lack of stable food source, these same orphans often do not have access to education and necessary life skills. Not too long ago, Kenya declared a national food shortage but offered very little in the way of government assistance. Food prices have been on the rise and people are having a hard time keeping up with the increase in price. To help solve this problem INUA Partners in Hope are using the Agribuisness Training Center (ATC) to educate and help create a stable food source through improved farming techniques.
In the Agribuisness Training Center 200 youth will be trained each year on agriculture and buisiness, such as pest control, organic fertilization and how to get the most money they can from the crops they grow. With this knowledge, INUA Partners in Hope will increase the local food supply and combat the lack of employment.
Around 15-20% of the first year graduates will be staying for more advanced training to start a career in agribusiness. Coupled with the training, the staff members in the Agribusiness Training Center will teach the students the value of nutrition, how to plant seeds, maintain plants, prep soil, and last but not least how to store their crops. To make sure all things are going correctly, Inua Mentors and staff members will assess the youth annually.
Since the collaboration of this project and the people of Naivasha, the government has ranked farming as the second growing industries. The project is using every available resource to help solve this problem. As a matter of fact, there is $90,000 in designated funds ready to be used to help fund the ATC.
To find out more about the INUA Partners in Hope, please visit their website.