Kenya

Amistad supports community programs led by local leaders who inspire their communities in sustainable agriculture and water conservation, job training for at-risk girls, teen girls’ education against early marriage and female genital mutilation.

G-BiACK

Grow Bio-intensive Agriculture Centre/Kenya is on a small parcel of land near Thika, north of the City of Nairobi. Founder Samuel Nderitu has been given several international and African awards for promotion and innovation of farming and soil preservation.

G-BiACK center was designed as a model farm for small-scale farmers from all over Africa. Student farmers grow different types of local food crops with organic compost in double-dug beds. There is a strong program for raising and protecting indigenous African vegetable seeds. Amistad sponsors a program for at-risk teens who study for 18 months, learning food, cooking and baking, production, livestock care, sewing, native handcrafts, and computer skills.

CIFORD

Community Initiatives for Rural Development/Kenya (CIFORD) is a Meru County, Kenya, community-based program promoting rural development and social education. Since 2005, Amistad has been supporting CIFORD projects focusing on new coming-of-age rites for teen girls (anti-FGM) and young men, girls’ trade schools for hairdressing and sewing, leadership programs to inspire teenagers to continue in school, and promotion of sustainable agriculture.