A Warm Welcome to SOF-DI ('s homepage)

SOF-DI (Sustainable Organic Farming and Development Initiatives) is an independent, private organisation with the mission of improving the living conditions of peasants in the western regions of Kenya on a sustainable development basis.

The two cornerstones of SOF-DI’s activities are the transfer of knowledge for the sustainable production of sufficient and healthy food supply by means of organic farming and for providing adequate access to clean water.

In this way two essential needs of the people are granted; enabling a self-determined life in dignity. In this connection the promotion and support of personal accountability and action on one’s own initiative is of crucial concern to SOF-DI.

Registered by the Kenyan Government in 2003 as a Community Based Organisation, SOF-DI was established by the charity A Better Life Ltd, an initiative of entrepreneurs Beat and Brigitte Frey of Switzerland, whose background as pioneers in the Kenyan tourist industry inspired their resolution to make an impact which would have a meaningful and self-sustaining benefit to the people of Kenya. “As Kofi Annan has recently emphasized, Africa cannot develop nor truly prosper on an empty stomach”, Brigitte Frey said. “Our approach was to support a grassroots effort in which great emphasis is placed on developing the enterpreneurial spirit of the farmers.”

The concept for the project was Mrs. Frey's inspiration. She had long been involved in development work in Kenya, but was disillusioned with the handout mentality she encountered. “I knew I had to find a way which was sustainable. The only resource the people had was a little plot of land and nothing else no tools, no fertiliser and all they could raise on this poor quality land was maize and a few beans.” With her personal passion for gardening and hands-on aptitude in horticulture, Brigitte realised there was a need to help the farmers improve the soil. With the benefits of all their new organic farming know-how, the nutritional status of the farmers has improved immeasurably along with the higher crop yields, and together with a safe water supply their improved health has given them the energy the to work the land in a more sustaining and entrepreneurial way. “ Even those people with HIV have shown better health. It was my intention that rather than just give medicine we would enable access to the skills and knowledge for the farmers to produce for themseves a sufficient and nutritious diet and in this way keep themselves and their families healthy and vital,” she said.

To date 1500 smallholders have been trained in organic farming under SOF-DI’s programs, a figure which is growing at the rate of 60 per month, but the actual impact is far greater as the know-how is spread through the rural communities through community out-reach programmes run by the farmers, and through SOF-DI’s work in secondary schools and other institutions. The organisation has now employed a nutritionist. The work in schools is particularly significant as it reaches girl students who do not usually find employment, but return to the family plots and introduce the organic farming methods to their communities. The school seminars usually number about 300 particpants, including farmers from the neighbouring vicinity.

"DIGNITY IS THE RECOGNITION OF A FUNDAMENTAL EQUALITY OF ALL PEOPLE".
Immanuel Kant, Philosopher
"HUMANITY ON EARTH IS DETERMINED IN THE FATE OF AFRICA".
Horst Köhler, German Bundespräsident

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