Skip to main content
Approaching Mid-Term: Government at a Policy-Legacy Crossroads Approaching Mid-Term: Government at a Policy-Legacy CrossroadsGood Governance

Approaching Mid-Term: Government at a Policy-Legacy Crossroads

It is imperative to recognize the pivotal role that resident associations and community groups play in shaping Kenya’s socio-political and governance landscape, limited resources in some cases notwithstanding. By virtue of how they are formed, organized, and their rooted awareness of local long-standing and evolving issues, these organizations uniquely serve as the heartbeat of communities, embodying the spirit of civic engagement, empowerment, and social responsibility. They can therefore be looked at as well representative.
HSF-Nai
December 9, 2024
Telling the Story, Calling for Change Gender Equality

Telling the Story, Calling for Change

The White Ribbon Alliance event, Telling the Story; Calling for Change, highlighted stories of women and newborns lost during childbirth. The biggest gap identified was systemic failures that fail to effectively accommodate and respond to vocalized needs of women. Their call to action is ask, listen and act to what women want, and continue to advocate for women’s healthcare rights.
HSF-Nai
September 9, 2024
Why resident associations are viable avenues for pushing for effective service delivery Good Governance

Why resident associations are viable avenues for pushing for effective service delivery

It is imperative to recognize the pivotal role that resident associations and community groups play in shaping Kenya’s socio-political and governance landscape, limited resources in some cases notwithstanding. By virtue of how they are formed, organized, and their rooted awareness of local long-standing and evolving issues, these organizations uniquely serve as the heartbeat of communities, embodying the spirit of civic engagement, empowerment, and social responsibility. They can therefore be looked at as well representative.
HSF-Nai
February 4, 2024
Dragon Fruit Farming Climate Change

Dragon Fruit Farming

D id you know that dragon fruits were a preserve for kings and queens? Now you know! Last week I had the privilege of interacting with dragon fruits during a training of trainers’ activity in Mbeere North. Besides the theoretical lesson, I visited a dragon fruit farm for practical lessons. The climax of the activity was on savouring it! As you can see from the picture below, all my tastebuds were fully involved in this exercise. This being my first time to sample dragon fruit, I found red ruby variety very nice – how I wished I would get another slice! But what is the best way to eat this sweet delicacy? You can use a spoon to eat the fruit out of the skin or peel the skin off and slice the pulp into small pieces after cutting it with a sharp knife. This fruit offers countless culinary possibilities. It makes a wonderful addition to a fruit salad. But dragon fruit is also perfect with homemade ice cream, on pastries, in shakes and smoothies, in breakfast cereal, in bowls or in salads as well as in cocktails. It makes an interesting and hearty dish when combined with tomatoes, onions and avocado (dragon fruit kachumbari). Dragon fruit comes in the category of functional foods due to its highly nutritious and nutraceutical properties. Nutritionally, it consists of vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and niacin, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and iron, and fibre.Furthermore, dragon fruit farming is environmentally friendly. These cactus-like plants are well-suited to the Kenyan climate, requiring minimal water and exhibiting excellent drought tolerance. By cultivating dragon fruit, farmers can contribute to sustainable agriculture practices and conserve water resources. It is also a good choice crop for agroforestry. By incorporating dragon fruit into agroforestry systems, farmers can diversify their income streams and contribute to sustainable land management for climate change mitigation and adaptation.For dragon fruit farming, just like roses, for you to appreciate them, you’ve got to get used to the thorns (spikes) It taken at least eighteen months from a dragon fruit cutting secured from a mother plant to a maturity and fruition. Well-supported plants can grow for over twenty years. What a wonder! Dragon fruit flowers are known as “Queen of the Night” and “Moonflower” for their fleeting beauty. The flowers are nocturnal, only blooming at night, and their lifespan is around eight hours.
HSF-Nai
January 2, 2024