Njoro: Egerton University is collaborating with various stakeholders to reinvigorate 4K Clubs in 10 schools across Njoro Sub-County. The initiative aims to equip young learners with essential knowledge and skills in sustainable farming and responsible crop protection practices.
According to Kenya News Agency, the university is actively involved in training 4K Club patrons, members, and school heads on agricultural innovations and sustainable agronomical practices. During a visit to Ndege Primary School and Njoro DEB Primary School, Dr. Mary Waiganjo highlighted the success of some clubs in integrating agroforestry and maintaining thriving vegetable plots.
Dr. Waiganjo, from Egerton University’s Faculty of Education and Community Development Studies, expressed pride in the ongoing partnership with schools in Njoro Sub-County. She emphasized the importance of 4K Clubs in teaching pupils practical farming skills and fostering a love for agriculture from a young age. The partnership aims to enhance agricultural productivity, ensure food safety, and improve health outcomes within the community.
The initiative also welcomed West Virginia University (WVU) representatives, including Associate Dean and Director of Extension Jennifer Ours Williams, retired faculty member Sue Day-Perroots, and Associate Vice President of Land Grant and Community Outreach Ann Bailey-Berry. Dr. Waiganjo noted that the program enhances the capacity of 4K clubs in schools, equipping learners with practical skills to combat climate change and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Students at participating schools showcased vegetable plots as part of their club activities. At Njoro DEB Comprehensive, the club has also incorporated agroforestry, planting tree seedlings alongside vegetables. Currently, 4K Club participation is limited to Grades 4-6, but Egerton staff are working on a proposal to extend involvement up to age 35 for continued participation and sustainability.
Each school is assigned a lecturer from Egerton as a mentor, supported by a teacher patron and student coaches from the Agricultural Education and Extension Student Association (AEESA). Training is also provided for teachers and head teachers serving as club patrons.
The 4K Club program, which stands for ‘Kuungana, Kufanya, Kusaidia Kenya’ (Unite, Act, Help Kenya), was popular in the 1990s but has dwindled due to shifts in educational priorities and resource constraints. With the growing threat of climate change, stakeholders believe it is time to reintegrate the clubs into the education system.
Dr. Waiganjo emphasized the need to empower children with knowledge and skills to tackle climate challenges from an early age. The multi-stakeholder partnership aims to train and empower 4K Clubs on responsible crop protection and integrate sustainable practices, fostering behavior change within schools and the community.
The program focuses on equipping young learners and their mentors with essential knowledge and skills to promote better farming methods. The long-term goal is to enhance agricultural productivity, ensure food safety, and improve health outcomes within the community.
By enhancing the capacity of 4K clubs, students can learn to plant trees, manage waste, conserve water, and adopt sustainable agricultural practices, skills critical in mitigating the effects of climate change. The clubs traditionally focused on teaching students practical farming techniques, environmental conservation, and community service.
Under the initiative, 4K club members are learning about efficient water use, agroforestry, and soil conservation, especially in water-scarce counties. Aligning club activities with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will highlight experiential learning and problem-solving.
Dr. Waiganjo indicated that the clubs align with CBC’s vision, equipping learners with hands-on skills to develop solutions to real-world challenges like deforestation, soil erosion, and food insecurity. She added that capacity building in 4K Clubs could be a game-changer as Kenya faces climate-related challenges such as droughts and floods.
Recent agricultural experts have emphasized the importance of 4K clubs in nurturing food security-conscious citizens, considering food security’s interconnection with various determinants. Revitalizing the clubs to enhance food, agriculture, and nutrition knowledge is seen as a noble effort.
During the visit, agricultural experts noted that Kenya, like the rest of the world, is seeking innovative ways to tackle the climate change crisis, deemed an existential threat to the planet’s survival. They concurred that by building children’s capacities in agricultural production and giving them a platform for climate change interventions, they contribute to their future.
By design, individual governors are the patrons of 4K Clubs in their respective counties. The clubs enabled learners to acquire basic farming concepts at the primary school level, using school gardens to teach crop tending and animal rearing. However, these clubs waned in the late 1990s.