COSDEP – iMPACT direct

COSDEP

Kiambu,

Kenya

Community Sustainable Development Empowerment Programme

Community Sustainable Development Empowerment Programme (COSDEP) is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on ensuring continued learning and practice of agro ecological Agriculture in rural communities for improved food and dietary conditions. Community development programmes in other fields have also been keen in our transformation mission of the livelihoods of the vulnerable communities which has contributed to our engagement in varied cross cutting issues within our programmes. The organization’s office is situated in Gachie shopping center, Kiambu County, a few kilometers from the city of Nairobi. The organization was founded in 2001 as a community-based organization in Kiambu and Murang’a and became an NGO in 2004. Ever since COSDEP has reached out and previously worked with farmers in other Counties of Kajiado, Nyahururu, Narok and Busia and aims to cover the entire Country.

Mission

Our Mission Statement

We are committed to promote sustainable development initiatives among the poor small holder farmers in central region of Kenya through participatory practices.

Team

The COSDEP team is well equipped with skills and knowledge about agro-ecological methods and they have conducted many field excursions, trainings and exchange visits to different organisations.

The team includes:

Stanley Ng’ethe Kinyanjui– the Director who holds a Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture with over 25 years’ experience both in agricultural extension work and administrative matters.
Jane Itati – Administrative Assistant who holds a diploma in Community Development, Business Administration and over 15 years’ experience in administrative matters.
Susan Mbui – M&E / Field Supervisor who holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Resource Management and over five years’ experience working in the agro-ecological sector.
Caren Nekesa – A field extension officer who holds diploma in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development and over six years’ experience working with the farming communities in the agro-ecological agriculture sector.
Suleiman Mutuka– A field extension officer who holds diploma in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development and over three years’ experience working with the farming communities in the agro-ecological agriculture sector.
Regina Mwangi – The Accounts Officers who holds A bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development and is also a CPA holder with four years’ experience.

Past results

A total of approximately 36, 000 farmers have been reached and trained with 60% of the number being very active in agro ecological agriculture farming. Two thirds of this number have also been involved in exchange visits as a way of promoting knowledge and information exchange among them. Of the 36, 000, 6, 000 are direct beneficiaries and 30, 000 indirect beneficiaries. Out of this number, 55% are women, 30% are Men, 10% are youths and 5% are school going children that we target in our gardening for schools’ program.

Our Long-Term Goal is to build the communities’ capacity to secure their own food; nutrition and income security at the house hold level.

The organization aspires to improve the livelihoods of the farming communities by empowering them with knowledge and information to produce high quality foods while taking care of the natural resources (sustainable production). Target beneficiaries include the youth, women and men who are vulnerable in the community areas.