Food insecurity in the project area is related most often to the following factors:

1. Harsh climatic conditions particularly flooding, insufficient rainfall and frequent and prolonged drought.
2. Prevalence of crop and animal pests
3. Unreliable livestock production as a result of pests and diseases
4. Limited knowledge of sound agronomic practices (e.g farmers continue using low yielding crop varieties, which also tend to be susceptible to diseases and pests).
5. Limited intra–household sharing.
6. Degradation of environmental and natural resources
7. Limited knowledge in food utilization and diversification
8. Poor marketing strategies and limited access to market outlets
9. Most women adults can’t access banking services1, and are unemployed making it difficult for parents and guardians to bring in income and save for their children’s basic needs (such as education, nutrition, clothing and health).

Pre- and post-harvest losses of crop produce. According to the World Health Organisation helping vulnerable families to progressively achieve and sustain income growth can contribute to ending violence against children. KAWODEP is using a savings group which is member-owned and composed of a small number of people who save together in a safe, convenient and flexible way. They use a simple, transparent method to accumulate and convert small amounts of cash into savings that can then be lent to members as credit. KAWODEP is working with the women farmers in the project area to address food insecurity and economic gaps with a view of improving their livelihoods through:

• Collaboration with international and local research centres
• Provision of improved seed varieties
• Enhance capacity of households, adolescent girls and women for economic empowerment.
• Improve food production for nutrition and market for targeted household.
• Improve conflict sensitive water and environmental management for sustainable livelihood for targeted households.
• Increased access to markets and market information
• Improved skills and knowledge on appropriate agronomic practices.
• Training on financial management and business plans
• Training on proper food handling, preservation/value addition and utilization.
• Linking women farmers to financial institutions such as One Acre Fund, KWFT, Equity Bank and K- Rep Bank operating in the project area for credit purposes
• Promoting local participants’ savings and loan groups that build on the traditional Rotating Savings and Credit Association (ROSCA) methodology.
• Organize and conduct farmers’ field days, sensitization meetings with government officials, and holding agricultural stakeholder forums. We provide the young women with the tools for future success in academics, the labour force and community leadership.