Global Labour Programme – Inclusive Futures Project

Budget	Ksh. 73M
Location	Kisumu, Homabay and Migori counties
Outreach	Smallholder Farmers, Farmers with disabilities
Partners	Sight savers, United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK), LINC, Kenya Female Advisory Organisation (KEFEADO), The Central Organization of Trade Unions, (COTU-K), Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), ULULA, Equal Rights Trust (ERT)

Context:

A 5 year USAID funded interventions aimed at empowering farmers with disabilities with good farming practices, enhancing their knowledge on labor rights and linking them to Kenya Breweries Limited sorghum supply value chain who provide a ready market for their produce. The program runs from October 2021 through September 2026 and is designed under the social inclusion thematic area, the program aims to empower producers and workers with disabilities in value chains on their labour rights.

Objectives:

To demonstrate that a set of relational capacity building interventions along value chains (CCBA & EABL) lead to improved levels of employment among people, particularly women and men with disabilities, as well as improvement in the protection of their labor rights.

Key Activities:

Outcome 1
More women and men with disabilities (and their enterprises) participate confidently in labor markets and enjoy and exercise their labor rights. The activities include:
1. Mobilization of small holder sorghum farmers including farmers with disabilities
2. Provision of agronomic support services to farmers to increase productivity and improve quality
3. Aggregation of sorghum harvests by Network Managers (Agri entrepreneurs) to EABL.

Outcome 2 
OPDs and Trade Unions increasingly support women and men with disabilities and the private sector by promoting and protecting labor rights;

Outcome 3
Brands and value chain employers champion, apply, and measure inclusive & fair practices which align to global and national legislation on decent work principles; and,

Outcome 4
Governments comply with their obligations to ensure equal participation in employment under existing national and global conventions, through the enforcement of anti-discrimination legislation.

Outcome 5 
Consumers take collective actions which influence employment practices along national and transnational value chains

Achievements (so far):

• Recruited and enrolled over 5,000 smallholder farmers producing sorghum out of which 877 are people with disabilities.
• Recruited and developed over 140 agri-entreprenuers to provide agricultural services such as inputs, mechanization, aggregation, advisory and finance linkages.
• Training farmers and farmers hub on Good agricultural practices through theory , on farm practical lessons and field days 
• Supported the county government in facilitating County Agricultural Sector Steering Committee (CASSCOM) promoting peer-to-peer learning events with other stakeholders on food systems and also promoting collaboration
• Facilitated registration of 3 sorghum farmers SACCO in county of Kisumu , Homabay and Migori to facilitate financial access for smallholder farmers.