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Development that encompasses economic, social and environmental well being of the society, otherwise known as sustainable development, has been the vision of many organizations. The Sustainable Development Intiative Centre (SUDIC), a non-profit initiative centre currently based at the United States University of Africa (USIU), Nairobi is one such organization. It was started in 2005 to provide the much needed impetus for research, knowledge awareness and solutions to sustainable development. It also aims at enabling active participation and contribution to the achievement of sustainable development in all developing countries through joint partnerships with international regional and national institutions.
SUDIC is currently involved in education and awareness on importance of indigenous vegetables within the USIU campus. This activity was greatly inspired by the resourceful information contained in the PROTA 2: ‘Vegetables’ handbook. The information from the handbook helped in the prioritization, propagation and documentation of nutritional properties of indigenous vegetables. Information cards on the nutritional and medicinal importance of each of the selected vegetables were prepared for awareness creation among the students and staff of USIU. The catering department at the university has been sensitized to include more African indigenous vegetables in their menu
According to Ms. Evelyn Otiato,a Program Administrator at SUDIC, the handbook points out the need for conservation and domestication due to the fast disappearance of these vegetables from overexploitation, dwindling knowledge of wild food amongst the younger generations, loss of natural habitats and the decline of intercropping in favour of sole cropping and better weed control thus fewer edible weeds.
A demonstration garden was also established with several species of the indigenous vegetables and legumes using the seed obtained from the gene bank at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). They included Crotalaria ochreleuca (crotalaria), Amaranthus spp (amaranth), Solanum nigrum (African nightshade) and Cleome gynandra (spider plant). Stem cuttings of Urtica massaica (stinging nettle) were obtained from a nearby farmer but there was no growth out of those propagated. A seed bank was also established for the indigenous vegetables species using seeds from the demonstration garden. During the education and awareness fairs, students and staff from the university visit the demonstration garden to familiarize themselves with the different species of indigenous vegetables available in their locality.
In addition, USIU has established a pharmacy program in collaboaration with Shenyang University in China, to begin in the spring of 2011. SUDIC has prepared a list of potential medicinal plants for analysis from the PROTA handbook on medicinal plants. The list indicates both scientific and traditional names of the plants and their uses. The initial proposal to start the program heavily borrowed from the analysis SUDIC had done with the medicinal plants based on information from PROTA 2: ‘Vegetables’ and PROTA 11 (1): Medicinal plants. The information contained in the two books has provided useful base information on the already documented uses and properties of some of the medicinal plants in the region. “This program aims to survey plants with medicinal value from Kenya, and the rest of Africa, and establish nurseries from documented propagation techniques”, says Prof. Muniafu, one of the founder of the Program. According to him, dramatic land use changes have occurred on the continent over the past few decades resulting in the loss of natural vegetation habitats. The remaining isolated patches of natural vegetation are under great pressure at times with unsustainable harvest methods. “These patches can only be conserved if we demonstrate ways in which they can be exploited without destruction”, he says.
SUDIC will work with selected farmers to produce and market the indigenous vegetables and other medicinal plants products. Ultimately livelihoods of the citizens will be improved and pressure will be reduced on the natural habitats.
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