Living in Nairobi, one can never be so sure of the vegetables you take in. With the limited supply of clean water, farmers sometimes use sewage water for planting. At CIS, we partner with private schools on gardening projects. Our harvest comes directly from the school garden, with the minimal amount of fertilizer applied. We partner with local suppliers and …
At CIS, we never let ourselves be led by what people want of us. We move, we set the standard, and we lead the niche. Last week, CIS kick-started sack gardening project with SS school, marking our official operation in Nakuru, the 4th largest city in Kenya. Within the following 12 months, CIS will train a new cohort of sack …
If you talk with CIS’s partner schools, you will find it surprising that most of them have launched similar revenue-generating initiatives before CIS came in. Why then, would CIS be able to create value while our partner schools find it hard to excel? Sustainability is at the heart of CIS. Before we implement a project with schools, we spend a …
At CIS we always reach for the top. Having been troubled by pest and disease problems in some of our partner schools, we are now turning into a cutting-edge agri-solution: Plant Tissue Culture. This week, we invite our agricultural associate Chepkirui Herine, to give a 1-minute presentation on Plant Tissue Culture. – Chung (project manager, CIS): So tell me Herine, what is …
In CIS we not only grow crops, we grow a bunch of passionate students. Since CIS signed off first partnership in 2017, we worked hard to integrate the CIS package into our partner schools’ normal activities. Take an illustration. At Kanyorosha, one of our partner schools in Nairobi – they have students involved in taking care of the plants, day in …
Too many NGOs’ decisions are driven by a board of management who never visited Kenya, but somewhat ‘know exactly how Kenya works’. In CIS we take Kenyans to manage the projects on the ground. Earlier this month, CIS has taken in 3 new blood from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Agwa, Herine and Brian. They are mainly responsible for managing …
At CIS we believe in getting the locals to work with locals. We hire Kenyan staff to communicate and co-create solutions with partner schools. Over 90% of our ground staff and ground volunteers are Kenyan students / graduates. We empower the youth, so in the future they can make more impact to the country. Upon harvesting, crops are often sold to …
CIS always rides on the latest trend. After a successful sack gardening pilot with our partner school, we have launched another agri-innovation package – Hydroponics Farming. Constrained by space and time? Hydroponics is the saver! This soil-less farming technique is a niche business among young farmers in Kenya. Hydroponics work with water-system and require minimal supervision. With local expertise, CIS …
Have an idea for slum schools, but lack the resources to realize it? Celebrating the 2nd birthday of CIS, we are now selecting 2 innovative ideas from YOU to turn it into reality! CIS will find you pilot partners, provide funding and even dedicate our staff to work on your idea. Send us a 1-5 page proposal by end of …
This year, CIS has made a new shift in management strategy. We decided to co-design capacity and revenue generating projects individually with our partner schools. Co-Creation is now on the top of CIS’s list. There is a co-creation board formed in every school, representing interests from parents and teachers. They provide CIS with various project ideas so we can assess …
