FACTORS AFFECTING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY PROJECTS IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID LANDS, KENYA.THE CASE OF FOOD SECURITY PROJECTS IN TURKANA COUNTY

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

Over the years, the government of Kenya and development partners have invested in community food security projects as a way of helping local people improve their own lives and livelihoods. A number of communities in Kenya have been given grants and technical support by both local and international donors, with the intention of helping them combat food insecurity and reduce poverty . The purpose of this research was to determine the factors that could be responsible for these food security projects not continuing to achieve their objectives and, therefore, for the persistent food insecurity even among these funded groups. The site for the study was Turkana County. The study objectives were; to assess the effect of Community Project Management training on sustainability of community food security projects in ASAL, Kenya, to determine the extent to which thoroughness of the needs assessment within communities affects sustainability of food security projects in ASAL, Kenya . Primary data was collected using questionnaires. Triangulation was done to ensure validity by rephrasing the questions to ensure validity and the data collection instruments were pretested using peers to ensure reliability. The questionnaires were filled after which the data was analyzed and checked for errors in response. Operationalization of variables was also presented to show the overview of the study. The data collected was processed through tabulation and tallying, thereafter it was coded and analyzed by use of measures of content analysis. The data was then presented using tables and charts. The study revealed that majority 57.1% agreed that community project management training played a major role in the sustainability of food security projects. 71.4% of the respondents strongly agreed that food security projects done where project management training has been done to the farmers perform better. 85.7% of the respondents disagreed that they understood the process of needs assessment. 57.1% disagreed that the Community was involved in the food security projects from the initial stages, most of them attested that they are only made aware of the project when everything has been planned. 71.4% agreed that Food security projects done where community systems have been put in place are more sustainable. From the study it was concluded that: the community beneficiaries participating in Food Security programs did not receive adequate training on how to manage the projects hence when the partners left they were not able to manage the projects to be able to continue over a longer time other than the project timelines; it was also established that need assessment on food security projects in Turkana County was not thoroughly done. From the results the study recommended that for sustainability of food security projects in ASAL to be achieved there was need for the development partners to ensure that Community Project Management training is done to all the stakeholders; thoroughness of the needs assessment within communities is done to ensure the root problems are identified. Key Words: Sustainability, Community Food, Security Projects