RDI AT THE KAKUMA REFUGEE CAMP
GROWSTREAM™ PRODUCES HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCE FOR RESIDENTS OF THE KAKUMA REFUGEE CAMP.
In March of 2019, Peter Chege from Hydroponics Africa Limited became RDI’s East Africa distributor. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Peter has been building hydroponic and vertical garden systems for over 8 years. Now with RDI’s plant-responsive system, Peter has seen tremendous results with over 50% reduction in water use. Tomato yield per plant rose from 9kg to 11kg with RDI. Peter was even able to cut labor in half due to the simplicity of GrowStream™.
Peter set up pilot projects in the Kakuma Refugee Camp located in northwestern Kenya. As one of the world’s largest refugee camps, Kakuma houses nearly 250,000 refugees and displaced persons. Support and aid flows from various agencies throughout the world to Kakuma in the form of food for the residents. Agriculture and local food production is virtually impossible due to the harsh climate and soil conditions.
Several crops were planted with RDI GrowStream™ including tomotoes and watermelon. They
were planted during a particularly hot and dry time- and the survival of the crop was doubtful. GrowStream™ performed perfectly, allowing the plants to take what they needed to grow, thrive, and produce- even in extremely challenging conditions. The pilot projects have seen incredible success and now have a way for Kakuma residents to begin growing nutritious produce locally.
Peter has now started pilot projects in Darfur refugee camps, home to another 100k+ refugees in Sudan.