The bridgebuilder Foun­da­tion e.V., in coop­er­a­tion with the Kan­tor­ka Foun­da­tion, sup­port­ed a project aimed at sus­tain­able food secu­ri­ty. The goal was to estab­lish a mush­room cul­ti­va­tion facil­i­ty at Tabasamu Children’s Home to improve local access to pro­tein-rich nutri­tion and cre­ate income oppor­tu­ni­ties for the home.

Loca­tion: Kitale, Kenya
Peri­od: 2024
Project Vol­ume: 1,549,000 KSH (approx. 11,499 EUR)
Part­ner Organizations: OTEPIC, Tabasamu Children’s Home

Objective

The project aimed to improve the nutri­tion­al sit­u­a­tion and estab­lish sus­tain­able income sources for Tabasamu Children’s Home. By devel­op­ing mush­room cul­ti­va­tion, fresh food is pro­vid­ed while gen­er­at­ing income through the sale of fresh and dried mushrooms.

Implementation

A suit­able, shad­ed, and ter­mite-proof struc­ture was built to accom­mo­date all phas­es of mush­room production—from inoc­u­la­tion and growth to pro­cess­ing and dry­ing using a solar-pow­ered dry­er. The used sub­strate is recy­cled as mulch and soil enhancer after harvest.

15 women are employed in the project, and the chil­dren at the home are active­ly involved, gain­ing hands-on expe­ri­ence in mush­room farming.

Impact
  • Food Secu­ri­ty: Mush­rooms enrich the children’s dai­ly diet with nutri­ent-dense, pro­tein-rich food.
  • Income Gen­er­a­tion: Sur­plus mush­rooms are sold local­ly, fresh or dried.
  • Knowl­edge Trans­fer: Women and chil­dren gain prac­ti­cal skills in sus­tain­able food production.
  • Soil Fer­til­i­ty: Myceli­um-rich waste improves soil health in the garden.
  • Mar­ket Poten­tial: High demand for mush­rooms in local hotels high­lights the eco­nom­ic opportunity.

We sin­cere­ly thank the Kan­tor­ka Foun­da­tion for their gen­er­ous finan­cial sup­port of this impor­tant project!