Since 2013, the Millennium Community Development Initiatives (MCDI) has been facilitating the Athi River Community Network (ARCN). The ARCN network is made up of community groups, including Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs), Community Forestry Associations (CFAs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) working on environmental issues along the Athi River. At approximately 400 kilometers long, the Athi River is the second longest river in Kenya and it starts as springs and streams in Kiambu and Kajiado Counties, it then flows through the city of Nairobi and through the semi-arid Ukambani counties. From Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Tsavo River joins the Athi River, which then flows into the Indian Ocean in Kilifi County. The Athi-Galana-Sabaki River, indicates the different names of the river along its course.
MCDI has facilitated networking activities among the members of the ARCN Network and also provided small grants for the communities to implement livelihood and environmental conservation activities in their respective areas. With funding from several donors, especially the Global Greengrants Fund (GGF), CDTF and Both ENDS Foundation, communities along the Athi River have implemented water projects, sand dams, drip irrigation, spring protection, forest rehabilitation, ecotourism activities and renewable energy projects, including biogas digesters, energy efficient biomass stoves and solar lighting kits.

This proposal focuses on the activities of communities living in the upper catchment of the Athi River, specifically activities in and around the Thogoto/Dagoretti Forest that is at the southern tip of Kiambu County, bordering Kajiado and Nairobi Counties. The Dagoretti Forest Block, locally known as the Thogoto Forest, is a 763 hectares forest under the jurisdiction of the Kenya Forest Service. More than 90% of the Thogoto Forest is eucalyptus plantations with only 7% of the forest being indigenous. This indigenous section of the forest has numerous springs and is one of the main sources of the Mbagathi
River with a key spring in the forest referred to as the Gitwe kia Mbagathi (Headwaters of the Mbagathi river).
In collaboration with the Thogoto CFA and the Ngong Hills Mbagathi WRUA, MCDI has implemented the following activities in and around the Thogoto Forest (see photos attached);

? Construction of the Karinde Water Project that draws water from springs in Thogoto Forest to supply the surrounding Karinde (Karen-End) Village and the Kererapon Suburb in Kajiado County.
? Fencing of approximately 20 hectares of the indigenous forest, with a 1.5 kilometer solar fence, to protect it from destruction by livestock and human activities
? Construction of a cattle and goat trough to water the livestock
? Purchase of a portable energy efficient firewood stove from the Renewable Energy Assistance Programme (RETAP) by the Graceful Widows Self Help Group through a slow payment plan.
? Construction of a 34 cubic meters fixed-dome biogas latrine at Dagoretti Market, with a restaurant that uses the biogas, retail shops and a water kiosk and laundry facilities. (2016 SEED Award Winner for Gender Equality)
? Installation of a 12 cubic meters flexi-biogas digester at the Dagoretti Market biolatrine site that is connected to the expanded kitchen.

Building upon these previous projects that have been running successfully, MCDI Foundation proposes to construct a biogas latrine at the Thogoto Forest, to enhance ecotourism activities in the forest. This biogas latrine will be constructed by Biogas International, which has developed an above-ground digester that is cheaper to construct than the traditional fixed-dome digester. Biogas from the toilet will be used for cooking and the bio-slurry from the human waste will be used for tree planting and at the CFA commercial tree nursery in the forest.
Farmers along the Mbagathi River will be trained on organic farming and on the use of bio-slurry and also be assisted to package and market their produce. The training will be conducted by the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) staff, with market linkages also being provided for their produce.

The current capacity for biogas production at the Dagoretti Market Biolatrine has increased substantially with the installation of the flexi-biogas digester. MCDI is currently collaborating with the Community Action for Change women?s group that currently manages the biolatrine to expand the kitchen to have a communal kitchen where customers will be charged a fee for cooking food based on the time they use. The bio-slurry that will be produced will be used to promote organic farming among farmers along the Mbagathi River in the Karinde Village.

The Project will conduct educational tours of the members of the Athi River Community Network, to learn about renewable energy, sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation, conservation agriculture, ecotourism and other nature-based enterprises being implemented by members of the ARCN network and also by other identified community groups.