Paka Family Farm - Neema Group

Bioregional

Land Node

Land Node Description

The Paka Family Farm is a one-and-a-half-acre family homestead in Kiriba Village within the Takaungu Creek watershed of coastal Kilifi County, Kenya. It serves as the host site for the Neema group, a Mwerya rotational labour circle coordinated through Grassroots Economics Foundation. The group practices household mutual aid — visiting members’ homes in rotation to help with digging, planting trees, cultivating maize and fruit crops, and making makuti (coconut palm leaf thatch) for roofing. Three households share the property, which produces mangoes as the primary cash crop alongside bananas and other fruit trees. The family also keeps goats and chickens, selling animals to supplement farm income. Rainwater harvesting supports household water needs. Asya Ahmed, the current Mwerya host and a newer member of the group, describes her wish as wanting to learn more about Mwerya practices and to see the farm grow into good condition so that the trees and crops help the families earn income. The Neema group is one of several community circles in Kiriba connected to the Mnyumbuni demonstration farm and learning hub, where members gain skills in regenerative farming and economic coordination through the Sarafu Network commitment pooling platform.

Project Purpose

To strengthen household food security and livelihood resilience on the Paka family homestead through Mwerya rotational labour, fruit tree cultivation, livestock husbandry, and mutual aid among neighbours, coordinated through the Sarafu Network commitment pooling platform and rooted in Giriama ancestral traditions of collective care among the Mijikenda peoples of the Kenya coast. The project demonstrates that even small family plots can generate meaningful income and food security when neighbours organise themselves through shared labour and trusted coordination tools.

Paka Family Farm – Neema Group

Bioregional Location: East African Coastal Forests, Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane Coastal Forest Mosaic (AT7)

Political Location: Kilifi, Kilifi County, Coast Region, Kenya

Project
Details

*This Bioregional Land Node is working with Mycelium to collect and display more information about their land, community, and regenerative practices.

Vision

We envision the Paka Family Farm thriving with healthy, productive fruit trees generating steady income for the three households while providing shade, habitat, and food security. Through continued Mwerya participation with the Neema group, the family deepens regenerative farming knowledge learned at Mnyumbuni. Asya Ahmed expresses the collective aspiration: to see the farm growing in good condition so that the trees provide income. In twenty years, tree cover expanded, soils enriched, rainwater harvesting scaled, and Mwerya practice carried forward by the next generation.

Primary Environmental Objectives

Expand fruit tree cover to increase canopy, reduce erosion, and improve soil health. Integrate livestock manure into composting. Scale up rainwater harvesting. Reduce purchased inputs by cycling on-farm organic matter. Contribute to landscape habitat connectivity within the Takaungu Creek watershed corridor.

Primary Community Objectives

Strengthen food security and income for three families through diversified fruit trees, maize, and livestock. Deepen participation in the Neema Mwerya group. Maintain makuti thatching as income and cultural continuity. Support newer members like Asya Ahmed in gaining Mwerya confidence. Connect to training at Mnyumbuni for regenerative technique transfer.

Regenerative Focus

Community Regeneration & Resilience Building, Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Health, Indigenous And Traditional Knowledge, Regenerative Entrepreneurship, Regenerative Finance & Impact Investing, Traditional Crafts & Cultural Heritage, Participatory & Regenerative Governance

Regenerative Methodologies

Community coordination through Mwerya rotational labour — Neema group visits members' homesteads for digging, planting, makuti thatching, and tree care. Fruit tree cultivation as long-term income and ecological asset — mango trees generate seasonal cash. Integrated livestock (goats, chickens) provide protein, income, and manure for soil building. Rainwater harvesting. Training from Mnyumbuni in composting, mulching, and tree planting. Economic coordination through Sarafu Network Community Asset Vouchers.