Traditional medicine trade and uses in the surveyed medicine markets of Western Kenya

Background: There exist vast traditional medicine and herbal remedies prescribed for diseases and socio-cultural ills that are sold in local medicine markets.Objectives: To assess the common traditional medicine traded in the local medicine markets and used for treating common diseases.Methods: The study was carried out in nine purposively selected medicine markets spread out in seven administrative counties of Western Kenya. Purposive sampling with elements of snow ball method was employed in the identification of willing respondents.In addition, face to face interviews were conducted with the aid of a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire that sought to extract a targeted and expertise information from the respondents.Results: The survey recorded 45 commonly traded plant families composed of 78 genera and 87 medicinal plant species. Meliaceae, Apocynaceae and Fabaceae were leading plant families whereas Trichilia emetica, Azadirachta indica, Dregea schimperi and Aloe spp. were commonly traded.Conclusion: Traditional medicine traded in the local medicine markets continue to play a significant role in the treatment of common diseases. Frequently traded medicinal plant species should be prioritized for conservation.Keywords: Traditional Medicine; Common disease treated; Medicine markets

Rethinking the Kibera ‘Slum’: The Role of Social Networks as a Mechanism for Coping with the Increased Demand for Job Opportunities

Rural-urban migration is a livelihood strategy used to increase income at the household level. This study proposes four stages of livelihood enhancement in the urban informal sector: (1) Migration from rural to urban areas, (2) Entering an informal sector, (3) Formation of self-help groups and local enterprises and (4) Expansion of stable income-generating activities. At these different stages, social networks play critical roles in connecting new migrants to the assets and networks that they need to increase and stabilize their income. At the forth stage, migrants who operate local enterprises start creating ties with their business partners in the formal sector. Yet, they tend to choose to remain in the informal sector because of the better access to income, assets and networks. The traditional dualistic view of labour market, which is segmented into the formal and informal sectors, is not applicable to the cases observed in Kibera because the residents’ ultimate goal for livelihood enhancement is not solely to enter the formal market but also to maximize their income. Economic activities observed in Kibera cannot be fully explained by applying the existing studies and general theories of ‘slum’ as evidenced by this study. Comprehending the current state of Kibera leads to plentiful implication for expanding the theory and practice of sustainable development the in the informal sector. Keywords: Kibera, Informal sector, Social networks, Job market, Sustainable Developmen

Appraisal of Community Forest Associations in Advancing Livelihood and Conservation Agenda. A Comparative Study of Urban and Rural Forests in Kenya

The twin goals of participatory forest management as adopted by many developing countries are to foster sustainable forest management and to reduce poverty. In Kenya, various legal and policy reforms have been introduced and attempts have been made to devolve use and forest management rights to local communities. It remains debatable whether communitiesrsquo participation has yielded the intended improvements in livelihood and good governance. It would be no exaggeration to say that the study of forests and rural community livelihoods has been central to the development of scholarship on impacts of PFM on livelihoods. Equally certainly, the interest in forests has generated a need to consider the same in the light of urban forestry. This studynbsp based on participatory forest management program (PFM) in Ngongrsquo Road forest in Nairobi City County and Kiptuget in Baringo County Kenya was conducted with the aims of establishing factors motivating membersrsquo participation and identifying and describing the conservation and income generating activities undertaken and their effects on members livelihoods.nbsp Quantitative and qualitative data was collected through questionnaires, interview of key informants, focus group discussions and literature reviews. The results show that in both NRFA and KICOFA, factors related to perceived benefits in terms of economic, social, factors, forest products and services, appreciation of nature and conservation were motivations for participation. Further, the study realized that despite the fact that both CFAs had an array of IGAs aimed at supplementing their livelihoods and easing pressure on the forest, NRFA had made more significant progress in terms of realizing these activities as compared to KICOFA.nbsp It was further realized that though there was a general similar trend in terms of average earning from engaging in PFM, the study noted that in both KICOFA and NRFA, averagely 50% of the members were satisfied with the benefits. It was further observed that majority of members both in KICOFA and NRFA indicated that PFM has had large positive impact on their livelihood and thus their household were in a better position that before joining the CFA.nbs