Lunga Lunga Project

Kenyan Coast

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At Lunga Lunga, Fairoils is working to establish a new industry and new income opportunities for local communities. We directly employ over one hundred people, and work with around 1000 small-scale farmers while supporting practical initiatives that address poverty.

The Lunga Lunga project is located on the southern coastline of Kenya’s Kwale County, very close to the Tanzanian border.

Hot, humid weather and two annual rainy seasons make farming in this region challenging for many crops. Fairoils has selected oil-bearing tree crops well-suited to this environment, which have started to thrive and help reshape communities.

There is little infrastructure in this part of Kwale Province, due to its remote location away from other Kenyan settlements. Land ownership in this region is in constant dispute, with many residents forced to squat on their ancestral land.

With overcrowded schools and no major industry for employment opportunities, many Lunga Lunga farmers are trapped in a cycle of poverty.

The majority of farmers that partner with Fairoils live in simple mud huts with grass roofs. Many are subsistence farmers who grow crops to just meet the needs of their families.

Local goals

Fairoils aims to reduce poverty in Lunga Lunga, while also improving healthcare, education and access to clean water.

We also want to help landless people secure their own land, ensuring they have a legal asset underpinning their livelihood.

Fairoils’ approach

At Lunga Lunga, Fairoils supplies all plant seedlings on a revolving credit facility, where the cost of these inputs can be repaid from harvest income.

Small-scale farmers are supported by Fairoils’ commercial farm. This farm demonstrates Fairoils’ long-term commitment to working in partnership with the community.

At the commercial farm, farmers can see first-hand the crops that Fairoils grows. They gain knowledge, learning about the crops, the skills needed to grow them and regenerative farming practices.

There is also a commercial processing facility on the farm. Material produced by thousands of out-growers can be processed in this large facility. Four European-designed stills have been installed, chosen for their engineering and durability. All equipment runs on energy provided by biomass boilers fed by briquettes of bio-waste and solar panels installed on the roof.

Between the farm and the processing facility, Fairoils employs more than 100 local people.

998

small-scale farmers

Many farmers’ families are involved in growing.

40%

of farmers are female

This growing industry creates opportunities for women to participate.

450

acres of land being farmed

Helping rural farmers grow new crops and develop vital skills to gain a valuable second income from their land.

field officers

Field officers provide agricultural education and support.

different crops grown

Tea tree
Eucalyptus
Citriodora
Moringa
Sesame
Vetiver

Community impact

Fairoils has established several community-based organisations (CBOs) in Lunga Lunga through raw material premiums.

The CBOs vote on how the funds will be distributed for a livelihood project. Funds have been used to:

create a scholarship program, allowing 25 children to attend high school
expand the Kiwegu Dispensary to provide maternity services
establish a cancer screening camp

Through a strategic partnership with the World Bank, Fairoils is co-funding the construction of a seedling nursery and installation of briquetting equipment. The World Bank is also providing funds for community initiatives, including drip-kit systems, water tanks and health and clean water initiatives—measures that have a big impact on living standards.

These funds will go into a CBO to be distributed to the community. Each farmer group in a CBO of 30 farmers gets awarded USD$30,000 to implement how it will be spent for the benefit of their whole group or community. Grants of this size allow important priorities to be addressed, bringing new hope and opportunity.