A youth-led initiative in Kisumu county is transforing agriculture and empowering young people to build successful careers.
Under the Agri-Jobs4Youth programme, young farmers grow crops for income with support of the national government, Germany and local partners.
Through the German Agency for International Cooperation, the programme offers training, market linkages and access to innovative farming techniques to thousands of young people in the region.
In Nyalenda, Roy Odawa, the chairman of Kisumu Young Agripreneurs, is on a mission to transform the lives of young farmers.
The organisation, now three years old, helps to build the skills and capacity of young people enaged in agriculture and connects them to markets.
Odawa said Kiya has trained over 3,000 young farmers, of whom 2,300 have successfully launched their own agribusiness ventures.
He said 60 per cent of the farmers had reported increased productivity and higher incomes.
“Young farmers are now seeing money in their pockets,” Odawa said.
One of the key approaches of the organisation is integrating ecological farming practices. Odawa advocates for agroecology, which not only ensures safer food production but also helps to lower costs.
This is important as the price of inorganic fertilisers continues to skyrocket.
“A 50kg bag of fertiliser costs over Sh6,000, which is unaffordable for many young farmers. But if we train them to produce their own organic fertiliser, the cost of production drops significantly.”
Kiya primarily targets youths aged 18 to 35, but Odawa has recognised a gap in early education.
His team has introduced a project
to educate children about sustainable agriculture.
They plan to establish school farms and train teachers to help
children learn about how to grow
food in an environmentally sustainable way.