By Lenah Bosibori

In the expansive Nyalenda slums of Kisumu, a youth led transformative agricultural project is shaping and creating new opportunities for youths in agriculture.

Through the Kisumu Young Agropreneurs (KIYA) project, many young farmers are gaining skills and venturing into agri-businesses.

The project implemented by the German International Development (GIZ) “Agri-Jobs 4 Youth”, through KIYA has trained 3,000 young farmers aged 18-35 years in agriculture and food sector.

Lilian Chepng’etich is one the beneficiaries who has benefited from the project from the 3,000 trained and one of the 2,600 who have been able to start their own ventures.

“I saw my friends benefit from KIYA, and I decided to join. I was mentored, trained, and now I’m a trainer of trainers (TOT), working with 70 per cent women. KIYA has opened doors for me,” says Kipng’etich.

Through KIYA, Chepng’etich has also partnered with other organizations like Mastercard, who have helped her to build a poultry house for 200 birds. Kiya also links her to a ready market for her farm produce that consist of tomatoes, kales, cassava and poultry.

“I have managed to find ready market for farm produce through KIYA, finding markets for her market.

Chepng’etich also practices Black Soldier Fly farming (BSF) an eco-friendly and innovative approach that is commonly used in sustainable agriculture and waste management.

Stephen Onyango, a value chain leader and mentor with KIYA, also shares how the project has been able to address farming gaps in the community.

“Before the projects started, not many youths were in agriculture, but now, we have seen many more joining,” says Onyango.

Roy Odawa, KIYA’s team leader, says that they have trained 3,000 young farmers, and 2,300 have launched their own agribusiness ventures.

He added that around 60 percent of farmers have seen their incomes rise, creating job opportunities for others in the community.

He further notes that they focus on agroecology that utilizes the available methods of pests control and also help produce food sustainably in a safe environment.

                                              School going children

Further, the team is in the process of rolling out the same initiative in the eight public primary schools around Nyalenda to teach the young children the principles of food production and security.

“We have seen a gap, being that we are stationed in a slum area, we have been concentrating on the youth but we realized that we have very many children who don’t understand agriculture,” added Odawa.

Odawa says that with support from the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), we are beginning to establish school farms as from January 2025 in eight public primary schools in the area.

“These farms will not only serve as training grounds but also provide food subsidies to the schools,” he adds.

He says that under the program, teachers have been brought on board as so far eight teachers have been trained in six value chains namely African little vegetables, poultry, tomato, cassava, aquaculture, and other climate action mitigation issues like Black Soldier Fly (BSF) that is organic.

KIYA promotes organic farming methods, using natural products such as Tithonia and BSF frass fertilizer for pest control and soil enrichment.

The project covers diverse value chains, including indigenous vegetables, poultry, tomatoes, cassava, and aquaculture.

“We collaborate with GIZ in ensuring that we give the young farmers the skills required and be capable of sustaining their farming by starting their own ventures,” he adds.

Daniel Owino, the liaison officer between the county government of Kisumu and GIZ adds that the impact is tangible.

“Kisumu County’s food imports have dropped significantly from 90 percent to less than 50 percent,” he explains.

Owino notes that when they started developing the Kisumu agri- preneurs strategy, unemployment among youth aged 18-35 was at 49.5 percent but this has since reduced.

He says that there are plans to inject Kenya Shillings 50 million through local banks to enable additional youths access resources to invest in agribusiness.

KIYA’s goal is to make agriculture appealing to the youth, challenging the notion that farming is only for older generations.

“As young people continue to gain skills, mentorship and market linkages, they are becoming role models for the others and inspiring them to join the agricultural movement,” adds Owino.

According to Owino, the project has helped the youths to gain skills, market their products, and carry out advocacy.

“Most of these young farmers do not own land, but through GIZ, we have been able to lease land to enable them utilize them for farming,” he adds.

The converted youths, Owino says, have become role models to other young people who could not believe that they can get support from established organizations without tittle deeds.

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