Agri-Business Youth Group treasurer Anne Wanjiku Njoroge plants a flower in a vase at Dagoretti North, Nairobi County.
Gatina estate in Dagoretti North constituency, Nairobi, is a hive of activities, with a group of young people leading the way.
Some members of the group are tending to thriving vegetables while others are busy feeding fish at a pond. The third group is involved in floriculture.
While a majority of farmers in Kenya focus solely on food crops, these young men and women are exploring other agricultural ventures. They capitalise on upcycling opportunities to create vases that serve aesthetic and entrepreneurial purposes.
Clients come to the group for these vases, with many ending up buying flowers too.
The vases decorate the premises of the group. It is a sight to behold.
When the Seeds of Gold team arrives, we bump into young people handing in plastic, glass and other waste in sacks.
Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group chairman Peter Muisyo and members are busy collecting and weighing the “trash”.
This is part of Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group’s mission: gathering and recycling waste to create products that can fetch money.
“We mainly get the raw materials from street families,” Muisyo says.
“Getting the raw materials is not a problem as such, since the city is always littered. There are volunteers who supply the materials too.”
Muisyo says transforming waste into vases can revolutionise floriculture. He adds that it can enhance sustainability and reduce the impact of waste, especially plastic, on the environment.
Gatina Agri-Business Youth Group Chairman Peter Muisyo tends to vegetables at the farm in Dagoretti North, Nairobi County.
“By repurposing discarded items into vases, farmers and florists can cut down on waste that would end up in landfills,” he says.
“This supports the circular economy, where materials are continually reused rather than disposed of, thereby minimising the overall impact on the environment associated with traditional vase production.”
Muisyo says Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group contributies to a greener, more eco-friendly floriculture.
He says the group’s efforts have improved the economic wellbeing of many in the flower industry in Dagoretti and beyond.
“Flower farmers and florists have told us that they are saving a lot of money through utilising inexpensive materials instead of buying commercial vases,” Muisyo tells the Seeds of Gold.
To expand its scope, Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group has partnered with other organisations by sharing resources.
“We work with the Raising HeARTS Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping children in orphanages,” he says.
“Together, we conduct training on recycling waste material and crafting items from cartons, discarded clothes, metal, plastic and glass. This equips children with valuable skills,” Muisyo says.
Gatina Agri-Business Youth Group member Haman Ndung'u displays flowerpots made from waste materials.
“They have been part of us when it comes to designing vases and other activities.”
Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group offers vases with or without flowers, depending on the preferences of the customers. The prices vary, depending on size, type and materials used in making a vase.
The flowers grown on Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group’s farm include cyprus, rose, proton, white anthurium, lilly, flamingo, palms and begonia.
The sweet smell of blooming flowers is a metaphor for the flourishing of Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group.
According to Muisyo, floriculture and vase-making are helping the young people earn a living, even though Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group is in the process of developing other revenue streams.
“That was the intention of forming the group in 2019,” Muisyo says.
“Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group began with 10 young people – five males and an equal number of females. We wanted to create a profitable enterprise.”
The founders had been jobless for long.
“We had tarmacked for years, in pursuit of jobs. This endeavour was our way of turning those challenges into opportunities,” he says.
Gatina Agribusiness Youth Group Treasurer, Anne Njoroge, says its products have been sold to customers in Nairobi and other counties.
“Referrals from satisfied clients have helped expand our reach,” she says.
“We have also embraced social media marketing strategies to identify and connect with new customers.”
