Premium
No more Nairobi dreams: Rural youth find 'wealth and happiness' in village hubs
The European Union programme 'Boosting Sustainable Food Production in Kenya' is transforming agriculture into a source of jobs, wealth and happiness for the country's young people.
Funded by a €10 million (Sh1.52 billion) grant from the EU and managed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the initiative is being implemented by the State Department
of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Firmly rooted in Kenya’s devolved system, the initiative sees targeted county governments leading implementation in their respective counties, working closely with other key
stakeholders and partners across five counties: Bungoma, Kakamega, Homa Bay, Migori and Nandi.
“I thought I would have to leave for Nairobi to find work, but now, right here in my village, I am earning money, training other young people and showing them that farming can
be modern and enjoyable,” says Silvier Akoli, a young hub leader.
She adds that Kenya’s youth unemployment rate remains high, with nearly one in five young people unemployed, despite many of them being graduates.
The EU-funded programme has already helped establish ten agro-ecological hubs, with over 500 registered members (80 per cent of whom are young people), across ten sub-counties,
reaching over 27,000 farmers with various services.
Income generated by the established hubs over the past year of implementation is estimated at 3.8 million Kenyan shillings.
Mariatu Kamara, IFAD Kenya Country Director, says that BOOST demonstrates what becomes possible when young people are trusted, equipped, and given the opportunity to lead.
“Across the five counties, we are witnessing a new generation of agripreneurs transforming agriculture into a modern, vibrant and dignified livelihood”.
This partnership with the EU, the government, the FAO and local stakeholders is improving food systems and reshaping rural prosperity for years to come,” she added.
By accessing bundled inputs and services via a mobile e-voucher platform, young agripreneurs can build credit histories and gain recognition from banks as legitimate
businesspeople.
EU-funded Boost Action interventions have positively impacted the country's achievement of food and nutrition security by sustainably increasing food production.
This is due to the adoption of agro-ecological practices coupled with improved access to subsidised agricultural inputs, technologies and services in Kakamega, Bungoma, Nandi,
Migori and Homa Bay counties.
Dr Kipronoh Ronoh, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Agriculture, said: “At the heart of the EU-funded BOOST project lies innovation in financial services.
This mobile-based e-voucher system was pioneered by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the EU through the Kenya Cereal Enhancement Programme – Climate
Resilient Agricultural Livelihoods Window (KCEP-CRAL).
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
