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Alpha's story

WHEN MY CHILDREN HAVE TO COME HOME FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE I CANNOT PAY, I FEEL BAD. IT IS NOT MY WISH THAT THEY ARE OUT OF SCHOOL.

ALPHA'S MUM


Alpha is seven years old and lives with his mum, dad, two sisters and brother in a village in Trans-Nzoia County, western Kenya.

Alpha's parents have some land that they farm. Here they grow food for the family to eat and also some crops to sell to earn money. They grow maize (sweetcorn) and other vegetables that are popular in this part of Kenya, but they struggle to earn enough money to pay for all the things their family needs like medicines if they get ill. 

Sometimes Alpha's parents don't have enough money to pay for Alpha and his sister Angelina to attend school, so they get sent home and miss out on their lessons. This makes Alpha's mum very worried.

But things are set to change now that Alpha's parents have joined a Farm Africa project in their area. Farm Africa's Growing Futures project helps young farmers in Kenya learn how to increase their incomes by making their farms more successful.

As part of Growing Futures, Alpha's parents will learn about different crops that only take a short time to grow and can be sold for a good price. They will also learn the best ways to look after their crops to make sure their harvest are big and healthy. 

The project will also help Alpha's parents and other farmers to find good buyers for their crops, so they can sell them for the best possible price. 

Alpha hopes that by using the skills they have learnt from Farm Africa, his parents will be able to earn more money, so they can afford to send Alpha and his sister to school all year round. 

 

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