Farming isn’t just for old people
The busy city of Nairobi might not be considered the best place to set up a farm. But Kreative Generations, a community youth group who work together both as a comedy troupe and a farming cooperative, are proving that urban farming is not just profitable, but cool too.
Vincent, 29, is the vice chairman of Kreative Generations. Here, he talks about some of the challenges young people in Kenya face, and how farming isn’t just for old people.
“Young people in Kenya face many challenges in getting a good, stable job - everyone wants one but finding something that will pay is difficult.
“It is a big problem that many young people have good grades and certificates but can’t find a job because they don’t give us the opportunity. Everywhere you go they say they want you to have five years of experience but how can you get experience if nobody will give you a chance? Sometimes they want you to bribe them or you have to know someone - without having someone on the inside to help your chances are very minimal.
“I think most of the youth feel let down, we are left alone with nobody to help us. We feel discriminated against.
“Farming can help if you can find a good plot of land but the challenge is finding a place. In Nairobi much of the land has been developed, but if you can find somewhere then farming is the easiest way to earn money.
“I grew up in the countryside and moved to Nairobi when I was 12 years old. Where I come from they do lots of farming, it was something that I learned when I was young but it wasn’t something I used to enjoy.
“But when I joined Kreative Generations and the group started getting support from Farm Africa I realised I liked it. I am interested in the technology that comes with it, the ability to produce a big harvest from a small piece of land and get a good outcome.
“Kreative Generations grow kale, green peppers and local vegetables and we sell most of the food we produce, we earn around 20,000 shillings a month. There are around nine of us who come regularly and I spend around two hours a day 
farming.
“Most young people think farming is for old people and for those in the countryside but farming is important because it is one way of earning a living - you don’t have to get employment from elsewhere to earn your own money. It is important because if young people get involved in farming, they will not have a problem getting food and they won’t have to spend money to buy it.
“If I can get some capital I will move to the countryside and do farming there. From what I have learned with Farm Africa I think I would be earning more than twice what I get in Nairobi because there is more land so there is more to farm.”