Farming means family for this young farming couple
Like many other young Kenyans, David entered a depleted job market after graduating from college. Unable to find reliable work as an electrical technician, he decided to work with his wife, Joy, to pursue an alternative path... one that ended up being truly transformative.
“After finishing my course, I looked for an alternative career because in my field the work is unreliable, but life must continue. So we began farming in 2018. We decided to be serious farmers,’ David explained.
David and Joy began by planting maize, which is a staple crop in Kenya. But maize takes a long time to grow and produces small yields so the couple’s harvests, and their incomes, were very small.
Farm Africa’s Growing Futures project was designed to help people exactly like David and Joy. Our staff know that with the right support, young people - who would otherwise face unemployment - can build thriving careers in agriculture.
“When Farm Africa came, they told us if we farmed other crops, especially French beans and spinach, we could earn a good income. These crops are the major league; they are good because you can get a healthy harvest after just three months.” - David
Farm Africa helps ambitious young farmers to learn which vegetables are in high demand and fetch the best price at market. Our expert staff also provide agricultural support and helped David and Joy learn about which crops grow
quickly and produce the highest yields.
By putting the knowledge they gained into practice, the couple was able to transform their business: “French beans have made us proud. From the sale of the French beans we were able to make savings. This type of farming has got us somewhere in life. We have built a house and now we are comfortable. Farming has also improved our lifestyle because we have been able to gain food security. Because we have a lot of vegetables we have a balanced diet now.”
“We’ve also been able to buy a sewing machine - Joy is a tailor and so when she has free time, she also earns an income from this.”
But for David and Joy, farming has changed their life in one more very special way…
“We were without a child for five years. But because of this farming Joy was able to have some surgery that meant today…we are a family.”
We’ve said it before but David and Joy have proven it again; farming really can transform lives!
