More than 1,100 farmers in Kajiado County have benefitted from agricultural training through Safaricom Foundation’s Wezesha Agri programme, which was a KES 30 million partnership between the Foundation, Africa Instore Solutions (AIS) and GIZ Endev.
As part of the programme, farmers underwent a four-month training session at a seven-acre demo farm in Ngama, Kajiado South Sub-County, where they learnt appropriate farming skills and technologies. Among the crops planted on the farm were onions, capsicums, tomatoes, kales, sweet potatoes, cabbages, and poultry rearing.
“As part of our 2023-2026 strategy, under economic empowerment, we are keen to increase opportunities for the youth through job creation, skilling, innovative and affordable financing, enterprise development and strategic partnerships. Agribusiness is key to this aim, and we are pleased with the impact that Wezesha Agri has had throughout its implementation,” said Joseph Ogutu, Chairman, Safaricom Foundation.
Last year, 297 farmers graduated from the programme in March, with an additional 700 farmers graduating in September. Most of the graduates went on to establish poultry farms and kitchen gardens, while others formed community groups where they share knowledge with fellow farmers in Kajiado.
“We are glad to have partnered with Safaricom Foundation and other partners to make Wezesha Agri successful in Kajiado. Our role in this programme was to train the farmers in group dynamics, safe use of pesticides, home economics, good agricultural practices, and agribusiness. We were also able to engage these graduates in climate-smart agriculture by providing drought-resistant crops, which has promoted food security in the area,” said Jennifer Githinji, Team Lead, AIS.
GIZ Endev provided solar equipment for use in poultry farms, which enabled the farmers to incubate eggs even during power outages.