Today, I went 150 km to the East of Nairobi to a part of Kenya, Machakos county, where the desert land starts and life for farmers is really difficult. We met there a community of farmers whom one of our local system changer network partners, Mukuru Angaza, has started new projects with – also with the help of Making More Health.

As one of the young men told me life is very difficult and it is a challenge to earn even 100 Kenyan shilling per day ( this corresponds to not even 1 EUR or – to be exact – 85 Cents). In the morning the people eat beans; launch and dinner normally consists of a mixture of different grains and millets. One kilo of potatoes costs more than 200 Kenyan shilling. Nearly unreachable to them.

The education level is very low. For women, young people. But also the men. They say they have been forgotten. Many young people have left and stay mostly in the slums of Nairobi – where life is not much better for them.

Recently, our NGO and System Changer Network partner, Francis Gikufu, has started activities in Machakos county – to help farmers and to give young people a reason to stay in their land. A very interesting aspect of it: He links his activities in the slums with young people to activities in a rural set up.

What happened during the visit

There was a lot of excitement among the farmers when we arrived. Francis, our local NGO partner introduced our Making More Health initiative. He has bought there some land and started some basic income training. The first fish farming activity has started and we could help also with some simple water purification devices.

Francis who in the past years has worked with the youth in Mukuru slums in Nairobi and experienced himself the frustration of young people who come to live in the slums has a big dream: one day they should go back and with the right skills be able to make their life a really better one. so the idea is to link Trainings in the slums to a future training center in rural surroundings in Machako county.

Some more impressions – long walks to get water, no Kindergarten and only a few distant schools, no electricity. But also a lot of ideas on how to make change for better happen here…

Listen to what he plans (video interview).

And more about the fish farming and farming