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Six years ago, Isaac and his wife Peninah Nasiyumu earnt so little from their maize farm they could only afford two meals a day. Their poor diet meant their children often became sick, but they couldn’t afford to pay for medical care or medicine.

In the Trans-Nzoia County and Elgeyo Marakwet County of eastern Kenya, the odds are stacked against young farmers. Their chances of success with limited access to land, equipment and transport is minimal. Nearly 80 per cent of Kenyans are less than 35 years old – and nearly one-in-five are jobless.

But thanks to Farm Africa’s Growing Futures project (funded by Aldi UK, Medicor Foundation and UK aid from the UK government), the Nasiyumu family have begun growing new crops – and the family's income has tripled. With these additional resources, they have bought a cow for milk, and a motorbike. Isaac is now able to sell his green beans, cabbages, and other produce at the markets in neighbouring towns.

How your fundraising can help

Projects like this are the reason why we’re embarking on the Three Peaks Challenge in September. We’re committed to helping fellow farmers like Isaac and Peninah build a life for themselves through farming. And your funds can help Farm Africa provide skills and training for farmers in one of the most challenging parts of the world.

“One of the greatest things Farm Africa has taught us is about new crops and the best way to grow them,” says Isaac. “They have given us lots of training and helped us to begin our business by giving us high-quality seeds which means we can produce better harvests.”

Photo credit: Tara Carey

Farming for the future

The Growing Futures project is helping 2,500 farmers in Kenya. Giving them the skills to set up profitable farming enterprises by capitalising upon the growing demand for produce such as French beans, mangetout, kale, tomatoes, and cabbages. They are learning to grow export-quality crops, set up sustainable relationships with buyers and run profitable farming businesses.

Farm Africa reduces poverty across eastern Africa by helping farmers grow more, sell more and sell more. They use their technical expertise to train farmers to grow export-quality crops, set up sustainable relationships with buyers and run profitable farming businesses, meaning that families are able to earn higher incomes and have access to a diverse range of food all year round.

Photo credit: Farm Africa/Mwangi Kirubi

If you’d like to support farmers like this, please donate to our Three Peaks Challenge fundraiser. Sixteen members of LJ Fairburn staff will be donning their walking boots and taking part in the tough trek, which will see us scale Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in just 24 hours!

To donate click here. To find out more about Farm Africa click here.