When 25-year-old Vivian Odhiambo returned to Siaya County after dropping out of college, her options felt limited.
She joined her mother in subsistence farming, scattering seeds by hand and harvesting just 50 kilogrammes of sorghum from a quarter-acre plot.
With no steady income and a young child to care for, she realised that something had to change.
The change came through the Drought Tolerant Crops 4 Youth Jobs Creation programme, which aims to scale the commercialisation of drought-tolerant crop technologies to provide dignified and fulfilling work for 120,000 youth in rural Kenya.
The programme, implemented by Africa Harvest – lead partner, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, spans 10 counties: Siaya, Homa Bay, Busia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Machakos, Makueni, Kitui and Taita Taveta.
In February 2023, Odhiambo was selected by the county agriculture office to become a trainer. In this role, she acquired skills in agronomy, business development, leadership and financial literacy.
“Before the training, we didn’t space our seeds or manage the soil well,” she said.
“Now, I harvest 150 kilogrammes from the same plot. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s progress.”
Odhiambo now trains 19 youth groups, consisting of between 15 and 30 members each, on the very practices that transformed her yields.
The ripple effect is evident as more young farmers are adopting smarter techniques, increasing their harvests and earning more.
Odhiambo did not stop at farming.
With her improved sorghum yields, she started a small value-added business, producing sorghum cakes and pops for local sale.
Odhiambo bakes six days a week and earns a daily profit of between Sh350 and Sh380.
During special occasions, she can sell up to three trays, with each tray containing 80 to 85 pieces sold for Sh10 each.
“I love that I can earn daily from what I grow,” she says.
Odhiambo is also the custodian of a community oven provided by the project, which she uses for baking.
The oven is shared among the youth groups she mentors. The programme has made additional investments, including threshers, shellers, hand weeders, moisture meters and weighing scales, all aimed at boosting productivity and profitability in farming.
Odhiambo’s entrepreneurial spirit goes beyond farming. Using Sh38,000 from her agribusiness profits, Odhiambo opened a small fashion boutique in September 2023.
“I love fashion,” she says with a chuckle.
Today, she manages her businesses by hiring casual workers for the farm, baking in the mornings, running her boutique and training young people in the programme.
A 2024 income survey by the programme found that female participants earned a collective Sh5.7 million from agriculture-related ventures in just one season.
Odhiambo’s story proves that with the right tools, knowledge and support, youth can thrive in agriculture and beyond.
“This isn’t just about farming,” she says.
“It’s about growth – personal, financial and even creative. I am building a life I am proud of.”
With continued support and investment, more young people like Odhiambo can transform agriculture from a survival activity into a thriving business.
by GILBERT KOECH
