By Kimuri Mwangi
Children mentored into agribusiness practically will ensure they have a strong foundation to enable them to practice it when they grow up. Elgon Kenya Managing Dr. Director Bimal Kantaria says that’s the reason they partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture to make this a reality through the 4K Clubs.
“4K Club has been around for a while, but it’s only during the last couple of years that the new administration that took over from Kilimo House realized the importance of encouraging youngsters to go back into agriculture. As you know, youngsters don’t like agriculture, they would rather prefer office jobs or IT jobs. So, we started working with the Ministry of Agriculture, and now, between Elgon Kenya and the Ministry of Agriculture, there are about 1,600 schools that have 4K clubs,” said Kantaria. “The idea is to just make sure that youngsters understand not only the planting in agriculture but also how to make money from it.”
He was speaking at Nyanjega Primary & Junior School in Tigoni, Kiambu County, where they have partnered with the SMACHS Foundation to establish a 1.3-acre model farm plus vertical gardens for the school’s 4K Club.
“So that’s why the excellent example is Nyanjega School, where they have planted, they’ve sold, and they’ve reaped the benefits of agriculture, and they see money in their pockets. And that I think is a big driving factor in encouraging youth that agriculture is a profitable enterprise,” opined Kantaria.
He, his father, and his grandfather were all born in the area near the school, creating a special bond with the place. “I used to come to Nyanjega School with my dad and grandfather as a youngster. We started this school in 1984 through my grandfather, and since then, we have had a very strong affinity with the school. We have been giving porridge every single day since 1984, and so many children have passed through here.”
Elgon Kenya also helped to improve facilities in the school, which were opened in the company of the CEO, SMACHS Foundation, Charlene Ruto. They included a new classroom, a modern kitchen, and a dining Hall.
“But more importantly is we’ve opened this 4K club with the Ministry of Agriculture, the whole team with Madam Charlene and SMACHS and with Elgon Kenya. I think this partnership has borne fruit, literally and philosophically. We’ve sold agriculture, we’ve made money, we’ve shown the students that it’s possible. So, we’re very encouraged with the 4K club, this is a real-life example of what can be done with a little bit of encouragement for the youth,” said Kantaria.
SMACHS Foundation CEO Charlene Ruto said that by helping them to set up the model farm and grow vegetables, they were also able to develop their young minds. She added that they have also had innovative technologies that the children had understood and explained to them.
“So, our role is to keep championing for young people to get involved in agriculture and have a different mindset towards agriculture. That’s why we are starting in the primary school level, so that they can understand where their food comes from and how we can have nutritious food. We are looking at a long term journey, we may not see the results today or tomorrow but hopefully in the next 5, 10, or 15 years these young children will be the Dr Bimal’s of Kenya, they’ll be the ministers of agriculture, they’ll be influencing policy in the agriculture space, they will be the farmers because the average age of the farmer is still at a very old age and these are the ones who are coming in to take over the farms,” she opined.
SMACHS Foundation assists schools in setting up model farms after performing a needs assessment and planting with their consent. “So, for us, we come in, we initiate, we build together for a while, and then we leave it in their hands once we’ve given them the right knowledge and the right way to access so that they can push it for themselves. We hand over to the beneficiaries, and that’s how we ensure sustainability so that we are also able to go and begin the process in other places,” added Charlene.
The foundation launched its initial model farm in Samburu with another one in Uasin Gishu, among others.
Lawrence Mbugua, the Head Teacher at Nyanjega Primary & Junior School, said that the students had embraced the project fully. Their parents had reservations in the beginning, but he says that after they realized their children could make careers out of it, they were supportive. Realizing that their children were also having fun in agriculture helped in convincing them.
“We want to make it as enjoyable as possible whenever they carry out their activities on the farm, when we usually meet with the 4K Club members. When we started harvesting, we got somebody from City Park Market who was buying 100 bunches of kale per day for 15 shillings each. We got around Kshs 10,000. The children decided to buy farm tools with the money and use the rest in expanding it after they realized agriculture is profitable,” said the Head Teacher. He was also grateful for the improved facilities in the school. “Previously, they used to feed outside. You know this area, sometimes it is rainy and sometimes it is dusty. Now, when they are feeding in the dining hall, I think it is child-friendly and it is going to help them enjoy their stay here.”
