Over 700 farmers equipped with smart farming skills

Loitoktok,

Thursday, September 14, 2023

KNA by Kimani Tirus

Over 700 farmers in Kajiado South Sub County on Wednesday graduated after four months of training courtesy of Safaricom Foundation WEZESHA program that equips farmers on smart farming.

The graduation of the second cohort of 760 farmers follows another graduation of about 314 farmers early this year in March under the WEZESHA program.

While officiating the graduation at Ngama location in Loitoktok, the Chairman Safaricom Foundation, Joseph Ngutu appreciated the WEZESHA program which fast track and aligns well with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

Ngutu said Safaricom is about transforming lives and the company longs to enhance the living standards of Kenyans hence their commitment in programs that enhance livelihood.

The chairman noted that through the training the farmers have received information on smart agriculture which will help to improve not only food production but also their economic status.

Ngutu pointed out through training on smart farming the over 1000 farmers have received this year the region is ready to have a change in farming urging the farmers to share information on smart farming with other farmers.

The chairman further added that the Safaricom Foundation is targeting about 100,000 farmers across the country in the WEZESHA program mostly targeting women and the youth.

He noted that in conjunction with the county government of Kajiado and other stakeholders, the Safaricom Foundation wants to transform this part of Kajiado which sometimes faces dry spell to be always fruitful.

He also appreciated the farmers for their endurance and commitment to be trained up to graduation where they were issued with certificates.

Separately Ngutu appreciated EnDev (Energising Development from Germany) for its solarization project at Bondeni Estate in Loitoktok to run a water project which was also launched by Safaricom Foundation.

EnDev Program Manager, Valerie Ostheimer said the WEZESHA program is targeting women and the youth to boost employment through the agricultural sector.

The program Manager said they target the women and the youths because of the high level of unemployment in Kenya noting that over 70 percent of the youths are unemployed while many women are in the informal sector.

Ostheimer said not only is the program offering skills but also links the trained farmers with financial institutions and other partners to empower them for employment or start their own businesses.

She encouraged the graduates to put into use the knowledge they have acquired to improve their lives and economy of the county in general.

Ostheimer said the country and Kajiado County in particular is not only facing challenges in agriculture due to climatic change but also in the energy sector adding that the EnDev is focusing on stable energy such as solar and clean cooking as a way of adapting to climatic changes.

The event was graced by institutions affiliated to agriculture such as companies dealing with chemicals, seeds, and fertilizers among others,

Courtesy; KNA