Youth Agripreneur Program launched in Makueni county, Kenya

The Ministry of Agriculture, County Government of Makueni as part of the World Bank’s National Agriculture Rural Inclusive Growth Program (NARIGP) and One Million Farmer Platform (OMFP) partnered with Kuza Biashara for its Disruptive Agricultural Technologies (DAT) initiative to benefit the young women/men from the Kiambu county.

Working closely with the county teams, Kuza would be supporting the selected Youth Agripreneurs from 7 wards (Tulimani, Kako-Waia, Kisau-Kiteta, Kikumbulyu North, Kikumbulyu South, Thange, Kalanzoni) through its Rural Entrepreneur Development Incubators (REDI). With the specially designed Kuza portable digital toolkits each of the Youth Agripreneurs would be able to provide digital extension services to a cohort of 200 smallholder farmers from the banana, dairy, poultry and beans value chains.

The Youth Agripreneur program got kicked off officially on 30 & 31 Nov 2022 at the Joyland Villa, Wote town.  Kuza Mentors Mr. Kelfin Mwambia and Mr. Paul Wambua conducted the orientation session which was graced by Mr. Mullie Eisten, Digital Champion, NARIGP and the Ward Agricultural Officers supporting the green grams  and tomato value chains. Mr Mullie highlighted how farmers can address their challenges using the disruptive agriculture technologies and  increase their productivity.

Kuza mentors would support the selected Youth Agripreneurs through a 15 week MBA style leadership program to equip them with technical and business skills needed, and hand hold them in providing digital extension services to their respective cohorts of smallholder farmers from the Vulnerable & Marginalized Groups (VMG) or Common Interest Groups (CIG).

Youth Agripreneurs would sustain with the commissions they earn by providing agri inputs, farm services and facilitation of credit and markets to their farmers.