Judy’s New Skills Yield Improved Livelihood
Judy is a single mother, and lives with her child and her father. Before joining the Kenya Igembe program, Judy lived a very difficult life. She struggled to feed her household due to poor yields from her half-acre piece of land. She depended on casual labor to survive, but such opportunities were rare and often located far from her home.
Judy joined the Farmer Field School with high expectations of gaining new skills. She was trained in conservation agriculture and soil fertility management. She quickly applied this knowledge by mulching her land, hoping it would improve her yields.
During the October to December 2025 season, Judy was surprised to harvest 200 kg per acre – twice what she had previously produced. Her mulched maize withstood the scorching sun and remained strong throughout the season. What stood out most was the clear difference between her mulched crops and the un-mulched ones. Her brother, whose farm is adjacent to hers, harvested nothing.
Following training on drought-tolerant crops, Judy also began growing millet. She harvested 50 kg from a quarter-acre of land. Previously, she had not grown millet because she lacked knowledge about the importance of crop diversification and relied only on maize and beans. This often resulted in low yields and, at times, total crop failure.
Judy also received training in poultry production, which significantly improved her livelihood. She constructed a new poultry house with better ventilation and expanded her flock from 5 to 11 chickens. She later acquired improved local chicken breeds, which provided further benefits. Currently, she owns 43 birds that provide both meat and eggs. She sells some of the birds and eggs to earn income.
Despite the water shortage, Judy also established a kitchen garden, ensuring a steady supply of vegetables for her household. She also planted pawpaw and mango trees as part of her efforts to improve her family’s nutrition. Judy is very pleased with the program, noting that it has empowered her with the knowledge and skills she needs to cope with challenging conditions and improve her livelihood.
Kenya Igembe is led by World Renew and local partner Anglican Development Services – Mount Kenya East