“Age is never a factor” He answered while busy
uprooting weeds from the vegetable nursery. “How do you manage your family
needs together with sending your children to outstanding schools,” I asked.
Mr. Wanyoike of 77, a renowned entrepreneur in
Kesses constituency has managed to make ends meets through a hard way. During
dry season, the amount of moisture content in the soil merely support farming
unless under artificial irrigation. In fact, hunger and thirst has claimed its
first victims from the weak and susceptible.
Kenya Horticultural Council (KHC) has particularly
criticized the possibility of farming particularly on horticultural farming in
Kesses over time.
Here is Mr. Wanyoike who has made life out of the
little environment. For many years, he has led an amble life with his family of
11; Mr. and Mrs. Wanyoike and 9 children. 5 of his elder children (all female)
could not go to school because of abject poverty as described by him.
“I did not access food, clothing and books to go to
school after which I opted to marry at age 12. All of my four sisters got into
the same boat in quick succession.” Rita reported.
The story changed shortly after the family saw the
plaque befalling their children. “We realized that our children were perishing
into early unstable marriages. My husband and I resorted to venture into an
unusual practice: vegetable seedling farming.”
According to Mrs. Wanyoike, the practice did not pay much.
At first, the elderly farmers raised vegetable
seedlings of all kinds; tomatoes, cabbages and kales. 6 years after, something
horrible happened; no rains, no water. Mrs. Wanyoike and the little children
had to travel miles to get water to quench the thirst of the wilting seedlings.
The situation claimed the lives of the many.
“Success favors prepared minds and loss favors the
light hearted,” said Mr. Wanyoike. The elderly couple never gave up. They went
for what could be possible; they ventured into raising kales’ seedlings.
“With the little we were left with, we began
redressing the nursery.”
The rare elderly farmers thrived tremendously
working on a kind of vegetable seedling than before. Commercial firms and
institutions came in as the best mass consumers of the rare product.
NGOs on hearing the sensuality of the elderly farmers
purchased and installed irrigation systems, to better the family’s source of
livelihood and gave them moral support.
The family, currently, have been able to send their
children to school, notably the best performing academies in Uasin Gishu and
even to the university. Mary, their daughter, is currently studying at Kabarak
University pursuing a degree in Law; two in Moi Forces Academy, Lanet, and the
only male child in the family is studying at Hill school primary.
According to
the family, age, educational background, environmental factors and geographical
orientation are always consideration factors of doom .determination, hard work
and preparedness are key factors to success.
Agribusiness is what most of our grandparents believe in and that is what they have been using to build our nation, unfortunately generation in this century has lost it all
ReplyDeleteour blessing lay ahead. just do what you see you never know, it may turn out to be the future you wanted to live
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