Juliana Wanjiku, an elderly woman from Mugumo village in Ithanga sub-county, has been a fruit farmer for over thirty years. Her three-acre farm, situated deep in the semi-arid region, serves as a beacon of hope in an area otherwise afflicted by dry weather.
Wanjiku began her orchard in the early 1990s after moving from Kigumo sub-county as a newlywed. She initially planted a few banana suckers and some oranges, which thrived and encouraged her to adopt mixed farming, including mangoes, melons, and lemons.
The farm provided just enough to support her household, especially after her husband passed away, leaving her as the sole breadwinner. It wasn’t until 2019 that Wanjiku attended a training forum on agro-ecology, which focuses on organic farming, the sustainable use of biodiversity, and conservation agriculture.
Facing serious water scarcity challenges, Wanjiku learned to use mulching to minimize evaporation, allowing her fruit crops to thrive even during droughts. She also discovered how to use locally available materials to produce her own manure, eliminating the need for costly fertilizers while also improving her soil’s alkalinity.
“As a result, I have seen my harvests drastically increase, and my fruits now taste better. People come from far to buy my produce,” she shared.
Wanjiku made these remarks while hosting a delegation of officials and farmers from Makueni County, who visited her farm to learn about agro-ecology. Moses Mwaura from the training lobby mentioned that his organization has been focusing on women in its efforts to encourage more farmers to transition to agro-ecology to enhance food production, as many of these women are the primary breadwinners in their families.
“When we started this program in 2019, many of these families depended on relief food and lived in abject poverty. Now, they are able to sustain themselves,” Mwaura stated.
Salome Ndunge, a champion farmer from Makueni, expressed her surprise at how Wanjiku had managed to plant various fruit trees in such a small area while maximizing her harvests.
