For many years, Tiaty in Baringo County has been associated with drought, livestock keeping and insecurity. Limited economic opportunities have particularly affected young people, many of whom have had to navigate a challenging environment with few alternatives for earning a sustainable livelihood. However, a group of young people in Chebelo Village, Churo Amayo Ward, Tiaty East, is demonstrating that with determination, knowledge and the right support, agriculture can provide an alternative pathway to food security, income and employment.
Kasilangwa Youth is a group of 18 young people comprising eight men and ten women. The group was established in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many economic activities were disrupted and opportunities for young people became even more limited. The members came together with a shared interest in improving food and nutrition security while developing alternative sources of income.
“We were motivated by the desire for nutrition and food availability, but also because we realized that we could sell our produce and generate an income. Previously, we depended mainly on livestock,” says Fetsus Apwat, Chairperson of Kasilangwa Youth.
The group has since diversified its activities to include vegetable farming, poultry rearing, beekeeping and a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA). Members manage a group farm while also practicing various agricultural activities at their individual households. To strengthen ownership and accountability, responsibilities have been distributed among members, with different teams managing vegetable production, poultry and beekeeping.
The transition from predominantly livestock-based livelihoods to diversified agricultural enterprises has been supported by ActionAid Kenya through initiatives that seek to strengthen alternative livelihoods and build resilience among communities facing poverty and climate-related challenges.
Agriculture in Tiaty is not without challenges. The area experiences recurrent drought, making access to water one of the major constraints to food production. The availability of a community borehole has, however, provided an important opportunity for the young people. The community entrusted the group with the management of the resource and allowed them to use the water for agricultural production.
Through ActionAid Kenya’s support, the group received water storage tanks, seedlings and fruit seedlings, as well as training to strengthen their agricultural knowledge and skills. The water storage infrastructure has enabled the young farmers to irrigate their crops and improve their ability to produce food despite the area’s dry conditions.
The group has also adopted environmentally sustainable farming practices. Members use organic manure, including manure from livestock, as an alternative to synthetic fertilisers and other chemical inputs. This has enabled them to make productive use of locally available resources while reducing production costs and promoting healthier agricultural practices.
The group’s vegetable farm currently supplies produce to approximately 500 households in the surrounding community while generating income for its members. For a community where food production has traditionally been heavily dependent on livestock and increasingly affected by drought, the initiative is contributing to both household food security and livelihood diversification.
For Fetsus, the initiative is also a practical demonstration of the potential of young people to create employment rather than wait for formal employment opportunities. Having attained a Higher Certificate in Agriculture, he could have chosen to wait for an opportunity in the formal job market. Instead, he decided to apply his knowledge within his community.
“I am a graduate with training in agriculture, but I chose not to wait for employment. I joined my colleagues to create employment through agriculture,” he says.
His experience reflects the aspirations of many young people who are increasingly exploring self-employment and entrepreneurship in response to the limited availability of formal jobs.
Brenda Amoni, the group’s secretary, says the decision to invest in agriculture was driven by the realities facing young people.
“We chose agriculture after realising that formal jobs are quite a challenge. If we continue waiting, we might do so forever. This idea was our solution,” she says.
For Brenda and her fellow members, agriculture represents more than a source of income. It is an opportunity for young people to take greater control of their livelihoods and contribute to the development of their communities.
“As young people, we should embrace agriculture,” she says.
The initiative is also contributing to a broader effort to change perceptions about Tiaty and its young people. The area has for many years been affected by insecurity, which have contributed to a negative perception of the region. Through their work, the young farmers believe they can demonstrate a different reality, one in which young people are building enterprises, strengthening food security and contributing to positive change within their communities.
“For many years, Tiaty and Baringo have been known for banditry and drought, with a negative history. With our initiative, we believe we are changing the narrative to a positive one,” Brenda says.
The work of Kasilangwa Youth forms part of the wider GRACC (Gender Responsive Alternatives to Climate Change) Project, which works with women, young people and persons with disabilities to address the root causes of poverty and strengthen community-led approaches to sustainable livelihoods. The project supports communities to develop alternative livelihood opportunities, including agroecological farming, while also strengthening their capacity to engage with policy processes and advocate for greater support from duty bearers, including county governments.
According to the GRACC Project Coordinator, Lucy Ntongai the approach places young people at the center of community transformation.
“We are engaging young people to make transformative changes in their communities through alternative livelihoods, especially through agroecology,” the coordinator says.
The experience of Kasilangwa Youth demonstrates the potential of investing in young people as partners in development. Through access to training, agricultural inputs, water infrastructure and opportunities to organize collectively, the young people have been able to turn local challenges into opportunities for action.
Their journey also demonstrates the importance of supporting locally led solutions. Rather than waiting for employment opportunities to emerge, the young farmers are using the skills and resources available to them to create livelihoods, improve access to food and strengthen resilience within their community.
As Tiaty continues to face the impacts of drought, insecurity and limited economic opportunities, the experience of Kasilangwa Youth offers an alternative narrative. It is a story of young people choosing innovation over dependency, enterprise over waiting and opportunity over adversity.
Author: Ezra Kiriago, Communications Coordinator ActionAid Kenya.