Almost half of the world’s extreme poor live in sub-Saharan Africa. The vast majority work in agriculture. The Kanjoo community are part of these statistics. Farming is the main source of income due to the nutrient rich soil, with Miraa as the most profitable crop grown and sold. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the government of Kenya prohibited the sale of Miraa due to the amount of handling that was necessary from grower to consumer. This was devastating for the farmers of Kanjoo whose already modest incomes plummeted overnight. This unsettling time, in conjunction with the ever-increasing heat and recurrent droughts, have forced farmers to look for other agricultural income generating opportunities.
At THI, we are working to provide the community with agricultural education to include diversification and improved farming methods. However, without a steady supply of water this diversification is still incredibly challenging
